Pups of the Week: Molly, Mouse and Jasper Need Prayers

Prayers, prayers, prayers:  Everywhere I look there are prayers.  They are floating on the river, falling from the skies, slipping down the mountains, growing on trees:  So many prayers for so many dogs.  I have assembled a battalion of Angels to deal with these prayers.  One brigade collated the prayers by dogs; another brigade flew them up to the Big Guy, a third brigade waited patiently outside his quarters for an answer, while a fourth gathered more incoming prayers.

Prayer for Molly our daring, beautiful Dachshund friend who enjoys nothing more than dashing through the woods near her house while constantly on the hunt.  Molly’s had severe food allergies when she was a pup, and her mom learned to watch over her little darling like a hawk.  She became concerned when Molly stopped noticing her mom’s hovering, or several other objects she rarely missed.

Molly went for an eye examination, and the news was not optimal.  Molly was diagnosed with SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration) which is the loss of function and death of cells in the retina that capture light.  It leads to permanent vision loss with no treatment or cure.

Molly still has 25% of her eyesight, and her parents are desperately trying to retain that.  A very small amount of patients shows vision improvement after taking a drug cocktail.  Odds are not high that the cocktail will work but her parents are willing to try anything to save her vision, while preparing for the worst by retraining her using voice commands such as “left,” “right,” “stop,” and “go” to help her navigate the world and using vanilla extract so Molly can sniff safe spots in the home and lemon extract for not safe places.   Molly has an indomitable spirit, and nothing will keep her from romping on her walks and delighting her parents, but I still ask for more prayers for her vision.

We have been getting prayers for our friend Mouse the Doberman.  She has had problems with her anal sac, a particularly nasty area to be troublesome.  This week she was diagnosed with two different infections and the anal sac, e-Coli and staph.  Mouse’s mom was happy to get the diagnosis because this problem had been recurring.  She was put on an antibiotic.  In two weeks the vet will determine if Mouse had responded to the medication.  If not then further steps will have to be taken.  So we as ask for more prayers for Mouse.

Our final friend in need is Jasper.  This sweet boy has been having seizures for months.  The doctors have not been able to pinpoint a reason for his suffering.  But his parents have watched him grow older and weaker over a short amount of time.  On Friday Jasper laid on the bed trembling, like he had a dream, but with his eyes open.  His parents sent a recording of him to the vet and are hoping for an answer.  We want Jasper back to being the ball of energy he once was, without a hint of suffering, so we ask for more prayers.

In a perfect world, I can report back in a few weeks that all three of our friends were fine.

It would be nice to have a perfect world for once.

Pup of the Week: Blue, Whiskey and Jasper

A pack is a very delicate organism.  One small change in the family can change the entire balance.  

When I began my social networking life the pack of 12, Chappy and Whiskey was the strongest unit l I knew.  Then 12 went to the Bridge, followed by Chappy, and now the pack is Whiskey, Blue, and Jasper.  That organism is not thriving as it once was.

My pack has not suffered from these issues.  I went to the Bridge and passed pack leader to Pocket.  River Song came to live with us.  Pocket said, “I am the pack leader.”  River said, “The hell you are!” and Pocket was back to being number two.  But she was all right with being second.  She has been her whole life.

The problems with Whiskey’s pack began when Blue’s herding instinct took effect, and he insisted on corralling Jasper and Whiskey, who had no desire to cooperate.  Whiskey became frustrated and stopped eating unless he was alone in a room with his mom.  Blue continued to try to herd the pack which started fights.  Jasper began marking in the house.  

Things came to a head when Whiskey started biting, Blue, which led to stitches.  Blue was separated from the pack when their parents weren’t home.  Their mom was crying about their broken family.   But she and her husband are the real pack leaders in their family, and they took steps to bring balance back to their family.  

They hired a dog behaviorist who told their parents that pack problems were common in multi-dog households.  She believed that working together the pack could be a working organism again.  Rule number one was to keep Blue and Whiskey apart for two months.  All three dogs would get individual training sessions multiple times a day.   There were personal problems to overcome:  Whiskey’s barking, Blue’s herding, and Jasper’s selective listening.  

Each dog learned at their own pace.  Whiskey and Jasper took to the training easily but Blue, a herding dog, was used to being the boss and has been resistant to change.  

It has been a long process, and it is ongoing, but the behaviorist is very impressed with the pack’s progression.  She told the pack’s parents that she didn’t think that Blue and Whiskey could be alone together, but would be an excellent pair while supervised.  Blue and Whiskey, on their own, have become oil and water.  

The pack is moving in the right direction.  They may not always be peaceful, but they will be a family again.  Their parents will make sure of that through their dedication to training.

While this blog recognizes Whiskey, Blue, and Jasper as pups of the week, it should recognize their parents for their ceaseless devotion to keeping their pack together.

Ask Aunt Foley

Dear Aunt Foley:  Last week I read “Ask Aunt Foley” and you answered why us dogs are not considered tax deductions and why this is wrong.  I decided to see if there were any documents in my Daddy’s desk that would support him claiming us as deduction.  After it was done the room looked like this: Daddy was quite upset.  Did I do the wrong thing?  - Jasper

Dear Jasper:  Of course you did the right thing in looking for receipts.  Any time you can facilitate more kibble being brought in the house it is a good thing.  But, as the former top dog attorney in the country I must admonish you for what you did wrong.  Barking about it.

Again, totally support the searching for receipts, but, when your Daddy came home, you should have been sniffing around, not even looking at your Dad, intently sniffing, even when he is yelling at you.  After he is tired of listening to himself yell he might notice you sniffing.  At that moment you look at the door and whine, then run to the front door, then back in the room, then to the front door, then back in the room, whining all the way.

After a while your Dad will become curious about your running.  Was it possible someone broke in the house?  Is that what you are trying to tell us boy?  Did someone go through my papers?  Honey, where is the bank book and our social security cards? Suddenly everything is about their papers and they have forgotten you, and your supposed misdeeds.  

So, before your rip apart your Dad’s office have a plan to blame someone else, even if it is Sumudderdawg.

Jasper and Gypsy Dawn are our October 21, 2012 Pups of the Week (With a Special Mention for a Little Bird)

Today we bark about two dogs who went from homeless to forever homes, two sets of packs very lucky to have special additions, and one special friend whose house has become a little less lively without the sweet tweets of a beloved friend.

The first is a white pup named Jasper.  Jasper was a pup of the streets.  Someone had placed him in the night drop box at the Salinas Animal Shelter.  Oh how frightening that must have been for this poor baby.  It is possible that whoever found him had seen him struck by a car.  He was not using his front right leg.  But the dogtors checked him out and luckily found no broken bones.  They did find that he had stickers in his paws, infections in his ears, and poor Jasper was womiting.  The dogtors fixed him up real nice and he was sent to the Animal Friends Rescue Program.

Jasper had a hard time finding a foster family and was placed in a pet boarding facility near the adoption center.  After six months Jasper still had not decided on a forever home.  He was very particular and wanted the right family.

Meanwhile the right family were sitting at their computer looking at available dogs. When the Mom saw Jasper she knew she had to make him part of her pack.  She showed it to the Dad and he agreed.  They called the woman, Sue, who had helped them adopt Whiskey and Blue.  That is right.  By waiting Jasper had hit the jackpot as the Gustavon pack, with Whiskey, Blue, Chappy and Angel 12 and Angel Fuzzy Bacon, had picked up his scent.  

Whiskey went with his Mom and Dad as a representative of the dog wing of the pack to meet with Jasper.  When Jasper saw them he was so happy the right family had found him that he bounded over to them.  Mom and Dad could see in Jasper’s eyes that he had chosen them, and, after some paperwork, Jasper’s dream had come true, he is the newest member of one of our favorite packs.  

Knowing he was where he watned to be Jasper began to act appropriately.  He went with Mom on a bike ride attached to the Walky Dog.  He knew not to have an accident on the floor and slept in his crate without making a peep.  He didn’t jump for attention.  He has great teachers in his parents and great dogs to learn from in Chappy, Whiskey and Blue, even if Blue is a little jealous of the new guy.
 
The next pup we would like to honor was, ten days ago, dumped, along with two siblings, on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere.  They were found by a mail carrier who took them with her and began to find homes for them.  Our friend Ginger Dash’s Mom saw one of them and fell in love.  She gave her the beautiful name Gypsy Dawn.  She has already taken to being dressed up.  What a lucky dog Gypsy Dawn is, from a box on the side of the road to a fashionista pup in just ten days.  A big tip of the tail to Ginger and her family for giving Gypsy Dawn a home.  And a big tip of the tail to Gypsy for fitting in her forever home so well.

I hate to end on a sad note but I must mention our friend Leo, who lost a member of his pack, their beloved bird Tiki who kept his Dad company in his office.   Leo’s house is much quieter now and we pray for Leo’s pack and Tiki’s safe flight to the Bridge.

So here is to two pups who found their forever home, and a bird who is in her final home forever.