Lucky Steele

Posted on: May 31, 2018 by: DougB Comments: 1 Comment

Lucky has had a colorful life, but her penchant for the free-footed lifestyle has cost her a home at least three times.
Last updated: June 18, 2018

Base Info:

Lucky

Arrival date: May 31
Breed: Husky/Aussie mix
Sex: Female
Age: Approx. 1½ years
Weight: 36 pounds
Spay/Neutered: yes
General Health: Excellent
Temperament: Sweet, affectionate, gentle. Loves to be near her people.
Housebroken: Yes, and crate trained.
Good with People: Yes
Good with Dogs: Yes

History

Lucky was originally adopted from the Newport Humane Society Animal Shelter, just before they closed last year. But that family had trouble with her because Lucky likes to roam.

One day a woman, I’ll call her … Barbara: just so we have a name to work with here, arrived at Momma’s Kitchen for a meal. This is a restaurant built next to a gas station along a busy rural county highway. Barbara noticed Lucky wandering along side the road and was afraid she’d get hit by the flow of traffic.

Barbara inquired of the restaurant staff and they knew who Lucky belonged to. Barbara called the owner and was told, “That dog is always running off. I don’t want her.” So Barbara took Lucky home.

Barbara found Lucky a home with a man she knew. We’ll call him Lennie. Lennie spent around $300 on vaccinations, worming, tests, and a thorough exam, which turned up the fact that Lucky was pregnant.

Lennie brought Lucky back a week later. While Lucky is a sweet, lovable, and well behaved dog while someone is home with her she gets anxious when left alone and peed all over his home and chewed up some things. He wasn’t willing to crate her and work with her to resolve that issue and wanted her gone.

Barbara helped Lucky have 5 healthy puppies. Once they were weaned and placed in good homes, Barbara held onto Lucky as well as she could, but not having a fenced yard, Lucky was again roaming the area — which included a well trafficked road.

Lucky started visiting Barbara’s neighbors, Mike and Jeanne who are part of Steele Away Home – Canine Foster and Rescue, and they offered to help. Lucky had not been spayed yet and the last thing anyone wanted (aside from being hit by a car) was for her to get pregnant again.

Mike knows I have a fenced yard. He called to ask if there is any way we could squeeze one more in at our place. They sent pictures and a video. Look at that face, who could say, “No”?

Lucky was sent to A Pathway to Hope on June 29th for adoption.

Gallery

In roughly chronological order, newest at the bottom. Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Some pictures are linked to Doggy Tales about Lucky, click those to open the related story.

Lucky’s kennel is sanitized, stocked and ready for her.	Lucky waiting for me to open the door. “Let’s go in now.”	Lucky and Blondie sizing up each other. They were fine.	Lucky meets Josie: that went well.

Lucky’s Favorite Thing Ever (vid)	Lucky and Josephine play (vid)	YOU FORGOT TO FEED ME! (vid)	Lucky becomes a house dog. (vid)
Lucky likes sleeping on her back.	Engaging in calm play with Josie.	Riding well on way to transport.	Bye, bye sweet girl!

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Altering S.S.P.

Posted on: May 30, 2018 by: Doug

It has been S.S.P. (Standard Sleeping Procedure) forever that Blondie Bear inhabited the snuggle bed at the foot of our bed and Cochise preferred to sleep in the corner by the wall. During times of high stress (heavy rain, thunder, fireworks, hunters on the mountain at night, etc) Blondie would slip around and sleep beside my side of the bed. Here she could prompt me and I could slide an arm over and scratch her head when she needed comforting. Yeah, I know: we’re not supposed to do that, it just encourages fearful behavior. But she’s my “sweetface baby girl” and I am a softie sometimes. Especially where she is concerned.

When Cochise passed away, Blondie began sleeping along side the bed every night. She’ll lounge on her bed until we’re all settled, but once we’re ready to sleep, around she comes. This could be a problem with mobility as I get up at night to tend to dogs clickety-clacking along the hallway — potentially needing to go outside. But I know she’s down there, so I probe gently with my feet as I sit up. Blondie stays real still, letting me discover where she is not so I can find floor and stand up. That’s trust!

I have to think she is still missing her best friend and is seeking solace in staying close to me at night. Most of the time she does not seek skritchies. Once in a while I am awakened by her big square nose poking me gently, but most of the time she is content with being close.

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Bear Steele: Notes on a foster dog

Posted on: May 24, 2018 by: DougB

Bear was being fostered in Morristown, but that family just had a baby and they’re afraid Bear is too rambunctious for their home now. He also needs to work on his interdogeral social skills. And people skills. And obedience. And …

Last updated: June 29, 2018 – Transport day

Base Info:

Arrival date: May 24, 2018
Breed: Plott Hound
Sex: Male
Age: 6 Months
Weight: Approx 35 pounds
Spay/Neutered: No
General Health: Good
Temperament: Rowdy and undisciplined. Seems to want affection, but goes about getting it in inappropriate ways. I’ll help him with that.

History

Found on someone’s front porch. They called Steele Away Home – Canine Foster and Rescue for help.

Bear went to 11th Hour Rescue on June 29th and has been adopted.

Known Issues & Progress

Bear has only just arrived. Clearly he needs lots of work. To avoid confusion with Blondie Bear, I’m calling him Little Bear.

People Skills

Doing much better now. He knows “off”, “come” and “in your room”. He now seeks affection in appropriate ways. He is smart and willing to learn, if someone will teach.

Gets Along With Other Dogs

Little Bear has met all of our dogs. He gets along well with Blondie. Josie is spooked by him and retreats indoors when I let him out. He and Rainy want very much to play and would make a good play pair, but Rainy is on activity restriction, so I have to keep her inside when he comes out. Bear has dishonorable intentions toward Lucky (unaltered female) which she does not appreciate. Sometimes Callie is okay with him, sometimes she wants to be left alone.

Housebreaking

No. The house is full.

Miscellaneous

Now that he has a neighbor to keep him company he is quiet at night. He wants out to play with the others during the day, so he yaps a lot. Being a hound, things moving around in the woods will set him off too. That’s normal.

Gallery

In roughly chronological order, newest at the bottom. Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Some pictures are linked to Doggy Tales or videos about Bear, click those to open the related story.

Little Bear meets Blondie Bear (vid)	Trying to charm his neighbor, “Play with me!” (vid)	Bear meets Josephine (vid)	Bear prefers “roughing it”

Bear gets a special Saturday evening treat (vid)	Cone of privacy while dining.	Bear comes running whenever I call him (vid)	Bear and “In Your Room” (vid)

Foxy Lady’s Graduation

Posted on: May 17, 2018 by: Doug

Foxy has done well in her civilization training, so I gave her a reward. Yesterday I took Foxy with me to run errands. We went to the gas station, the drive-through bank (where she got a big cookie), Western Auto, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Ace Hardware, and Westgate Tire Pros. She went in with me everywhere but the gas station and the bank (because I didn’t go in either).

Everyone was friendly to her. Many loved on her and told her how beautiful she is. She ate up all that attention! She rode well and behaved perfectly in all the stores and with all of the people.

I also went to Wilton Springs Hardware, but I dropped Foxy back at home first, that was going to be an extended shopping session and she was getting tired.

Foxy will be leaving us tomorrow: headed out east somewhere. I’m told she has been accepted by a Husky rescue. That is a good thing: they will make sure she gets placed with a home that is aware of and able to accommodate the quirky personalities of Huskies.

They are wonderfully affectionate and entertaining companions, but they are also vocal, brilliant, and have opinions about EVERYTHING. Huskies are energetic dogs who need an active lifestyle. Those who cannot appreciate these qualities will be frustrated by them.

Foxy is a good girl. Beautiful too. I’m sure she will find her forever home quickly.

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Cochise’s Final Expenses Fund

Posted on: May 7, 2018 by: DougB

Cochise BigDog passed over the Rainbow Bridge on May 3rd. His final few days involved three trips to Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital, two of them for surgeries, a special purchase of expensive clotting agents, a hasty trip to an Emergency Services clinic in Knoxville, where diagnostics, tests, more drugs, and consultation with an emergency service vet and an oncologist were performed.

Dr. Sandra O’Connor paid the emergency services clinic bill so I didn’t have to deal with that on top of losing our beloved Cochise, for that I am grateful. When everything is tallied up and posted to our account, I expect the charges for all these services will be … pretty high. I have opened a Care Credit account as a loan to pay them.

Over the weekend one of the Rescue people we know through Facebook contacted me and asked if she could help us with Cochise’s final expenses, and if so, how? I honestly had not considered this possibility and wasn’t sure how to go about it. I made a few on-the-fly suggestions, but none were really good ones.

All Hail the Chief

Posted on: May 4, 2018 by: Doug Comments: 1 Comment

Cochise BigDog, also known as Cochise the Amazing Talking Dog passed away on Thursday, May 3rd around 9:30 PM at the age of ten years.

Cochise was a great companion to us for six of those years, an amazing mentor to 63 foster dogs, an effective Guardian of the Realm, and a great ambassador for rescue dogs everywhere, for he too started out abandoned in a shelter, heartworm positive and scheduled for destruction. We saved him then, now it’s time to let him go. Farewell my Bestest Boy, you will be missed.

Cochise Is Declared “Unusual” Once Again

Posted on: May 2, 2018 by: DougB

Last week Cochise went to Cedarwood for his annual inspection — I mean examination, shots, blood tests, and a good, thorough poking all over. He had an unusual lump on his leg that raised some concerns.