Featured rescue pet: Bailey, my pit/retriever mix (with updates, video)

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(Note: please allow the slideshow a moment to get started – and click here for a PDF of Bailey’s poster March 2012)

This featured pup looking for a home resonates a little too close to home for me – literally. It’s my pup. (Scroll to the end for video of this snuggle pup)

Bailey is a year-old retriever/pit mix who came to live with us as a 6-week-old foster pup and decided to stay. But sharing her family with two active Border collies (one who is terminally ill* and one who is very, very, very bossy) proved to be too much for this perky pup with personality to spare. She doesn’t want to share her space with other dogs because she wants to be the only mutt in your life!

Bailey’s easy to please – want to play fetch? She’s ready with her favorite football! Want to romp in the woods? Get the leash! Want to just snuggle on the couch and watch TV? Leave room for Bailey! She just wants to be with you, wherever you are.

She loves going to puppy school and is a smart, eager student who learns quickly. So if you’ve got the hot dogs, she’s ready for class!

And why limit yourself to obedience? How about a tracking class? She’s got talents still waiting to be discovered. If there’s a kitty in mix, he needs to be a feline who likes to chill and let his canine companion be the leader of the pack.

You also MUST be committed to continuing her formal training to help Bailey be the best pup she can be.

If you’re willing to give this sassy pup a second chance, you’ll have a best friend for life!

To meet this snuggly, fun-loving girl, email me at joanne@joannebrokaw.com or call me at 585-734-2209. An adoption fee will be charged and potential adopters will be vetted fully to ensure that Bailey and her new family are a great match.

 

UPDATE May 2012: Bailey finished her Puppy Superstar class with Ada Simms! Ta da! Good girl, Bailey!

Bailey at Puppy Superstar class with Ada Simms.

The newly minted “puppy superstar” watches Daddy pump gas.

 

*UPDATE: On January 6th, Scout went to live on God’s Farm in the Sky, and after an appropriate period of mouring, Bailey and Bandit have decided they really, really, really don’t want to live together in the same house. After several evaluations by trainers, it’s agreed that the problem in our house is Bailey and Bandit, not necessarily Bailey and another dog. While I do believe the very best situation is a home where Bailey is the only dog, she is more than capable of having doggie friends and playmates. Besides, once you meet her you’re going to want to shower all of your love on her alone!!!

UPDATE MARCH 2012: Bailey had her annual check up and she’s super duper! She weighs 44# but she’s smaller in stature than that weight implies. I can’t stress enough how great a dog she’s become and how heartbroken we are that she and Bandit can’t seem to work out their problem.

VIDEO OF BAILEY:

Harris Funeral Home offers funeral services for pets

When our beloved 14-year-old Border collie Natasha died, we buried her near the pond where she loved to swim. (photo c Wonder Dog Communications)

Like every dog lover, I’ve had my share of loss and grief when our beloved dogs have died.

When our 14-year-old Border collie Natasha was put down after a long battle with chronic kidney failure, for example, it was one of the most traumatic events I’d ever faced. I was so grateful for the kindness of our veterinarian, Dr. Leanna Hawkins, who let us stay with Natasha throughout the entire procedure so the last thing our dog saw and heard and felt was the people she loved.

I’m also grateful that my in-laws have land in the country, and we were able to bury Natasha near the pond where she loved to swim. My husband and I spent an afternoon preparing the site, he digging while I sat in the truck petting our dear dog’s fur and remembering how important this dog had been to our family. As the sun shone and the trees whispered, it was a time for reflection and it allowed me say goodbye to Natasha with peace and tranquility.

But I also know that our experience may be unique; not everyone has a place to bury their pet and grieve their four-legged member of the family. Which is why I was so interested in an article I read recently in the local health newspaper about the increase in popularity of pet funeral services.

At first glance, I wondered if maybe pet owners had finally gone over the deep end in their quest to anthropomorphize their animals, and if an industry had found a way to make money in someone else’s time of need.

But as I read and learned more, I realized that funeral homes can offer an important service for pet owners.

Featured Shelter Pet: Daisy the Border collie/sheltie mix

Daisy is a 4-year-old Border collie/sheltie mix looking for a forever home!

Daisy is a Border collie/sheltie mix being fostered by Blue Moon Meadows rescue group. They tell me this gorgeous girl is about 4 years old, weighs about 33 pounds, is recently spayed, and is up to date on her shots.

Daisy gets along with cats, kids and other dogs, and is fully housetrained. She knows a few commands and is a very calm and quiet dog.  She comes when called and has been great off leash when she’s been out for walks and swims on and swimming on her foster family’s property.  Daisy will make an excellent pet and a very warm and affectionate addition to your family.   For more information, visit www.bluemoonmeadows.com.

Does dog DNA hold the key to understanding human psychiatric disorders?

Bred over generations to work with their handlers in the great outdoors, Border Collies have very sensitive hearing - and are prone to anxiety disorders. Scientists hope that by studying dog DNA they can learn more about human psychiatric disorders. Image via Wikipedia

I came across this article today at Nature.com talking about studies being done on dogs to see if their DNA may hold the key to some human psychiatric disorders. It caught my eye because the lead anecdote was about a Border Collie with an anxiety disorder resulting from an extreme sensitivity to loud noises, from fireworks to car backfires.

That could have been my dog, Scout.  In addition to the normal Border Collie anxiety, after a broken leg as a puppy requiring six weeks of confinement to the house, Scout starting having serious anxiety every time we left the yard. I mean, he totally freaked out at everything from a car driving by to a train in the distance to someone banging a garbage can. It took a couple of years of training (for both of us!) and a lot of patience, but now he’s a much more confident dog. He’s even passed his AKC Good Citizen and Therapy Dog International tests.

The dog in the article is taking Xanax and other anti-anxiety medications to help with his anxiety; Scout’s anxiety was manageable with some training, but when he’s scared he still hides under my desk or refuses to go outside to potty in the dark.

But the article has some really interesting information about dog breeds and some breed-specific characteristics, and how studies investigating those characteristics may help scientists unlock mysteries to human psychiatric disorders.

What your choice of dog says about your personality

Having a high energy dog like a Border collie might mean you crave some excitement in your life. And you'll definitely get it. Photo (c) Wonder Dog Communications all rights reserved

Forbes.com had a really interesting article about how your choice of dog can reflect your personality.

For example, The Dog Whisperer - a.k.a Cesar Millan – says in the article that “the kind of dog people are drawn to is indicative of what’s missing in their life.” Owning a bigger dog might signify a lack of protection or “certain masculinity” in the owner’s lifestyle and world.

Ah, so that’s what’s going on with those guys who get manicures  and own pit bulls.

Joking aside, Millan might have a point. I have two Border collies, and if you asked me if my life was missing excitment and energy when I got the dogs, I would say, “Uh, duh.”