Want Dogs? Will foster.

A night of introspection: Fostering has been a learning experience!

2010-04-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Jeet did something that took me by surprise tonight. He gets so keyed up about all the night visitors in the yard that he forgets to pee - so we watch out for it. When I got back from school, PBR told me that Jeet had not peed all evening. So I took him and he still did not go. I gave up and we came back in. After 20 minutess, Maya had claimed a place next to her dad on the couch. So I decided to give Jeet(who was sleeping on the dog bed) some hugs so that he does not feel left out. I lay over him and he seems to like being hugged. A few minutes later, I feel the back of my jeans become wet. On closer inspection I found that my body pressure combined with him relaxing had caused him to leak on me! A dog peeing on me - a first a new lesson learned for me - do not sleep on a dog with a full bladder. I somehow got thinking about my foster dogs and I realized that each one of them has taught me something different and I ended up writing this

Aatish taught me that senior dogs are awesome. He helped me deal with the fact that its ok for Maya to get older (I was freaking out because she was graying under her muzzle!). He taught me that I should not see her old age as our journey coming to an end but as another wonderful phase in our lives that I will cherish. He taught me that the first foster dog is always special. Because of him, I will adopt a senior dog in a heartbeat.

Farallone taught me that even the best dog can find himself in an unfortunate situation - not once but twice but that will not stop him (or the folks at GSRNC) from being optimistic that the next home will be his last. It taught me that I speak for them as their foster mum, that it is my job to send them to the best possible home, and that happy endings are always possible.

Kavik taught me that GSD can be like Goldens. He taught me to hide my laundry - otherwise I will find my under garments in his poop (and spend 15 mins wondering why the material looked familiar and to which toy it belonged to!). He taught me that a thirsty dog will drink from the toilet bowl. He taught me that adopters who are unafraid can be a better home than mine (They figured out his food allergies in 15 days while I was unable to do it in 2 months!). He taught me that it is ok for me to love them completely and yet be happy and relieved to see them get adopted. (I got my first full night's sleep the day he was adopted after 2 months of sleep deprivation dealing with diarrhea, vomiting, and his restless sleeping habits ).

Irish (my sweet boy Irish!) taught me that I can love a fearful dog. He taught me that dogs can love a water hose but be fearful of everything else. He taught me that people like Bob and Tish are special because they gave him another chance at life. He taught me that hot-dogs really work because he was willing to throw caution in the air to get a hot-dog treat! He taught me to sniff poop-breath on a dog in less than 3 secs (I got a lot of practice with him). He taught me that GSDs will defend their home. He taught me patience. He taught me to keep forging ahead when things seemed hopeless. He taught me that there are homes out there for every dog. He taught me that giving up a foster dog after 6 months is brutal. He left an emptiness in my heart that will take a very long time to heal.

Jeet reminds me of a young Maya - a clueless dog with terrific potential. Jeet taught me that GSDs can be amazingly athletic, and twirl in the air. Jeet taught me that 60lbs is enough to look intimidating to a stranger. Jeet taught me that a raccoon face is actually cute. Jeet taught me that I love fostering more than I love any of my foster dogs individually. Jeet taught me that my husband will be willing to have a second dog just to make me happy.... and most importantly, Jeet taught me not to sleep on a dog with a full bladder :)

Jeet

2010-04-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

I have had Jeet for almost 3 months now. So why have I not posted anything in such a long time ? Jeet has been a hard foster for me - not because he was difficult but because he was such a wonderful dog and this would have been a great dog to call my own. He came to me on a super busy weekend, stinky from Monterey shelter, where he had been neutered 4 days ago. He was also recovering from kennel cough, had patches of fur missing on his face from dead tick scabs, was super skinny, and had not worked out in his first foster home for being too focused on their Macaw.

His rescue name was Winner but PBR came up with Jeet (which means Winner in Hindi) and I thought it was a perfect name. It was wonderful to have a confident dog after Irish. He was scared of really loud noises but seemed to overcome his fears easily. He was friendly but also very protective of the house. He used to bark at me when I came back from school but a month later, he realized it would be me and would be standing by the door to greet me.

He has been such a quick learner. He knew no commands when we got him and now he is a very well-adjusted dog, He will need to be introduced to all the new things in this world but it seems like he is ready to learn and explore and was waiting for this opportunity. Whoever adopts him is a very very lucky person and I think that today I might have found him his forever home. I will keep my fingers crossed that this adoption works out.

He has been a wonderful companion to Maya too. There is a wonderful bond between them and he will be missed!

Irish has been adopted!

2010-01-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

Irish got adopted on Jan 10th, 2010. What a great way to start 2010! He went to a wonderful, loving, and kind couple who will give him lots of love. Irish will be living a quiet life in the countryside with two brothers (one is a lab mix and the other a rottie - both very sweet, playful and confident dogs) and ample amount of space to romp around in. I cannot ask anything more for this special boy of mine.

I went back to see what my last post on Irish was and I realized that I missed so many milestones of his. So here are some updates:

Irish finished attending the basic obedience training and went home with his certificate. His dad joked that they would frame it and put it in his crate :)
He attended 2 sessions of daycare. He was nervous the first day and did not play much. The second daycare session went much better and he played with some of the dogs.
Irish spent the holidays in Reno with a very experienced foster family and a whole new pack of dogs. We were out of town and I was worried that he would regress and his fearful behavior would all come back. He made the transition beautifully and he even went snowshoeing. The pictures above were taken by his "other foster mom" when he was holidaying in Reno.
He remembered me after the holidays. Irish looked at me tentatively when he saw me for the first time after 15 days. When I sat down, he came over, put his paws on my shoulder (I taught him to give me that hug) and greeted me a big wet kiss. What more could a girl ask for!!!

Here is an update that his mom sent. It made me all teary and I just had to share this.

It's been a week since we brought our new member of the pack home and we have been remiss in not making contact sooner. Irish could not be a more perfect match for our family. He was a bit timid the first day or so, but has blossomed into a confident brother to Brodie and Baxter.. The three of them utilize every square inch of our property to romp, play and joust until they are "tuckered out". Irish is usually the last to become tired and the first one ready to play. At night we put down quilts for each of them to sleep in their chosen spot on the bedroom floor. The scene looks much like a high school slumber party and it takes some careful foot placement to negotiate a path through the group. On occasion, we have observed Irish go for a walk up to the back part of our property to just explore, then like a rocket careen down the hillside to locate his brothers for more play. At times, he will stand just observing what is going on around him, perhaps wondering if it is O.K. to have this much fun and will he be able to stay here forever. Thanks to all of your efforts and those of other members of the organization, it will be O.K. to have this much fun and stay here forever!

The last five months have been exciting, stressful, hopeful, and joyful. I miss you my sweet boy Irish!

Irish goes to school

2009-11-24T21:48:00.000-08:00

I have been working with a fabulous trainer who is volunteering her precious time to see if we can get Irish to attend the group training classes and maybe the daycare that is held in the same facility. It has been a long month of working on getting him out of the car, into the building where the training will be held and on a strategy to attend classes without disrupting the other clients. We did a dry-run the Friday before the first class of getting him into the training center.Last Monday was the first day of class and we attended the first session in the closed out office area where I can observe the class but Irish does not have to see the class. He was fine the first 30 minutes but was stressed out and trying to find exit routes the next 30 minutes.

Yesterday was the second day of class. We just walked into the building without any issues and took our place. Irish was uncomfortable for the firs 10 minutes but then he settled in really well. He did not do any of his "I am nervous" signs like lip-smacking and yawning. He lay down and worked with me on "leave it" and "watch me". What a glorious note my Monday ended on! Yipeeeee!

Irish did another cool and new thing last week. I was getting ready to go out but was not planning on taking the dogs with me. I am busy getting my things ready and pulled out the house/car keys. What I saw next amazed me. Irish got excited and ran to the door with his tail wagging thinking that he was coming along. It was so cute that the boy who is scared of the outside world was happy about going outside. How exciting!!!

Irish goes to the Vet

2009-10-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Irish and his foster mom made such a ruckus at the Vet today....all for a distemper shot. We went tonight at 7:30pm because they told me that a weeknight late evening would be a quiet time. We get out of the car and make it close to the side door....great...so far so good. Of course, Mr Irish resents the vet tech who is standing by the side-door. So the vet tech comes outside and make friends with him. He is now considering going in...but of my, far down the hallway people are walking and talking at the pharmacy area. So that is a No Go. At this point, Irish is rearing back and all stressed out.

I know that trying to continue pushing Irish in this state is useless so I ask the vet tech if the vet could do the exam outside. She goes inside to check with the vet and Irish drags me back to the car. So I get Maya out of the car and we make our way back to the side door. The vet comes out and gives me 3 options
(1) come inside now (yeah, as if I have a choice) since its too dark to do an exam outside
(2) Make another appointment and come during the day (when it was super busy ..Haha ...j/king right!!!) for an outside check up in day light or
(3) Sedate him (oh my!!! Is daycare worth this?)

Anyway, as a last attempt, I ask the vet to take Maya with her inside. Hmm....that gets Irish interested and he gets closer to the door than we ever have been in the last 15 mins. Oh wait....there is a huge trash can there and we end up taking 5 steps backwards.

Then Irish sees his mom giving Maya some treats (HIS treats...Aiyeeee!!!!) and YEAH! Irish makes it into the hospital (Mercifully, we had the room closest to the door).

Once inside, Irish lets the vet examine him without any issues. After all the drama, the vet keeps asking me if he would be fine with handling and I say he would with extreme confidence (Ahem!!!). She is really surprised that he does not growl or really do much other than looking nervously - but that is typical Irish. He does not really take offense to anyone handling him. The vet tells me that Irish is set for his Bortedella for 6 months until Dec and I ask if we can overdose him for a year so we do not have to do this again. I am joking but the vet just gives me a dirty look. I assure her I am joking and she just nods her head....Oh my, she has had a long day :) The vet leaves. Two vet-techs come in to give him the distemper shot while he licks on some liver treat.I am hold the treat, one vet-tech gives the shot and the other vet-tech is holding Maya who is struggling to get out of the grip to get some of the liver treat that Irish is happily gorging on. Wow...this seems crazy! Irish does amazingly well in a crammed room with 3 women and one dog.

Now he is all up-to-date with his shots. The was no fear barking...he seems to reserve it for the men right now.

Next Friday will be for Irish's first daycare day and guess who I plan on having in the backseat to get him into the building in case we hit a road-block? My very trusty girl and Mr Irish's confidante Ms Maya!

The Irish saga continues...

2009-10-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Its definitely been a challenging few months for us. Irish is still with me but there has been zero interest in him. The reality is that he is not very adoptable at this point - so even if there was some interest, the chances of an adoption working out is really low.

Progress has been slow. When someone asks me if he has made progress, my answer is always NO. In reality, he has made progress but it has been really slow. I believe that the abuse and neglect that Irish has had to face is his reality alone and I just need to let him take in new things at his own pace.

On the positive side, Irish and Maya are getting along great. I do not need to come home for lunch anymore, which makes my days a lot more relaxing. He has really settled in here. The other day, he suddenly turned and offered me his tummy to rub. I had been working on that for a few weeks now and he hated being turned over (I think it made him feel too vulnerable). I just need to realize that this boy is going to take his own time. I also have a consult with a trainer tomorrow. I really need to understand if I am doing the right things with him. My policy is very simple -"Help the dog if you can. If you are having doubts, ask for help. No point in doing something that makes it worse". At any rate, my goal is to make him more adoptable.

I do feel that I lack time for him. He is so comfortable with me that it worries me that I am not pushing his boundaries. I wonder if he needs someone who will take him out every day and introduce him to new things.

On a lighter note, he is truly the noisiest dog I have had. He grunts and whines and makes funny horn blower like noises when he yawns. It is adorable and annoying all at the same time. He is also so tall. When he sees a squirrel through the glass door, he stands up and looks so so tall. I have a pic of Maya and him on one of our Sat walks ...he does tower over her :)

Irish, my fourth foster dog

2009-08-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

I was just checking how long it has been since Irish came to our home and its going to be six weeks this Friday. Its definitely been an interesting 6 weeks to say the least. He is a great dog - he is handsome, funny, affectionate, and extremely naughty. It is hilarious to see him eye my eye-glasses, dying to chew on them and then resisting the urge. "Resisting the urge to chew" is a new concept to Irish but is learning it well. He has definitely bonded with me and when I call for him, his face lights up and he comes bounding over, his butt flying high. He makes a weird grunting noise when he wants affection, especially when fighting with Maya over a hug. He is bossy in a cute way - and I need to remind myself to be the leader and not encourage his bossiness. Its hard!!!!

Irish is still scared of most things. He and PBR have bonded some but his reaction to his foster dad depends on his mood. If he is feeling good and confident about life, he will curl himself around PBR. If he is scared and nervous (for example, after a "conditioning" trip like a visit to the Petco parking lot), he prefers to avoid PBR.

Another funny thing: I am used to dogs running to the door barking when the doorbell rings. Irish runs when he hears to door bell but he runs in the direction of the bedroom :)

I am hoping and praying fervently that Irish will find a home where he will be loved for all his wonderful qualities and that his new family will accept his fears. Until then, he is mine and I plan on assuring and teaching him that the world is a safe place.

Irish

2009-07-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Irish is my new foster dog. He has been with me for a day now. He is scared of everything. If he is in the car, he is scared of the outside. If he is outside, he is scared of the car. He is scared of people, dogs, noises, the ADT sign,his reflection...basically everything. He is a handsome black GSD with red highlights and is around 1.5 yrs old.

I was watering the garden this morning and was expecting him to be super scared. But he loved the water off the hose. So here is a video of him being silly. Enjoy!

Kavik has been adopted!!!

2009-07-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Its been a month since Kavik was adopted. I normally always wait 2 weeks before posting and celebrating a successful adoption. The 2 weeks came and went and I found myself not being able to blog about it. PBR and I had agreed for a 1 month fostering break - just to get our lives back to some form of normalcy. I am very happy that Kavik seems to have found a great home. He is living in San Francisco, has a doggie brother and now goes by the name Marley. He was a hard dog with all the vomiting and diarrhea but he has such a sweet disposition. I have really missed him but was really happy to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I spent this last month reconnecting with Maya. She becomes the background dog whenever we have a foster dog - especially when she finds a playmate in the foster dog. I think she prefers a dog's company over human company and she rarely comes and bothers me with anything when there is another dog in the house. I am also more focused on getting a read on the new dog, making sure he is settling in and following the rules we have in place. I miss our one on one interaction, the bike rides and the hassle free runs that we take. Its been a good one month and I am ready for some chaos in my life.

I have a new foster dog coming in tomorrow. He seems like another "project" dog and I am always nervous about how things will turn out. We will see how things go.

Yikes....there is a puppy in the house!!!

2009-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Kavik is very much a puppy and both PBR and I have forgotten what it means to have an untrained naughty little pooch in the house. Chewed up shoes, parts of my clothes in his poop, shredded toys, him darting out the front door, an exhausted Maya (I never thought I would see that day!!!) ....sigh! He is keeping us on our toes but I am loving every minute of it. He thinks its fun to run away with my shoe or my socks and it takes a lot of restraint not to run after him. That just makes it more fun for him.

He is also having some stomach problems and last weekend was spent cleaning up after his vomit and diarrhea. Poor kid..he had a rough weekend and we missed the Gilroy AD. We put him on Science Diet ID (thanks to a recommendation from an awesome volunteer) and that definitely seems to be working. I need to watch to see if he puts on weight... he is really skinny.

On an exciting side note, I may get to meet Aatish at the next AD (2 Saturday's from now). I am so exited and nervous...excited to see how well he is doing and nervous about how disappointed I will be if he does not remember me. In the long run, my disappointment does not count....all that matters to me is that he is happy.

Kavik, the white devil !!!

2009-05-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have been fostering Kavik for a week now. He is a 1yr old white GSD with the cutest freckles. He has been in rescue for 3 months now, has been adopted twice, returned both times in less that a week. He had started dominating his last foster home and had chewed up the couch. So when I was asked to foster Kavik, I was concerned whether I had the ability or the time to foster a young dog.

He reminds me of Maya when I got her. Both were adult looking dogs with a puppy brains - basically clueless and no training. I will say that he is way easier than Maya. He is energetic but not in the exhausting way that Maya still can be. He is happy with his 2 miles walk and if gets more, he is grateful. If not, no worries!! He is happy to sleep by your feet.

He has a happy trot when he walks and hardly pulls. He seems way to interested in squirrels but is otherwise very well-mannered. I get a lot of compliments when I walk Maya and Kavik. The black and white seems to get a lot of attention.

Well, the weekend went smoothly. The weekday took some time. He salivated and barked his head off when I crated him. But moving his crate to the garage (where he can be with Maya) and a couple of days seems to have done the trick. He is happy to go into his crate and when I get back, he is normally still taking a snooze.

Kavik is the kind of dog that needs training and structure and once he is provided with that, he will be a wonderful companion for life. My kind of dog. :)

Farallone has been adopted!!

2009-05-04T15:35:00.000-07:00

After waiting what is becoming a customary 2 week wait, I am happy to announce that Farallone (aka Cowboy) has been adopted. He has been renamed Odin.

I tried calling him Farallone(the official rescue name) but he had known his name as Cowboy for the last 2 years. I felt he had been through enough changes and did not need another name change in his foster home.

He was a beautiful but mildly stubborn boy (needed leadership). Very good-tempered and affectionate. He was a mama's boy, just like Aatish and was my shadow. I fostered him for 16 days and while I missed him terribly and worry about him, I do think that my bond with Aatish was stronger. It does not mean I loved him less but it was just that 2 weeks creates a different bond that 6 weeks. News to me :)

He played wonderfully with Maya. He rarely resource guarded and enjoyed fetching the ball. I loved having such an affectionate and well-behaved boy. He hated his crate. When I came back after 4 hours, he was sleeping his saliva. I ended up putting him in the backyard with Maya. The arrangement worked out well though I think this was the main reason he was so dominant so quickly with Maya. The poor girl could not match his size and his need to dominate. Yeah...he weighed 95lbs and was a tall and long boy.

I hope that this adoption is the last new home for him.

Introducing Farallone

2009-04-03T17:56:00.001-07:00

Farallone is a 4 year old GSD. He came into our program in Dec 2006. He has stayed in two homes for more than a year each time and got returned. He was returned the first time because his family had a medical problem. The second time, he attacked the house cat. He is such a handsome dog and I am sure there will be many people who want to adopt him. However, he is a Level 3 (means his adoptive him will need to have GSD experience) because of his high-prey drive. He has been getting along fine with Maya and does not resource guard - a blessing since Maya loves her toys. He has been with me less than 24 hours and I will post more about him as I get to know him better.

Aatish (now known as Jasper) has been adopted.

2009-03-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Aatish got adopted 2 weeks back. So why did I wait so long to post anything? Well, I was keeping my fingers crossed that Aatish adjusts to his new home and that his new adopter feels like this is an adoption that would work. If he had gone to a home as an only dog, I would have had no worries and probably posted something on that very day. However, he had 2 dog siblings ( a female GSD and a male Akita) and I was not sure how things would work out. I did not want to celebrate too soon. Aatish had taken a while to warm up to Maya and his new adoptive home would need to introduce them slowly and be patient.

He went to a home where he has lots of space to play. He also gets his mom around with him all day. Mr Aatish got renamed to Jasper and I really do like his new name. It reminds me of Jasper National Park in Canada and all the natural beauty that the park has - just like Aatish.

Yesterday, I got an email from his new mom that Jasper has become a member of the family and has found his "forever" home. I cannot be more happy and more proud of my boy.

Rainy days and two dogs

2009-02-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest worries about our fostering was the timing. It was winter and that means freezing fingers having to hold the poop bag on walks, potty training the new dog in the rain and the dreaded early morning potty break. It is not pleasant to be hit by the cold first thing in the morning.

The best thing with having a trained dog and a yard is that I open the door, Maya heads out for her business and I quickly close the door. She comes back in 2 minutes, I open the door, let her in and close the door. All this is done with minimum exposure to the elements. I let her do her business in the yard before the walk so that I do not have to pick up after her on the walks and my hands can stay in the warm comfort of my pockets. I was worried if we had become too chicken to handle winter and a new dog.

Needless to say, Aatish has been super easy. He came potty trained and goes on command off-leash and on-leash (Maya still prefers doing her business off leash). His stomach seems to be holding well after the first few days of his cottage cheese and rice diet - the dog equivalent fix for the ever so comforting South-Indian upset stomach human food yogurt and rice. The rain this week did not seem to bother him at all. He would go out in the pouring rain and take his time relieving himself. I think his super dense coat kept him warm. He has huge paws - so he drags in three times the amount of mud as Maya. I have towels at every entrace to wipe their feet and I have to wash these towels often. It is still cold on the walks but this winter seems a lot milder than the previous years.

And now onto more Aatish news: He had many admirers on the last adoption day. It makes me feel extremely hopeful for him. He seems to have something funny going on with one of his nostrils - it seems inflamed and has gook in there. I have made appointment to get it looked at this Saturday. Hopefully, its nothing too bad.

Maya, thank you.

2009-01-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

Maya is my 5 year old lab mix. We adopted her from the Milo Foundation (I am a big fan of Milo and all the awesome work they do!!) at the age of 10 months. She was 40lbs when we met her at the adoption fair on George and Fourth street. I did not go there to see her or even attend a Milo fair. We had gone to check out another dog from another rescue. That dog did not take to us and I did not feel any chemistry. So we moved on and walked into Milo's adoption fair. Till this day, I associate my drive to Berkeley to the day we brought her home. That thought fills my heart with joy and excitement. Sure, Maya brought enough excitement for the months that followed....more than we ever probably bargained for.

I was looking for an older dog (3 - 4 yrs). I definitely had not bargained for a puppy but she had approached PBR and given him a lick. That had melted PBR's heart. So Maya came home with two clueless people. I know that its unfair to compare ones kids and maybe, one should not compare ones dogs but oh well, its not like they can talk back to me or that I will emotionally scar them for life. :) Maya started out looking like this sweet dog on adoption day and the 2 weeks that that followed was a nightmare. She was an under-socialized, untrained, energizer bunny. She got us kicked out training class, howled loudly on morning walks and chewed through most things. It took some expensive one-on-one training and lots of patience to have the awesome companion that she now is. Aatish, on the under hand, was stressed out, stinky and overweight when we first saw him. His first 2 weeks have surprised me in a wonderful day. He has become more accepting of Maya, more comfortable with sharing toys, stays in the house without destroying anything and most importantly, takes my bear hugs with equanimity.

This has been a rough two weeks for Maya. She has had to share her home and our attention with Aatish. I wish there was some way I could tell her that he is just visiting, that he is a rescue dog that deserves a chance just like she had, and that she will always be my baby girl. She was not allowed to play with her toys nor encouraged to run in crazy circles for the first 10 days- both of which are integral to Maya's sanity. The good news is that Aatish is finally OK with her toys and her being rambunctious. They have played together a couple of times and Maya is finally looking more relaxed.

So Maya, Thank you for giving me this chance to foster. Thank you for being tolerant of Aatish. There will never be a dog like you nor one that I will love more.

Aatish's first adoption day.

2009-01-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

The rescue holds adoption days (ADs) every Saturday in different bay area locations. We normally set up for the event in front of a pet store. This works as a great way for us to market ourselves as well as raise awareness about the rescue and the important work that we do. We have volunteers who graciously donate their time. The adoption day runs from 11am to 2pm and volunteers show up as much as 45 min's before the event to setup. The stars of the show are of course the dogs. Approved adopters come here to meet the dogs and if we have a match, they can actually take the dog home that day. We have people come in and fill in an adoption questionnaire (the 1st step needed towards an adoption), understand how the adoption process works, where we get our dogs from and sometimes even sign-up as volunteers. I have always enjoyed ADs and they have fulfilled my need for dog-talk. I normally work as a dog handler - it means hanging out with a dog and giving people who stop by more information about that dog. I love handling different dogs and I always closely follow the journey of those dogs in the rescue. Handling dogs definitely made me want to foster and to know more about the dog rather than just getting that information from the dogs bio.

Today was Mr. Aatish's first adoption day and it was also the first time I handled a dog that I was fostering. We got prime seating with 2 other senior dogs since they wanted our older dogs to get a lot of attention. Fostering Aatish meant that I could provide better answers to questions people had about him. Most of them were about his health and his activity level since he was eight years old. He of course was oblivious to all the hullabaloo about the AD. AD's do not bring out the best in dogs and being in close proximity with so many people as well as sometimes as many as 9 or 10 dogs results in it being a stressful situation for them. Aatish was quite relaxed but was not the affectionate dog that he is at home. Right behind where we was sitting was a window into the pet store giving us a view of the dog food racks. For more than half the adoption event, my food loving boy sat facing the window showing his back to all the people who stopped by to see him. It was really cute but that was no way to sell himself. He spent the remainder of the AD snoozing. I will need to have a serious talk with him about slacking off at an AD. I am not sure people believed me when I told them he was a very alert and affectionate dog. There was no serious interest in any of the senior dogs. People stopped by, listened to stories about these dogs, told us how beautiful they were and then went on to consider much younger dogs. I see this happen at every AD and while it always makes me a little sad, I was a sadder today. Aatish made it personal for me. I understand why people want younger dogs but I also know that Aatish is an awesome dog and deserves a chance at finding a loving home. I am willing to wait patiently until he finds that great home. The only time I got angry was when a really old couple(really really old) came by. The lady looked at Aatish's information, said "Oh, he's 8 - too old" in a very derogatory manner, and moved on. She did not look at him or even give him a glance. I was angry because at her age, she should hardly be judging anyone or anything on the basis of age(ok...expired food may be an exception!!) . Most of the older folk who stop by actually consider our older dogs and even if they do not adopt an older dog, they at least have kind words to say. So this lady was an exception.

Aatish's next AD is on the first Sat of February. I will not be able to attend so my boy will be on his own.

Aatish, the competitive!

2009-01-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

One day after his arrival (Jan 18th '09), Aatish spent his entire Sunday evening (from 5pm - 9:30) being focused on not letting Maya get very near me. He slept at my feet stretched out and being quite long he covered any access that Maya can have. When Maya tried to approach us, he shooed her away. Of course, 9:30pm comes and he is getting tired. He sees that Maya has been sleeping on a comfortable albeit tiny bed all evening while he has been on a rug. I can almost imagine his bones creaking and joints aching. I took them for their potty break so ran and file were broken. When they come back in, Aatish sees Maya approaching me for some attention and he runs and takes her bed - he actually manages to curl up and sleep on this bed that is small for Maya [ it was her crate bed when she was 40lbs] and really way too tiny for him :) He could care less about Maya and whether she she is getting some love from me - it was bedtime for my boy. He cracks me up. The picture shows him taking a snooze on that tiny bed. :)

Aatish - my (first) foster dog

2009-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

Aatish has been with me for four days now and I see him do new things every day. When we got him, I knew that he was an affectionate dog who loved belly rubs. He was a 100lbs and definitely needed to lose 10 lbs to "get a waist". He had passed his evaluation with flying colors. He was in general good health and other than a few broken teeth and cavities, he was in great shape for an 8-yr old GSD. He had met with a small dog and a dominant female and had done fine.

I had gone on Friday to meet him briefly. He went into the pen area, aimed at a toy and peed on it. I had been holding a ball with me that I had picked from the same pen and was wondering how many times it had been peed on. :( After inspecting the area, he turned around and looked at me and came with his signature run[head bent low and tilted sideways] for hugs. I was amazed how big he was and when he jumped on his handler[he never did that again and it was only a reaction to his stress] at the humane society, I was wondering I was taking on a task bigger than I could handle. Thinking about it, I realised that it was a stressful situation for him and given that, he had behaved quite well.

Let me say that he did not smell his best when we got him. His shelter name was Legend but there already was a Legend in the rescue database. I was given the choice to name him and I came up with around 6 names. I was leaning towards Aatif when both my brothers independently suggested Aatish. Aatish means fireworks or splendor. Well, he was a splendid dog and their suggestion sounded perfect to me. The introduction with Maya went well...err...well, both dogs avoided each other which was really strange. They touched noses and that went well too. He jumped right into a crate that we had for him in his car.

I practiced walking with 2 dogs that afternoon with PBR. It was an interesting experience but they actually walked pretty well. I also had to go for a home visit as part of my adoption counseling duties and left PBR with the dog-sitting duty. Later that evening, I called my close family members telling them that I had a foster dog. They all seem to think that I will flunk foster 101 by adopting him - but I plan to stay strong. I remind myself that if I adopt him, then I cannot foster. I also know in my heart that my house is not the best place for him - he needs a home where he can be the only dog and get all the attention. Also, it is not fair for Maya - the new dog will need to match her playful and exuberant personality and Aatish is not that playful.

Aatish is a dream dog. He is potty trained, sleeps through the night, crates like a dream ( I have struggled with Maya and crates), loves his people, tolerates Maya and relishes his food and treats. He is easily motivated by hugs and praises and I got him doing the "sit to cross" on our walks just by praising him and touching his head. He loves it so much now that every time we are to cross the street, he sits and then looks my way for a pet :) I am rooting for this special fellow to find his "forever" home soon.

how it all started

2009-01-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

I have been volunteering for the German Shepherd Rescue organization since August'08. I always wanted to do something involving animal rescue but I always found excuses like "Oh, I have no time" or "Weekends is when I need to spend time with my husband". Last year, my husband decided to apply for a part-time MBA program and I knew that I would have a lot of time on my hands. I decided this was a great opportunity for me to do all the things that I kept thinking about doing.

So why did I choose the "German Shepherd" Rescue and not any other rescue group? Well, I have always loved the dignity with which GSDs carry themselves. As an observer, there is an aloofness there that I find intriguing. As an owner, I perceive them as extremely loyal dogs and I just love that quality since I am fiercely loyal about my loved ones. These are not dogs to be taken lightly and I wanted the knowledge to be able to be a wonderful handler and cherish that deep bond that exists between a German Shepherd and his owner. I figured volunteering was an excellent way for me to hang out with these great dogs and learn more about the breed. The rescue also offered opportunities that were not focused on fostering like adoption counseling, transporting dogs, handling the hot line and many more. I started working as an adoption counselor(involves talking to potential adopters and see if they are a good fit) and attended adoption days (a day for showcasing our dogs and our work at different locations), both of which are awesome. I loved adoption days for three reasons (1) I get to handle a German Shepherd that is up for adoption (2) I get to hang out with people who share a similar passion [and boy, are they passionate], and (3) I get to see the pooches go to their forever home , which is wonderfully gratifying.

I had been wanting to be a foster mom about three months after I started volunteering there. It just seemed like the next step for me with the work that I was doing. PBR, my husband, who is balancing a part-time MBA and a full-time job wanted to wait until his term ends in December, 2008 He sometimes uses time as a ploy to see how serious I am about things. He has learned that when it comes to dogs, I am always serious. December arrived and the first thing I did was to setup a home visit so that south bay area dog manager(JB) could visit our house to get a better understanding of our home and to ensure that my dog Maya is dog-friendly. Both Maya and PBR passed with flying colors and our home was officially open for fostering. We had a 10 day trip to Egypt planned at the end of December, so realistically, Jan 09 was when we could start fostering.
On Jan 14th(Wed), I got an email from JB that they had evaluated an eight year old sable male GSD at the humane society and that he did fine with dogs. The dog was a 100 lbs and a big boy and JB asked me whether I was interested in fostering him. I immediately said yes. I was mildly nervous about the chances an 8 yr old would have. Would he stay at my place forever? We had had some recent foster families that had failed Foster 101(where the fostering family ends up adopting the dog) with older dogs. These dogs needed experienced handling and they had been in our program for a long time. I realized that I had to give this dog and myself a chance at fostering. At 8 yrs, he would have a moderate to low energy level and that would be the right fit for our home since both PBR and I are gone almost 8.5 hrs a day. I met Aatish( shelter name Legend) on Friday and we pulled him out of the shelter that Sat. I had my own foster pooch but that is a different story and a different post.