Happy Tails: Brotherly Love (Bear and Kingston)

By: Rose

                                            

Our Manitoba Mutts adventure began back in January, 3 weeks after our 11 year old sweetheart of a dog passed away from kidney disease. We were devastated, but I couldn't stand the quietness of our home without her so we decided to adopt. My husband had never owned a dog before he met me and my 8 year old daughter thought getting a puppy would be fun. Despite my warnings of hard work and frustration with raising a puppy, I eventually caved and we began our search.   

                 

Bear (Bishop)

We met Bear (Bishop) at an adoption fair; it was love at first sight and we put in an application to take him home the next day.  Once we got home, Bear proved to be a bit more dog that we were used to!  We had got so use to our older dog that we had almost forgotten the wonders of puppyhood. Bear had unlimited energy, and loved to bark and jump around. Several times during those first two weeks my husband and I would look at each other and say "We can't do this. Maybe we should take him back". I knew in my heart though, we were determined to make it work and he was already a part of our small family. We took him to training classes, started him at Sprockett’s Doggy Daycamp and eventually saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  Our little Bear was becoming the wonderful family pet we knew he could be.

Kingston

He ended up spending a week at Jocelyn's (MMDR's adoption coordinator at the time) while we vacationed and it was during that time we discovered that he loved living with other dogs. We started what seemed like a futile search for another pup to join our pack. We needed to find someone compatible with Bear, and who would be able to keep up with his high energy play style. He won't stop, which was a huge turnoff with every dog we introduced him to. So we were pretty much giving up hope, when one day I was browsing the MMDR website and saw that Kingston, Bear's brother, was still not adopted. He had been returned to care by no fault of his own- he was just too high energy for his adoptive family. I brought up the idea of adopting him with Jocelyn, who encouraged us to introduce the two and see what happened. Well, what happened was my husband Kevin and I fell madly in love with him.  It broke our hearts the first time we picked him up from a day at Sprockett’s, and he was so excited to realize he was coming back home with us. Every act of kindness from a pat on the head to giving him a treat was greeted with a huge tail wag and the most grateful look from his soulful eyes. Bear and Kingston were leery of each other at first, but quickly came to realize they could play hard and the other would take it in stride.  They have quickly become attached and when I try to take them for individual walks and playtime like you're supposed to with sibling puppies, they get anxious for the return of the other. My favourite thing is when they come home from a day at Sprockett’s and flop down, dead tired practically on top of each other.

Now I don't want to paint a picture of happiness and no issues. Having two high energy puppies is hard work!  They need a lot of attention and supervision. We have a trainer coming to our house to make sure we're doing things right because these are going be big boys. But we have the support from MMDR when we need it, Jocelyn is my lifeline when I have questions, and everyone at Sprockett’s is so helpful. We are committed to making it work and enjoying these two immensely. Thank you MMDR for our beautiful boys!

London's Happy Beginning

By: Julia A.

         When my husband and I saw London on the website, we weren't looking to adopt.  In fact, we had decided we were not ready to adopt, but something kept niggling at me.  So we had the chat, "what if she is 'the one' and we don't even try to see".  He relented and I fired off an email to MMDR adoptions.  They said she looked like she would be a good match for us, and we could meet her....in Brandon!  I blanched...."a two and a half hour drive each direction!  This is probably a sign that we shouldn't proceed" (yes, I was looking for "signs"). But something kept bothering me, and Matt agreed, "If we don't go and see her we will never know".  Her foster mom and I exchanged a heap of emails back and forth, really honest and great emails that made me feel like we really did need to make the drive.

London in her foster home with her surrogate baby.

         We met her, and she was just so easy with us.  We walked around the property; London would run back to check in with us, and run off to sniff stuff.  When we were about to leave, Matt called her and she ran right over to him and kidney-beaned herself into him.  My heart sang!  But we didn’t want to make any decisions for 24 hours.  We were both quiet on the ride home, waiting for the other to speak first.  She was just so happy in "doggy Nirvana", the other dogs and being out in the country, we didn’t know if we could take her away from that. Would we be enough? Would she be happy with what we could offer her?  We really wrestled with that.  

         We picked her up two weeks later when she had just weaned her pups.  I put our collar and leash on her and she just came with me, like she knew. She jumped into the back of our car and settled in, and she was pretty much a dream the whole ride home.  We just felt so sad about taking her away that every time she paced and whined when we got her home, our hearts broke.  We were a bit of a mess; we didn't sleep at all the first two nights, unlike London who went to bed without a problem and didn't make a peep at all. We sat up all night expecting her to start barking and whining, but it never happened. It's an adjustment adding a little life to your household.  Is it easier just worrying about us, our work, and getting on with our lives?  You bet!  Is there something missing in that? Yes.  I didn't know how much was missing though, before she wheedled her way into our hearts.  

London fitting in perfectly in her furever home.

         It's not been without its challenges these first two weeks; she went into early heat and before we could really settle her in she needed to be spayed.  Then she had a rash and blisters around her incision site, and I've been putting Polysporin on it three times a day.  She's taken it all like a trooper! She lets me brush her teeth, she listens when I tell her to get away from the door to let someone in, she has learned not to go on the couch (when we are around or looking), she lets me shove my hand down her throat to give her twice daily antibiotics, she calmly lets us leave her for several hours and the house is not destroyed and she goes to bed in the kitchen without fuss and is quiet until we take her out for her morning pee.  

        We do have stuff we need to work on: leash skills, meeting dogs on leash without being reactive, and not reacting to certain people, but it feels like stuff that we will manage (with help).  She chewed a hole in her dog bed while playing, but that really was my fault for not catching that she was chewing on the corner of the bed and not her toy (darn cone!).  She's not perfect, but she is perfect for us.  Not every dog is right for every person, but there is a person out there for every dog, no matter what their foibles are.  We are her people, and she makes me want to be better at it every day.  So starts the journey!

Love a Brown-Eyed Dog

By: MMDR 

Did you know that brown-eyed dogs are often overlooked at adoption time?  When it comes time to choose a furry friend, many families are taken in by baby blues in a sea of melted chocolate peepers.  When a lifetime of love is at stake, eye colour should be the least of a furever family’s concerns!

Dogs with blue eyes are seen as beautiful and unique because the majority of dogs have brown toned irises.  Absolutely any breed of dog can be born with blue eyes as they are a recessive trait… meaning that any two parents, regardless of breed or eye colour, can produce a blue-eyed pup.  However, blue eyes are quite common in some breeds, such as Dalmatians, Huskies, and any breeds with dapple or merle patterned coats (Dachshunds, Catahoulas, or Great Danes). 

Foxy, a beautiful brown eyed girl available for adoption.

When it comes to temperament, blue eyes don’t mean a thing.  Personality should be the number one concern of a family when they look for a dog to adopt.  Of course, with the thousands of dogs in care in Manitoba alone, families should be able to choose a dog with the temperament they want, that also fits within certain physical parameters (size, coat type, energy level, etc.).  However, choosing a dog for these characteristics alone can mean a match made in hell. 

When choosing a dog, the most important factors to consider are ones that allow the dog to fit into your lifestyle.  While breed can be a good starting point, it certainly doesn’t determine the dog’s needs or temperament as well as an individual assessment.  Foster families are a great resource – make sure that you ask plenty of questions about the dog to make sure that she will fit into your life!  Some examples of considerations you should make:

Hazelnut, available for adoption with soulful amber eyes.

1.   Energy level: if you enjoy a lot of couch time, make sure that you aren’t choosing a very young, active dog.  A senior may be a fantastic match for you!
2. Grooming: this is one thing most potential adopters don’t consider enough!  A dog’s grooming needs can take up anywhere from a few minutes to several hours a week.  Make sure that you are willing and able to keep up with them.
3.   Sociability: is the dog going to get along with all of your family members?  Some dogs to great with other dogs, cats, kids, men, etc.  Some prefer not to associate with certain types of people or animals.  Make sure that your choice fits your family. 
4. Health: Does the dog have healthy teeth, or will he need regular dental cleanings?  Does he have a weight problem or allergies that you’ll need to treat with a special kind of food?  Does the dog need medication, and if so, are you able to administer it and afford it?  Make sure that you are able to provide a healthy life for the dog you choose.

At the end of the day, brown eyes or blue won’t matter.  You’ll be able to come home to a waggy tail and stare into the adoring gaze of the perfect addition to your family.  Do your research, ask your questions, and then love a brown-eyed beauty today.  If it’s true doggy love based on a genuinely great match that molten-chocolate gaze will melt you every time! 

Further reading and resources:

http://dogobedienceadvice.com/dog-breeds.php

http://mysmelly.com/content/dogs/breeds-of-dogs-with-blue-eyes.htm

Minnie Series Part 6 - Simba (Dexter)

By: Stephanie S.         

Simba (now Dexter) sitting pretty.

     My fiancée and I were introduced to Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue through a friend who took us to an adoption fair last March. After coming home from the fair, we were in awe of the MMDR community – the volunteers, foster parents, and ‘furever’ families. We instantly knew this was the path for us. I wanted to adopt every dog in sight that day, but thankfully, my fiancée is much more rational than I am and reminded me that we must be patient and that “the right one will come”. A few months later, we learned of Minnie’s story and her new puppies. We immediately made arrangements to meet them.

Dexter and his furever mom.

    It only took us about 12 seconds to fall in love with Dexter (formerly Simba). Holding him for the first time is one of the greatest moments of my life to date. He was very gentle, sweet, and he melted our hearts. We were also impressed with Minnie's sweet and docile temperament; her incredible story touched our hearts. We knew that if Dexter had even half as much courage and tenacity as his mother, we would have one amazing dog. We left his foster parents’ house that day knowing we had just met our newest family member.

     After patiently waiting another 4 weeks, we were finally allowed to bring our puppy home at the age of 8 weeks. We spent the next 72 hours watching him sleep, eat, drink, sleep, eat, and sleep some more. He was so tiny that he could practically swim in his water bowl (he certainly tried it a few times). He quickly learned to love car rides, digging in the backyard, and walking in the neighborhood. He became an instant hit with our friends and family, and we received many offers for puppy-sitters! He also quickly learned how tasty socks are – especially white ones! He loves the lake and wading in the water, and is slowing catching on to the concept of retrieving sticks. He’s learned a few basic commands – ‘sit’, ‘down’, and ‘come’ – and we’re looking forward to puppy classes in the late Fall with him.

    We are very grateful to the foster parents who looked after Dexter before he came to our home. He was well socialized and almost house trained when we brought him home. We can’t believe how lucky we are to have such a great dog, and we attribute it to his foster families in his early life. We are also very thankful to the MMDR family, who find safe and loving homes for dogs in need. We love every moment we spend with our puppy. He is a blessing in our lives and we can't remember what life was like in our pre-Dexter days. He truly made our house a home.