Hooray for Rescue Groups

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and ASPCA, The Shelter Pet Project and HSUS have great reasons why we should add a shelter pet into our lives.

Even though we adopted the pooches when they were older, Miss M was 2 and Mr. B was 5, we feel like we have known them their whole lives. And after a few short years of having them in our lives, Miss M for 8 years and Mr. B for 6 years, we feel like they have always been a part of our lives.

It is only fitting that we thank every rescue group for all their hard work, especially New Leash on Life and Kalamazoo Animal Rescue for adding a shelter pet into our lives.

I cannot imagine a life without my best friend, Mr. B. He is my personal heated blankie keeping me warm on cold nights, comforting me while watching the game, being my soft pillow when I need to lay and my snuggable stuffy when I want a hug.

We cannot image a life without everyone's best friend, Miss M. It is largely due to Miss M's wiggly charm that have felt so welcomed into our new neighborhood. Wherever we go with Miss M, we are bound to meet new people and make new forever friends.

A and I are so grateful for having two pooches that make us feel so loved. We are lucky that others have taken a chance on Miss M and Mr. B, so that we can become a part of their lives.
In the end, we would like to thank our beloved rescue groups for making our lives so much better and  completing our family.

Pooches: Adding a Foster Dog to Your Home

Our new foster dog Feeney is the 7th foster dog we've had along with our own two pups. Though it's been awhile since we've had a foster (remember this little guy?), as we've jumped back into fostering there were a couple of things we needed to be reminded of ourselves.
While our Facebook page has been filled with photos of the pups holding hands and sharing beds, we've actually put a lot of thought and work into making sure all of the pups are comfortable in our home.

Introductions for a Good Match

While our own dogs are very tolerant, we know that not all dogs that need fostering are a good match of our family. Being older, our dogs aren't as interested in romping so we know it would be frustrating for them to have a dog that incessantly wants to play. We also know Miss M doesn't know a lot about personal space so the foster would need to be submissive. We love working with Miss M's rescue group, New Leash on Life Chicago, because they really work to match fosters with the personalities of resident dogs so fostering is a good experience for everyone involved.
Once they have a foster that seems like it might be a good fit with our pups and home, we do proper dog introductions. We watch their introductions to see if anyone is over-interested in anyone else, if the new dog wants to play beyond comfort levels and if they listen to corrections from a dog that doesn't want to play. We do the introductions on neutral space before introducing the dog to our home.
As the foster dog stays with us, we also use our family walks and tandem walking as a way for our pups to continue their socialization with one another.

Hide Your Toys, Hide Your Shoes, Hide Your Dinner

We are so used to the habits of our own dogs that sometimes we forget that other dogs don't have the same manners. The first day we had our very first foster dog, we left a marinating salmon on our kitchen counter. While our own dogs would never dare go near food left unattended on a coffee table, we were surprised to see our new foster pup jumped up on the counter and was eating our dinner.
We've since realized that we just need to remove all temptation as the new fosters become accustomed to living in our home.
We also make sure to hide all of the toys so we can sense if the new dog has resource guarding, and to make sure they don't take Mr. B's stuffies.
After we get to know the new dog, and knowing our own dogs' toy interests, we are able to introduce chew toys under supervision.

Have a Set Routine

We know things can be new and exciting for the foster dog, so we try to keep things calm and normal with our own pups. Our dogs have a set routine where they know where to line up and wait for dinner (and the foster is fed in a separate area to avoid any potential resource guarding), the sitting and check-in behaviors on walks,  and expectations in the home. This helps the foster adjust by using our own dogs as mentors.
We have noticed foster dog Feeney has learned to sit at corners along with our own dogs, and when our pups head to bed for the night, Feeney puts himself to sleep in his crate.

We are definitely not experts, but these are some things that have worked for us.
What are some must-do things you do when integrating foster dogs or even having dog visitors in your home?

Also:
Remember this hilarious tandem walk?
And how Miss M made her mini-me?
Check our Facebook page for more photos and story lines beyond the blog.
Contact New Leash on Life Chicago if you are interested in meeting foster dog Feeney, or becoming a foster for a dog who needs a home.

Meet Our New Foster: Feeney (The Cartoon Dog!)

They're with the band.

While our pooches have already played foster-siblings to many pups while living in our 2-bedroom, one thing we were most excited about when moving into our own house was that it would give us the opportunity to foster more often.
As the pups have settled into their new routine, we have been able to welcome a new foster dog into our home. Meet Feeney:

Feeney is a show-stoppingly gorgeous pup who was waiting patiently at the city shelter. He was left behind by his owner who was moving. Despite having much of his head, neck, and back legs covered in mange, being uncomfortably itchy, and undergoing a bout of pneumonia, his sweet personality still shone through and he was swooped up by Miss M's rescue organization: New Leash on Life Chicago.
While we have only had the big guy for a few days, we can't believe how utterly perfect he is.
We think of him as a "Cartoon Dog".
With his comically large, round head, and little arched eye-brows we think he looks like the pit bull-version of Winnie the Pooh.

Not to mention his impeccably amazing manners. He fits in perfectly with our pups, or he would be fine being an only dog.
He even met Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel while we were out at a festival and Rahm even made a point to say what a great pup he is.

Stay tuned as we learn more about our "Cartoon Dog" Feeney.
If you are interested in learning more about Feeney, other available pups, or supporting the work of his (and Miss M's!) all-volunteer rescue group check out the New Leash on Life Chicago Facebook page, here. 

Also:
Do you remember the first?
The littlest. And biggest.
The one who was a Superhero? And a Bachelor.
And the one who was barely here.
Check our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and storylines beyond the blog

Pooches: On Taking Chances

Every so often, people ask us whether it's worth it.
Worth it to foster dogs that might cause heartbreak when they leave.
Worth it to adopt older dogs that might not be with us as long.
Worth it to even have a dog at all when the pain of losing them is so great.

I don't think anything can ever prepare us for the pain of their loss.
Though, at the same time, sometimes it helps me to think about how much worse it would be if none of us even tried.
Like many others, both Miss M and foster Bessie Belle were dogs 'on the list'. Their lives were supposed to end that day. So even though we would love the time with our dogs to be so much longer, I like to think about how they did get an extension to really get out and enjoy life. And sweet Bessie Belle was able to touch so many lives.

At the same time, we also also so thankful to Mr B's foster mom and his rescue group who took a chance on an older lumpy pup.

So I guess what really keeps us going, is the idea of chances.
The chances so many people have taken to save the dogs that have touched so many lives.
The chances people took that brought our own dogs into our lives.
And while it can be painful, it can be worth it to take that chance.

What does everyone else say when people ask whether it's 'worth it'?

Pooches: Goodbye, Sweet Bessie-Belle

We are so saddened and heartbroken to pass along the news that our former foster dog Sweet Bessie-Belle passed away.

We are often asked about sweet Bessie-Belle, best remembered for her pretty white eye-lashes, trademark flower behind her ear and sweet disposition.
Our sweet gal was actually marked for the Euthanasia list, but when New Leash on Life, Chicago saw how sad and shut down she was, and how she showed her big grin with even the slightest attention from people, they knew there was no way they could leave this big gal behind.

She was as big as she was sweet, even making our very own Mr. B look tiny in comparison. We feel honored to have been able to have had her in our home.

While it was harder than we expected to see her go, we knew she had found a more perfect mom than we could have ever expected. She loved Bessie more than anything and Bessie was happier than ever going on long walks, meeting new friends and having the best of care. Her mom was diligent keeping us involved and aware of how everything was going on with Bessie. Bessie always remembered who we were. When we would see her out and about, she would gladly greet us with excitement, just because she loved people, but once she realized it was us you could tell how truly happy she was to see us.
Bessie was even chosen to lead the Ruff Haus Halloween parade. She was so proud to be at the front of the pack, and she even came over to our place to pick out the perfect costume.

Unfortunately for all of us, the cancer was more aggressive than expected. Everyone thought she had a more time, though the progression was much quicker than anyone had realized. It was especially shocking to Bessie's mom who had just had her other dog Roxy, Bessie's big/little sister, pass away mere weeks before.

Bessie Belle was such a special dog, and we know she will be missed by so many.
Please let her family know of any thoughts in our comments section at the bottom of our post.
Any donations in memory of Bessie can be made to New Leash on Life, Chicago by clicking here. 

Also:
Remember this?
Bessie & Miss M's Unequal Relationship
Bessie Meets Her New Family

Where are they Now: Foster Dog Bella

If you have been following our blog for a bit, you may remember a very special foster dog, Bella, who came to us under extraordinary circumstance.
It all began with a sweet, courageous pup named Shy. 
Everyone was so taken with Shy's sad story, the community rallied together to raise funds to save her eyesight and help her find her forever home. In a strange twist of events, Shy unexpectedly passed away just as we had raised enough money to fund her surgery. 
This amount helped us rescue 2 broken and overlooked pups in honor of Shy. You can catch up on the story with this post.

Bella was just a little puppy with a broken leg and a huge chemical burn and little chance of making it out.
Here is an update about the great life she is now living with her Dad and is named June:

June has been good. She's about 65lbs now. She recently took a week long vacation by my parents because my twin brother Vince and I had to drive the band's equipment out to California and our older brother came with as well. 
She's learned some new tricks too. She knows "side" where she'll lay down and turn on her side. That was the gateway trick to get her to learn "back paw." Once she is on her side, we say "back paw" and she'll give us her back paw. She is starting to learn "back paw" when she's standing up as well. 

She's also getting stubborn with the colder weather. On some walks, she'll stop dead and and pull the opposite direction to go home. We need to work on that because she still needs longer walks in the winter. We ended up getting her a new hoodie.

It has been so great seeing this overlooked pup, with a broken leg and huge chemical burn, living such a great life with her family.
Again, thanks so much to all of you who made this possible.

Also:
Matchmakers
Miss M hazes
Original update

Pooches: Admitting When Things Aren't Working

We know how fostering does directly save lives, but we also know that not all pups are going to work for all homes. 
Even for us.
And it makes us feel like we're letting everyone down.
During break, we were so enamored with little Jack Frost and his heartbreaking story we thought we could take him on while we were not at work. We have a soft-spot for older pups, and we thought this little Elder-Shi was the perfect fit. He blends right in.

But we didn't follow our own rule. And while the dogs all get along amazingly, and we love having the little guy, we're realizing we may not be the best foster fit. 
Here's our story about admitting when things aren't working, and what we need to remember to continue having positive foster experiences.

Know what you and your pups can handle

Jack Frost is 'Too Sexy' for his Santa Outfit

We know fostering should be a positive experience for all the pets and people involved. We recognize the types of dogs that do and don't work well with our own pooches. We do know Mr. B gets nervous if dogs try to play with him, so we don't foster younger playful dogs or puppies. We also try to choose males who are more likely to get along with Miss M and her bossiness. 
When we introduced Jack Frost to our pups we realized they all got along. He respected Mr. B's space, eventually chose to lay with Miss M, and he enjoyed hanging out with the pack.
The biggest thing we always check before fostering is making sure we can crate train the pup. Mr. B is allowed to roam free when we're not home, and we don't like leaving pups who are still getting to know each other alone all day. In our excitement over having a smaller dog, we made the terrible stereotype that all small dogs could just be put in a crate or in a room. We soon realized how much our little Jack Frost was just like Mr. B. All he wanted to do was hang out in the house without being contained. And exactly like Mr. B, crates, closed doors, even baby gates made him nervous.

Realize What Can be Worked On...and What isn't Working

We know foster dogs are adjusting to new experiences, and how important it is to help them through the transition. We did work on crate training and trying to see if there was a way we could partition both of the dogs while we were gone. Seeing how neglected he was, I'm guessing Jack Frost spent much of his life contained and even behind a baby gate he was completely miserable. Mr. B also gets anxious if he senses a dog in distress behind a closed door. We knew each dog was completely fine just hanging out in the house, and they had never had a single negative interaction, but I also didn't want to take that 1% chance that unattended Mr. B could race down the hall and smoosh little Frost, or even accidentally sit on him. They are still in the getting-to-know-you phase also.
While we were working on all of this E, who is allergic to cats, realized he was allergic to Jack Frost. As Jack's hair was growing back, E just kept getting more allergic. And we wouldn't be able to have him in the bedroom where all the dogs slept because E was becoming so sick. While we struggled with trying to make it work, we realized the discomfort of E, Mr. B, and Jack Frost might not be worth it.

Work with a Rescue Group you Trust

We know there are some situations where once you commit to fostering, you need to make it work even if it is uncomfortable for the pups and people involved. We unfortunately know someone who was berated when they felt a foster they tested--and didn't even begin fostering--was not a good fit with their dogs. We understand it's disappointing, but it's also not a good idea to force situations.
So many of our positive foster experiences can be attributed to Miss M's rescue group, New Leash on Life Chicago. They recognize the importance of matchmaking--making sure it's a good fit for both the people and the pups--rather than just trying to adopt out dogs. They don't over-extend themselves and they really just want to make sure the fosters are a good fit and they are very honest with their fosters and adopters. They even become familiar with the foster homes and actively seek out dogs knowing what would be a good fit for that home.
While we were sad we couldn't make it work, the rescue group has been working for another placement.

Right now he is staying with a friend, where he can just hang out all day at home. Since she travels a lot, we were hoping to find a more permanent foster home...or even better adoptive home!
We have had some weekend visitation, though we are beyond disappointed that we couldn't see him through to his adoption.
Jack Frost is our 6th foster dog, and I guess we are still learning about what can work in our little home. (Ironically, it was our 90 lb foster pup who was our best fit).
We felt like we were letting little Jack Frost and everyone down.

Also:
How much our pups love Jack Frost
Working on Crate Training with a Foster Pup
How we choose Foster Dogs 
Adding a second dog to your home

Pooches: On Miss M and the Making of a Headrest

                                                        Miss M feigns innocence.
Whenever we bring a new foster pup into our home, people start betting when Miss M will make them into her own personal headrest. 
Our newest tiny foster, adoptable Jack Frost, was no exception.

So tiny we let him stand on the table!

It seems Miss M has been perfecting her skills, as we documented her moves (via iPhone!) on an unsuspecting Jack Frost.

As Miss M creeps closer, Jack Frost suspects there might be someone behind him.

Mission aborted.

 Seeing an opportunity to sneak up on a sleeping Jack Frost, Miss M not-so-stealthy stands behind him. Pretends to be a statue.

Then she quickly sneaks into Mr. B's bed, knocking him off of the cushion.

Confused by a change in location over the holidays, Miss M convinces Jack Frost to share his tiny bed.

Which has opened the door allowing her to get closer...

And eventually make little Jack Frost her own personal pet:

Meanwhile...Mr B maintains his fear of little dogs, and just decides to take the small bed.

 Want to make adoptable Jack Frost your own? He is available for adoption from New Leash on Life Chicago.  Special thanks to Tiennot Knits Sweaters for knitting him some tiny sweaters to keep him warm!

Also:
The one that got away!
Where it all began
Sneaky!

Meet Our New Foster: Jack Frost

 If you've been following our Facebook page, you've probably seen some glimpses of our tiny little foster pup. With some extra obligations this year, we weren't sure if we could take on another foster pup this soon, but we were so taken with little Jack Frost's story, we knew we could at least take him while we were on break.

When Miss M's rescue group, New Leash on Life Chicago, stopped by Chicago's Animal Care and Control to rescue one more pup for the holidays, they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Jack Frost. His cage card showed he had been given up by his "owners" a mere day before, looking like this:

  His neglect was so severe, that his fur had matted fusing his ears to the back of his head and his legs to his sides. With this type of matting, every movement, or attempt to walk, is severely painful literally tearing at his flesh. On top of that, his toenails were curled under themselves, and he was missing several teeth causing his little tongue to hang out the side of his mouth. His entire underside was molding and soaked in urine, and he had feces stuck throughout his fur. 

This type of condition doesn't just happen in a matter of weeks, or even months, but it seemed like he had been living like this for his entire life. Long-term volunteers (who have seen a lot!) literally started crying when they saw him. 
Though New Leash wasn't expecting to take an extra pup, and they didn't have a foster home lined up, they knew there was no way this little guy, who had never led a regular life, could be left behind.

Jack Frost received a medical groom removing approximately 4 pounds of fur; this was nearly half of his body weight! 
They said the removal was almost like an archeological dig discovering unbelievable things stuck throughout his fur and leaving his skin very sensitive and cold. He is taking antibiotics for his teeth, and they will be running further tests to see if his condition has impacted him internally.

 Despite all he's been through, Jack Frost is just loving life! Each morning he wakes with a roll almost as if to remind himself what it means to have sensation on his body. Now that he has been freed from his mattes he absolutely loves going on walks and works to keep up with our pups' longer strides. He absolutely loves being around people and he was quite the showstopper coming to E's family's holiday celebration complete in Santa suit. He is just a laid-back little guy who loves hanging out with his people...and Miss M.

Please, please share his story. We're hoping to find him a home before we go back from break.
You can see more photos of his rescue (and his sister Chestnut) here. 
Tax-deductable donations to help with his recovery can be made here (plus an incredible donor is matching donations made today!)
And you can  complete an adoption application here. 

Also:
Check our Facebook page to see even more photos of Jack Frost hanging with our pups.
Isn't it funny to think this was our foster last year? (Size HUGE!)
Our second smallest foster.