Poor Pink Bear

This pink stuffed bear has been my older foster dogs "baby" pretty much since I got her last March. Early on, we realized she loved her "baby" and carries it all the time. She doesn't chew or eat it. She just likes to take it with her. Now..with my latest foster, he is a one year old, put everything in his mouth and tear it apart. For the time being, I have had to stop her from carrying it around, because he would snatch it from her..thus starting a fight. So..my solution was to put the bear in her crate...atleast when she is crated, she could have her baby. During the daytime...I lock her crate..so he couldn't get to the bear....or so I thought. Joke is on me..turned my back longer than I should have..walked into the room and found this. He had pulled the bear through the bars. Oh my...poor bear. So I got out the sewing machine and stitched the pink bear up. You can also see..where he had previously got one of the ears. Now we have a handicapped pink bear..but that doesn't matter.....as Nena still has her baby.

Hand Prints

Last night the kids came over to open presents. We had a dinner of ham, macaroni and cheese, tomato and cucumber salad and rolls. DIL #1 brought pecan pie and dirt pie for dessert. DIL #2 brought onion and Swiss cheese dip for appetizer.

After eating...before opening presents...I had a small project for them to do. Hubby had cut 8x10 squares out of cardboard and I painted them white. Had several 8x10 frames, which I painted black. Each child got to choose their paint color. They painted their own hand and then put it down on the cardboard. I ask them to sign their name.

Viola....instant wall art....at no cost to me. If it hadn't worked out, or I didn't like it...no big deal..just trash it. But I do like it....at least for today.

Look what came into my yard.......

Hubby was outside in the garage...and this deer walked right across the driveway. Oooohh...where is the camera....ran inside and got the camera...came back thinking it would be gone. But there is was along side of my house. It stopped, turned and looked right at him...from where the deer was, there was no where to go. So hubby moved back into the garage. The deer came out and walked off. It does make me kind of sad, because we (people) are building and building..taking away the woods and their homes. :(

Blitz videos

My new foster is proving to be a real challenge for me..but that's OK, I am up to it.

When I had my own dog, we went through obedience training.
It was at that time, an instructor suggested to use a prong collar on him. Not for behavior issues, but because he was big and strong. She showed me how to fit it around his neck, and then the right way to use it. I used it with him, his whole life. He knew when the collar came out, it was walk time and he had no problems with it. It was my way of always being in control of a very strong dog.

So..with Blitz, being a wild child, I thought I would use the prong collar on him. I soon realized that..one, all I seemed to be doing was correcting him. Or maybe being, since I didn't use it for correction on Bear, that I really don't know how to properly use it for correction purposes. Two.. my fingers/hands are not as young as they once were, and using the prong collar takes finger work.

The rescue suggested I try a Gentle Leader. Getting this thing on him was a work out in itself, it has to be adjusted to fit correctly. After many tries, I believe it is on the right way. It is late at night, so I haven't really had a chance to use it. But we played a bit this evening. The instructions say...if a dog is pawing at it, or trying to get it off..then that is a dog that needs it. Ha..this is exactly my dog.....he wants it off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v74fKJ--5jw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztIiH2z7f4A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSgl4xqk1Uk

Noname..finally has a name...and it is...

Yesterday, I decided to take a poll to help me choose a name for my new foster. So I sent 12 people an email with several name choices to choose from. There were 8 dog names on the list. Everyone replied back to me...and of those 8 names, only 3 were chosen.

The funny thing is that...none of the people knew who I had asked..the emails were replied back to fairly quickly, so there was no calling and say...let's pick this one or that one.

The results are--

3rd place..with a count of 2 votes...."Nico"

2nd place..with a count of 3 votes...."Loki"

and

1st place..with a count of 7 votes goes to....(drum roll please)...his name is..."Blitz"

So, without further adieu....I would like you to meet my new foster dog, Blitz....a 1 year old male, slightly underweight, he hails from as far North as North Carolina...making his temporary home in Grovetown, Georgia. His goals and ambitions are to learn basic manners and then become a wonderful addition to his future forever family. Please, give him a warm round of applause..but not too loudly or he will begin to jump on you.

From what I read.."Blitz" is a German/American name..meaning intensive and fast attack. The attack of choice for this boy is the attack of licking you to death.....eewwwwwwww....so gross.

My 4th foster--noname

We have decided to leave Bruno with the rescue for atleast the next couple of months. The vet is going to personally take him into her care while undergoing heartworm treatment.

The rescue then ask me did I want another foster, I said yes. Today I went and picked him up. He too, is a owner surrender. What is it with people??????

His owners turned him in, because he is a wild dog. He is a wild dog, because no one has taught him any different. People never cease to amaze me.

It may take us awhile, but I am sure he will be able to learn manners 101, while under our care. Although it may be a long road.

Ms Nena (my current foster) told him today, that she would not tolerate all those bad habits he has. Like, racing for the food bowl and gulping down his food. That sticking his nose in the trash is a no-no. That there will be no jumping on people. If he wants to go for a walk, he better sit still, while mom puts the leash on him. He better learn real quick, if offered a treat, that there will be no snatching from the fingers.

I then told Nena...he is young, give him time...he will learn.

Todays Deal @ 90% off

I have been watching these bags at Dollar General for several months. Originally they were $8.00, then went to 50% off, then went to 70%. Finally this week they went to 90% off the $8.00. Yea...I was so excited. It really is like Christmas to me, when I get a good deal. Cost me $8.00 for 10 bags.

I know there are ladies in the nursing homes who will like a new bag. They can use it to hold their lotion, lipstick and pictures. Or use it for a sewing/craft bag. Or maybe they would like a bag to give to a daughter or granddaughter as a gift. However they choose to use it, is ok with me. It brings a smile to their faces and to me..that is what the 90% deal is all about.