Happy Tail: Nell!

Nell came to TAGS at the end of December 2012. At that time, she was estimated to be just over a year old. TAGS named her Noelle because if we had not rescued her in time, the shelter she was at in the United States was planning to euthanize her on Christmas Eve. Before ending up at the shelter, she was living in a hoarding situation, so needless to say, her life has been a bit rocky. 

This adorable rat terrier mix was in foster care for about 7 months. During every PetSmart or Pet Valu shift, volunteers and customers would gush over her sweet face and contagious energy. But nevertheless, she remained up for adoption.

Then, in July, that sweet face one again grabbed someone's attention, but this time they couldn’t look away, and she was finally adopted! After that, she got a new name to go along with her new life. 

An Interview With Nell’s New Mom, Lynda:

1. How and why did you decide to adopt a rescue dog?
It was totally by "accident.” We had just heard a sad tale about a dog on the radio and it prompted me to search the internet. TAGS popped up and suddenly there was Nell's photo. I sort of knew right there and then.

2. Why did you only put in an application for Nell (and not any of the other dogs)?

Her face.

3. When you actually met Nell, did you know right away that she was who you were looking for? Did it take a few days ? Tell me how this process went for you.
To be honest, it was a done deal before we even left our house [to go meet her]. We're not ones to "think about it" when it comes to an animal.  However, once we actually saw her we were certain. In fact, we were impatient for the whole adoption process to be finished so that we could officially take her home.

4. What were Nell's first days with you like?
Interesting. We hadn't had a young, active, inquisitive, dog in our home in a long while.  There was a lot of adjustment on all sides. I'm happy to be getting new shoes out of the deal.

5. How did the training classes* go? 

Welllllll, Nell is not much of a student, and is a bit aggressive when on a leash.  We learned lots, though.

*When you adopt a dog from TAGS, an eight-week behaviour training course is included 

6. Tell us some funny/quirky/endearing stories about Nell.
(Do you really have that much time?) During her first week with us, Nell discovered that squirrels and rabbits enjoyed our yard - past tense. She took note of their various points of entry and exit and checked them regularly. To this day, when we let her out, she bursts out the door, clambers down the stairs and across the deck, and runs her perimeter check - lilac bush, back gate, tub garden, side fence, and back up to the deck. Then, and only then can she enjoy the yard.  

P.S.: Pretty much everything about Nell is endearing.

Left: Yipee! Nell in the car on the first day of her extended visit.
Right: Nell bashfully sports a Thundershirt.

7. Now that it's been several months, do you think Nell knows that she's "home"?

We know that she knows. When we go on our walks, she sniffs her way around, but as soon as we hit the bottom of our driveway she drags us up to the front door, which cannot be opened fast enough for her to get in.

8. What are your favourite things about Nell?

She "loves" with her whole body. Coming home from work, and walking into the house is a major doggy celebration.  Her entire (wiggly) body welcomes us home every single time.

9. How is she getting along with Mona? (Mona is a senior Jack Russell Terrier who has lived with the family since she was a puppy.)

Now that it's been a while, they have developed an understanding. Every now and then they'll tear through the house together, which is funny because Nell has a great deal of exuberance, but no brakes. They both understand that Mona is the boss and is not to be questioned - ever!

10. Any other facts or anecdotes about your adoption experience that you would like to share?We know why it was a long process, but it was the longest three weeks of our lives. We appreciate everything that TAGS does, and are really glad that you were all there when Nell needed you most.  We highly recommend rescuing your next best friend. It's well worth it.

Nell with (some of) her new family members. 

The Tuckman Goes For a Late Night Walk-About!

Written by Annetta, our volunteer & foster mom.

You can never be cautious enough when it comes to your dogs. Some like freedom a little bit more than others, and it's easier than you think to lose sight of them. Our guest blogger Lindsey Sjouwerman shared some useful tips on how to prevent your dogs from running away.

Tucker is safe now! He is up for adoption!

On this note, we'd like to offer many, many thanks to Breanna Spence of Strandmore Circle in Brooklin for keeping TAGS dog Tucker safe and sound overnight when he decided to go for a late-night walk-about on his own last Monday night. His regular foster home is in Bowmanville, but he was staying with another TAGS volunteer in Brooklin for a week.

When the post went out that Tucker, a 3 1/2-year-old spring spaniel mix, was on the lam, TAGS volunteers converged in Brooklin and combed the neighbourhood. By 1 a.m., we realized he’d either made friends with someone out for a late evening stroll and was in their garage or home for the night, or he’d decided to bed down in one of the many deep brush/forested expanses in the area.

First thing Tuesday, volunteers were out again searching for him and putting up “lost dog” posters. There were still no sightings. Fortunately, there are many pet lovers in the neighbourhood, and since Tucker is microchipped, TAGS received a phone call in the early morning with the news that he was safe.

It turns out that he’d made friends with a neighbour at around 2:30 a.m. a few streets from where he'd started his adventure. The neighbour, Breanna Spence, realized he was a stray and wanted to keep him safe. She couldn’t bring him into her home, so this wonderful young woman slept in her car with Tucker until morning. Breanna then drove Tucker to the humane society, where he was identified through his microchip.

Not only was Tucker was kept safe, he also had the companionship of a caring, smart guardian. Way to go, Breanna! The Tuckman sends you lots of big kisses and high-fives, and TAGS sincerely thanks you for looking out for him!

Here is the link again for the blog post written by our guest blogger Lindsey Sjouwerman with some useful tips on preventing your dog from escaping.

One Furry Reason to Foster Dogs

Here is a touching story from one of our foster volunteers, Chris Stones. It's amazing how the smallest things can mean the world to some of our rescue dogs.

Suzy Q is up for adoption! Photo: Heather

Last night Sheila and I were in bed watching TV as we normally do when Suzy Q suddenly decided to jump up on the bed and join us. That is a normal occurrence with Fred and Mia, our other two dogs, but for Suzy it was huge. She has suffered a tremendous trauma at some time in her life that has left her timid, scared and very wary of just about anything that walks on two legs, especially men. As foster parents, we are responsible for reintroducing Suzy Q to the real world and helping her forget the past and change her behaviour so she can once again enjoy the company of other dogs and people.

When we first got her, she took 15 minutes just to come out of her crate. She now roams freely about our home and plays with Fred and Mia constantly, and her trust factor with people improves every day.

Her jumping on the bed last night was like having your own child take their first step. It was like that moment when you are introduced to a small baby and they hang on to your finger for dear life. It was at that moment both Sheila and I realized that while we had seen small improvements every day, Suzy Q, while still timid and shy, trusts us and others. Now the task of rehabilitation can really start.

Suzy Q

I believe most of us would like to belong to something bigger—to give back to the universe even if just in a small way. This is our first foster, and while we will be very sad when Suzy Q is adopted, we will also be so proud of the strides she has made toward  being a balanced little dog. Her confidence, her trust factor, her personality, her playfulness get stronger every day, and we know it is partly because we have taken the time to care, taken the time to share our home and taken the time to share our own little pack of humans and animals with another animal that needed help to realize her full potential. When we uplift anything, another person, a child, an animal, or when we help anything that shares this planet with us, we give back to the universe around us, and what we get back is immeasurable.

I almost cried a little when Suzy Q jumped on the bed last night. I was so proud of her. She overcame her fear, ignored her gut feeling and took a chance. Imagine if that is all any of us did, to help another to overcome fear and take a chance . . . what an amazing world this would be.

Iggy's Happy Tail

Casey Liut, Iggy's new mom, answered our questions about how Iggy is fitting in since his adoption in March.

Why Iggy?
I have always had a love for shepherds as I had one growing up. My husband has always had a love for Rottis, so when we read about the  shep/Rotti cross, it perked our interest. After we read his bio, we became really excited—he sounded like such a laid-back giant goofball! He had also been living with a cat, which was a bonus for us as we already have three cats in the house. When we finally got to meet him and see just what a happy-go-lucky, playful dog he was, we were in love! 

Iggy is a great photo model!

We also knew we didn't want to do the "puppy stage" but wanted a younger dog that could keep up with our busy lifestyle. Iggy's bio suggested he was the perfect fit.

How is he fitting in?

He has fit in quite well. He has always been very respectful of our cats (we have two senior citizens). Iggy does get bullied by our youngest cat—the cat will block Iggy from going upstairs or will drink from Iggy's water dish and not allow him near it until he is finished. Iggy is quite content to be the low man on the totem pole and will just cry if the cat is blocking him, so we know to go and move the cat.

Did he make friends with the members of the household and/or neighbourhood?
He has made many friends! He gets along with our friend's border collie, Tobey, as they are the same age. The two of them rip around my friend's farm for hours. They go over horse jumps together and continue chasing each other even in the house! Iggy gets groomed by my stepsister and he has made lots of friends at her shop and gets along with everyone he meets. He is quite loved by his aunties and grandparents and is spoiled rotten every time he is with them. My stepsister's dog and he play well together. He mostly plays, and she tries to herd him, but he doesn't care!

What's his favourite place in the house?
I think his favourite place is our living room couch. Every afternoon I come home, and this is where he can be found. He is also quite fond of our bedroom and will lie on the bed at night and watch TV with us.

What is his favourite toy?
Iggy's all-time favourite toy is his red dog that his foster mom left with him. Although any new toy becomes the instant flavour of the day, he always goes back to this toy, especially at 10:30 at night when he tries to convince you that you do indeed want to play with him and not go to bed!

I will say he does appear to have a favourite outdoor toy—his Wubba Kong. He loves this one most as it has a very distinctive and loud squeak,  and he loves playing fetch with it! It is a more "obnoxious" toy, so it doesn't come inside the house, as it is also generally slobbery by the time he's done!

How is his walking?
Iggy has much improved with walking on the leash and goes for two to three walks a day. I did a lot of work with him on the umbilical training and going through the kids' playground—he picked up quite quickly to follow, as he didn't know what way we were going and enjoys jumping objects and even going down the slide! I think we will be trying out some agility in the near future! He has also become a great running partner when we can run—stays right beside me and does not try to cut me off! We are starting to wean him off his Gentle Leader (which he quite detests!) and walking with a collar.

Iggy is focusing on a treat

Did he pick up any funny habits?
Iggy does like to watch the squirrels and even the birds as they fly overhead, but his ultimate favourite animal to chase is bunnies. You even mention the word "bunna," and he's on guard looking for one! He does try to sneak up on them, not realizing they can see the 80 lb dog. But he tries really hard to be quiet and stealthy! I doubt he wants to hurt the "bunnas"—he mostly just likes the fact that they are fun to chase.

Iggy will steal wood from the woodpile to play with at times. I suppose he figures we have created a giant stickpile just for him.

As I said, he is not a fan of his Gentle Leader, likely because it works. He will stick his nose straight in the air when you put it on him. He makes a face that is hard to describe, but you can tell he is not happy about it. Almost like he finds it humiliating to wear it! But once outside, all is forgotten!

Iggy is big on conversation. He used to back-talk a lot! He seems to have gotten over that, though. He still does like to chat, especially about his breakfast! He has learned to speak on command. As well, he is learning to use his "inside voice" and to "ask nicely," and he does change his volume and tone when you tell him this!

Iggy has just figured out the "roll over" command and now does it with every other possible trick for a treat. There is always a "comment" from Iggy when lying down, and then he will roll over on his own.

His favourite games are fetch and tug-of-war. He will play both for hours at a time! He even helps my nephew practise his lacrosse defence—my nephew gets his stick to cover the ball on the ground and then tries to keep Iggy off the ball. Quite the challenge for him, but Iggy is happy to practise with him!

He is quite the water dog—he has been in my parents' pool several times! He enjoys my friend's pond every time we are at her farm (no matter how hard we try to keep him out, he always sneaks a swim in). He has no problems jumping right in and going under water. He has also enjoyed the lake at the cottage, as there is a long sandbar, and he can stroll in and touch the ground for some distance.

Iggy fits right in.

Do you have any other funny stories to share?

Iggy seems to love walking through the park in the afternoon and seeing all the kids running around. I am sure he would love nothing more than to have me let him off the leash to run with them. We came across  a toddler yesterday who was a bit unsure of Iggy but wanted to pet him. I had Iggy lie down, and the child was happy to come up and pet Iggy's back (Iggy just lay there). The baby then took the leash from my hand and started to walk away, and Iggy was more than happy to follow him! I held on to the other end just in case!

When we were packing to leave for a holiday, we were outside loading the trailer, and Iggy suddenly appeared on the steps looking very upset and guilty. I was just thinking, Hey how did he get out? Then we realized, he went right through the screen door! We couldn't be mad at him, though. We instantly realized that with his history of being left behind, it was no wonder he went through the screen. He was likely worried he would be left behind again. Poor guy! We just let him hang out in the trailer while we packed. He enjoyed a nice vacation with Grandma and Grandpa while we were away and went to work with Grandpa every day and played with another dog, Jake. Iggy was so tired at the end of the day, Grandpa had to help him into the truck a few times!

He is also a huge fan of belly rubs and getting his grooms. He actually jumps back on the grooming table—something my stepsister tells me no other dog (except for hers) ever does!

Featured Adoptable Dog: Tucker

Tucker is a fun-loving, active dog who is always up for some playtime. He's been looking for a new home for a year now. Originally, TAGS rescued him from a high-kill shelter in Kentucky. He's an interesting mix—many people see spaniel, English springer spaniel, Australian shepherd or even Rottweiler in him. Tucker will make sure you won't forget him, not just by using his natural good looks but by showing off his goofy behaviour, as well. You just can't say no to him!

Tucker's Hobbies

Tucker's favourite pleasure is to play with and roll around in the garbage bags in the backyard. As much as his foster parents disapprove of this behaviour, Tucker always finds a way to sneak out to enjoy a session of filth and fun. That's what he calls it, as far as we know.

He has many toys, as well, that he likes to play with. Tucker is also a big fan of cuddling on the couch, where he can be close to people.

Tricks

He can "sit" and "lie down," and he is now learning to "stay."

Tucker gnawing on a bone.

Walks

He is getting very good at walking with the Gentle Leader. 

Friends

Tucker LOVES to be with people because he enjoys all the attention he can get. He gets along with other dogs well; however, sometimes he needs a little reminder about manners. Tucker likes children, but we would recommend he be in a home with older children, as he might accidentally knock the little ones down with his exuberance. 

Tucker is so handsome!

He doesn't particularly like thunder and lightning and usually hides somewhere until the storm goes away or wears a Thundershirt to help with his anxiety. 

Tucker loves to lie with his hind legs behind him, which his foster parents call "the rug." Overall, Tucker is a very active dog (but he has settled a bit lately) who requires a family that can put some time in with him and enforces clear rules and boundaries.

Tucker doing "the rug."

If you think Tucker may be the dog for you, don't hesitate to fill out an adoption application form so you can meet him! More details about him can be found on our website.
 

Tucker is a beautiful mix of several breeds.

Boomer's Happy Tail—Every Dog Deserves a Second Chance (Part 2)

Part 1 of this article can be found in our June newsletter. Click here to read it.

We had a dog, Buddy, for 11 years. We rescued him from the Port Perry pound when he was a puppy, but we had to say goodbye to Buddy last October. At first, we all agreed not to get another dog. As time passed and the emptiness remained, though, our son Alan decided we needed to get another one. I decided to start looking at the pounds and shelters. We would never consider a store or a breeder! When I saw how many dogs are out there in need of good homes, I knew we had to get another dog.  

After briefly considering adopting from the Humane Society, I started looking at rescue organizations, and I found TAGS. The entire experience was amazing. TAGS wants to find the right homes for their rescues. The application process, home visits, adoption—everything—have been great. I cannot say enough about our positive experience with TAGS and how amazingly happy we are with Boomer, the dog we ultimately adopted—and the fact that Boomer is happy with us!

We met seven TAGS dogs, but our entire family felt a connection with Boomer right away. We requested a home visit that week, and that Saturday, we picked Boomer up for his weeklong extended visit with us. Within one day, we knew that Boomer was staying.
 

And Boomer stayed

We were a little concerned at first about “the incident” that caused Boomer to have to wear a muzzle at the dog park, and because we met Boomer inside, we never did see him play with other dogs. We didn’t get any scary vibe from Boomer, and we witnessed him meeting a couple of dogs for the first time that day, and he just wagged his tail. What drew us to Boomer was the fact that he is very smart and that he seemed to truly want to please his human companions. He walked well on a leash and knew the basics of sit, come, stay, and paw. The fact that he had been in a shelter for over a year just made us want him even more. This intelligent loving dog needed a home. 

During our extended visit, Boomer was very curious yet cautious about everything and everyone he saw.  He had clearly not had a lot of life experiences. The following Saturday, we officially adopted Boomer. 

Boomer in his new home

Since Boomer has been with us (five weeks now), he has settled in very well. Our 18-year-old son, Alan, and Boomer are now inseparable! Boomer will follow him anywhere anytime. We have had Boomer out visiting and we have had friends and dogs visit us, and we have had no issues with Boomer being “aggressive” in any situation! Boomer is a poster dog for second chances, in my opinion. Thanks to TAGS for rescuing Boomer and to Nick for working with Boomer and showing him that not all people are bad. Boomer has come to trust us now. It has taken some time, but I think he now knows he is truly HOME.

THANK YOU, TAGS!

Susan Griffiths 
Adopter of Boomer