Wordless Wednesday: Suzy Q and the Flowers

Suzy Q is a shy dog who is up for adoption from The Animal Guardian Society! Click on the photo to see more info about her.

Click on the image below to see more photos from the participating Wordless Wednesday blogs.

Featured Adoptable Dog: Izzy

Izzy arrived at The Animal Guardian Society in February from a Port Perry pound. We don't know much about her background from before that. All we know is that this long-legged puppy was very shy at first. She was intimidated by everyone except her foster mom. Eventually, she came out of her shell, showing her sweet, goofy side.

Izzy's Hobbies

Izzy at PetSmart, looking for adopters

Izzy is easily amused. Her elation at finding in her backyard a water bottle with a little bit of water in it was immeasurable. She was rolling it, biting it, then rolling it again—for about two hours! In the end, she went back in the house, exhausted like a kid after a big playdate. She also considers it her duty to carry big tree branches in her mouth during her walks.

The beagle in her is definitely apparent, as she likes to chase squirrels. And due to Izzy's long legs, paired with a high energy level, her foster mom says that Izzy would be very talented at agility if her new owners decided to try that.

Walks

Izzy sometimes pulls on her walks but is showing improvement every time, thanks to her foster mom's tireless efforts.

Friends

Sweet baby girl sleeping.

Izzy loves other dogs and is becoming more and more social with them. She goes up to other dogs during her walks to get to know them. She also has experience with cats, and she doesn't mind them at all. Izzy is very popular among children, and she lets them overload her with love like a cool pop star. We would still recommend that she be in a family with older kids due to her jumping habits.

And speaking of that, Izzy loves to jump! She could jump over a four-foot fence without any problem. If you are interested in Izzy, you must have a fence that is maybe even higher than five feet and secure at the bottom, too. 

While she is a wonderful, lovable dog, Izzy has a little baggage, too. She still sometimes barks at men, but she is friendly toward men she already knows. She also suffers from separation anxiety, but as soon as she gets into her crate, she relaxes. The person who accepts both Izzy's goofy, fun side and her troubles will surely have a remarkable relationship with a loyal companion. 

"Okay. Now where is my dinner?"

Overall, her foster mom recommends that Izzy would do best in

... a physically active household

... a home with a high fence

... a home with another dog

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

If you want to see more photos of Izzy, click here to explore our Pinterest or Instagram photos!

Adopt Izzy!

Famous Pets From Movies: Did You Know? (Part I)

This is part one of our miniseries about famous dogs, where we share fun facts from the extraordinary lives of famous pets—behind-the-scenes, heartwarming details and much more to follow.

Homeward Bound (1993)

Did you know ...

... that they used four American bulldogs and four golden retrievers in the movie?

... that they used eight Himalayan cats for the role of Sassy?

... that the animals had seven months of prep time before filming?

This is Saccone's Buckshot Boogie, the great-grandson of Rattler, a.k.a. Chance!
Photo credit: Kellie Saccone

... that the cats were trained to run toward a buzzer? This is how they filmed the scenes in which Sassy had to run up to a dog or toward the camera.

... that the registered name of one of the "Chance" dogs was Sure-Grip Rattler? He became a flammable- liquid sniffer dog for the fire department and also worked in protection and hog catching. He had many offspring after the movie, especially on the West Coast.

... that Blitz, another dog who played Chance, played in Cheaper by the Dozen afterwards and was adopted at age 10 and lived five more happy years?

... that 90% of the role of Shadow was played by two golden retrievers: Ben and Molly? They were both therapy dogs, and Ben was also the Delta Society's 1993 spokesdog. Ben also appeared in several other movies like Maybe Baby, Purely Belter and Made in Hong Kong.

This is Buckshot, Chance's great-grandson, bowling in the Three Guns Kennel. 

Air Bud (1997)

Did you know ...

... that Air Bud's Buddy was found as a stray in the Sierra Nevada mountains?

... that he also appeared in the television sitcom Full House for six seasons?

Buddy's right hind leg had to be amputated due to cancer appearing near his joints. He died in his sleep due to complications. He was about 10 years old when he died, loved by millions for his great talent in sports. He fathered nine puppies.

Benji (6 movies from 1974-2000)

Benji in 1977

Did you know ...

... that Benji's real name was Higgins? He was found at the Burbank Animal Shelter as a puppy by Frank Inn, a trainer.

... that Higgins also starred in Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and Mooch Goes to Hollywood?

... that Higgins was almost nominated for an acting Academy Award? So many people were praising him for his ability to express different facial expressions in his movies that people seriously considered adding him to the list of nominees.

... that Higgins's daughter, Benjean was also starring in some of the Benji movies? They looked so much alike that people couldn't tell them apart and even magazines published covers with the wrong dog.

... that after Higgins's death at age 17, his owner, Frank Inn, asked that Higgins's ashes be put next to him in the coffin when he dies. In 2002, they carried out his request.

Sources:
http://www.hollywoodpaws.com/homeward_bound.htm
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question48978.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happened_to_the_homeward_bound_movie_dogs
http://landofpuregold.com/perform-mollyandben.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_individual_dogs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Buddy
http://ca.eonline.com/news/35939/hollywood-mourns-loss-of-air-bud
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgins_%28dog%29
http://www.benji.com/JoeCamp/BenjiTrivia.htm

Wordless Wednesday: Don't Stop!

"Ahhhh yes, don't stop, human!"

This dog right here is Chester. He is available for adoption through the TAGS program. Are you thinking of adopting? Click here for pets available for adoption from TAGS. We might just have the perfect companion for you! Like what you see in Chester? Click here to fill out an application to meet him! 

The Joys of Walking Your Dog

The Dog Daily: Health Care

By Liz Palika for The Dog Daily

Many dog owners seem to feel that walking their dog is something that must be done; a chore that goes along with dog ownership. But walking your dog doesn't have to be a chore—it can be so much more. When you're out walking your dog, you are spending time together, interacting with each other, and sharing the sights and sounds of the world around you.

The time spent walking your dog is also a great time to refresh training skills. Obviously, walking your dog is no fun if she is dragging you down the street, so teaching her to walk nicely on the leash is a good skill to emphasize. Have a few treats in one pocket, or if your dog isn't really motivated by treats, take a favorite small toy. When your dog begins to surge forward on the leash (before she is pulling hard), show her the treat or toy, tell her "Sweetie, watch me!" and make a 180-degree turn. Use the treat or toy to make sure she turns with you, and praise her, "Good girl! Super!" Give her the treat or let her play with her toy for a few moments. After a few surprising turns, she will begin to keep an eye on you when you're out walking. When she does, praise her.

Walking your dog is a wonderful time to meet and greet your neighbors. To protect your neighbors from your dog's enthusiastic greetings and dirty paws, teach your dog to sit when people greet her by holding her collar with one hand and tucking her hips under her with the other hand. Don't let your neighbors pet her while she's misbehaving; that would reward her bad behavior. However, once she's sitting (even if you have to help her do it), your neighbors can greet her and make a fuss over her.

You can also give your dog a job to do while walking. You might be amazed at how much satisfaction your dog will get from something as simply as carrying some of your junk mail home from the mailbox! Put a rubber band or two around several pieces of junk mail or advertisements, making the mail into a tube shape. Hand it to your dog and tell her, "Take it!" and encourage her to follow you with it. Praise her, "Good girl to take it! Super!" Begin by having her carry it just a few steps and make a big deal over her efforts. With praise and encouragement, she will be able to carry it longer, or even to carry a small bag home from the grocery store.

Walking your dog is so much more than just a chore. While walking your dog you are outside in the fresh air, you're getting some exercise, you're meeting people and you're practicing your dog's social and training skills. All these things are wonderful ways to strengthen your relationship with your dog.

—Liz Palika