Happy Tail: Jill

Interview with Julie White - Jill's Happy New Mom

Why did you choose Jill?

We saw Jill at Pet Valu at the end of her shift. Her foster mom Gayle was picking her up. My husband spotted Jill and said "Hey did you see the dog over by the cash?" I said no and he brought me over to look at her. We fell in love with her right away. She stole our hearts, kissing us and giving us a look that said "please take me home!" 

Jill waited for a longtime to find her forever home.  She came in as a stray in the Bedford County Animal Control at 8 months old and was rescued in May the following year by TAGS.  She had an amazing foster mom Gayle and we adopted her in August.  

What did you think about our adoption process?

We think the adoption process is excellent. You don't just pay for a dog and that's it. You invest interest and time to see if this dog will fit with your family. TAGS makes sure the dog is going to a good home by insisting on the home visit and then the extended visit to insure everything works out nicely. Following the adoption there is some training which I think is great to begin a great bond with your new dog!

How was Jill's first few days with you and your family?

Our first day on the  extended visit my husband and I spent all day shopping with Jill. We looked for the perfect bowls on a stand, toys, treats, etc. It took twice as long cause Jill is a social butterfly, everyone stopped to look at her and want to pet her. Many stores later we had found everything to make her feel like home! 

How is she fitting in?

Jill on her Extended Visit

She has settled in with our family very well and we are so happy to have her in our lives. Jill's favourite place in the house would have to be in our cozy bed sleeping and chewing her bones!

She does very well on a leash and has no problems walking with our other dogs Turbo and Cheyenne. They all walk together very nicely. 

Jill also has many TAGS friends as we go to the park often. Her foster mom Gayle is still in her life as we have become great friends. I am just amazed with the work, connections and the difference TAGS makes in many ways for adoption, education, volunteering, and rescuing.

The Triumvirate!

Did Jill pick up any funny habits?

Jill likes to stash toilet paper cardboard rolls on our bed. She doesn't chew them, she just places them on our bed. No idea why!

In the morning she has more energy than my two JRTs, running around and getting the other two playing. She will take my one JRT back leg bite it and make his leg go up in the air to get him to play, it's funny to watch!

She loves to give kisses and have her belly rubbed.

P.S. she is spoiled!!!

Jill - probably dreaming about toilet paper

 Julie White did not only adopt Jill but she is now volunteering for TAGS. Thank you Julie and welcome to the TAGS team!

Are YOU thinking about volunteering, too? We are always looking for foster homes or general volunteers. Click here to apply.

September Adoptions!

I present to thee...the September Six! These six pets all found homes this month and we couldn't be happier for them.

Please click on the image to view a larger version. 

Some Facts about the September Six

• Bella came to TAGS as a stray back in January. Despite being from the streets, Bella lived up to her name and recently earned the title of Best Looking TAGS Dog.
• Alara was recently crowned Prom Queen during the TAGS awards, and rightly so! This feline gets along with her feline and canine subjects, but she always makes sure they know who is the boss! Alara is a very chatty cat who loves attention - but on her terms, of course.
• Weston came to TAGS from a local pound where he was only known as a number. However, he did not allow his time there to affect his fantastic spirit: Weston's former foster family used to call him "50 pounds of love," and everyone who meets him knows why!
• Gunnar is one of those mysterious unlucky-turned-lucky cases. For some reason, despite being well-behaved and adorable, Gunnar couldn't find a home when he lived in the United States and was having a bad time of it in the shelter there. Yet, when he came up to Canada, he was adopted in no time! Perhaps he just wanted to be Canadian.
• George is an energetic Cocker Spaniel who had to find a new home when his owner couldn't care for him anymore. Not surprisingly, this cute fellow was not up for adoption long before someone scooped him up!
• Suzy Q has already had a lifetime of misadventures and we are so happy that she can finally settle down and enjoy being a dog! As a puppy, her owner passed away, leaving Suzy Q a stray. Then, she got pregnant, went to a pound, and had a litter of 5 puppies! By the time all of that was said and done, Suzy Q had become a worrisome dog and carried that nervousness with her wherever she went. Thanks to her dedicated and patient foster parents, she improved enough to find a home, one where she can continue to build her trust towards humans. (If you'd like to read more about Suzy's story, click here.)

Exercising Small Dogs

Exceptional Canine: Active Dog

By Stacey Brecher for Exceptional Canine

Just like you, your small dog needs exercise to stay healthy and happy. Small dogs are defined as those that weigh less than 22 pounds and who are shorter than 16 inches.

“Exercise helps to keep your pet physically fit, mentally secure, socially engaged and emotionally happy,” says Lori Morton-Feazell, Director of Animal Care and Education for Petco. “It also reduces stress and deters negative behaviors such as chewing, digging and barking.”

If you are considering an exercise plan because you believe your pooch is overweight, your veterinarian can examine your dog and let you know if he needs to lose a few pounds. If your dog has difficulty walking or playing, he could be overweight, and it will be important to start any exercise regime slowly to build up endurance and lung capacity.

Even if your small dog is the proper weight and is healthy, it is still important to check with your veterinarian to learn about any specific precautions you may need to be aware about for your dog’s breed, like breathing problems. Additionally, if it has been a while since your dog has exercised, start slow with short walks and play sessions.

 Always take your dog’s age, breed and health into account when starting any exercise routine.  “Begin with a 15-minute walk each day, and after the first week increase it by 5 minutes,” Morton-Feazell recommends. “Watch your dog for signs of exhaustion like heavy panting or their tongue hanging out, and remember if it is a long walk, take water to give to your dog. If your dog is used to exercise, a 30-60 minute walk daily is enough to keep him physically fit and emotionally happy.”

Keep in mind that the amount of exercise your dog needs is not equivalent to his size, but rather to his breed. For example, a small Jack Russell Terrier requires more exercise than the much larger Great Dane. Conversely, a Labrador Retriever is a very active dog and would need more exercise than a tea cup Poodle. Ask your vet about how much exercise your particular breed of dog should be getting.

Of course going on walks isn’t the only way to exercise your pup. Other options include obedience training and agility training. “Try teaching him a new trick,” says Morton-Feazell. “Some simple ideas are give paw, high five, sit and stay. This can help keep your dog emotionally happy and social.”

As far as agility training goes, many small breeds are very agile, and doing agility training through simple obstacles is a great way to experience the human/animal bond with your dog, in addition to providing exercise.

The key to getting the most out of an exercise program is getting your dog’s heart rate up, which will cause her to have a good pant. “Be careful not to over-exercise your dog and cause heavy panting or heavy breathing,” explains Morton-Feazell. “Give your dog breaks to catch his or her breath and get a drink of water.”

The best way to encourage your small dog to exercise is by incorporating toys into the workout. Puppies in particular love to chase toys and put them in their mouths. Some options for older small dogs are balls, frisbees, Kongs or other toys that can be thrown for your dog to retrieve. Morton-Feazell advises that you pick the right size toy for your dog. Don’t give your small dog a large toy as they may not want to play with it. You also want to make sure that the toy is large enough to not get stuck in the dog’s throat and cause an injury.

Most of all, keep in mind that all small dogs are different and will receive the most benefit from different types of exercises. There are no exercises that are off limits for your small dog, although some modifications can be made to accommodate their size. While playing, walking or training your dog, notice if he is tired, panting excessively or thirsty. These are signs that you may be pushing him too hard and that he needs a break and/or water.

Stacey Brecher is an editor at Woman’s World magazine, and a contributor to Animal Fair magazine. Stacey's blogs have previously appeared on Exceptional Canine.

Wordless Wednesday: You Sure Are A Weird-Smelling Dog!

Sammy is getting along with his new furry friends,
 even the feline ones, at his new foster home. 

This is a blog hop. 

Don't forget to check out the other participating blogs by clicking on the image below.

Shyla's Allergic Treatments (update)

I met Shyla a few months ago. She was this sweet, sweet girl with a terrible sickness. Her sweet character has stayed the same and so did the allergies. 

Here are some updates about her:

Shyla, please get better

• The hot, summer weather did not do good for her condition, it actually worsened her itchiness.

• She is showing different symptoms. While before, it used to be only on her side, now her ears, side and neck all have sore wounds from scratching.

• The holistic treatments show little improvement. After moderate progress, a greater set back follows.

• The raw diet did not work. 

After 20 holistic treatments, there is little to no improvements in her allergic reactions. It takes time to observe any changes in her condition, as the analyses of the effects of a new food can go for as long as 3 months. Currently, the foster parents are introducing Shyla to a dog food called Taste of the Wild. 

According to the holistic vet, in many cases tests and treatments might take up even 2 years until the solution is found. They have to take many factors into the consideration, such as food, weather or environment changes. So far, it's hard to tell what it is for Shyla. They are suspecting it to be either seasonal allergies (her symptoms worsen around spring time or early summer), food allergies or an autoimmune disease. 

After all your generous donations, we received $245. Shyla and the TAGS team would like to thank each and every one of you who donated! It is hard to donate nowadays when money is tight but sometimes it is even harder to see a poor little soul suffer from something that's hard to trace. The vet appointments and the dog food are not cheap so we would like to ask you to spare a little change for Shyla if you can. 

Even if you can't, we are very open to hearing any ideas, tips or well-tried out methods that you know have helped other dogs suffering from allergies.The solution might just be around the corner.

You can click here to donate: