A Foster Story

Farewell to a Foster Story

saralima2 — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:18:00 -0400

This week marked many a milestone in our house. Tuesday, May 31st was Chance's 10th birthday and in celebration of his special day we forced Chance to wear an embarrassing and irrelevant hat while we sang happy birthday.

Slumbering beauties, or suspicious sleepers?

saralima2 — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:42:00 -0400

Is it just my three monsters, or are all dogs light sleepers? No matter how lightly I tip-toe around their heads or how gently I get out of bed, all three of them are immediately wide awake and acutely aware of my every move. This isn't problematic, per say, but rather an out loud wondering of sorts.

Toys tested by dogs who are bananas for TOYS!!!

saralima2 — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:57:00 -0400

I can't speak for all dogs, but I can definitively say that Roxy and Cash both have "types". They each are suckers for a certain kind of toy that sends them over the moon when they see/hear it. For Roxy, it's balls, especially ones that squeak. My personal fav is from JW Pet - it's durable enough that if Cash gets a hold of it I have time to repossess it before all hope is lost. It's also slightly larger than a tennis ball which makes it less likely to disappear for eons underneath the sofa (Roxy's own personal nightmare).

Peke problems galore

saralima2 — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:24:00 -0400

Last week did not start off well for us. Chance had a seizure Monday night and scared the pants off me. I've never witnessed a seizure before so I wasn't positive at first what it was, but after conferring with other dog owners and Carol (head honcho at S.A.I.N.T.S) it became clear that the violent convulsions and spit spraying characterized the ictal phase of a generalized seizure. Apparently seizures are quite common in Pekes (along with every other unfortunate ailment, it seems) and once they have one, odds are they will continue to suffer from them. I don't know much about seizures, what causes them or what I can do to prevent them, but it's something I'm looking into further. So please send your good-doggie vibes Chance's way and keep your paws crossed that it was a one time occurence - I know we'll be doing the same.

Breedism - when will the world learn?

saralima2 — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:13:00 -0400

As the proud parent of a bully mix (Cash is an American Bulldog/Boxer mix) I am endlessly confounded by those who seem to have some unfounded prejudice against these incredibly sweet and gorgeous dogs. I can't tell you how many times other dog parents have picked up their dogs at the park or crossed the street when they see Cash coming because they are "afraid of pitbulls". There are so many things amiss with this statement and I don't have all day, but to sum it up quickly....A) There's no such thing as a pitbull. B) If there was, Cash wouldn't be one. C) Breed should never predetermine your opinion of a dog (see the "What is it about Pitbulls?" article in the Spring 2011 issue of Modern Dog for a full run down on the issue).

Chance meets with a coif catastrophe

saralima2 — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:58:00 -0400

Remember the mix of fear/shame/giddiness you felt when your parents woke in the middle of the night to find you in the bathroom with a fistful of hair and a face framed with unfortunately shaped bangs? That's how I felt Sunday when Jeremy walked into our bathroom to find me surrounded by black hair, holding a dog that looked more like Bon Jovi circa 1984 than a purebred Pekingese.

I think my dog is a cat

saralima2 — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:35:00 -0400

I’ve never disputed the fact that Chance can be a pain; his disability and chronic health problems combined with incontinence and a quick temper certainly make for a handful of fluff and fury. But one thing I never considered was the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he isn’t the descendant of canids at all, but rather a cat trapped in a dog’s body. Before you disregard my theory as a misguided attempt to account for bad behaviour, consider for a moment the clues that have led me to this unusual notion:

Underachievers anonymous

saralima2 — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:08:00 -0500

As alluded to in my previous post, Cash and I did some investigative reporting on behalf of Modern Dog recently for the upcoming Summer 2011 issue. I can't divulge any of the details, however I can tell you that it wasn't necessarily a great success. Let's just say if Cash were a kid in a classroom, he would have been stuck in the corner wearing a dunce cap. But that's okay, I've always known that my dogs wouldn't be perfectly trained or particularly obedient because I am neither of those things. I would rather have a funny, sweet, rambunctious miscreant than a stoic and refined canine any day.