Fostering in the spirit of Christmas

Holly and Noel have joined our family as foster dogs.  They are littermates, rescued from a dog auction in Missouri by the National Mill Dog Rescue and Pueblo Collie / Sheltie Rescue.  
They are very sweet and Dudley and Gracie will get extra goodies from Santa for being so patient and willing to share with the rambunctious youngsters.

Never having lived in a house, everything is new and sometimes scary.  Stairs are a mystery and the TV is both fascinating and scary.  Dog treats don’t make sense unless they are really yummy – like chicken or turkey.  The dishwasher smells yummy and the reflective door makes us think there are more dogs just like us beyond the door.
They don’t bark much except when doing guard duty to alert us to the ringing phone, door bell, garage door opening or scary other people in the neighborhood beyond our fence.
Here's me coming home to 4 shelties - it's a fun fest.

Drawing Adoption Awareness to OneDayOnEarth

Created for One Day On Earth, I filmed Gracie and Dudley to draw attention to the value of adopting a rescue or shelter dog. Our furkids are happy and loved. They bring us joy every day and it would have been a shame to have missed out on their lives.

Gracie Learns to Play

Gracie surprised me by playing with a sock one evening.  The next night I caught it on camera.  Noted animal behaviorist, Patricia B McConnell wrote in her book, The Other End of the Leash, “dogs raised in the complete absence of any environmental stimuli, like many dogs in puppy mills, often develop into adults who won’t play with any object, ever…  Perhaps there is a ‘critical period’ for object play, just as there is for socialization, in which dogs are hardwired to learn how to play and what to play with.”
While it is hardly the kind of play most dog owners expect, I was thrilled to see her grab my sock.  She also can give a play bow and she will get a wicked little toothy grin and try and nip my nose.  That is her version of play and it is a great joy for me to see it.