King Goes Home

We dropped King off with his new parents today around noon. Of course on the way down there, he managed to bang himself up and get a cut near his eye, so they probably think we beat him. He is just absolutely going to love his new home and Weimeraner friends to play with. He was very eager to get going and jumped up against their car a couple times. Guess we're chopped liver, lol.



giving nachobear some final abuse

It's funny, but somehow fosters always seem to know when it's time to go to their new forever home and they don't look back. It's such a pleasure to know that you've helped, but the first couple of days without them are tough.

We're gonna get the roof on the house redone and then we have room for another foster so we'll keep everyone posted :)

YAY! King has been adopted

Ok all you slugs, you missed out on adopting a really cute dog!

We got news earlier this week that a family back down near Omaha would like to adopt King. They have other dogs, cats, horses and are experienced Dobe owners. It sounds like the perfect match. Our kids will be here this weekend, so they'll be happy to get to see King Ralph again before he goes off to his new life. We're going to make the exchange on Saturday (sniff sniff!), so here are some photos to tide you over until the big day:


sleeping in fosterdad's lap. it's amazing how small such a big dog can make himself.




hehehe. "save me obi-wan!"

It's always tough parting with a fosterpuppy, but it's really a happy day too, and very gratifying to know that you've helped. One more adopted means one more foster we have room for :)

P.S. We're taking the harness back to Petsmart. Too unwieldy and he won't need it at his new home anyhow. He hasn't gone over the fence since the night we corrected him, so perhaps he's learned his lesson.

Entanglements

Wow. This no-jump harness is really a contraption. If you are mechanically impaired, this is not the tool for you. It seems to work, but it's very unwieldy to get on and off and prevents him also from running and playing outside, which we aren't very pleased about. I'm also curious how one prevents the harness from being urinated upon. Blech.

See harness here

The neighbor cats were kind enough to entice him to leap at the fence this evening and allow us to correct him, so at least we know what sets him off (not that we have any control over it). I don’t think he’s triggered by neighbor dogs walking by (with or without their people) although he does bark at them. If he was, he’d have been over the fence many, many times by now as there is a lot of dogwalking traffic by our house daily and a couple of neighbor dogs (every color lab and a great dane) that escape their respective yards with regularity.

We have a few other options we can try with him as well:

Extend a flexi-lead about 6' and lock it. attach to collar before letting him out. dragging the lead apparently makes dogs not want to jump, and if they do jump, the handle of the flexi is likely to remain caught on the fence, so they will not get far. If you use this technique, please PLEASE be careful that your dog has enough lead spooled out to land safely on the other side of your fence should they jump over. We had a friend whose dog hung herself because she'd jumped over the fence while tied out and couldn't reach the ground. Tragic.

We have an electronic training collar we could try with him. The caveat here is that he's so clever (as our previous dobes were) that he will likely quickly associate the collar with the correction and save his shenanigans for times he doesn't have the collar on.

Figure some way to run an electric wire along the section of fence he's most likely to go over (the front and part of the eastern side) and let him deter himself. This worked great with one of our previous labs and we only ever had to have the electric fence on once!

Don't let him out unsupervised. Alas, he is a lot faster than either of us on foot, so if he decides to run at the fence and get over, he's likely to be able to do so faster than we can stop him. Us being out there with him tonight didn't seem to deter him from trying to make it over as he did it several times in front of us.

Huge thanks to Auntie Ceilidh (Doberman rescue, Salem OR) for the flexi idea!

We'll keep everyone posted.

If you'd like to adopt King Ralph in spite of his "youthful exuberance", please apply here! He really is a wonderful dog.

Bo-oing

Ok, I take back what I said about King not challenging fences. He's managed to get over our 4' fence twice now, so today we're going to go get him a "no-jump harness" (thank goodness our rescue people are geniuses, we didn't know what to do other than watch him like a hawk) and break him of the habit. He doesn't go far, and comes back when we call him, but it's sooooo dangerous for him to be running around off-leash. We live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, but we're not that far from some busy roads.

Other than that, he's been his usual goofy cute self. We're in the middle of teaching him that he doesn't ALWAYS have to be on the couch and that dogs CAN lie on the floor/carpet. He's sleeping through the night in his own bed and spending most of the day playing with Echo and napping. The two of them are still like siblings... playing hard and then snipping at each other when one of them "crosses the line". No real fights, just squabbles just like kids.

Another update: we've started calling him "King Ralph" instead of just "King". Seems to suit him better. If you haven't seen the film, you should!

Will keep everyone posted on how the harness works.

If you would like to adopt King Ralph, please apply here.

I Was a Teen Houdini

King is at that stage when a dog lives with you (or a kid, for that matter) where they gotta test all the boundaries. Just like a teenager.

I came upstairs from my workout in the basement today to find Echo on one side of the fence, and King on the other. Ruh roh!

Good news is, he came right in when we opened the gate and called him. Bad news is, we aren't sure how he got out, thinking it was via the garden, so we've better secured the gate to the garden. He won't be outside unsupervised for a while though, you can bet.

Other teen stunts include the aforementioned sock thievery, barking when he wants let in or some attention, running in circles when he's excited, pooping in the basement, eating all his food so fast that he vomits it back up immediately, and I'm sure there's more that i can't remember off the top of my head, but it's been fun. This sort of thing is to be expected though, and it will all settle down once he realizes that the rules are the rules and that we're consistent in enforcing them.

Did I mention how cute he is riding in the back of the Jeep with his head out the window and his ears flappin in the wind? :)

If you'd like to adopt King, please apply here.

Stop, thief!

King is a sock thief.

He gets bored while I am on the treadmill in the basement, so he goes collecting and then brings what he finds to me like he's saying "Hey! Hey! Look what i got! Don't you want to chase me and get this back? Huh?! Don'tcha??"

Today he managed to find two of my socks, a pair of underwear, and my sweatshirt. We're working on learning not to drag dirty clothes around the house. Treadmills must seem pretty perplexing to dogs - stupid monkeys (as our cats regard us) running and running and never getting anywhere.

He also barfed up his dinner on the wood floor in the dining room, but no worries, he cleaned it up. (ICK!) I may never kiss him again...

Who am I kidding? He's so cute I can't resist. Maybe we should get some of that doggie toothpaste; I bet he'd think that's a game too :)

Good Weekend

We had a good weekend - the kids were here and King had a vet visit.

King was absolutely wonderful with the kids and just adored them. He'd be great in a home with children ages 6-7 or up. Our youngest (nearly 13) handled him on the vet visit and everything went smoothly. King was a perfect gentleman at the vet, putting up with getting two shots and some blood drawn, as well as an exam with no complaints. The only part he didn't like was getting lifted up onto the exam table, but the only way he showed his displeasure was by flailing his legs. Our vet could not say enough nice things about King's temperament and how he knew King would be a great loving addition to someone's life.

King is starting to settle in and get that Dobie territorial sense, so we're working with him consistently to let him know that he doesn't need to alert anyone to the fact that the neighbor cat has walked across the street or that there is a squirrel running down the sidewalk.

He loves loves LOVES to take rides in the car, so we've been taking him along pretty much everywhere we can. He rides with his head out the back window, sniffing into the breeze with his ears flapping. He doesn't try to jump out or bark at other motorists or pedestrians. He usually lies down and chills out on the way home.

One super cute thing I don't think I've mentioned before: he's very vocal. He kind of moans and groans when he stretches and does the "Dobe purr" when you massage him. He lets out big contented sighs when he curls up in bed at night or on the couch for some TV time. King is a very communicative and responsive guy with definite personality.

No huge improvement on the skin, though the owwie on his head (just a small one) is healing nicely and he seems to scratch and chew at his feet a lot less. We're going to keep up with the nutritional supplement, moisturizer, and hydrocortisone spray (as needed).

If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

Ten Things

Exciting walk today - we went to the homecoming parade. King was a total gentleman and sat next to us most of the time (ok, with some reminders). He wasn't nervous in a crowd or around other dogs. Babies smiled at him. A couple people asked us what kind of dog he was.

Ten things King's new family should know about him:

1. He will make using your computer more difficult by leaning his head over your mousing arm or in your lap wanting some lovin'.

2. He will snatch your food when you're not looking. This includes the kitchen counters and dining room table.

3. He'd love to have a kitty to live with that's friendlier than ours.

4. He shouldn't be trusted off lead until he's gotten to know you. I don't know that he knows that cars are dangerous and we're not going to test him.

5. He will be a good protector of your home and person.

6. He'd like to sleep in your bed with you. *We* don't allow this (he has his own bed) but when he lives with you, it's entirely up to you. He just wanted me to let you know.

7. He's left handed. Somebody taught him to "shake" and he's awfully cute when he does it.

8. He loves to chase balls. When he fetches them, he touches them with his paw first and then he picks them up.

9. He points like a hunting dog. Trying real hard to get a pic of this!

10. He's not afraid of thunderstorms.

If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

Today's pics:


Hanging out with Echo after a wrestling match


Closeup


If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

Day 4, Hail to the King, Baby

Can't believe it's only been 4 days with King. He's such a well-adjusted dog, many times we don't even have a foster fully integrated into the household by this point, but he is just a complete natural.

If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

Today's pics:



Watching TV with fosterdad



Doberwrasslin' with Echo




































All pooped out...



















We're pooped! See ya tomorrow!








If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

First Trip to PetsMart and Glamour Shots

First trip to PetsMart went well, though King tried to pee on something there (pretty common even with "well-trained" dogs). We got him some anti-itch spray and an ID tag. I think he enjoyed it. It's a beautiful day and we parked at the other end of the parking lot and took a bit of a walk to get there and back. Nobody asked to adopt him though :(

If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

When we got home, we took some more photos!









So pretty!

If you would like to adopt King, please apply here.

Another Good Day

King had a great day yesterday! Played hard with Echo, hung out with his foster parents while they worked out on the treadmill in the basement, went for an evening walk, and did some obedience work. We're very impressed with his obedience training already: he knows "sit", "down", "come", and we're working on "stay". He walks beautifully on leash.

Quite honestly, he's perfectly ready for someone to adopt right now! We'll continue to put some polish on him while he's here with us, but he's not lacking in any area that would keep him from being an immediate joyous addition to their household.

If you would like to adopt King, please fill out an application here.

Late last night, while he and Echo were outside for their last potty break before bed, a stray yellow lab approached our fence. King turned slowly and started to silently stalk the stranger. He didn't make a noise until he was right at the fence, and then gave it his best deep growl and rousing bark. The lab was unimpressed (he's a common neighborhood pest), but King did his best to tell him this was HIS yard and to back off. Echo came running up barking, but then got bored in about a nanosecond because she has doggie ADHD, lol.

King stayed at the fence with his new acquaintance and they proceeded to get to know each other a little bit, hostilities over with, but plenty of dominant posturing, silly boys.

To his great credit, King came back into the house when we called him, even though the lab was still outside. Such a good boy!

Today we may go to PetsMart to get some anti-itch spray as his feet seem to still be bothering him and it'll be fun to get him out in public. I sure hope people stop to tell us what a beautiful dog he is (as they always do with our dobies) so we can tell them "he needs a home and you could adopt him!" :)

If you would like to adopt King, please fill out an application here.

Vet Appt Sat Sept 16

King has an appointment with our wonderful vet on Saturday (Sept 16) at 11am. He'll get any missing shots at that time and a heartworm test.

Tough day while I'm at work:



If you would like to adopt King, please fill out an application here.

ZzzzzzzzzzzzMmmmmmmmmm

Yay! King slept through the night last night on his assigned bed in the bedroom with us (as opposed to running around the house getting into mischief). We had to show him a few times to sleep on HIS bed and not OUR bed, but he caught on superfast and settled in nicely.



Not such good news, Echo is showing some possessiveness of the toys, so we'll need to keep an eye on that. King is kinda dumb about toys and stands over her drooling for whatever toy she's got (even though he has an identical one in most cases), and she just growls at him a little bit, but it's definitely something we don't want to encourage or allow to escalate.

More later!

If you would like to adopt King, please fill out an application here.

Introducing King, 3yo red male, natural ears - big goofball!

Name: King
Color: Red/Tan
Ears: natural
Tail: docked
Dewclaws: none
Spay/Neuter: Yes
Age: 2-3 years old
Cats: Ok
Other dogs: Ok

Rescue Summary: King is a bouncy boy. He is super smart and responds well to calm assertive energy. He knows basic obedience commands and is a pleaser. He is a big goof looking for a great family to love.

History: Owner turn in.



Our assessment: King has been kenneled for a while, which in my opinion is always a detriment to rescue dogs, but he's settling in to our home very quickly and easily. He gets along great with our 4yo female Dobe, is friendly towards our cats (even if the cats don't reciprocate), and loves to snuggle on the couch with us and watch TV when he's done playing outside.

Unlike most Dobes, King is not convinced that he will melt if he gets wet, meaning he will actually go outside when it's raining, which is good because it's rained all weekend here.



He seems to have some allergies or other kind of irritation on his feet and haunches, so we're feeding him a corn and wheat-free kibble supplemented with Linatone. His coat is moderately hard (a good thing) if somewhat sparse in places. He had a soothing bath first thing upon arriving at his new foster home (which he didn't like very much but tolerated it) and i think it really helped with his itching and dandruff. From past experience, I'm betting his coat and skin issues are due to being kenneled, so he should improve quickly.

He's sleeping on the loveseat behind me right now with his paw over his head and is the cutest thing ever. He's a very sweet boy who gives kisses and just wants to be with someone who cares about him. He is not in the least bit sharp, and would be just fine with children age 7-8+ (our kids, though older and experienced with rescue, will test that for us next weekend). He's just too boisterous for smaller children and might inadvertantly knock them down.



King is good in the car, doesn't challenge fences, and is not a barker. He is not possessive about food or toys, and walks wonderfully on leash, including sitting when we stop. He likes both men and women, and doesn't show any signs of separation anxiety or other destructive or anxious behavior.

We'll keep everyone posted with news and photos. If you would like to adopt King, please fill out an application here.

Please excuse the date on the photos. My stupid camera keeps resetting itself everytime i change the batteries.