Doberman Rescue Chronicles

Meet Rudy II

2008-02-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

MEET RUDY II

We believe Rudy is just over a year old. We don’t know his birth date. We’ve had him almost 5 months, and we love him very much.

Rudy knows: HERE, SIT, WAIT, SHAKE, DOWN (lie down), TREAT, KENNEL, “TREATS IN KENNEL,” OUTSIDE?, GO BYE BYE?, GO BARK PARK? and BLANKIE. If you ask him “Gotta go poop?” he will let you know he does, by getting excited and heading for the door!

Rudy “sits” and “waits” for his dinner. Fill his bowl and say SIT. Put it down and say WAIT. He will look at you until you say OK. Then he will eat.

He shakes, and lays down. He walks really well on a leash – prong collar only. Gentle Leader DOES NOT work for him. He “sits” and “waits” to go out the door – you go first.

He is a “leaner” and loves to lean on “his people.”

Rudy is shy when meeting new people, but have them give him treats, that helps. Once he knows them, he’s a leaner on them too! He loves attention.

When Rudy is in a silly mood, he turns in circles. He circles one way, then “unwinds” the other way…he goes on and on. It’s so funny!

Rudy loves to chew empty plastic bottles – 2L pop bottles or smaller water bottles. He has fun with that. Show him one and ask him if he wants a TOY. He will gladly crush it for you. (He doesn’t eat them, so don’t worry.)

Rudy is crate trained. Just say “Rudy, kennel” and he’ll go. If he hesitates, you can add, “Treats in kennel.” (Be cheerful about it! We trained him to believe kennel is a great place!) Then give him a tidbit of some treat. He’s very obedient about going to his kennel. He needs his blankie in there, though, or he won’t lay down. Rudy is a “nester” and loves soft blankets to curl up on wherever he is.

He LOVES his current blankie and drags it out of his kennel in the morning. Ask him where his blankie is and he will go get it. He LOVES to lay in the sun all day with his blankie, so if you can provide him a spot in the house where the sun comes in, that’s where he’ll sleep all day.

***RUDY EATS SOCKS!! Keep them out of his reach. He will eat and swallow them faster than you can blink! When we’ve caught him swallowing one, we’ve had to give him hydrogen peroxide to throw it up (per vet instructions). When we haven’t known he swallowed one, it comes out the other end or he throws it up a day later on his own. But the next one he swallows could get stuck and require surgery.

Rudy also loves to tote shoes around. When you get home, or when you let him out of his kennel, he grabs whatever shoe or boot he can find and carries it around wagging his tail. He doesn’t chew them, he just relocates them.

When he’s in the mood, he’s a GREAT howler! You have to start him up and keep him going. He’s hilarious and quite a talker!

Rudy HAS been allowed to sit on the furniture. Mostly, he just parks his butt on the chair and his front feet on the floor. But sometimes he also curls up with us on the couch.

Rudy had kennel cough and Giardia when we got him (Sept 07). He was very thin and had a patch of missing fur. We’ve spent lots of money to get him perfectly well. He has gained weight and his fur came back! He’s doing great now! He is micro-chipped and is up-to-date on all his shots. He is currently taking heart worm preventive each month.

Rudy has a sensitive stomach – DO NOT FEED HIM RAW HIDE – he gets diarrhea. He loves bones from the butcher! We’ve found that the only dog food he can tolerate of the ones we’ve tried is the Science Diet large breed. We tried Wolf King (an high quality food) and also a cheap store brand, and both gave him diarrhea.

Rudy loves to go to the dog park or if you have a fenced yard, he will love to run!

Rudy has lived with kids ages 9-15.

Rudy’s current routine:

-7:30 short outing to pee
-Comes in and gets 3 cups of food (we feed him extra if needed to help him gain weight after his Giardia)
-9:00 or before, out again to poop
-Out again around 4 or 5:00
-Food 3 cups again
-Out to poop
-9:00 pm out for last time and then he sleeps in his kennel

We hope you will love Rudy as much as we have. He’s a sweetheart who just wants to be with you and be loved.

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.

POB 390684

OMAHA NE 68139-0684

402-614-4495

DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

You may send donations to DRON, C/O Holli, 15107 Borman St., Omaha, NE 68138. Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you!

MEET MOZART- A VERY SPECIAL BOY

2008-02-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

MEET MOZART- A VERY SPECIAL BOY

Mozart is a 1 year old male who was abandoned when his family fell apart. This very handsome dog is mostly deaf although he can hear some very high pitches. Inspite of his “handicap” Mozart is very eager to learn and please. He is very sweet-natured and attentive and very playful. He loves people and gets along well with other dogs. Cats are unknown. He will make a very nice addition to the right family.

Because we want Mozart to find the right home, Doberman Rescue of Nebraska is offering to pay for the first series of obedience classes for Mozart at Bona Fide Dog Academy when his new family adopts him.

If he has touched your heart please go to www.doberescue-ne.org and complete an application.

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.

POB 390684

OMAHA NE 68139-0684

402-614-4495

DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

You may send donations to DRON, C/O Holli, 15107 Borman St., Omaha, NE 68138. Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you!

New DRON Contact Info

2008-01-10T06:15:00.001-08:00

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.

POB 390684

OMAHA NE 68139-0684

402-614-4495

DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

You may send donations to DRON, C/O Holli, 15107 Borman St., Omaha, NE 68138. Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you!

update: Tony

2007-10-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Update on Tony [ original post here ]:

Tony has suffered a severe cut while at the boarding kennel and required surgery to repair it. He desperately needs a foster home where he can recuperate. Please, if there is anything you can do to help this fantastic guy out...

Tony's Story

Once upon a time I had a home and a family, but the home was not a happy one. The man had a very bad temper. I tried really hard to please him but no matter how hard I tried it wasn’t good enough. I didn’t understand because I have always believed that people and dogs are friends but the man resented me. One day he got very very angry. I don’t know why. I’m a dog and I don’t tend to let things bother me. He went into a rage like a wild animal. I was scared and tried to hide but he found me anyway. When he did he took a baseball bat and struck me on the head.

I saw stars but not like the ones in the night sky. Everything went black and I thought I would wake up in Heaven but I did not die. I did not die because there is still that heart in me that believes there are very good people out there and my mission is to have a home with those kind of people and know true human love for the first time in my life.

My skull fracture healed without complications. The man got into big trouble for he did to me but while he was getting in big trouble I had to live in a kennel. I was finally released to a private rescue where they are working very hard to find me a home.

The volunteers are so very kind to me. They do not hurt me but praise me and play with me and I find that I am pleasing to them. The volunteers cannot adopt me.

This is the kind of home I need: I need a home where I am the only dog and the people will love me and be very patient with me. I am a bright boy and love to learn and I love people, even after what happened to me, I can forgive. I need a home without cats because I really like to give them a bad time and they don’t like that very much.

I need YOU. I know you are out there, hurting and wanting a companion who understands what it feels like to be lonely, for I am very lonely without a home. I know the pain of rejection but I also know love will cover it all. Will YOU be the one to step in and give me the home that I dream about all day and all night? I look for it in the face of every person I meet. If I could speak I would beg them to give me a chance. I know you need ME too, whoever you are.

My name is Tony; I’m four years old with so much life and love to give if you will just give me the opportunity.

If my story has touched your heart even if it is just to provide a foster home please go to www.doberescue-ne.org ; and fill out an application.

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

You may send donations to DRON, C/O Holli, 15107 Borman St., Omaha, NE 68138. Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you!

Introducing Bella and her 7!! puppies

2007-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Bella who was around two years old. Her ears were cropped but did not stand. One night, Bella fell in love with the wrong guy.( a Labrador mix.) He left her alone and pregnant. Her owner was very upset at her for having fallen into disrepute and took her and her seven puppies to a local shelter where they were sentenced to death.

A rescue worker took pity on the mom and her babies and brought them to Doberman Rescue of Nebraska. Bella’s babies are 5 boys: Bosco, Bruiser, Bowser, Baxter and Beeker and her two baby girls are Bliss and Breezy. The babies are just 3 weeks old. If you have room in your heart for this mom or any of her beautiful babies we ask that you contact Doberman Rescue of Nebraska.

If you cannot adopt but would like to help sponsor this little family you may send donations to DRON, C/O Holli, 15107 Borman St., Omaha, NE 68138. Doberman Rescue is a 501 (c ) (3 ) so all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your interest!

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Our hearts go out to Pompeii and his family

2007-09-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

From Pompeii's Mom and Dad:

To all of our friends at the rescue, we ask you to say a prayer for our beloved and wonderful Pompeii who passed away Friday evening from an unknown illness. We will miss him deeply and with all of our hearts. He was such a beautiful dog and a loving companion. Lola will miss him too. She seems like she is lost and waiting for him to walk through the door at any minute. He was my baby and there will never be another like him. He just celebrated his 4th birthday on the 28th. Far to young to be lost to us.

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Meet Tony the Hero

2007-09-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Meet Tony. He is a 3 year old male with natural ears who recently arrived in Doberman Rescue. He is a very loving dog – look at that smile! - but came out of an abuse situation. His skull was fractured, apparently by a baseball bat, but he has recovered. Tony is a hero - waking his family up in the middle of the night when the house was on fire and making sure everyone got out safely. What a great guy!

If you are interested in giving a Dobe a forever home, or maybe just volunteering or donating, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Meet Reba - Rosie's sister

2007-09-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

My name is Reba and I’m about 3 years old. I just arrived at Doberman Rescue with my sister Rosie. I am a very sweet girl who loves people and I get along with other dogs too. I need to learn some basic obedience but I am a willing student if you are a willing teacher. I am gentle with a great capacity to give and receive love. Please contact the folks at Doberman Rescue and ask to meet me!

If you'd like to adopt Rosie or are interested in giving a different Dobe a forever home, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com or
contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Rosie has a home!

2007-09-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

YAY! Rosie has been adopted. We (rescue) still need to pay for her heartworm treatment though, which is hundreds of dollars even with our vet discount, so if you can respond to the post below this one, you'll be helping to save the life of a sweet sweet girl.

Meet Rosie - and please protect your pups against heartworm!

2007-09-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is Rosie. She’s 5 years old and just arrived at DRON. She came to us with an advanced case of heartworm. Rosie needs your help. We are trying to raise money for her treatment and find her a foster home as well. She came in with Reba, who is a 4 year old red cropped and docked female. They are both sweet girls.

I have never had to send an email and ask for donations before and do not plan to make a habit of it. The DRON bank account is never padded and none of the money goes to the volunteers, it goes 100% to our dogs.

Because this is the first time I have had to do this I am making the following offer/challenge to you:

Anyone willing to donate $50 will receive a DRON tote.

Anyone willing to donate $100 gets their choice of a DRON Sweatshirt or Tee shirt.(S, M. L, XL).

Will you be willing to help us in this situation? The last time this came up several volunteers pooled funds to pay for the treatment but this time we really need your help.

Every dollar matters. Thank you for just taking the time to consider helping Rosie.

Donations can be sent to my attention at

Holli Sampson

DRON

15107 Borman St.

Omaha NE 68138

We are a 501 (c) (3) of the IRS so you will get a letter to use for tax deduction purposes.

Samz Clonez

2007-07-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Samlet appears to have kicked off a rescue trend - our rescue friends Kirk and Holli sent us emails today announcing two new rescues they got in:

Anyone interested in fostering please let us know. We haven't had much opportunity to spend time with him yet. All we know is that he is very friendly and energetic and about 2...(Note: since we do not have an actual pic I borrowed one that was similar.)

My name is Maxwell Smart, but most folks just call me Maxwell. I’m a very smart and energetic guy who just arrived into Doberman Rescue. I’d make a very good detective for my mind is always going and I think sleuthing would be great fun. Would you go sleuthing with me?

I’m very friendly and love people and am anxious to have a family to love and keep track of, so if you’d like to “get” Smart, call and ask for me!

And also we have available:
Samson - He only weighs 37 pounds.

Hi! My name is Samson. My best female friend and I were found wandering and taken to a local shelter. She got adopted but the folks at Doberman Rescue came and took me in. Don’t let my skinny body fool you for I am strong in spirit. I intend to do the opposite of the Jenny Craig diet and put on a few pounds! Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli will be envious!

I’m a friendly guy and like other dogs. I’d love to be at home in your house too and will be content to have my wandering days behind me. A little love and some food and I’ll be one happy strong man!

I hope to meet you soon!

If you are interested in fostering or adopting Maxwell or Samson, please contact Kirk and Holli at dobetaxi@cox.net

Mission: Basement

2007-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Yay! Sam has finally conquered the evil basement stairs. We had to physically pick him up and "encourage" him to get started, but once he figured out he wasn't going to die instantly as a result, he managed to finally get down there and eat that kibble that's been taunting him lo these many days.

He's since been up and down the stairs numerous times. It's like he has a whole other house down there, so we're really glad he got over that hurdle.

Next: The Treadmill.

Transported a really nice dog named Drakkar ("Drake") down to Omaha today, just a young guy 1yo. Beautiful, active, playful dog - he's going to make someone a great running partner. It was neat to actually meet some more of the NE rescue people face-to-face, and we got Samlet's microchip, though not inserted (installed?) since he and Drake and Drake's stuff wouldn't all fit into the back of the Jeep.

New photos as promised:

Da Nose

You could put a whole 'nother dog in there

The dogs have no shame!

Echo is very pleased Sam has come to live with us

Perfectly Content

And a special treat for those of you who aren't stuck with dialup:

Video of Echo and Sam playing in the snow

It's Inevitable

2007-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable when you do foster/rescue that you run into dogs that you just fall in love with. We're just all nuts about Sam and can't imagine our home without him now, so we've asked to adopt him.

It was a very hard decision for me because of the tradeoffs. Sam would make a great dog for a first time dobe owner because he's so mellow, and then we'd have room for another foster. But I can also very realistically see us 6 months down the road, still no puppy, saying 'I wish we still had Sam', and after having been through that before with Sunny (another big red fosterguy, oddly enough), I don't want to regret not spending time with the ones that I love while I can.

We can still help out with short term fostering, transport, and events, so it's not like we're going to completely stop helping other dogs. I keep feeling selfish, but my lovely husband reminded me: "There's nothing selfish about giving a great dog a good home".

I should have some more pics and a couple really cute videos to post later today!

Also later today, Sam gets to meet his cousin Jason for the first time. Jason's always been great with all of our dogs, and I'm sure he'll adore Sam as much a we do.

Soooo close

2007-02-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

It's kind of evil, but I've been trying to lure Sam into the basement (so he can play with Echo and romp around), but he's still completely petrified of the stairs.

HOWEVER - he manages to go up and down the other staircase with no problems, I'm guessing because there's catfood at the top of them

SO... I put some catfood in a bowl in the basement today right at the bottom of the stairs.

Poor Sam sat at the top of the stairs and drooled for a while. Then laid down. Then left. Then came back.

THEN managed to knock the recycling bin down the stairs somehow, spraying plastic and paper and cans everywhere and giving himself a right old start. Poor guy, now he'll never go down those stairs!

Family Weekend

2007-02-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Sam is having a great time this weekend hanging out with the kids and Gramma. He's very good and gentle with Gramma, and listens to the kids. Such a good boy.

He's gaining a little weight and is slowly starting to fill out and look like a normal boy.

It's been so very cold outside, so we haven't walked at all, but have been getting our exercise running through the house and playing with Echo:

We're still working on getting along with kitty as well as he gets along with everyone else.

Go Colts!

If you'd like to adopt Sam or are interested in giving a different Dobe a forever home, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com

Cool Like the Other Side of the Pillow

2007-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Sam is settling in great! His coat and skin are already looking better and he's just starting to put on a little more weight. He and Echo play outside, in the office, on the bed, on the couch.

Looking pretty shiny in this photo

Some things you must know about Sam:

1. He points with his right hind leg. I know, it's weird. It's funny that he points at all (Echo doesn't, Javert and Emma never did), but especially cute that he has his own flair.

2. He's a big baby. Echo plays too rough for him and makes him yelp. Kitty did the same thing last night.

3. He's fascinated by cats. He's actually pretty good with them (in that he doesn't try to kill them or eat them, and only chases them when they run like squirrels), but he acts like no other dog we've ever seen with the cats: He looks for all the world like he's stalking the cat. He moves slowly, puts his feet down deliberately and softly, keeps his eyes fixed on the kitty - which is generally very bad news for kitty, but it doesn't mean with him what it seems to mean with other dogs. He just sniffs the kitty and jumps back whenever she turns around and sasses him. We think he's trying to sneak up behind her and sniff her.

4. He's pretty much petrified of the basement stairs. He'll come down to the landing and that's it. Echo runs down the stairs and pleads with him to come and play, but he's just not up to it yet. He ran up the stairs to the second floor once, happily started eating the catfood and nearly had to be carried back down. Granted, they are a particularly bad flight of stairs, but the basement isn't so bad.

5. He's super affectionate. He gives kisses, he's a leaner, a snuggler, a lapdog. He wants to be with you! You'll never again be lonely in the kitchen. Or the home office. Or the bathroom. Or on the couch. You get my drift.

6. He likes yoga. He'll just plop down on your yoga mat and kiss you while you're trying to hold boat pose. That will definitely challenge both your balance and your concentration. I fell out of the pose giggling today and instead did "snuggle the doggy pose" with him for a minute.

7. He knows to sit and wait for his food, and he's very good about it, but he drools like *crazy* while he's waiting. Bring a towel. Seriously.

8. He's got the biggest head, feet and sturdiest legs we've ever seen on a Dobe. It seems especially mismatched with his body right now because he's too skinny.

9. He's got some scar tissue in his ear that feels like he caught some buckshot in there or something. I cringe to think of someone doing that to this sweet guy.

10. He loves his stuffed bird. Echo has already chewed the beak and wings off the poor thing in an artistic fit, but Sam takes it to his bed and just makes it squeak.

I think that's all for tonight, we'll keep in touch!

If you'd like to adopt Sam or are interested in giving a different Dobe a forever home, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com

Introducing SAM, a 2yo red male

2007-01-22T06:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome Sam!

We picked up Sam last night from the kennel in Omaha and after taking a chilly "settle-down" walk, he hopped up into the Jeep, investigated it, and then promptly fell asleep for the entire nearly 2-hour ride.

He's immediately settled into our household, and is possibly the calmest first-day foster we've ever had. We're just in love with him - he's big and gorgeous, friendly, silly, snuggly and intelligent.

He spent his first night in the crate with no complaints (new dogs never get free run of the house at first, no matter how good they are) though i think he would have preferred to sleep in our bed with us. We don't think he's crate trained, but he was very trusting and hopped right in when we askd him to. He seemed a little too interested in the cats, and when he met one he was a combination of nervous and curious, and his first instinct was to put his mouth on the cat, so we're gonna have to work on that. I don't think his intention was to kill the cat, but i'm certainly not going to risk it. We'll introduce him to kitty slowly so he can learn to just ignore her, like Echo does.

He's pretty underweight and his coat has suffered as a result, so we're going to get him up to snuff and looking amazing, and I am sure he'll get adopted right away. A dog with this amazing temperment is a gem.

He knows some basic obedience commands like come, sit, down, and someone taught him to shake, so that's what he does when he's confused. We'll work on *not* encouraging that (we don't like any "tricks" that encourage a big dog to put his feet on a person - it's problematic when it's your 6yo that gets pushed over, etc.). He eats like someone is going to take his food from him, so hopefully as he gets accustomed to the routine here he will feel more comfortable slowing down. He does not walk all that well on a lead, so that's definitely something we need to work on with him - weather permitting. It's been in the 20's or lower lately, so walks are not very long.

Some details from his rescue profile:

Date of birth (whelped) 01/2005 estimated

Sam is a red, male Doberman. This young male was surrender to DRON by his owner. His tail is docked and has natural ears. Sam is stated to be good with children and dogs. Sam was neutered about three weeks ago.

Please remember every animal for adoption through D.R.O.N. is fully vetted for their age and only needs routine preventive care. Dogs older then 6 months of age are heartworm tested, all dogs are kept on heartworm preventative, along with being vaccinated (age appropriate), microchipped, de-wormed, in addition to being spayed/neutered.

Please understand that DRON does not place dogs outside of the DRON adoption area (Nebraska, Iowa, & South Dakota).

If you'd like to adopt Sam or are interested in giving a different Dobe a forever home, please contact us at:

Doberman Rescue of Nebraska Inc.
Omaha, NE
402-397-1742
DRON95@aol.com

King Goes Home

2006-10-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

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.