We were SUPPOSED to bring the dog home from the shelter this Friday...

[copcarguy]

Miss-Teri:  I got this email this morning:

We're sorry, copcarguy
Your application for membership in PuppyluvsPawPrints was denied by the group's manager.
 
So I guess I won't be posting any Sabrina pics over there...  Maybe I'm not good enough or something??  I've never had that happen before.  Weird.

[Miss-Teri]

Heather just asked me to tell you to reapply.  She said you didn't fill out the "reason" part (just put that you're Sabrina's dad), and she didn't know who you were - that site has had a few trolls of it's own.  Here is her e-mail:

" Dang! He applied with no reason, so he was denied early this am!!
 Shoot.. Please ask him to reapply..with my sicerest apologies Teri// "


I love it that it sounds like she might learn to play!  We tried a few toys with her, but she just looked at us like we were soooo immature!  Hehe!

We got to the Dinosaur monument pretty close to closing time - about 5:15 and closing time was at 6:00, so we didn't make it to the main visitor center.  We rode in a trolley up to the dig where the dinosaurs had fallen into a sink hole, and got to look around there.  It was actually very pretty country.  I had never even heard of the place until we went there.  Another thing I would have liked to have seen that we missed out on was the prehistoric rock artwork.  We saw it on some of the postcards, etc, but not in person.  

[startx]

Hi Miss-Teri, we were so busy this weekend I just didn't have a chance to log on.

Bell is calming down on her barking, she is growing accustomed to her active and noisy household.  She and Babe have started to play some, which is fun to watch, as Bell being the younger of the two really gets a workout, while Babe mainly just keeps her running.  Bell needs lots of time with her family, we all went to the driveway yesterday to wash the van and camper, and she was having a barking jumping fit at the front door.  We setup a stake and staked her out in the front yard close to us, and she had a nice time laying in the shade, and rolling in the grass, and being close to us.  The barking stopped, except when she thought we needed to know someone was walking down the street.  I'm thinking its good she learns quickly, cause that's going to be a lot of barking in a campground.

Bell has adjusted very well to the cats, considering just two weeks ago she had them all "treed" in different locations and was running between locations barking at them like a crazy dog.  )  She's learned she doesn't rank higher than the human family members, and she can't take her toys and bury them in the back yard.  We've learned she LOVES to play ball, and loves any type of soft fuzzy chew toy with a squeaker inside.  We understand she loves the toddlers, but doesn't like them walking on her on the sofa, which is something they need to not do anyway, so we're working on it.  Bell is learning she can go out to potty without a human companion, and we will actually let her back in when she is done.

Essentially, she is a great dog, with a great capacity to learn, and we are working through any issues we find.  She's understandably going to have some issues, after all she spent 11 months at the shelter, and we aren't completely certain of her history before that.  We're just taking it a day at a time, and working on the really important stuff, and as she becomes more accustomed to the family, she is settling in.  She used to pace a lot also, in the house, she didn't want to be out, but when she was in she paced the rooms and wouldn't settle.  She's stopped that, now unless she just really wants to play with us, for the most part she has her favorite sofa spot, or her favorite recliner she hangs out in.

[Miss-Teri]

Oh, I'm so glad Bell is doing better!  I was getting worried since I hadn't heard from you, lol - I was thinking in this case no news might mean bad news!  I can't wait to see pictures of them!  I took my favorite post-adoption picture of Sabrina (the blanket one of course!) up to P&P for our board.  Everyone loved it!

[startx]

Poor Miss-Teri, you don't have to worry about Bell at all!  Things aren't rosy great yet, but we are getting there, and she's still 10x better than working through puppy issues.  We have to remember what it is like having a younger dog, after all Babe has been old and settled for a long time now.  Bell has to get settled in after being sheltered for so long, but we love her, and she loves us, and there's no way she is going anywhere.

She is such a great dog!  Sure we've had some issues, but different families have different rules and she is adapting to our family.  We have so much fun with her!  She loves to play ball, and play tug of war, and play with her toys.  We've inadvertently trained her that every time we go shopping she gets new toys.  You should see her when anyone comes in with a shopping bag!  Course if she would stop destroying the toys we bring her she wouldn't need new ones every time we go out!  

I'm going to Petsmart today to check out their line of "virtually" indestructible toys.  She LOVES anything that is soft and fuzzy with a squeaker, but she destroys them in about a day, her current record she set last night, destroying her new canvas and rope frisbee in four hours.

I hope Sabrina learns to play too, Babe never really played with toys, but we're seeing a return to puppyhood for her with Bell in the house.  She joined in a game of tug of war yesterday and seemed to really enjoy it.

[vjm1639]

I'm going to Petsmart today to check out their line of "virtually" indestructible toys. She LOVES anything that is soft and fuzzy with a squeaker, but she destroys them in about a day, her current record she set last night, destroying her new canvas and rope frisbee in four hours.
 

LOL...Our dog is the same way. He loves soft toys with squeakers...and long soft things he can swing around in a circle. I've started saving all the old squeakers (you can also by bags of them at craft stores) and tying them inside of old socks..stuffed with old socks...tied in knots here and there.   Much cheaper and takes a few more minutes to distroy any way.  he has a blast with these!

[trainrich]

Hello there,

So sorry to hear about the confusion with the shelter.  We have 3 wonderful pets and take them camping everywhere.  And, of course, they have their own beds so I know what you mean.

Let us know when you have found a new adoptive friend for life.
Warmest regards,

Richard and Alina

Hey all - I thought I'd vent here to my PUT family...
 
Well it has been two years since our beloved 14yo Husky "Sheena" has passed on, and we finally felt "ready" to bring a new doggie into our lives...  So last week we searched the shelters and found a little life that seemed to fit well with us.  We give them our information (seems like they do a better background check than my job did when I applied - these people should do anti-terrorism!) and of course everything came back good, and we can have the dog.  "We'll call you on the 1st to tell you which shelter she'll be at and you can pick her up on Friday the 4th".  So we go out and buy all new doggie stuff - leashes, toys, food, and a cool big pillow thing with pine trees, moose, and outdoor scenes that (of course) matches the inside of the PU.  This was to be her PU camping bed.  Well we get NO phone call on the 1st, which sets off my "some s**t ain't right" radar.  To make a long story short, copcargirl calls today, and they gave the dog to someone else.  I get this phone call at work today with a VERY distraught copcargirl on the other end, and of course I have 4 criminals around me while I am doing their intake paperwork, so I have to keep my happy face on.  We are SO hurt by this, we have a big trip planned June 10 - 13 and were looking forward to going camping and seeing how the doggie liked her new PU bed...  I know we'll find another dog to love, but man does this stink.

[MommaMia]

Hello there,

Let us know when you have found a new adoptive friend for life.
Warmest regards,

Richard and Alina

hehe!  My guess is you stopped reading when you saw 10 pages!

Not only has he found one but Startx did too!

[copcarguy]

Hey all!

startx:  We need an update on Bell!!  We think of you guys quite often...  Please let us know how she's doing.  
 
Well, if anyone's interested in Sabrina, we had a little scare here over the hoilday weekend...  She has been just the BEST dog ever and we love her so much.  The other night though she was acting a little weird, just not being herself.  She wouldn't sleep on her bed, instead she slept on the floor in front of the bedroom door.  She was also kinda licking herself and moving in slooooooooow motion.  In the morning she couldn't move her tail or back legs.  We rushed her to the animal hospital and they did all kinds of bloodwork and tests.  They didn't know what was the matter, but gave us some kind of medicine (I don't know what kind - I'll have to ask CCG) and she began to get better with the meds.  This afternoon the vet got the results back and poor little Sabrina has Lymes Disease.  The vet said that she must've gotten Lymes before we had her because to cause paralysis it had to be in her system for a while. We now have her on meds for that and hopefully we can treat it.  She's sleeping on her bed tonight and we got a goodnight kiss from her, so we kinda breathed a sigh of relief.  She can move almost everything except a little section of her tail.  It looks funny because she can wag the rest and then there is this part that's not in on the party.     I hope we can get rid of the Lymes 100%.  Sabrina has become a big member of the family, and it would rip my heart out if something happened to her.  Oh man, now a tear has come to my eye.  I gotta stop typing...  I'll keep everyone posted as we know stuff.  Talk to you all soon.  Rick

[angelsmom10]

I know that there is such a deep bond already by your posts about her, my thoughts and prayers are with you and Sabrina that everything will work out.

[tlhdoc]

Glad you found out was wrong with her.  I hope the antibiotics clear it up.  My sisters, sister inlaw's dog had it too.  Good luck with her.

[Miss-Teri]

Glad you found out was wrong with her.  I hope the antibiotics clear it up.  My sisters, sister inlaw's dog had it too.  Good luck with her.

Tracy, Did her dog do okay?  I'm so worried about Sabrina.  We've never had a dog with Lyme Disease (that I know of).  I'm hoping at her young age that she couldn't have had it too terribly long and it will clear up soon.

Copcarguy, check http://groups.msn.com/PuppyluvsPawPrints/welcometop3.msnw .  I posted Sabrina's update, and I'm hoping someone else might have some experience with it.  

Give Sabrina a hug for me!

And I'm looking forward to hearing about Bell's first camping trip too!

[vjm1639]

I'm hoping someone else might have some experience with it.
 

We ran into an older couple a while back camping and they had their little Cairn Terrier with them.  The dog was 10 years old and was just getting over a long bout with Lyme's Disease. They pretty much found her totally paralyzed one morning and took her to the vet.  They said she still got tired a little quicker than she use to (but she was 10...) but that she was doing wonderfully.  
 
Here's an article I found on the internet that says 90% of dogs treated within a week of the obvious signs..which are the limping and paralysis..respond well to treatment.   Hopefully, this is good news!  We're all praying for Sabrina!!!
 http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/lyme.html

[tlhdoc]

Tracy, Did her dog do okay?  I'm so worried about Sabrina.  We've never had a dog with Lyme Disease (that I know of).  I'm hoping at her young age that she couldn't have had it too terribly long and it will clear up soon.

Yes he is doing well, he is almost 9 years old.

[angelsmom10]

Just checking in to see how Sabrina is doing...