Showing posts with label Thankful Thursday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thankful Thursday. Show all posts

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Enjoying the Shade


The weather has been crazy lately. Every time we get some wonderfully cool fall weather then the temps jump back up into the 80's or it rains. A very strange fall indeed. Mom caught this picture when I was enjoying one of the fall days hanging out in the shade. When the weather cools off I like spending more time in the backyard. Annie and I will patrol the yard for intruders and then we settle down for a nice relaxing rest.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Thankful Thursday: Homeschool Participation


We've always been a fan of hearing stories. We've eagerly listened to Mom's audio books for years. However, since September we've been listening to Mom read aloud and listen to kids reading to her through Skype as Mom is helping a family member with homeschooling. We are finding the experience really interesting.

Our first job every morning is to make sure Mom isn't late for school. We accomplish this by poking and barking to make sure she gets downstairs and gets us outside so we can settle down to listen. We then settle into our favorite comfy places to listen.

We won't lie there have been some scary moments. The youngest one is having Mary Pope Osborne's two volume Odyssey read to him and we echoed him when he complained it's going to take forever for this guy to make it home after all there are two books. Smart kid it just means there are lots more scary monsters coming. Katy and I will be snuggling close during those readings.

We love the poetry recitations. The older one has been reading Magic Tree House series to us so we've visited Dinosaurs, Knights and now Mummies. Next week we are off to learn about Ninjas. We are reaching the point we can actually solve some of the Encyclopedia Brown stories before Mom reads the answers. Sadly she doesn't seem to understand that our barks are our attempts to tell her the solutions. We know who did it Mom.

We are thankful for our education and this time, even by distance with the little sheep. We do so enjoy reading time.

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Bunnnies Stayed in Front Yard


Mom is grateful these bunnies stayed in front yard where we aren't allowed as it isn't fenced. Therefore she doesn't have to worry about the safety of the bunnies.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Dad Keeps Filling in my Hole



I am thankful that while Dog Dad isn't thrilled about the hole he appreciates the fact I keep it to one spot and understands I need to cool down on a hot day. So he keeps filling in my hole so I can keep digging it out to find the cool dirt underneath. It's a good system. He gets to pretend he's solving the hole problem and I get a fresh supply of cool dirt.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Garter Snakes are Afraid of Dogs


Mom is terrified of snakes. Don't try telling her garter snakes are harmless, good for the environment, it doesn't help. She will tell you breathing is healthy and she finds it hard to do when she she's a snake. She can manage her fears when they are behind glass or caged in some way but when they are free or someone is holding one all bets are off.

Thankfully, for Mom garter snakes don't like being herded and will generally flee when a Sheltie starts to investigate. This one dived for cover when I, Katy, went to rescue Mom. Of course now Mom is once again paranoid about snakes living under the porch, but at least it isn't sun bathing by the bottom of the stairs. I can only do so much. Not that this makes the Mom feel better, but this is one of the bigger snakes we've seen in the last few years.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Shade


There was a considerable amount of storm damage to trees this year, so I am particularly grateful we still have shade trees in the back yard because I like to go out to the end of the yard, dig a little fresh cool dirt and enjoy a peaceful afternoon observation post. You really can supervise everything right from this spot. Dog Dad refills my hole so I can keep redigging the dirt when I need something cool and refreshing on a warm day.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Robin Hood's Faire

We have been writing about our visit to the Robin's Hood Faire all week. However, we were truly thankful for the shady restful lunch tent. Sometimes you just need a little down time to rest and relax.

I found this great view under the lunch tent.  I had a great view and the benefit of the shade the tent provided.
Katy and I needed a rest.  We got lots of attention at the Faire.  It was cold in the morning and while people normally can't resist petting us,  we became convenient hand warmers.  People openly admitted to wanting to pet us to warm their hands.  When the day warmed up people still wanted to pet us, but it wasn't as great.
We were exhausted when we got home and badly needed a nap.  We are truly thankful for such a wonderful adventure.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Sunny Days



We are always thankful when the days aren't rainy and we can enjoy the sun in our yard. We love sun bathing year round, you've seen us sitting in snow banks. However, as the weather gets warm and humid Mom limits our time so we are making the most of our non-rainy days to enjoy the sunshine.

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Happy Birthday Annie!



Today we celebrate Annie's 4th birthday with shock and amazement. It is hard to believe our little girl is already four.


We wish you many more days of joy and happiness our sweet girl.



Thursday, April 12, 2018

Paws in the Park 2018


Save a Dog in Sudbury is once again sponsoring one of our favorite yearly events, Paws in the Park at the historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts on Sunday May 6 from 10-3. Come join other walkers for a one mile walk around the beautiful area and then you can enjoy what we do, shop. There are always wonderful vendors and we love getting treats. It is a family friendly event so bring the kids along with us fur babies. Admission is $10 for adults. $5 for children, and free for kids under 5. More information available here.


Many local shelters and rescues also have booths at the event so come and learn more about the local rescue movement in the area. If your interested in adoption or volunteering, this is a great place to start meeting people involved in the local rescue community.


This was Bailey and I several years ago resting at the Grist Mill.


This was Annie last year. For some reason Mom and Dad can never understand we don't like drinking water out of any bowls but our own at home, despite how warm we are or how thirsty we might be we rarely drink away from home.


Dog Dad took Annie through the agility course they had. She did really well, but Mom had trouble getting pictures as it moved pretty quickly.

I know many of you who visit our aren't local, but I encourage all of us to share pet friendly events as it may encourage other areas to try someting new.


Thursday, March 15, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Our Snow Race Track



Dog Dad is amazing. No matter how awful the snow storm he always cleans out our race track so we have a place to potty and play. On this thankful Thursday, we are thankful for Dog Dad and our race track. Long after the snow has stopped we have our wonderful track to chase and play and yes do our necessary business outdoors until we it melts enough to venture out on to the frozen tundra.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Thankful Thursday: Sharing Space


We enjoyed watching the Olympics with Mom and Dad. We spent a good deal of time cuddling and propping each other up as we slept watched the events.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Thankful Thursday


Today we are thankful for air conditioning and snuggling. We love to snuggle, but with the warm temps it is too hot to snuggle without air conditioning.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thankful Thursday


We wanted to post this on Thanksgiving, but it got too busy to get it done. It has been a very busy year for us at Sheltie Times and we have much to be thankful for here.


We are truly thankful for the time we had with Bailey. It was so very painful to lose him, but we were blessed with more time than anyone predicted we'd have.

Katy was truly a blessing to Bailey as a life companion, but even more so until the very end. She was so encouraging and loving to him when he was sick. I truly believe her love and encouragement was a big part of why he stayed with us so long.

We are so very thankful to the breeders who helped us in our time of grief to find Annie. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family.


We are so grateful that Katy has finally started to move beyond her grief. Annie has truly helped her move beyond her grieving process and Katy has provided help for Annie as well. We could not have asked for a better match.

Finally we are so very thankful for all our Blogville friends who are always so supportive and helpful. We are not as active as many, but we are always here in our heats.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Happy 13th Birthday Bailey


This is a post I was never sure I was going to get to make. Last fall we struggled with the possibility that Bailey might have Lymphoma and the prognosis was not good. We did not expect him to see Halloween, let alone celebrate his birthday.

His Vet currently thinks his diagnosis might have been a false positive. He's regained the weight he lost and shown no additional signs of Lymphoma. That being said he has started to struggle with his food again. There could be a thousand reasons, but we ask for all your prayers as we celebrate his big day.

I truly can't believe it has been almost 13 years since we picked up this bundle of joy from his foster Mom. He was such a bundle of energy, there was not a piece of paper safe in the house. Even from his crate he could find ways to pull paper into his crate to shred. Even today, we don't leave the house unless his access to trash is restricted. That boy has a paper habit that while dulled with age, can still stir at any time. Although, with all fairness, Katy seems to be responsible for much of that destruction today.

Happy Birthday, Bailey. It was truly a blessed day when we found you at New England Sheltie and brought you home. You have changed our lives in so many wonderful ways. Enjoy your birthday treats and bones before Katy steals them all.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Thankful Thursday: It's Getting Close


We have much to be thankful for today.

First we won Oz's Petsmart Contest found here and have a $25 gift card to spend on goodies. The big brown truck showed up yesterday to deliver our prize. Sadly, we only heard the bell and didn't get our cookie from the driver.

Second, as you can see our first card wreath is full and the second one is starting to fill up as well. Mom has had a few entries, but as you could expect most of them are our friends.

Third, Bailey is supposed to be going in for a weigh in on Saturday and we hope to get good news that his weight has gone up with his new diet. His face looks fuller and his body feels less bony, but that's all subjective. We hope to have some data that what we believe is good news is real.

Lastly, it's hard to believe, but a week from tonight our family will gather together and have our big Christmas Eve celebration at our house. We are looking forward to seeing Dog's Dad's parents who we only see once a year now, as well as Grandma who will be traveling from PA and lots and lots of local relatives. Mom and Dad still have lots to do to get ready, but we can't wait to see everyone.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Thankful Thursday: Christmas Prep Continues


Mom is making progress on getting ready for Christmas. Dog Dad picked up our Christmas cards last night and Mom worked on addressing them until she ran out of stamps. Not giving anything away, but Dog Dad says this is the best card ever because of Katy. As for the lack of stamps, never fear, Dog Dad picked up today when he mailed the huge stack Mom finished yesterday.


Dog Dad suggested making use of the flower boxes on our deck, so they went out searching for something to put in them last night. We are hoping the birds will discourage the squirrels.



Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thankful Thursday: Bailey's Vet Visit


Bailey went to the Vet on Tuesday to have a check up and see where things are at with his Lymphoma. You see according to his diagnosis he wasn't supposed to be here much past the beginning of Oct. Halloween came and went and he is still chasing Katy around and eating all his meals. He looks like a skeleton, but a pretty healthy one by all accounts. So, we decided it was time to talk to his vet and see what else we could do to make him comfortable.

She quite frankly is shocked. Our Vet is not someone who tends to get excited and exaggerate, but she used the word miracle. She doesn't want to give us false hope, but he is not progressing in the way you'd expect a dog with Lymphoma, not getting chemo, to progress. That doesn't mean the signs won't come, but everything says they should be here now. Seeing him doing this well is a miracle. While he's lost muscle weight, he still is the weight at which he was diagnosed. She was stunned to find him still playing, eating, having regular stool, and frankly living his life to the fullest. She isn't sure what to make of it, but she did suggest we focus on trying to put some weight on without risking him starting to vomit. Vomiting would be a very bad sign. So we increased his beef and rice and he's getting between meals vet recommended kibble, which so far he's been able to keep down and he hasn't turned his nose up after one meal, which was a previous problem.

She debated reducing his steroids, but at this point she didn't want to ruin what is working. He's already on a reduced dosage from his original plan.

Each extra day has been a miracle. Bailey loves Halloween and we thought that would be our Blessing, getting to watch him greet the kids one last time. However, he's continuing to fight. We don't know how long this miracle will last, but there is a good chance with Thanksgiving so close that Bailey will get in his favorite tradition of watching the football games on the couch and getting lots of attention from extended family. Being even more optimistic we booked a visit with Santa for a dog charity fundraiser for December 5th and included Bailey on the list for the photographer. There will be no issue changing to Katy, so it seemed a safe risk.

The Vet gave us credit, but honestly I credit Katy. She has evolved so much since Bailey got sick. She has always been close to him, but now she takes so much more responsibility for their relationship. She will curl up and rest with him when he is really tired. However, she will poke and prod him until he plays with her when she thinks he's just being a cranky old guy. She'll steal his bones or a toy, knowing he can't resist stealing them back and thus keeps him interested in life. She finds things to explore outside and insists he will help. If anyone has provided Bailey with the will to live and to fight Katy has been at the heart of it all. She is not going to let him go without a fight.

We thank all of you for your prayers and good wishes. We certainly have benefited from them. We ask that you continue them as we would love to keep Bailey with us through Christmas and as long after that as God is willing. We are making the most of each day and perhaps that is the blessing in all of this.

Join the hop here.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Thankful Thursday: In Defense of Dog Foster Volunteers



There are lots of heart breaking stories about pets needing homes on the Internet today. I think for the most part they are written to generate attention for the cause of pet adoption. It also doesn't hurt the websites that they generate clicks and thus, more advertising. The problem for me is when they get it wrong.

I was recently clicking Yahoo news stories and came across what appeared to be a standard pet abandonment story. The picture and the headline Dog Cries Out She Realize Her Family Is Gone Again caught my attention and I clicked.

The problem I had with the story is the writer clearly wanted to write a story that would inspire adoption and help people understand the needs of the animals, but missed the boat and instead completely lost the opportunity to explain to people why fostering is important for shelter animals. He left the impression that fostering in fact breaks the spirit and heart of a dog because the dog often can't stay in one foster home for the entire time it takes to be adopted. Of course no where does he mention the issues staying in the shelter crated might create. In fact he never describes the alternatives to foster care. It is as if these dogs have better choices that fostering is preventing. He merely mentions that the foster failed because the foster family lived in a high rise and the dog couldn't adapt to using an elevator. Of course, he does gloss over the behavior problems the dog had that also made this particular foster family and home not a good match for the dog. He fails to balance the story by explaining any of the benefits of fostering or the risk of warehousing dogs in shelters.

Reading the comments that followed the article you clearly understood he missed the boat on teaching people about the benefits of fostering dogs. After reading the article many still didn't understand the difference between fostering and adoption. In fairness to the readers, it wasn't well laid out in the article. While describing how heart broken the dog was when her foster family left, no where is the balance about how much the dog benefited by not living in a crate for several months with limited human contact helping her stay healthy and perhaps working on those all important social skills that prevent so many dogs from long term adoptions. In reading the comments it is also clear as I stated that he clearly leaves the impression that fostering is preventing dogs from being taken into permanent homes as if homes are waiting and foster parents are selfishly preventing these dogs from going to those homes. If you've ever worked or even talked with people who work with shelters this clearly isn't the problem. In fact fosters often help dogs to work through some of the challenges that prevent them from being adoptable. It clearly doesn't work in all cases, but the less work a dog is to take on, the easier it is to find a forever home. A dog who is in a home with someone who is walking it on a leash, teaching it not to eat the furniture, how to play with other dogs, not eat the family, etc. does become a more adoptable animal than one who has unknown qualities because it only has been walked at the shelter and never spends time in family situations.

I have many times written on this blog to thank the two foster Mom's who took in Bailey and Katy. How many people can say they got a puppy who was fully housebroken? Bailey's owners had abandoned him because they bought him and then couldn't deal with a human baby and well another furry baby who also needed help learning the basics. Bailey's foster Mom was amazing. She got him fully prepared for his new home so he had the best possible chance of a good start in his forever home. Bailey did have trouble believing he wasn't going to be abandoned when he left foster care. However, I'd have to wonder if he'd have been even more traumatized with emotional and behavioral issues had he been in traditional shelter care. Not that people aren't caring there, they do the best they can. Shelties are just very sensitive dogs. Just finding appropriate boarding care for these two can be a challenge because they hate being separated. Try finding a double room at your local kennel. However, Bailey's foster Mom had raised Shelties for years. She understood not just dogs, but his breed and was able to help him adjust and thrive. I cannot thank her enough for the time and money she spent making sure he would have a good life.

We don't know as much about Katy's back story, but I am equally thankful she was in foster care, too. It was clear that she hadn't had much experience with positive human interaction and even simple things like stairs seemed to be new to her. Her foster Mom gave her the chance to be with other dogs in a home situation. Her first experience post surrender was a positive one and it helped her to trust. I know she was scared to leave and she didn't want to leave her foster dog family. However, I think that bond helped her with bonding with Bailey when she arrived here.

Another benefit to good foster parents is the valuable information they can provide from having lived with the dogs. We are currently starting the process to add a third dog to our family using the same rescue that brought us Bailey and Katy. Already, we know of two dogs we won't be getting because based on their knowledge of the dogs they are fostering and the information we provided those two beautiful dogs wouldn't be a great match. As frustrating as it is to wait, I am grateful that they are working to provide both the dogs and us with the best forever match possible. That is only possible because of the amazing work of these foster parents who sacrifice their time and yes money to take care of these beautiful animals. It is truly a gift of time, talent, and treasure to rescue and foster.

While traditional shelters do their best, most have limited information regarding how the dog will be in a home situation, what behavioral modifications are going to be required to adjust to home life, what adaptions the house might need to make it a better working situation, correct challenging behaviors, etc. With all fairness, they have no way of observing those kinds of situations. However, if you live with a dog, looking for what kind of environment the dog does best in, you can provide information to make the adoption process work better. There are no guarantees of course, but information at least helps people make the best decisions possible for a new home. When you have a foster parent that observes a dogs behavior with other dogs, other animals, children, etc. that is likely more reliable than someone who surrenders the dog and says there was nothing wrong we just have to move. Some behaviors can be worked modified to make the dog a better fit.

For instance a dog who has been allowed to jump up on people can be broken of that behavior and thus be more adoptable given the right foster home. A puppy like Bailey is house broken and becomes the most amazing puppy in the world. As I said I'm the only person I've ever known who got a puppy that was potty trained. However, an honest assessment about behaviors that are likely not going to change is also valuable. A dog that is good with cats gives it more options. It is hard to know if the dog hasn't been with cats and you don't want to eliminate homes, but you also don't want a bad adoption because the dog is trying to kill the cat. If it can't be trained to live with cats better to know that than to have to guess.

I have the greatest respect for those who can foster. I know in my heart I can't separate myself from the dogs I bring into my home. I also know the two I have, would have major separation anxiety if we took a dog in, spent time with it, and it suddenly disappeared to a new home. It takes great courage and strength to bring in a dog in need, care for it, and just as it is starting to do well, send it on to someone else. I can only say thank you to the two women who did that for my dogs. I only hope they both realize the gifts they have given me and so many others by bringing these dogs into their homes and helping them to get ready for new ones.

Join the hop here.