So many updates to do and also pics to post. The next while is going to be very busy as I update everyone’s blog. KB/JB is loving his heater(we ended up returning the first one that we bought and bought another one and then two others to have on hand) and the Kuranda Bed that was donated for Lil Linus has become KB/JB’s favourite spot to be. Not sure why this Kuranda bed over the other two(the only thing different is the colour of vinyl) and maybe KB/JB likes BLUE better than the dark burgundy! 😛 Lil Linus on the other hand prefers one of the Burgundy Kuranda beds and so, I guess everyone is happy!!! Yet, what I think I will do is put on our special request wish list; another Kuranda bed for the dogs in our BHRR programs. Additionally; KB/JB is really stiffening up in this cold and the oesteoarthritis is only part of his problem that I strongly suspect at this time with that one leg. I am bringing him in shortly after the New Year for another exam plus check-up on him and I am a wee bit worried about what we might find in that one leg. 🙁 He is almost 6.5 years now(the best that we can guessestimate based upon teeth and calcification in his lungs from X-Rays taken shortly after his arrival 4 years ago) and the rest of his body, other than his still as of yet not diagnosed ‘neuro’ shaking is just in the best shape. I am just not convinced that what we are seeing is just ‘signs’ of him aging and from past injuries before he came to our program. I absolutely believe that aging is very much part of what is happening but I believe there is more to it and I think it is time for more tissue biopsies, X-Rays, bw etc. to be done. I know that I have said this before but as much as I love KB/JB and him me; he and Sean are like ‘one’ and having lost my own heart dog of Frost ‘T’, almost 2 years ago; I do not wish to see Sean lose KB/JB anytime soon. KB/JB is such a beautiful boy with a fantastic spirit and he has been through so much in his life that all I want to do is scoop him up and protect him from anything painful or harmful. Please keep him and Sean in your thoughts.
Month: December 2008
It has been a very busy week with bringing the animals into work with me for weights, annuals, tests etc.! Hamilton came into work with me today and now weighs 56.6 KGs(124.52 pounds) and he did really well. It is not his favourite place in the world AT all. He had no submissive pee incidents and was happy to take treats from everyone that he could! He is so very different there than at home and I know that some find it hard to believe that he is a TRUE monkey here at times with his play antics with the youngsters! Hamilton is in the group of the many dogs out there in the world that just does not like going to a Vet Hospital. I keep telling him that I won’t allow any person that I work with there bite him….YET I do not think he believes me! 😛 I had brought Soul in with me for his Pheno levels plus Albumin test so the two of them were able to hang out together AS Soul is not fond of the Vet Hospital either. The Vet thinks he is in great condition yet also agrees with me that a few more pounds could not hurt him but he is looking really good! Being on the lighter side is also very beneficial to his weak hind end. Below are two pics of him from XMAS 2008! I am beginning to think I need a drool bib for him as his hair is becoming quite stained under his chin. 😉
We love Danes
HI,
My name is Katie and my husbands name is Marcus. We are both originally from the kemptville area, now residing in Oxford Station. We own a local business in Kemptville called Cheeky Monkeys Playhouse. I work there full time and my husband works for community living in Kemptville.
Marcus and I both come from families familiar with growing up with Danes. At one time my parents had four rescued danes all living with us….what a fight for the couch that was.
We are looking at adopting a dane in the new year/spring and would love if you would keep us in mind. We will continue to check your site out……we just found out about you today. As a woman who owns a dane told us about you, and you are right around the corner from us. What a small world.
We are expecting a baby in Feb. but once things settle down we would love to adopt another dog……and a Dane it will be this time. We currently have a terrier mix…..rescued from the brockville aspca. Mr. Shiggles is eager to have a new friend.
We love what you have committed to doing and would love to visit?
Katie Dickie
BHRR is great!
Hi, just wanted to let you know that your website is ADDICTIVE, and I often find myself searching for new updates on all your pups! I commend your inexhaustible spirit and positive outlook, as well as your never-ending commitment to all the little souls you save!
My fiancee and I are dying to submit an application, as our 1 year old boxer/lab needs a sibling because he is very social and adores super-sized breeds… instant best friends! However, due to the pending wedding, we are waiting to apply until fall 2009. Sigh! You will be hearing from us eventually, as we are committed dog-lovers and think your work is incredible…
In the meantime, I will just have to get my “fix” by watching all your amazing rescues become happy and healthy!
I must send out a most sincere and huge thanks to EVERYONE that sent us emails and called us with suggestions about where to find a great heater for KB/JB and what type of heater to look out for! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Sean purchased a heater today for KB/JB and he shall be nice and roasty during the times that we cannot have a fire roading in the rec room fireplace.
I measured Porridge tonight after doing his manicure and pedicure and he is now 35″ at the whithers at almost 8.5 months of age. He is growing just as I felt he would; very tall! He is in a total ‘goober’ idiot stage right now and having Dana in her own training phase most certainly has made for interesting times here! 😛
At the age of almost 6.5 years; KB/JB is starting to show some major signs of osteoarthritis in his right front shoulder(this is the same leg that he had a lick granuloma that was down to the bone and that we have struggled for years to re-train him from his OCD in licking at it, especially when stressed like when he had his 2 obstruction surgeries) and he loves our Recreation Room. However; this room used to be the old owner’s garage that they ‘took’ out and made into a work shop and the area that was the garage door; they put in a mini greenhouse(yet it was not done properly and the window seals are poor etc.) and while we have re-painted plus furnished the room with couches etc., it is still quite cold in the winter. We do not leave the woodstove down their burning while we are out and that makes the room that much colder. What we would like to do is purchase a small floor heater for KB/JB to help him. This is the room that he likes to go to when we have our mini-open houses for BHRR as he cannot get too excited(as this is a form of stress) for he is at a high risk of bloating. If anyone knows of where would be a great place to obtain a small floor heater at a reasonable cost; please do contact Gwen Ideally, we would love to obtain two yet even to get one for him at this time, would be extremely beneficial!
Our 2008 Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services(BHRR) Online Auction that started on Saturday November 22nd will run through until Thursday December 4th @ 9:00 PM EST. Please consider particpating. BHRR’s Dana is going to need a lot of Vetting and Rehab. to get her heathy and up on her feet. She is such a sweet and loving Great Dane! To learn more such as bidding rules, items up for grabs PLUS to begin bidding; please click on the below link:
On behalf of everyone at BHRR and especially all the animals in need of our BHRR Programs including our newest addition of BHRR’s Dana; THANK YOU for your consideration in participating. Additionally, if anyone has any items they would like to donate to support this worthy cause; please email Gwen
Our 2008 Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services(BHRR) Online Auction started on Saturday November 22nd @ 7:00 AM EST and shall run through until Thursday December 4th @ 9:00 PM EST.
To learn more such as bidding rules, items up for grabs PLUS to begin bidding; please click on the below link:
On behalf of everyone at BHRR and especially all the animals in need of our BHRR Programs; THANK YOU for your consideration in participating. Additionally, if anyone has any items they would like to donate to support this worthy cause; please email Gwen
***NEW ITEM #52 ADDED AS OF DECEMBER 2ND!***
Dana is doing awesome! One spot on her tail continues to re-open and we are working on that but the other areas are healing well. Her HWT and Fecal came back negative and I just have to get a new weight on her for even in less than one week; she is looking so great! I have had to loosen her collar yet again and that is a huge YAY! I ended up not washing her today at all due to a couple of other emergencies and so, she is ‘spared’ until Thursday! LOL Even though she is still quite smelly, her coat already has a lot more shine to it and this is going to be one gorgeous gal once she is healthy! She measured just over 29″ at the whithers and when she is done growing she is going to have both height and weight behind her. AND even though she will be a sizeable gal; she is very feminine. She is like a baby deer testing our those gangly legs as she attempts to run and through all the clumsiness; she is ultra girly while she is doing it! Sean and I were commenting last night that already she is ‘lifting’ up off her flat feet and though she is still quite eastie westie; even her knees look better(one is better than the other). She has not had another ‘moment’ with food/treats or people and we continue to work with her so that she develops in the right direction. I have some more pictures to upload yet they will have to wait until another day but I will get them up! I also wish to report that Dana has a new talent….SNORING! OMG! OMG! She can put Lil Linus and Guinness to shame on that front(SHHHH! Do not tell her that she snores for she loves her ‘femininity’)! She continues to bond more and more with Soul and now she has added Tain to her small circle of learning how to ‘play’…or rather, Tain ensured that he was included in her little circle! LOL The pouting and carrying on he has done trying to get and keep her attention has been a absolute hoot to watch! Dana LOVES LOVES LOVES kids and we really monitor things to ensure that she does not try to resource over them. She has really taken to our daughter the most. Her jumping, though still there; is better and she no longer attempts to grab any food object in sight yet this is a behavour that we will be working on for quite some time. I hope to bring her back next week to have those ears and tail looked at more closely, obtain a new weight and I will also be microchipping her soon. Once she is healthy enough; we shall give her her rabies and she will be spayed. She is still very ‘strong’ in her play mouthing and I continue to bear the bruises of her signs of affection and attempts to play with me. “Gentle” is a common work in our training and she will ‘get’ there. She is very intelligent!!! In all the years that I have rescued and have owned dogs and Danes in particular; I have never encountered a Dane that has loved and been so affectionate to people like Dana has, especially a female GD. My own sweet GD Maggi would put most GDs to shame, especially the males with her affectionate manner yet Dana; is riding a close second; if not first on that front. She has picked up the words ‘come cuddle’ really fast and talk about recalling when you say those words! LOL She has known her name for quite a few days now and has taken to exploring the yard further and further along the fence line. She is not hand shy and does not flinch over sudden movements etc. In fact, she was even quite taken with our vacuum cleaner…..Every time, I write in Dana’s blog; I feel like I can write more and more of a ‘Gwennie’ Novel each time! 😛 THIS is one incredible gal and it truly does fill me with very strong emotions over her treatment before she was picked up on that rural road in that terrible cold snap we had awhile back. I have promised her as I do with every one of these precious animals that cross our doors; that they shall never want for comfort and security again.
New pic of BHRR’s Shiva added; #11. She is doing well, goober gal all the way right now! She has just been awesome with BHRR’s Dana and in fact, I think Shiva has her nose a wee bit out of joint as Dana is the ‘new gal’ on the block and getting lots of attention from the ‘boyz.’ 😛 Sean and I had to ‘look’ at their collars sometimes when Dana first arrived for they both are very pretty black GD’s and we are so used to calling out ‘Shiva’ when we see a ‘black blur of fur’! Yet, they have different ‘shades’ of black coats and Shiva also has less white AND once you get to know them, while very similar, they are their own very unique personalities of FUN! There truly has not been a dog that Shiva has not loved and she has been a real pleasure and a riot to have around! Her obedience just continues to develop/become stronger and there is never a dull moment with this sweet GD. Whether she is lying still or playing with her friends; her personality just radiates from her.
New pic of Hamilton the Newf…….
I am moving Mazda under a PENDING ADOPTION at this time and we will not be answering any more inquiries or accepting applications for her at the moment. *When* or *if* she is adopted in 2009 or if it is determined that this is not the right matched home for her; I shall update her site. I also have some new pictures to post of her. Thanks to everyone in rooting for Mazda and wishing that her forever loving home would come along and keep her in your thoughts that we could be one step closer to finding that best match for her! In the meantime, she is going to go back to one of my Client’s homes this weekend for another playdate time and I know she is going to LOVE it!