Month: August 2009

S. Irvine

Hey Gwen,

It’s Samantha here, My aunt and i have been looking at your website for the past couple of days, and we would like to help you get some donations towards your rescue. My aunt has always wanted her own rescue to help large animals, and when she saw yours, she was really interested in helping. I would like to talk to you in person more about this, to maybe set something up.

Hopefully we can work something out to help you. We both respect what you do so much, it is so nice to have people like you around. And we are willing to do whatever we can to help you! I hope to hear from you soon. You rock πŸ™‚

Take care,
Samantha

After talking to one of my Vets, we have decided to hold off on any Pheno/med treatment at this time. We do not wish to be jumpstarting on medication any sooner than we might have too. I shall bring in some bw though when I am back at the Hospital to see what/if anything might be possibly going on and Porridge, while a little more quiet than normal; has been doing fine.

I was just saying to myself as I went to bed in the wee hours of this AM that Porridge is now 18 months and doing quite well and sigh….I spoke too soon. At 5:40 AM today; he had a seizure. Did not last long yet it was ‘strong’ enough and πŸ˜₯ . I will discuss with my Vets later this AM for I am bringing in Banzai within the next 1.5 hours for his own procedures. The poor thing. He was so scared plus disoriented afterwards and though he did not lose control of his bowels; post-seizure; he spent a few minutes just going around in circles and I had to take his collar and try to re-focus him. Then, just like Soul does, he blindly just wants to get outside yet that is not safe for him.

We have not heard anything back from our posted ads in several papers on BHRR’s Banzai either. We have put up posters, contacted all local animals shelters, HS, SPCA’s, By-Law etc. to no avail. He has now been at BHRR since August 15th, 2009. We continue to move forward on his medical care and we have had to push up his neuter/x-rays etc. and it now shall be tomorrow instead of September 2nd. Depending where the other testicle is found(under the skin or in the abdominal area etc.) and what it ‘looks’ like; we might have to send away for a histo report. The same applies for the one that he does have descended at this time. We also wish to take several X-Rays.

As it is almost 2:45 AM, I was thinking of falling into bed for a few yet then, I decided to give the doggies a treat before bed and now I JUST had to post this update on BHRR’s Potter. Potter has been with us for a month and slowly yet surely, I have been gaining not just his trust but I have finally been earning some of Potters’ respect. You truly have to prove yourself to Potter as being worthy and this is not done by force or punishment. It is done with patience, time, consistency, love, training and more time and more patience and more training and more consistency and more love. Potter has mastered many hand signal commands such as ‘come’, ‘lie down’, ‘move over’, ‘off’, ‘good’, ‘no’, ‘gentle’ etc. yet he has refused to ‘sit’ and even to acknowledge the name of ‘Potter’. However; just awhile ago; Potter ‘sat’ without any hesitation! THAT is huge! I could also tell by his face and his eyes, that he did not want a ‘big’ deal made but I still patted him, praised him, showed such happy body language yet held off on the giant squeezing hug plus kiss. πŸ˜‰ He also earned that treat! NOW, on to the name thing. GOOD boy Potter! He truly is such a neat boy!

BHRR’s Banzai picked up a new best bud on Sunday! BHRR’s Porridge! Those two went a romping in the fenced in yard and had a blast! YAY! YAY! I still have not integrated him with Bronson for it is ‘clear’ that Banzai does not like him. Is it a cropped ear thing? Perhaps, yet more likely that Bronson is a 2+ year old intact male himself. As Tain is with his Handler right now; we do not know about Banzai’s reaction to him. Banzai has done really well settling in and within the next day or so, I think we can tackle those nails and a bath.

BHRR’s Parker is having a very special person come meet him at the Hospital tomorrow plus to ‘take’ him for a special romp! The person that was his savior in picking him up and saving his life. I cannot wait for her to see him again. She has also promised to NOT steal him away tomorrow night! LOL Additionally, I am going to post three new pictures in his slideshow #72-74 and I am going to post two of them here to show his body condition plus feet just 3+ months after he arrived to our BHRR program back in May of 2009.

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BHRR’s Mr. Parker Paws – August 20th, 2009 *body condition plus feet just 3+ months after coming to BHRR

We are just so appreciative of all those stepping forward to assist us at BHRR with extra playdates, daytrips and playdays! I would love to see BHRR’s Abbi, Lil Linus, Parker, Potter and Mazda get in some more over the next while. For this upcoming week; I am looking at Wedneday August 26th(4-8 PM), Thursday August 27th(4-8 PM) or even Sunday August 30th(noon onward). For the following week; I am looking at Tuesday September 1st(4 – 8 PM) at this time. Will post more dates as I can. Please do email mail Gwen if you might be interested. On behalf of all of the animals here; thank you so much for your continued support.

BHRR’s Shiva had a great playday with two of our wonderful BHRR Volunteers! I was jealous knowing that I was working at the Hospital and she was out having a blast! πŸ˜› She only barked twice the whole day. Once in my ear on the drive in for she was just so excited and had to ‘share’ that excitement with me. πŸ™„ The other time was when she was with her human friends. She even rode in their elevator and walked in as if she had done it everyday of her life. Shiva continues to be that all around bomb proof dog and I was so proud of her. She sat when it was time to put on her leash, she had impreccable leash manners, was very gentle about taking treats and greeted everyone with her ladylike charm. I was told that the only time that she really did wag her tail was when she saw me again and that makes my heart so warm that she did ‘miss’ me some. Her human friends uplodated 38 photos from her playday with them onto our BHRR’s Facebook Group. I do wish to upload this one picture of her! DOESN’T she look just positively FANTASTIC! I have also added this one plus two others in her slideshow. There were many people that met her at the Hospital yesterday that really fell in love with her gorgeous baby brown expressive eyes. BHRR’s Shiva weighed 38.6 KGs(84.92 pounds) and is looking sooooo good! Shiva turned 2 years old on June 10th, 2009. Slides #22-24 have now been added. We continue to wait patiently for her forever loving adoptive home to come along.

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BHRR’s Shiva – August 22nd, 2009 *picture courtesy of D. Ferguson & A. Bennett

COURTESY POSTING ONLY!!! COURTESY POSTING ONLY!!! Please contact Lisa @ the QHS!

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Walter (aka Jack) 3 yo Neutered Akbash
Lived on a farm…slept with the sheep and guarded them.
Friendly, good with other dogs, never been around cats.
Not housetrained (but never messed in kennel.) Good on
leash, but does pull somewhat. Timid, scared and depressed
at shelter, not eating. Goes in play yard with a female GSD.
A good dog who needs to get ‘back on the farm’.
Surrendered due to marital split and financial problems.

Lisa McConnell
Head Kennel Attendant
Quinte Humane Society
613-968-4673
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ON48.html

I am moving BHRR’s Mazda back to ‘available’ for I think we are ‘over’ the worst of things and she is moving forward slowly. I would like to see her have some more playdates plus daytrips and we also have 5 new Volunteer Applications under review and that shall greatly benefit the BHRR animals!

BHRR’s Shiva is going on a day long playtrip tomorrow! YAY! I am so excited for her…and for the ‘humans’ too! πŸ˜‰ She might not want to come home after being spoiled so rotten! πŸ˜› She has a manicure/pedicure last night and tonight I shall give her the ‘spa’ bath!

BHRR’s Banzai HWT came back negative plus his bw is normal…phewwww! I shall be bringing in a fecal sample to also test. He is now on Sentinel and is being de-wormed per our protocol.

I was surprised to not have received any of BHRR’s Banzai’s bw results back yesterday, so definitely by today. Right now, I have scheduled his Neuter plus X-Rays etc. for Wednesday September 2nd, 2009. I have also been in touch with LAWS, the Brockville OSPCA, Belleville, the OHS just to name a few to determine if a ‘lost’ report had been filed on him, with no luck. As mentioned to all of the law officials, we are moving forward with medical treatment and that a lot of ‘tough’ questions would need to be answered should we find his original owner as we have been documenting everything and will not just hand him over lightly. At the same time, we are showing more than the due diligence of many groups or organizations to attempt to locate ‘any’ previous owner that could be truly missing their Great Dane. Last night, when I came home from work; Banzai was so excited to see me and he tail was just a thumping and he likes to put his head in the air and ‘woo’! LOL He began to actually want to play with me last night too. He just just loves the females here and he went to try and play with Shiva the Diva yesterday and she wanted nothing to do with him! I think she prefers those boyz that are hard to catch!Β  πŸ˜› She does not want things toooooo easy on her!Β  πŸ˜‰ Banzai has been integrated with everyone but my TAIN(he is with his handler right now) and Bronson, Dyce and Mazda. Day by day, he gets better with all that is going on here and wants to particpate more. Right now, I have Banzai plus my sweet dollface BHRR’s Dana, having a bit of a play lying down in the main area. She just continues to draw him out more and more. Banzai just has shown no interest in wanting to play with the males or even interact much with them, much to Soul’s dismay! Banzai is fairly indifferent to the males here right now.

BHRR’s Dana’s toe amputation is scheduled for Wednesday September 2nd, 2009.

BHRR’s Banzai was 57.5 KGs(126.5 pounds) and quite thin. It has been a very busy couple of days and now I have completely exhausted my search on a microchip trace. From here, my goal is to make him as happy and healthy as can be. I had my Vet take a good look at him from head to toe and she concurs with me on the findings: conjunctivitis; poorly healed fracture of the right foreleg; one testicle undescended and the other not quite ‘normal’; possible HD, a stifle and/or knee injury to one or both hind legs and some healing punctures from either a bite or from having been caught up in some fencing on his one front leg too. As for his mouth, we could look at his teeth again yet any further back was quite difficult and I did not wish to stress Banzai out any more than necessary. The Vet thinks 3.5 years at the very top and that 3 sounds very feasible. He was so quiet and good in the run in he back and his leash manners are quite excellent. The Vet also felt that his failed ear crop was a pretty nice crop when it was done, the edges are nice and clean. I am trying some other food options with Banzai to see if I can get him to eat, his urine is still very concerntrated yet his water intake is much better. We did some bw for HWT and a full CBC and baring anyting major and after I can get some more weight on Banzai; we are going to neuter him and take some X-Rays. We are looking at approximate Vet Bills of $1,500 at this time. He has a lot of medical situations happening right now, the poor thing yet he still can wag his tail for me and rode like a pro in the back of my vehicle. On the way home, I did the ‘usual’ Timmie’s stop as a reward and he did not take to Lemon, Cinnamon Sugar or the Plain donuts but he sure did like the Chocolate Dip; so that is what Banzai had! πŸ™‚ He has now been integrated with Cherokee, Lil Linus and somewhat with Porridge plus Guinness. He feels so much more comfortable around the girls and BHRR’s Dana is the only one that he feels just fine going into his crate and eating his food. The integration with almost 11 week old Kingston was a bit too much for him. He just wanted in his crate to ‘hide’. He is very much a ‘small’ home/house boy and if I can find the right matched foster home for him; I will place him there. I think he is almost shell shocked by all the activity here with dogs, horses and kids. He is very sweet and takes treats gently from my hand and I have just found a new delight for Banzai and he now likes the Marrow Dog treats(THANKS Mary!), so we have another winner! The first couple of times I tried them; he was not interested yet he will eat them now. He has shown no aggression or resourcing or guarding over his food yet he does like his ‘privacy’ when he is in his crate and wishes to be alone. He will just curl up in the back. His favourite places are either his crate in the sunroom or lying near me as I type on my computer in the sunroom. He is really beginning to wag his tail more and more and seems really proud of himself when he barks at a sound outside! LOL We do not wish to encourage a ‘barker’ and I tell him that he is ‘ok’ and he settles right down. He really needs a bath plus a nail trim and that is something that we shall take on in the next day or so. I do not wish to rush him for he is in a really ‘fragile’ place right now. πŸ™ He has not even had the confidence to explore more than the sunroom and part of the main floor to date. We keep things at his pace and each day brings new beginnings and learnings for both of us. He is very calm plus quiet around every person and dog that he has met and at the Hospital did just fine with all.

Judith E. Connell, ON

August 18, 2009

Dearest Gwen,

Just a note to say that your family is in our prayers regarding the passing of Dragon, Maggi, and KB/JB. …but I really do understand just how unbelievably hard it is for you, your family, and your friends to deal with such a great loss in such a short time.

If it helps, the Bible pretty much lets us know that the Holy Trinity loves animals so much that He made them for mankind to tend and befriend. It was only β€˜original sin’ that knocked the stuffing out of the ability of humans to extend real love and proper assistance to the animal kingdom. The Lord lets us know that there is a place for animals in His Kingdom and I hold on to that very tightly when an animal friend passes. Who else could help those so in need of unconditional love when they reach Heaven than the animals?

I sure do wish we lived closer to you in order to take part in play dates.

I neglected to mention in my previous email that I did learn a great deal of American Sign Language from neighbours of ours approximately 25 years ago in Kitchener. It was a townhouse complex and the parents were deaf but the children could hear. The adults felt ostracized until I got a book on ASL out of the library and started to learn sign language from them and to have get-togethers with many neighbours to show them how wonderful that family was and how easy it was just to even pick up the β€˜deaf alphabet’. The axiom is so true that if you do not use it, you will lose it and so I do not remember any actual signs but I do remember the alphabet!

I read your β€˜blog’ re: naming deaf animals and was so shocked that anyone would even consider not naming a special needs animal. I am a special needs human and I really do appreciate the name that the Lord inspired my parents to give me! What utter nonsense and ill-mannered attitudes some people can have. I can only put it down to coming from a dysfunctional family where no great love or care was given to these people as children. Moreover, for that, we must always request that the Holy Spirit/Comforter will intervene on their behalf to the Lord in order for them to begin to feel unconditional love from the Trinity and pass it on to our wonderful and special animals.

We send you our affection and ongoing encouragement. God bless you all.

I am bringing BHRR’s Banzai in with me to work today to have him vetted. I am doing a very slow integration with Banzai with the other dogs for he is very shut down ’emotionally.’ He has been integrated with BHRR’s Potter, Abbi, Dana, Kona plus Soul to date. HE LOVES the women! AND huge kudos to our dollface BHRR’s Dana for it was ‘her’ that managed to get him to play a bit!!!! For all that she is mischievous, her heart is so full of kindness and sweetness and I just wanted to squeeze her tightly for reaching out to Banzai. He has been drinking ok yet his eating is dismal. I have had him since very late Saturday night and he has eaten maybe a bowl or two of food. I am thinking about putting him on an appetite stimulator if need be. He is very quiet and his only ‘moment’ was with PPSS today when Soul saw him and wanted to play and Banzai was not interested. I have confirmed, now that Banzai will allow me to touch him more thoroughly and will not flinch or want to step away; that he only has one testicle and the one that he does have, is not ‘normal’. I have also gotten a good look and feel on that right front leg and I am anxious to see the X-Rays plus the Vet’s opinion. Additionally; he walks so stiff and sore in the hindend, the poor thing. I have him on BNP for his eyes and I wish I could give him a bath(he smells) yet I think at this time, that is the least of our worries and it would just traumatize him. He is finally wagging his tail for me and has a special ‘bark’ just for me when he sees me(like when I came home from dropping off my kids at daycamp). He will come to me for loving when asked and already, when I use ‘Banzai’ as his name, he is responding. I wish I knew his real name for I know this has to be so confusing to him…..He will even come up to me for some touching and affection on his own now. His crate training is awesome! He is fully housebroken and what he loves best is just lying near me in the sunroom while I work on my computer. I found an old collar and have put it on him and Banzai is in desperate need of a nailtrim yet one step at a time. I would also like to get a better look in his mouth for how he is eating, when he does, indicates to me, that he might have some tooth, mouth or throat medical issue going on too. He is trusting me to look at his teeth and baby steps yet he needs an extemely detailed top to tail exam to properly document everything which he might need to be mildly sedated for to minimalize his stress level. That right front leg is also sporting a small puncture and while he will let me touch it up and keep it clean, he is nervous about me ‘poking’ about and I do not blame him. He is so sweet and puts our EM’s drooling to shame with those lips/flews of his! πŸ˜› I was unable to locate my own scanner and I think I might have left it at the Hospital when we did our Microchip Clinic Fundraiser back in July and so, he will be scanned tonight. I shall also take more pictures and would like to get some of his body condition(it was so dark when he arrived) and he was so intimidated by almost everything around him. He just look so sad….. πŸ˜₯ His favourite treat to date is the exremely large Milkbone biscuits(THANKS Mary for that wonderful donation!!!) and I have only have two left. It is the ONLY treat he will eat and I am going to have to run out and find more for him!!!!

Late last night, I received a call about a male Blue Great Dane that was picked up by a person that I show with. He is intact, thin, has a failed crop and appears to be no more than 3 years old. She spent 4 hours out trying to catch him after he was brought to her attention and then she called me and I left the drive-in with my kids and came to pick him up. I shall scan him for a micochip (just in case he was ‘lost’ yet no news had come across the ‘network’ about anyone missing their Blue Great Dane) and there are ‘other’ things that at this time, that possibly lead me to believe that he could have been ‘dumped’ but I will not go completely down that thought process at this time for as we know; obvious appearances can be ‘deceiving’. I aim to bring him in on Monday to my Vets to have an exam also performed and to look into some of his obvious medical issues more closely. My promise to this person was that I would keep him pretty limited on my website at this time until we determine more about if he has a microchip; his health(I am not liking a few things that I have learnt…. πŸ™ ); and that ‘they’ might like to ‘officially’ adopt him if it is possible(health plus other factors) and they are approved. I will post a couple of pictures of him on our BHRR FB Group page so that ‘she’ and her family can follow his progress that way and see pictures of him, when she cannot get to see him in person. He is a lovely boy and very stressed, slight dehydrated(not surprising) and as mentioned; I am quite concerned about some obvious ‘medical’ conditions he is sporting. This person has very generously offered to assist us where they are able to; with costs of X-Rays and other required medical bills for his care. I have decided to name him BHRR’s Banzai and I am so in love with his ‘white/silver’ muzzle! NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!!!

J. Watts, ON, CDA

Hi,I have just been made aware of your organization and your website made me so happy and so sad at the same time. Some of the pictures just broke my heart. I want to help. We are not in the position to help financially, but I would love to volunteer my time in any capacity you could use.

I have always loved great danes and we just got our first one. She is a merle and she’s 6 months old. My love for the breed continues to grow every day and I know I will be involved with Danes for the rest of my life.

Thanks,

I brought Dana to work with me last night and her right front paw was x-rayed again. As I have suspected plus have been discussing with my Vet, it is no better and in fact, somewhat worse. It is just not calcifying. Her weight was 50.4 KGS(110.88 pounds) and so she has lost 2.2 pounds(most likely muscle mass due to restricted exercise). We have talked to several Ortho Specialists and my Vet also posted on the VIN network last night and then the new X-rays were put on there today and the feedback has been consistent. I have a disc with her X-Rays on it yet it was given to me in an unreadable format so when I go back to work on Friday I shall see about a soft or hard copy that I can put on her blog. While Dana is a young and extremely healthy dog; she is also a Great Dane and this is an inner toe. I have been at ‘war’ over this ever since she first hurt her toe for I am well aware of the complications of amputation YET we also cannot leave it the way it is and I most certainly am not considering euthanizing her. The biggest decision that has to be made at this time is ‘how’ much do we take off. I know that I want to see more than less for we cannot be leaving a bony ‘stump’ that can cause her all sorts of problems. We have also submitted her case to our local Ortho Specialist Dr. Philibert who is on Vacation at this time. While sometimes conferring with too many Vets/Specialists can be a bad thing; in this case; I want as much as I can gather before sitting down with my Vet to be in the best position possible to make the most informed decision regarding her toe. Right now, we believe we should be taking it off to P1. At the bare minimum we are taking the whole toe. It is whether we need to take more than just the toe, as it is an inner toe and due to her being a Giant Breed; that we must look closer at. Right now, the estimate for the procedure with our discount is close to $1,000.00. ANY consideration from her supporting public for donations for her surgical procedure; would be MORE than appreciated. I know that Dana would, if she could; personally LOVE on all of you for any contributions. She is just the most loving and sweetest of things and as her reward for being so awesome(she did not need to be sedated for her X-Rays; her front feet we just put up on the table and she was great!); we did our ‘tour’ through Timmie’s on the way home and she had a cinnamon donut…her fav!!!! People kept complimenting her on her gorgeous shiny black coat!!! I continue to keep her comfortable on Tramadol plus Deramaxx 100 mg and once I know more; I shall update her blog. The thought process has also been from the specialists that due to her coming into our BHRR program in such an emaciated(64.24 pounds), malnourished state; that it would not have taken much for her growing and developing body/bones to have a fracture occur as her body is still becoming as healthy as it can be and longterm effects from malnutrion plus abuse do happen.Β  I ‘see’ that position and while that might have be part of the equation, I do believe that some rough ‘play’ injury accident also contributed to her broken toe. πŸ˜₯ I just want her better and back up feeling like her normal self and I almost miss some of her ‘antic’s'(do not tell her that though! SHHHH! πŸ˜‰ ). She shall remain unavailable for adoption until such time as she is fully ‘up’ on her feet and I just know that her forever loving home will not care one whit that she might be missing a toe. She remains beautiful inside and outside!

I have added pictures #23 & #24 from June 18th, 2009 to Hamilton The Newfs slideshow. I sure did take a lot of pictures that day! πŸ˜› Yet, I should now be ‘caught’ up on past pictures and will continue to work on updating all blogs within the next short while. Hamilton is doing well. Hard to move some days; yet he shall be 2 in September and that is an age that many did not think he would make it to. Our THDR’s Kona(NewfX) is now 10.5 years of age and I well remember being told when she was 1 that she would not live much longer and I said ‘watch her’ and look at her now! As long as our dogs have the desire to ‘fight’; we are going to be right there with them helping them. He still has ‘social’ phobic issues yet at home; has no trouble being a goober! πŸ˜› These days, as we lost two of our oldest male members(Grayon Danes Dragon plus BHRR’s KB/JB); he and some of the younger crowd have been doing some ‘jostling’; yet no one has yet stepped up to the plate to be our Leader Male. Since our BHRR’s Jasper passed away in June of 2008; and even before then he was letting go of the reins; we have not had a clear leader male in our home(other than Sean! πŸ˜‰ ) and as many know; I love animal dynamics and pack mentality plus behavour and am finding it very interesting to watch unfold. As I have mentioned in a previous blog on our site; it is not as uncommon as a lot of people might think to see several dogs at one time; share the role as ‘leader’. I really would love to see our PPSS step up for I think he has SO many of the qualities necessary yet with his health issues; that kind of ‘strain’ and ‘stress’ I would not wish to see upon him. For it is not an easy position to be in. He is also just that ‘fun’ loving bachelor uncle(who still misses his BHRR’s Ocean and she most likely still misses our “Big Blue” Bronson; who is still mostly likely ‘clueless’ about that whole situation! LOL) and it is not something he is interested in. I know that Hamilton is not best suited for that role yet it has been good to see him work up that confidence to get in a word or two about a situation and then you watch him run to stand behind my legs and peer around me at the other dogs who often just stand and stare are him!!!! Never a dull moment here and he brings many smiles to my day and is very loyal to me, even when I had to dematt him! πŸ˜‰

I am adding two new slides of BHRR’s Lil Linus #77 & #78 from June 18th, 2009. On Monday August 3rd, BHRR’s Lil Linus accompanied me to Ottawa’s Byward Market while I did some training with Clients of mine. He and my ‘Big Blue’ Bronson along with the other 2 Danes we were with; caused quite a stir! The only way I could sum it up was ‘crazy’ for there were just thousands and thousands of people out enjoying a day in The Market! πŸ˜‰ BHRR’s Lil Linus took all in stride as his his style and it was also amazing how many people recognized ‘him’ as being from BHRR and/or that we were BHRR. So many could not believe his story and how far he has clearly come since his arrival to BHRR. I am hoping that with the added exposure; we might draw in that ‘right’ inquiry on BHRR’s Lil Linus for he is so ready for his new forever loving home. It is so clear how much he has bonded to me yet he really does not ‘need’ much of me anymore. We are still working on some ‘trust’ things and making slow progress yet those are things that his new home can also work on with him. His leash manners were just divine in the Market. When he became tired; he did attempt to pull some yet nothing that cannot continue to be worked on in his new adoptive home. I really should get a new weight on him for it is deceiving on just how ‘big’ this boy is. That head of his is just stunning and I could smooch those flews/jowls all day long. YET, now with BHRR’s Potter here; I am sure that Lil Linus enjoys seeing us love on Potters lips plus face just as much as his now! πŸ˜› I am going to add one of his slide pictures below of Lil Linus in the newly fenced in doggie yard for I JUST love it!

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BHRR’s Lil Linus – ‘Can U SEE Me Now?’ – June 18th, 2009

I have finally added a picture slideshow for BHRR’s Potter! Slides # 1 – 6 are from July 13th, 2009 and Slides #7 & #8 are from July 14th, 2009. Once I ‘catch’ up, it will be time to add new and current photos! πŸ˜› He has put on about 15 pounds to date and still has a ways to go yet is looking so much better, especially with his muscle development. πŸ™‚ His new best friend is BHRR’s Kingston and gosh, at night; they are like two wee vampires; waking up and going on a ‘frenzy’! HOLY! LOL Calm and quite good during the day yet as soon as evening hits; WATCH out world! πŸ˜‰ I think Potter just loves having someone smaller than him around BUT not for too long for the weight that I got on Kingston today was 21.4 pounds! πŸ˜› Several other people have been able to witness first hand; the behavoural quirks that I have been referencing and it is much more understood by others ‘why’ BHRR’s Potter shall remain as part of our Haven program at this time. AND the number one word that everyone seems to come up with to describe Potter is the same one that Sean plus myself use….NEAT! LOL He truly is a neat character and we love him, flaws and all for no one is perfect(but we are working on getting him as close to that as possible!Β  πŸ˜‰ )Β  and he is a product of his breeding and past environment NOT by his choice. Once more people can understand this; they can hopefully; see Potter for ‘all’ that he is and not just parts or pieces; for all together; he makes up this NEAT boy!

We want to extend our most sincerest of thanks to everyone that has been helping us with extra playdates plus daytrips with the Dogs here to help them move forward with their own healing processes. It has been so appreciative! I have some additional dates that I would like to put out there in case any of our approved BHRR Volunteers and/or adoptive homes might be open to taking the dogs out for some extra loving. August 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th & 25th. THANKS so much in advance and please email Gwen if you are interested in assisting.

Unfortunately, with all the very tragic events that have occured in our home; BHRR’s Abbi’s annual appointment has been moved to Tuesday August 25th. She is not a fan of the Vet’s and hopefully, we can make the experience as stressfree as possible. I am just so looking forward to obtaining a current weight on her! Now, that BHRR’s Potter has been here for a bit; Abbi is not as enamored with him as he is an untrained puppy(night ‘vampire) who likes to thunder around the house(we are working on those ‘listening’ skills of his!) and now that BHRR’s Kingston is here; double time of trouble and thundering! πŸ˜› Abbi’s whole order is just not prepared for this type of chaos and she just gives them her ‘look’ of absolute horror and disgust over their antics BUT take them outside and gloves off; PLAYTIME galore with Abbi involved with them! She just continues to rock with her ‘no play’ in the house order and I have to work hard at keeping a straight face for she is ‘right’, no roughplaying in the house!!!! I have also uploaded Slides #62 – #63 from June 18th and Slides #64 from July 9th. We are slowly getting back up on our feet from our tragic losses and I have much to update with all. I am also looking for approved BHRR Volunteers and/or Adopters who might be open to taking BHRR’s Abbi out for a playdate or daytrip on August 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and/or August 25th. She has been deeply benefiting from this extra special time away and I would like to organize a few more for her, Mazda, Parker etc. Please email Gwen if you are open to helping. πŸ™‚

BHRR’s Dana follow-up appointment on her toe is tomorrow. The recommendation was to give her just ‘some’ more time before bringing her in again yet I do remain somewhat concerned over her toe. πŸ˜₯ I know that she is very ‘tired’ herself of restricted exercise and it makes me sad. I have also posted Slides # 21 – 24 of her from June 18th, 2009. As with BHRR’s Shiva; any forever loving home will need to be aware of her ‘fixation’ with exotics like Guinea Pigs. She has been fine with small dogs plus puppies(we currently have an almost 9 week old in our home right now) yet I would be very cautious about her interest around pocket pets. What I am loving about Dana right now, is her muzzle. It is becoming white and I just love that look on the Danes. 😎 I am curious about her current weight for I have had to ‘cut’ back on her intake due to her level of present exercise. While she is looking good, I know that she has lost some of her incredible muscle tone. I am also going to move Dana to our BHRR Haven Program for she is not up for adoption at this time until we figure out her toe situation.

Alex & Karen

Wow. I am so sorry for your losses.We said goodbye to our Bailey a few weeks ago, and I had been purposely ‘avoiding’ your site. It was horribly tough for me and my wife Karen. I visited your site last Friday and was devastated by the news. I am shocked at what has happened. I know no words of mine can help you, or your family, but being so touched and upset over your losses; I felt I should at least acknowledge to you how much regard and respect I have for someone whom I have never met. Your conviction, dedication and perseverance are truly remarkable.

Wishing you only good and happy memories and feelings,

Alex and Karen

Mazda has been having an absolute BLAST from her playdates! What I would really love to have is also playdates or daytrips for her on Wednesday August 5th, Saturday August 8th & Sunday August 9th. If any of our approved BHRR Volunteers and/or Adoptive homes would be willing to have her join you for some added wonderful healing memories; please email Gwen. She is still quite thin yet I can finally see as of today; the difference the extra special time plus loving she is enjoying; has been doing for her mental frame of mind. She is ‘almost’ back to her smiling facial expressions and the light in her eyes is slowing coming back. THANK YOU to everyone that has stepped up to help us here with her and BHRR’s Mr. Parker, Lil Linus & Abbi to date! Today is the first time since we lost her best of friends BHRR’s KB/JB that she did not immediately run down to the recreation room upon her return to our place from a play adventure today! It has been very hard to drag her away from that room as that is where she and BHRR’s KB/JB have loved to spend so much of their time together. Huge progress! I also like the fact that she is beginning to wag her insane ‘happy’ tail like mad again….I do not like how thin she has become due to her minimal eating(though the Volunteers and Vet(s) think she looks pretty darn good!) and how dull her coat has become yet I remain optimistic that we will get her past her depression of losing her best friend and hopefully, she will be open to new close friends back in her life soon! AND she shall continue to remain in our BHRR Haven Progam at this time. I am not sure what the future shall hold. She has been with us longer than any other animal; THROUGH no fault of her own and Sean plus I have to wonder what is going to be in her best interest. Day by day. We are now sadly down to 4 Great Danes ourselves due to our tragic losses; and as long as BHRR’s Mazda is in our home; she shall continue to be treated no differently then they are and loved no less!

We wish to post that BHRR continues to Rescue and take request for assistance ALL across North America. There seemed to be some question as to our continued ‘locale’ of Rescue assistance due to a number of recent groups opening up their doors in areas that BHRR has been a huge part in helping out in the past. This does not change anything for BHRR. I have been involved in Rescue for over 22 years and BHRR has been around for almost 14; since I first founded this organization back in 1996. We are still here and we still continue to be where we are needed, when we are needed.

Jan

Gwen,

I just finished reading your last post on Lil Linus’ page. You totally ROCK!! I have said so many of those same things to people. It’s amazing how many think that a deaf dog wouldn’t need a name. The next time I have the discussion with someone, I’ll use your analogy of not naming a deaf child. That’s a great example!

re: deaf dogs Barry, Ottawa

Gwen, I just want to thank you for your post on deaf dogs. I worked with deaf youth back in Newfoundland for a number of years. It was amazing to be a hearing person functioning in the deaf community – and to hear the thoughts of those around(who would think I was deaf). Most of the deaf community do not agree that they have a disability instead believe they have a different culture. These people can do anything a hearing person can do except hear – the same for deaf dogs!

THANK YOU

I feel almost compelled to write this blog post for BHRR’s Lil Linus and BHRR’s Potter. I am not sure why people feel that a ‘deaf’ dog does not need a need a name, because they are deaf. To me, that is like saying, we should not name our deaf children or address our hard of hearing or deaf elders anymore by name etc. A name is an identity and if one is living in a home with multi dogs; especially deaf one’s(we live with 3 right at the present and our now almost 10.5+ year old Kona is almost deaf); using a dog’s name is very important. When I do training, I train the dogs as individuals, small groups and in larger groups. If I am doing recall training, even in my larged fenced in yard; if I want Lil Linus or Soul to come to me, I use their ‘name’. If I want Potter(he is working on his name) to come over Soul or Linus; I signal his name. I am not in agreement with those that say that it is not important to name your deaf dog. While my dogs might have chosen different names if they could πŸ˜‰ ; their names are no less important to them or to me. When I signal Lil Linus`s name, his tail wags and the same applies to Soul and each knows when I am `speaking`to them over the other or if I am communicating to both. They are proud of their own identities and how it makes them feel unique and special just as each hearing dog feels unique and special with their own names. I find it hard to understand why people, especially those that say they are knowledgeable about deaf dogs etc., would feel that it means nothing to give a deaf dog a name and so a name is not important. To me, it is also a huge safety thing in regards to teaching emergency stops, recalls etc. They learn their names as much as they learn the `watch me`command; right from the get go. The other thing that I wish to address in regards to `deaf dogs`is that they do not HAVE to always go to a home that already has a hearing dog. That is also not necessarily true. Just as many hearing dogs do well in a home by themselves as the only dog; the same goes with deaf dogs. We have placed many a deaf dog as the only dog in the home and we have also placed many a deaf dog in a home that already has a deaf dog as their only dog. OWNING a deaf dog is not necessarily any harder than owning a hearing dog. My biggest piece of feedback when it comes to owning a deaf dog; is that one CANNOT be lazy. You cannot just `call out` to ask your dog to get their nose out of the garbage or to put that shoe down that they are walking off with it. That is why it is so important to teach them the `watch me`command. Deaf dogs learn equally as fast, if not faster than some hearing dogs and they are not dumb, stupid and not all deafies have visual impairments or health issues either. When it comes to Boxers; just as with Great Danes; `white`is not albino; that does not exist in these breeds. It is estimated that about 18-20% of all Boxers are white and they can be hearing or deaf and they make just as lovely and wonderful of pets as does their hearing counterparts. Each parent must carry for the `white`gene for it to be passed on to create a `white`boxer. As with Great Danes, many deaf boxers can be found having a lot of white about the face, head and ears. What bothers humans about dogs being deaf; does not bother the deaf dog. Dogs that are born deaf, do not know any different and dogs that lose their hearing as they are older, can also be taught hand signals(I teach them at all ages); touch training, light training, scent training and vibration training(we do not do vibration collars here) but use floors and door jams in order to continue to have a great quality of life in a world that no longer is `hearing`to them. 😎 I also teach a regular course that is specifically for owners and their deaf dogs; and just as I do in that course; I am going to state it here; education is key.