As a few are aware, our sweet boy BHRR's Freddy was diagnosed recently with malignant melanoma, one area in his mouth and 5 between toes. At first, they were initially thought by his Vet team to be other non cancerous possibilities yet, FNA and Biopsies confirmed malignant melanoma.

Below are two photos taken today of my dear boy and two videos.

LET me count the ways I love you my sweet boy!

Life is just so unfair…………. 🙁

VIDEO #1
VIDEO #2

FreddyMay2712013FreddyMay2722013
May 27th, 2013 @ BHRR
 

THIS is my latest NOT GOOD WITH CATS UPDATE post!

This lovely Canine has proven to be 'NOT good' with cats.

We cat test our dogs as we can. Sean is allergic to cats and most of our own dogs are scared of cats and yet, doing thorough evaluations plus assessments and getting to know the BHRR dogs thoroughly, my knowledge of them and experience with them and gut/instinct have gone a long way in helping to determine if we should even try a cat test.

BHRR's Freddy is READY he said and he is now AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!

He cannot go to a home with cats. He has not proven reliable with them. I also do not feel comfortable placing him in a home with dogs under the size of about 50 pounds. We own a 9.5 pound dog and he is very 'interested' in him. Better than he was…yet, still very interested…..

As per the videos posted clearly show, he gets along wonderfully with dogs and he has not yet met a person that he does not love! 🙂

He can go to a home that works full time, part time, from home, semi-retired, retired etc. He is another versatlie dog!

He WILL NOT go to a home that is not very dog experienced. While I would love a Dog experienced home, not going to be mandatory as he should thrive in a wonderful dog experienced/savvy home. He is a Dogo at the end of the day and has thrived in his obedience with me and is very eager to please and has completely blossomed with the positive structure of consistency, routine, patience, understanding and obedience.

He is not a 'rare' dog, he is not a status sympbol, he is not a guard dog, he is not anything other than a very loving sweet dog that is going to be a true gift to that right matched home.

This boy has lived his whole life in hell. AND I mean hell. He was one of 33 dogs – all were able to be rescued other than about 9-10 – and that breaks the hearts of all that were involved in their rescue. 18 were Bostons and the rest were Dogo's.

His tail had become broken somehow and never treated and now three inches has been removed. He never knew a loving hand, kind word or spoiling dog bed until his rescue.

THIS boy's temperament is HEAVEN! Just heaven!

YET, being a dogo HE is not meant for just any home. AND we shall be as cautious with his adoption as we are with all our dogs.

He no longer marks in the house and is 100% trustworthy in that manner.

I still crate him if I am gone longer than 1/2 hour or so as we are still working up to full house trust….. 🙂 He will get there! 🙂

THERE is not one mean bone in his body.

He would excel in obedience and he is a dog that needs a 'job'.

He will not go to a home with children UNDER the age of 10. AND he will not go to a home that has more than two children.


February 18th, 2013

 

UPDATE: Dogo baby boy is with me at work today – March 6th and he has put on another 12.76 pounds!!! He now weighed 104.28 pounds. Still needs a bit of weight.

BHRR's Freddy also had a manicure plus pedicure and was very brave!! 😉

We did his hwt too as we had not done it at the time of his tail amputation visit.

He will get his booster tonight and final vet sign-off and he should then be making his exciting announcement!

To watch BHRR's Freddy move is such an incredible experience. He is just rippling with muscle mass and tone now. He looks magnificent! 🙂

AND A FEBRUARY 28th, 2013 WINTER WONDERLAND VIDEO

People can donate to Kanata Animal Hospital (613) 836-2848 OR Liston Animal Hospital (613) 591-0966 and they will take Visa, M/C and AMEX over the phone under the account of 'Birch Haven Rescue' for 'Freddy'. They will take Debit or Cash in person too!

You can also mail donations via a Bank Draft to:

Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services
C/O Gwendilin Boers
2425 Totem Ranch Road West
RR#1 Oxford Station, Ontario
K0G 1T0

OR email transfer to gwen@birchhaven.org

OR via PayPal(please use the 'gift' option)

 

BHRR's FREDDY'S Friends: $1,027 donated to date & Bills $1,834.73
Kailyn
Mason
Jane
Samantha
Anna
Manon
Suzanne
50/50 at our BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House
Monies raised from our Donation Gift Basket at our BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House
Caren

 

BHRR's FREDDY's WishList:
$ towards Vet bills
Dog Coat
Dog Leash

FROMM
Dino Smoked Bones
Oatmeal Shampoo
TONS of positive thoughts and vibes

Packing Blankets
BHRR's Journey Heart Biscuits
 

**IF I am forgetting any FRIENDS, it is completely unintentional and please EMAIL me**

Winter Wonderland VIDEO TIME of BHRR's Freddy, BHRR's Jetta and BHRR's Cherry

BHRR's Freddy's own Vet Visit has been rescheduled to the 7th of March due everything that came down with weather and other matters yesterday. HIS own big reveal and announcement is NOT long coming! 🙂 He has been putting on that much needed weight and muscle mass and is looking magnificent. Just watching him run and move is WOW!

 

BHRR's Freddy is back at KAH on Wednesday for a re-weigh and DAPP booster.

Everything crossed that this exam could be his final sign-off one before he  makes some very excting news announcement! 🙂

Barking Bone Designs – Custom Pet Art has been so generous and kind and will donate up to February 17th, 2013$5.00 of the sales of every personalized accessory, key chain or necklace!

PLEASE make sure that you mention Birch Haven Rescue and Rehabilitation Services(BHRR) when you order!

Colours and sayings can be changed easily!

S&H is ONLY $2 in Canada for one item and $3 for two!

BHRR has some new urgent animal medical cases in the pipe….the funds raised will deeply assist!

EMAIL BarkingBone@hotmail.com for more information and to have Sarah answer any questions you may have!!!

THANK YOU Sarah!!!!

PLEASE CROSSPOST! 🙂

BHRR's Freddy ROCKED the BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House!

OMG! He rocked it! 🙂 He is fully integrated with almost all the dogs now.

WHAT a great boy! 🙂

His tail is healing well…he opened up a part of it yesterday with his now 'happy' tail and yet, it was fresh blood and I did not mind cleaning all the walls! 😉

AND he has proven Dogo through and through. He will react to how he is treated in respect to unstable behavour exhibited by other dogs. He was NOT to happy that 'tude man Boxer Boy(GOD! He was total in 'tude land yesterday!) was in his face and he corrected him.

Below are two Videos and two photos from January 30th, 2013

VIDEO #1
VIDEO #2
 

People can donate to Kanata Animal Hospital (613) 836-2848 OR Liston Animal Hospital (613) 591-0966 and they will take Visa, M/C and AMEX over the phone under the account of 'Birch Haven Rescue' for 'Freddy'. They will take Debit or Cash in person too!

You can also mail donations via a Bank Draft to:

Birch Haven Rescue & Rehabilitation Services
C/O Gwendilin Boers
2425 Totem Ranch Road West
RR#1 Oxford Station, Ontario
K0G 1T0

OR email transfer to gwen@birchhaven.org

OR via PayPal(please use the 'gift' option)

 

BHRR's FREDDY'S Friends: $777 donated to date & Bills $1,502.42
Kailyn
Mason
Jane
Samantha
Anna
Manon
Suzanne
50/50 at our BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House
Monies raised from our Donation Gift Basket at our BHRR 'EXPERIENCE' Mini Open House

 

BHRR's FREDDY's WishList:
$ towards Vet bills
Dog Coat
Dog Leash
Dog Colla
r
Dog Bed
FROMM
Dino Smoked Bones
Oatmeal Shampoo
TONS of positive thoughts and vibes

Packing Blankets
BHRR's Journey Heart Biscuits
 

**IF I am forgetting any FRIENDS, it is completely unintentional and please EMAIL me**


BHRR's Freddy – January 30th, 2013

Below are some transport photos of BHRR's Freddy!

We were having a really hard time naming him (we could not come to a 100% consenus) so for the first time in our 17 years of operating we held a NAME CONTEST FUNDRAISER.

The winner was Manon and her name was 'Freddy'. The money that she bid $250 will go towards his vet bills.

Vintage Designing Co. offered to match any bid up to $250 and four more sweet souls offered donations of $20, $20, $12 and $100 to also go towards his care!

We shall update his 'FRIEND' List as donations come in. 🙂

His tail is healing really well on one area yet, another not so well. We are on antibiotics for 10 ten days and shall re-visit. If need be, more will be amputated.

Somehow, his tail was broken and he was chewing at it to get it off and gangrene had set in. All gangrene areas have been addressed and the Vet feels that there is a great chance that the rest of the swelling will heal now that things are clean. If not, more will be removed.

BHRR's FREDDY'S Friends: $182 donated to date & Bills $1,502.42
Kailyn
Mason
Jane
Samantha

 

BHRR's FREDDY's WishList:
$ towards Vet bills
Dog Coat
Dog Leash
Dog Colla
r
Dog Bed
FROMM
Dino Smoked Bones
Oatmeal Shampoo
TONS of positive thoughts and vibes

Packing Blankets
BHRR's Journey Heart Biscuits
 

**IF I am forgetting any FRIENDS, it is completely unintentional and please EMAIL me**

Two Photos from his transport run before I met him! We had no idea what he looked like or age before we got him AS it does not matter to us! THE NEXT ONE IN NEED! 🙂


BHRR's Freddy – enroute with Volunteers to meet me! – January 29th, 2013
*photos courtesy of M. Schuter

On January 23rd, 2012, we received an confidential email re: some dogs(33) in need. Three of these dogs were critical with urgent medical needs.

BHRR offered to take the worst.

Mobilization was done quickly and transport was arranged for the 29th.

THANKS to all that pulled together so fast!

Immediately upon meeting the transport – he had three legs of transport before I met up with the one fabu person and from there drove the last leg immediately  to the Hospital with him.

We estimate him to be about 3 years of age, timid yet sweet, has some tartar on his teeth(nothing pressing/serious and can be done as an elective in his forever adoptive home should nothing urgent transpire in the meantime), a skinny 91.52 pounds….a good 20 more he needs in muscle mass/tone. What a love!! Temp normal, about three inches sloughed/removed off his tail(he had gangrene), heart and lungs sound great, put on revolution, antibiotics, chipped, on NSAIDs, cone of honour to wear and shall do a Mani/pedi later, needs a serious bath, timid yet bonds fast and took many names of hearts today between KAH and LAH!!

BONDED really fast and de-worming began that night.

He has proven not to be housebroken in the time that we have had him and so, we are working on that! 😉

We gave him his first boosters and he will be back in four weeks for the next.

We began to work on the crate training and he is doing very well. Some mommaitis. 😉

His leash manners are quite fair, he is bilingual – more francophone than anything and sits on command.

He traveled well in the truck and had to do some tough love to get him into the vehicle the first time at KAH yet, going from LAH to home, he did well getting in as I just moved forward and kept looking where I wanted him to go and did not hesitate and up he went.

He takes treats very gently.

He has now been integrated with most of the dogs and he has taken a shine to Miss BHRR's Cherry and Miss BHRR's Scarlett. They have been working their charm and he ALMOST played with them today.

He is not a dominant dog yet he does 'alert' if things get too exciting or he perceives there is a threat. Those ears of his stand right up and he goes into that typical Dogo (Mastiff) stance.

For those not familiar with this breed, we have been working with them for the past 15 years and have been seeing a huge surge in the exploitation of them over the past 2+ years.

Here is some information:
 

Dogo Argentino
(Argentinian Mastiff) (Argentine Dogo)

 

Description

The Dogo Argentino is also called the Argentinian Mastiff or Argentine Dogo. It is a large, well-muscled dog. The deep-set chest is wide. There is an abundance of skin on the muscular neck. The head is massive with a rounded shape from front to the back. The muzzle concaves upwards slightly, with a slight stop and is about the same length as the skull. The jaws are strong. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite. The nose is black. The eyes are set well apart, and are dark brown, light brown or hazel in color. The rims of the eyes should be pink or black. The ears are set high and are usually cropped to make them stand erect, and triangular in shape. The thighs are very muscular with a short hock. There are usually no dewclaws. The thick tail is long and carried naturally low reaching the hock. The thick, glossy coat is white and has no undercoat. While not accepted in all clubs, sometimes the Dogo Argentino can have a black spot on the head known as "pirata." This trait in the Dogo´s coat is accepted by Federacion Cinologica Argentina.

Temperament

The Argentine Dogo is a loyal dog who makes a great guardian of the home and family. Playful and very good with children, it gives kisses and cuddles. Highly intelligent and powerful, Dogos are easy to train if you are consistent, using loving but firm authority. The Argentine Dogo is not a breed for everyone. With the right owners even the more dominant Dogos can be submissive toward all humans and other animals. This breed needs someone who understands how to display leadership: humans who are firm, confident, and consistent. This breed needs rules he must follow and limits to what he is and is not allowed to do. The objective in training this dog is to achieve pack leader status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single leader. Lines are clearly defined. You and all other humans MUST be higher up in the order than the dog. That is the only way your relationship can be a success. When you put this breed with a meek or passive owner, problems may arise as the dog will feel he needs to "save his pack" and run the show. Adult Dogos can be aggressive with other dogs; however, the Dogo does not usually provoke the confrontation but may if he senses another dog that is unstable. The breed needs an owner who can tell the Dogo it is not his job to put another dog in his place. They are good with other pets if they are raised with them from puppyhood. This white mastiff needs early socialization with other animals. It also requires early obedience training.

Height, Weight

Height:  24 – 27 inches (61 – 69 cm)
Weight:  80 – 100 pounds (36 – 45 kg)

Health Problems

Living Conditions

This breed will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised and does best with at least an average-sized yard. Be sure to bring the Dogo inside when temperatures drop below freezing.

Exercise

Give this dog plenty of exercise. They need to be taken on a daily, long walk or jog.

Life Expectancy

About 10-12 years.

Grooming

The single white coat is very easy to care for. Brush occasionally. Keep nails trimmed. They have no doggy odor. This breed is an average shedder.

Origin

In the 1920s the Argentine Dogo was developed in Argentina by Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez and his brother Agustin. The brothers wanted an ideal companion dog that was also a good pack hunter and guardian. The breeds that were used in the development were the Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhound, Pointer, Great Dane, Dogue de Bordeaux, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Bulldog, Bull Terrier and a now extinct mastiff-type breed called the Dog of Cordoba. The result was a bullish, fearless hunter who also had great stamina. The white coat deflected the heat rather than absorbed it. Unfortunately the breed earned a bad reputation in Britain when people started using the dogs for dog fighting, which is an activity still popular in many parts of South America and elsewhere. Rather than go after the dog fighters, Britain has enacted a national legislation to control dogs in public. The Dangerous Dogs Act which came about in 1991 totally bans the three breeds Fila Brazileiro, Dogo Argentino and Japanese Tosa. A fourth breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier, is allowed but is heavily restricted. The dogs must be registered, neutered, tattooed, microchipped and owners have to carry insurance. The dogs cannot be bred or imported and when in public they must be muzzled, leashed and handled by a person over 16 years of age at all times. This is a real shame. When properly raised these are all great dogs. A dog is what the master makes of it. Not all breeds are for everyone. People teach these dogs to fight, giving them a bad name. Banning the breed is not the way to solve the problem. Some of the Argentine Dogo's talents are hunting, tracking, watchdog, guarding, police work, narcotics detection, military work, guide for the blind, competitive obedience and Schutzhund.

Group

Mastiff

BHRR's FREDDY is NOT AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION AT THIS TIME!