fotobridget

I've not specifically worked on any 'language' with Liberty (3.5 years, adopted as a pup). She just sort of...well, knows what I mean. And we usually use complex, conversational language with her. And we do the same with Freedom (BC/JRT, rescued at 10 months last Sept.). Most recently, my DH and I were leaving and I looked at the girls and said in a normal tone, "Excuse me? Where are the two of you supposed to be right now?" (I hadn't given any commands or anything like that. And my husband was still in the bathroom so we had at least 15 mins before we had to leave so there were no 'conditioners' to tell them we were leaving.) Both BCs looked at me then each other and walked calmly into the front room and into their kennels. They stayed there until I fastened the doors. Also, we say something like "Libby/Freedy, if you don't refrain from that, we're going to sell you to the circus, etc." And they stop what they're doing immediately. Other than the day Freedy tried to slip out the front door, I can't remember the last time we've used a true 'one-word' command with either of them... Now my husband's St. Bernard/Lab cross, Justice (8yrs) he's the one-word guy in our house.

A daily update: She's peed three times since going to the vet, and pooped once (and it wasn't runny!). She absolutely loves the bland diet and the pedialyte, so we've gotten quite a lot in her. She's also becoming a lot more playful, can easily be defined as a bit of a holy terror! And is probably just as smart as Liberty! As soon as she starts feeling a whole lot better we are definitely going to start on manners!

My dogs are always in our own yard, we live in the middle of our 'city' so they are leashed or tied out when outside. I am keeping us 'quaranteened' probably until after she gets the booster in three weeks. Liberty is used to going on a lot of 'bye-byes' so that will be the biggest adjustment all around! Plus, I've alreayd called my friends/family with pets who like to 'visit', so I think we're good on that front. Now, as long as strays don't wander in our direction, I think we should be alright:)

Took Freedom to the vet to see if she had a urinary tract infection, and that was why she wasn't peeing. Instead learned she was dehydrated and had a case of Parvo started. The vet also told me that he'd had several puppies from two counties come in from the humane societies with Parvo. Freedom was in the Humane Society for one week before I took her home. He said it was early, and since she is an adult he said chances were much better than if she was a pup. He gave her a vacination and told me to give her pedialyte, pepto, and put her on a bland diet. I have to take her back in three weeks for a booster, and am taking Lib and Justice for their boosters, as well. (They are both due in Nov.) Has anyone else dealt with an adult case of parvo? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

We are pretty certain that Freedom is a Border Collie crossed with some sort of terrier... There has also been some debate whether she is a Libby 'Mini-Me' since their markings appear a bit similar (which is what first caught my eye at the humane society). What do you all think? And just for a size comparison: Libby weighs 45 lbs, and stands 18 inches. Freedom probably weighs 20-25 lbs (find out for sure tomorrow) and stands around the 14-15 inch mark.

Aren't they funny little creatures? We learned early on that both Justice and Liberty will not go if the other one's outside, too. (Justice get's this absolutely hilarious wrinkled forehead thing going--he's a St. Bernard/Lab cross--that just shouts embarrassment--even if we open the door too early while he's outside on the tie-out!) I follow those same rules when it comes to Liberty and Freedom (Justice doesn't need to be kenneled--he can't open the locked front door and walk out of the house like Liberty can!)--also taught Liberty to ring a bell by the door if she needed to go out. We've started that with Freedom, but she doesn't seem to even acknowledge the ringing. In fact, the only way she has peed outside has been because she has been kenneled, and can't stay out for a while unless she potties outside first. Even when she's not kenneled we haven't had any accidents (unless you count the one where the husband took her out of the kennel before I got home on my lunch break and didn't stay outside with her quite long enough so that she pooped in the utility room ), so I'm about 90% certain she's had some potty training. But I am getting very concerned over the lack of times she has peed. Or pooped. I can count on one hand the number of times she's pooped since I got her. She eats and she drinks, she just doesn't seem to have to go to the bathroom. She doesn't seem to be ill, or feeling bad, she just doesn't want to potty!

She never really 'cowered' when given a signal, it was just if we'd move too quickly around her....now, however, she seems more interested in sniffing the area, and listening to the Marching Band practice (we live near the high school), and running through the grass than going potty. She will whimper and run to the back door, but once out there she doesn't do anything. I took her out at 10pm last night, 7:30 am this morning, ran home on lunch to take her out at 12:30, took her out at 6pm, then again at 8pm...she peed 1 time, and that was at 6pm. So I called the vet! They said that with the bleeding (thought she was in heat again) and the not peeing, it could be a UTI. So tomorrow we are making the 45 minute drive to the vet I use before I go to work.

I picked her up Saturday, and in that time we've had 2 #2 accidents, and have pottied maybe 2 dozen times outside for #1. (In fact, I don't think she's done #1 enough, and we are going to the vet at 7:30 in the morning!) From what I can tell, she has been given some potty training, and she is kennel trained (we've not had a bit of trouble with kenneling. Her kennel is right next to Liberty's, which both seem to like ). She also is very leery about getting on the furniture, so I'm guessing she's been trained to stay off it. She has gained a bit of weight since Saturday, which is a good thing, although she has the appetite of a bird. I'm going to go ahead and get her dewormed tomorrow, as well. She's also starting to come out of her shell a bit, she's getting very playful with Liberty especially. She just sniffs around Justice, but doesn't really play with him (he's really out of the 'play' stage at nearly 8yo). I have a feeling when she comes out of her shell she's going to be a quick little demon, right now she's just a watchful little shadow. She is warming up to my husband, as well. At first she was extremely leery of him, choosing to stay right at my side. I've not had her around any cats or children yet, I figure that will wait a few weeks until I get a handle on her personality. Here's a few of her 'first' pics:

We've still not had any accidents, but she appears extremely timid when it comes to 'potty'. If I move too fast she hunkers down like she thinks she's done something wrong. Plus the poor little thing is in heat again--and Justice hasn't been altered. So poor little Freedom is currently wearing a diaper when not in her kennel. She's bleeding pretty noticeably, but Justice isn't going nuts...is there something I am missing? Liberty is starting to want to play with her a bit, and Freedom seems receptive...but Liberty is still bullying her a bit, too. She also doesn't eat much, which concerns me a bit, as she is underweight. (Her fur is a medium length, and you can't SEE her ribs until you get close, but she is definitely too skinny.)

1. Intelligence: There is nothing like watching your dog figure out how to open a LOCKED door. 2. Affection: Nothing like watching your dog climb in your husband's lap for 'daddy/dogter' time! 3. Energy/Enthusiasm: There is nothing like watching them enjoy doing things!

I'm not sure whether my new dog is potty trained, and it just occurred to me that it has been two years since I went through all of this with Liberty. I think I've forgotten a lot of it! I've never rescued an adult dog before, so I'm a little unsure even how to begin. I do have a few questions for those of you who have--she has had a litter, the pups I saw this morning were around 16 weeks old, and fully weened. How is she going to react to not being with them? Is there anything i should be on the look out for? She's been quiet since I got her, but extremely affectionate to me, my mother, and my friend, and been curious. She's been timid, but not frightened. She's given kisses, too! She doesn't startle too badly when the AC kicks on, or when my friend's husband rolled by on the riding lawn mower. She's not acted afraid of either of the other two dogs. She seems to be a very even tempered little girl, and is already partially answering to her new name. I just realized that I am in for a lot of work (which I am up for) and am feeling a wee bit overwhelmed all of the sudden! (I can't get my digital to hook up to the computer or I'd post her pix)

While it was discussed between me and my husband... He hasn't actually seen her yet. But he also didn't want Liberty...and she's his baby girl now. I expect he'll be a wee bit exasperated with me for a few days...and then he'll be ok. My one concern at this point is getting Liberty to adjust. within time She's normally very receptive to other dogs..but this is the first one to come into HER world, and she has ALWAYS been the center of attention. I took both Lib and Free out to a friend's house where they could run around like crazy--I live in town, my friend lives on 85 acres--and while they didn't really 'play' together, there wasn't any signs of overt aggression. They'd just sniff each other and move on. Lib 's currently taken herself into the bedroom and closed the door in my face. Justice is just happy to have two ladies to sniff now!

I finally went and done what I had been wanting to do for a while...I got a new baby girl. (Ok, so she's closer to 2...but she's still a baby!) Last week I had to go to the Humane society to see if my mother's cat had somehow been turned in...(long story, he slipped out, blah blah blah...) He was, so he was reunited with my mother...and I took a stroll through the kennels..looking for...Border Collies! I found a little Momma dog, with two 4 mth old pups. What got me about this BC mix is that her expression was so darned sad! I thought at first she wasn't quite a year old--which was feasible as Liberty the Border Collie went into heat at 6 mths (2 weeks before a certain surgery was scheduled, btw) This little momma had been turned in that very morning after she and the pups plus another momma dog and pups had been dumped off at some woman's farm, so she was being 'quarantined' for a week. So I went to check on her today and was told she wouldn't eat. (She had lost weight from last week. And they said she acted depressed.) Needless to say, Liberty and Justice have a new sister...her name is Freedom, and from my best guess she is Border Collie and some sort of terrier. Currently she's in her new crate sleeping. I'll be posting pics shortly! And on a side note, I FINALLY found an agility trainer in my area! So Liberty is goin' to school!

I'm so glad she's feeling better! Libby did that to me once. I was getting ready for work a few months back and the fiance starts yelling (he's a bit of a panicker). I rush in there (wearing just my socks, how's that for awful???) to find 8 piles of doggie...um....expunge. LARGE piles. So much that I thought it had to have been done by both the dogs. But it wasn't, it was just Libbers. And her little belly was hard as a rock. She wasn't done by any means. But she literally hadn't been alone to eat anything she shouldn't have, so I was clueless. But then she continues vomiting, and I hear the sound of "human-retching" as her daddy is VERY weak-stomached (did I mention he used to be a cop????), followed by the sound of a 'man-elephant' dashing toward the bathroom. So after doing clean up and taking care of both my babies, (all while still only wearing a pair of socks, mind you), I was worried. She was being pitiful. Broke my heart. We both work night shift, so we wouldn't have been able to get her in to the vet until morning, anyway, but I was about ready to stay home with her. Fiance wouldn't let me. So I put her in her kennel, and worried all night, terrified what I'd find when I got home. All the while planning on waiting for the vet on his doorstep, at six oclock in the morning when he would arrive to feed the ones he boarded. But luckily, when I got home she was absolutely fine. I still called my vet (45 minutes away) to see if I should bring her in. He told me to give her something (Pepto, I think) and watch her to see how she acted. If she acted fine, then she probably was. Apparently she was just fine. I still don't know what it was she got into. (I have a REAL strong suspicion my little food allergic baby found her St.Bern/Lab brother's food--different kind than hers--bowl and helped herself to the entire contents while i was in the shower, while Daddy, who was supposed to be watching her, was 'napping' in the chair.) She's not had any problems since. But I was terrified--even if I didn't let the fiance know. Of course, I kind of think he suspected, when I wanted to skip work (ruining a perfect attendence record) to stay home with her. Keep us updated over the next few days!

WHAHAHAH We think alike...I've posted both of them to my desktop....with a message promising many many things...and guilt tripping, etc.... he'll get the hint.... Or.... He'll say "you do what you want to do anyway...so go ahead..." OR.... I'm really hoping he'll say "I'll drive."