Heeeere's HUNTER!

One day last week word went out that a high kill shelter was closing for remodeling and any dogs left at the end of the day would be put to sleep. There were 20 dogs in need of immediate rescue including Hunter. The rescue call was heeded and the rescues all worked together to pull the dogs and get them transported. Col. Potter was a part of the network and Hunter was brought to safety with the help of a volunteer in Houston. Hunter has been in quarantine this last week. Unfortunately, Hunter tested positive for heartworm. He's a sweet dog, thought to be 3 to 4 years old, no one is sure how he ended up at the shelter - he may have been a stray. Only Hunter knows. He will be heading to his foster home where he will enjoy some quiet time and get the special care he needs.

Hunter is named in honor of two volunteers who bravely went to an auction recently to save a little girl cairn. They went hunting for the cairns just as Hunter was hunting for Col. Potter. Sometimes rescue can be a very intense situation as Hunter experienced last week. He went from certain death to the greatest chance of life he will ever have. This is truly what rescue is about.

Thanks to all of you for your hard work, donations and willingness to help. Because of all of you, Hunter is alive today.

Hunter Update From His Foster Mom

Hunter really had a tough time after his first injection to treat his heartworms and we were worried about him. But the Lord has had His hands on Hunter since then, and thankfully he has done remarkably well. Hunter's allowed some "freedom" to play now (hopefully even more after his checkup at the vet tomorrow). He's feeling good and definitely is NOT happy being contained most of the time. Cassie initiates play and this is something we never ever would have imagined she would do. They grrrrr and nibble at each other and have a great time for the short time that Hunter's allowed! He and Cassie really enjoy their little bit of play time, and Hunter is as good for Cassie as she is for him.

Jude's kids - a year later

Written by Jude's kids' Adoptive Mom


My Tags Team friends have asked that I post an update on how Jude's kids are doing. Hard to believe it's nearly been a year. They are healthy, happy, and well-loved members of the 15-dog Paul Pack.

Murphy turned 14 this summer and is never more than 3 steps away from Steve. He's logged hundreds of hours as "Site Supervisor" for Steve's outdoor projects. He has a sweet, sunny disposition and settles contentedly into the recliner with Steve for lap time every evening. He sleeps in bed with us every night.

Molly turns 15 in a couple weeks. She's totally blind, but navigates the house and yard with the confidence and precision of a fighter pilot. We carry her in and out so she doesn't have to navigate the steps on the deck, but other than that, she's completely independent. Her favorite thing is her daily sunbath in front of the patio windows. As the sun moves, so does she, to soak up every last ray.

Chloe, the Bird Hunter Extraordinaire, is in heaven here. An acre of fenced yard in the woods, with 24-7 access via the dog door is a hunter's paradise. She's fast and has gotten a couple birds, which reminds me of the sweet story Jude wrote about "Chloe's Three Breakfasts." Like Jude, yelling "Drop it!" just makes her chew faster. Chloe was kind of aloof when she got here, but has warmed up and is never far from the action. Her pancreatic insufficiency is in good control. She sleeps in bed with us every night.

Punkin is a doll! Skitterish at first, she now plants herself in front of us with her gargly bark demanding to be picked up. If you've ever seen the little black dog on the "Suzie's Zoo" cards, Punkin could have posed for that. Of all of our dogs, she is the cutest. She's also the least housebroken. I'm not sure she's ever peed outside, but we don't care. That's why God invented mops. She sleeps on my pillow and I can feel her breath on my cheek all night.

We still feel sad about Kiera, who was 15 and got kennel cough that turned into pneumonia from her stay in animal control. She died on her third day with us -cradled in my arms as she took her last breath. Her last memories were of being held, kissed, and loved. Sometimes, that's all you can give them.

I know Jude is at peace. Her kids have a good life - they're together and they're loved. Thank you all for your good wishes on their first anniversary with us.

Hunter Update - Written By His Foster Mom

Hunter is free to be a real cairn terror!! He is baby heartworm free! The vet says he can run and play to his heart's content now and he and Cassie did exactly that ... 30 minutes of play until they both pooped out!

Hector is settling in at his foster home!

Contributed by Hector's foster mom

He's a real beauty....very friendly, tiny, and VOCAL....with a high pitched bark. He's in in his ex-pen apartment now with a cozy blankie, some toys, and his water bowl and seems to be calming down some now..poor guy, we're his 5th place in 2 weeks. Cassie & Hunter are curious, but no interaction is being allowed yet as he has just arrived.

Hector took a walk, leashed and did his business nicely outside.

After several days of being able to see and smell each other but not interact with each other, we made cautious introductions this evening with Cassie & Hunter and Hector....all good so far, no snapping, snarling, or tendencies toward fighting to be seen. We're not going to stress everyone out for long and will ex-pen Hector again shortly Right now they are all napping. Hector is still being evaluated in his foster home and he will be available for adoption soon.

Note from CP Blogger: Col. Potter has volunteers from coast to coast and in Canada, so many of our rescued cairns are transported and fostered far from the place where they were rescued.

Please click here if you would like to volunteer to help CP help these cairns. Volunteers are needed to transport, foster, search ads for cairns in need, help in promotions - if you have a desire to help, we can find an area that fits your schedule. Thank you for considering this.

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS! Each week we will showcase the sweeter side of Cairns. If you have a sweet filled cairn and would like us to consider YOUR picture for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com! (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.)


Nikki


Glamour


Cassie and Hunter


Smudge


Penny


Palwaukee


Neha


Manny and his Girl


Lucy

 

Sunday is full of SWEETS!  Each week we showcase the sweeter side of Cairns.  If you have a sweet filled Cairn and would like us to consider YOUR photo for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets!" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.).

 

  Next Weeks Theme : Giving Thanks....share their Feast Pics along with caption depicting what they are greatful for !!! 

 

Oden sniffing out the action

Mousie and Albert J sense the long hunt is 

almost over. Yeah Right, like a dog can smell a turkey roasting !

Baxter says.  "OK guys , I got that 

clown trapped, let's get him !!!!!!!!!

Meet Lucie The paper towel Hunter

AKA The Quiker Picker Upper Picker Upper !!!!

Oden and Loki Say "Sorry Baxter, We are waiting on Something Bigger, 

We Hear Pixie is tracking the mother lode.

Alber J and Mousie hunting in the pile, while 

Zoey ponders a future in Stand Up Comedy 

proudly proclaiming " I can see Russia From my House"

 

Son of a gun, PIXIE has found the Mother-Lode
 

Sunday Sweets! Happy New Year!

Sunday is full of SWEETS! Each week we will showcase the sweeter side of Cairns. If you have a sweet filled cairn and would like us to consider YOUR picture for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com! (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.

Defi, Cassie, Hunter

Tazz

Radar

Widgit

Sunni

Kasey

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS!  Each week we showcase the sweeter side of Cairns.  If you have a sweet filled Cairn and would like us to consider YOUR photo for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets!" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.).

Warming my bones in the fall sunshine

Finn

Which one of these is not like the others?

Jack, Chester, Hannah

What a workout!

Murray

Fox hunter

Roseanna

Pearly white fangs are just perfect with the horns....don't you think?

Wookie

Stream side adventure

Zach

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS! Each week we will showcase the sweeter side of Cairns. If you have a sweet filled cairn and would like us to consider YOUR picture for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com! (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.)

Hunter, Cassie and Defi

Aphra

Albie

Coco

Simon and the 2012 Col. Potter Faces of Rescue Calendar

Thursday training tips: It's all in the voice

Training should be a positive experience… If you are not getting the results you want, especially when you begin training, it is probably because the dog is confused rather than because he has decided to ignore or defy you. Always assume at first that the dog does not understand, and help him learn. Even when you are certain that the dog does understand and is making the decision not to obey, your attitude should calmly convey to him: ‘Perhaps you didn’t understand me, but that was a command and not a request. Let me help you.’ Then, when it does as you ask, praise the dog lavishly, reward and play with him and go on to something else. 

 -- Daphne S. Gentry, The New West Highland White Terrier

I know people's hearts are in the right place when they thank me for adopting a “special needs” dog, but really, as so many others in a similar situation can attest, no thanks are necessary. The pleasure is truly all mine. Peaches may have a severe heart defect, and her energy may not come close to what we usually see in a Westie puppy, but her love of life inspires me every day.

Just as we all have to discover the activities that best suit the temperament of our individual dogs, I’ve been spending our first couple of weeks trying to find the activities that will fulfill Peaches’ natural terrier spunk without overtaxing her heart. Fortunately, she is such a gentle explorer of backyard shrubbery that "go to ground" would be absolutely foreign to her.

"Be very afraid, I am the great white hunter!"

One of our biggest challenges is with an everyday activity: a walk. Peaches and I tried to take a walk down the block – she is so good on a leash! – but she asked to be picked up and carried after going a couple hundred feet. Peaches’ heart is not being fair to her nose, which wants to smell all the “richness” that a typical suburban neighborhood can offer. So, we found a solution. Her very own custom-decorated buggy.

Peaches loves to see and smell the neighborhood from the convenience of her buggy.

I thought I’d have to slowly condition Peaches to accept her buggy, to sit still, to not jump out as we stroll down the boulevard. Well. Peaches loves it! I think there are two reasons for that. First, this little girl has the normal terrier courage and curiosity, and the buggy is a new and fun experience; second, I used a happy voice in a high pitch when I introduced her to the buggy. Most dogs have a positive response to the high pitches and happy voices of their owners, as CPCRN Foster Director Sandy Tiller recently reminded me.

A note from Sandy:

Have you ever read The Other End of the Leash by Pat McConnell? I am reading it now. One of the things she talks about is our tone and how we say words to our dogs. She suggested that you use short, crisp words or sounds (smooches, clicks, “come, come” in a high voice) to get a dog to come to you or follow a direction and to use elongated words like "noooooooo" in a low deep voice when you want them to stop doing something. 

Well, I had to try it with my little mix, Monty, to see if he responded – and I’ll be darned if it doesn't work! When I want him to come, I now say "come, come" in a high voice and clap my hands. He instantly runs to me! He used to meander and take his time coming – not anymore. He was barking at a deer he could see through the chain link fence and I just said, "Montyyyyyyyyy noooooooooooo" in a lower tone and really drew the words out and I’ll be darned if he didn't stop and turn and look at me.

Monty recognizes the tones of Sandy's voice

I am really enjoying McConnell’s book. Now I just need to remember: short, quick words to get Monty to do something, and long, drawn-out words to get him to stop!

This great tip – with the proper nuance adjusted for your dog – came in handy today, when I was walking a neighbor’s collie, a wonderful and smart dog who loves children. We saw a mom and her toddlers walking towards us. I could see that the mom was uncomfortable with the possibility of meeting a strange dog, so we crossed the street to walk on the other side. Even from across the street, the collie was so happy to see the children that she started jumping in delight, putting the mom in high alert. I tried to calm the collie down with my high-pitched happy voice. “No, no sweetheart, let’s be good!” WRONG. The words weren’t making sense to her (what does “let’s be good” mean to a dog???) and the tone of my voice told her that I was joining in her fun. I lowered my pitch a bit and gave a command she understood. “Lassie, COME!” She stopped jumping, and she came to my side and looked up at me as if to say, “lady, all you have to do is ask.”

What do you think? Have you observed this with your dog? Please feel free to add your thoughts to the comment section, below.

Sunday Sweets!

Sunday is full of SWEETS!  Each week we showcase the sweeter side of Cairns.  If you have a sweet filled Cairn and would like us to consider YOUR photo for an upcoming "Sunday Sweets!" send it to us at cpcrnblog@gmail.com (All photo submissions become the property of CPCRN and may be used for fundraising, promotion and/or outreach purposes.).

Tennis ball anyone?  

Finn

Cuddling with my "bow wows"

Gwen

THAT was a serious game of ball

Murray

I like the plush and the not so plush

Oliver

Fox hunter

Roseanna

Squeaky banana lover

Valentine

You're not getting away from me orange man

Walker