… dogs. Seems like every time I pick up the phone, it is someone wanting to relinquish a dog. Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough foster homes to get them all into rescue. We were able, however, to take these three in … Pip, Bella and Ruffy. Pip has been here a while; Bella arrived the 26th of February and Ruffy, March 18th. Their stories echo the many who have passed through previously. Pip was a stray; Bella and Ruffy both came from households with small children where there weren’t enough hours in the day to meet all the needs of the little ones … be they two-legged or four.
Pip (l) and Bella (r)
Tomorrow, Bella leaves for her new home … Texas!! While we normally do not take part in out-of-state adoptions, Bella’s placement is with a very dear friend (Mazzi) and I know she’ll have a great home. Pip is equally fortunate. I’ll fly her down to San Antonio later where she’ll take up residence with Bella. These two get along fabulously and I’m sure Bella will be apsolutely delighted with Pip’s arrival.
If you’re looking for a young, handsome guy, you’re in luck! Available for placement now, is this boy … Ruffy. At 16-months old, he’s a real charmer and would make a great addition to any family. He’s neutered, working very hard on his housetraining, and gets along with dogs and cats alike. If interested in Ruffy, please contact me directly at: ApsoRescue@aol.com. And thanks to our newest foster parents — Debra and Mark — for taking him in!
… to a new star in the heavens tonight. A beautiful, shining red star. It is, indeed, fitting that we raise a glass of red wine to honor her memory. Or, perhaps, to drown our sorrow at her passing. What she added to our lives cannot be measured except by the heart.Â
Fly now, once again whole, to the high and ancient mountains … the ancestral home beckons.
Â
Kai-La-Sha Alright Alreddy    11/06/97 – 3/21/11
… when it’s time to let a beloved companion go? As pet owners, we must all face this difficult decision if we are to keep the promises made long years ago. To keep them safe, to keep them warm, to keep their best interest at heart no matter how difficult. Whether it’s the first time or the fifth time, it never gets any easier.
Today’s post is more for me than anything else. We’re struggling with the question of euthanasia for our old girl, Ali. She has severe OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) that’s bordering on self mutilation. She’s always had some element of OCD but it has become markedly worse in the past year. Nothing we’ve tried in the past or the present has helped to a great degree.  The current medication as prescribed by a behaviorist from CSU is losing its efficacy. She’s miserable — we’re miserable. As a self-admitted control freak, it is exceedingly difficult for me to concede that I can’t “fix” this.  No matter what happens, I do not want to look back on this time and say, “I waited too long” as that means the dog has suffered. Needlessly.Â
My beloved Ali ...
The time has come to pony up and repay Ali for all the years of joy and unconditional love. To take her pain and make it my own, freeing her from the ravages of time and a deteriorating mind and body. I do not make this decision lightly … and I weep with the knowledge she will soon be gone, no longer my little red shadow. Ali holds a special place in my heart as it was through her that my involvement with the breed became a journey of education into what truly makes an Apso “an Apso.”
Many years back I saved the following article and, from time to time, have pulled it out to share with friends struggling with the same issue. Or to prepare myself for what was to come with a foster so badly damaged it was beyond my best efforts. This day, it soothes the angst of impending personal loss …Â
How Do You Know When It’s Time?Â
I don’t subscribe to the idea that dogs “will let us know when it’s time,” at least not in any conscious sense on their part. For one thing, I’ve found in my years of counseling folks who have ill pets and often accompanying them through the euthanasia process, that this notion is often interpreted in a way that puts a lot of pressure on people when they’re already stressed and grief-stricken. “What if I miss the signs? He looked miserable yesterday but not today. What if I act too soon or not soon enough? How could he ever let on that he wants it to end? But maybe I’m deluding myself that he feels better than he does.”
Dogs are not people. We lovingly anthropomorphize our dogs during our time together and there’s no harm in that, even quite a bit of reward for both them and us. But the bottom line is that they are not people and they don’t think in the way people think. (Many of us would argue that that speaks to the superiority of dogs.) These amazing beings love us and trust us implicitly. It just isn’t part of their awareness that they should need to telegraph anything to us in order for their needs to be met or their well-being ensured. They are quite sure that we, as their pack leaders, operate only in their best interest at all times. Emotional selfishness is not a concept in dogdom and they don’t know how hard we sometimes have to fight against it ourselves.
Dogs also have no mindset for emotional surrender or giving up. They have no awareness of the inevitability of death as we do and they have no fear of it. It is fear that so often influences and aggravates our perceptions when we are sick or dying and it becomes impossible to separate the fear out from the actual illness after a while. But that’s not the case with dogs. Whatever we observe to be wrong with our sick dogs, it’s all illness. And we don’t even see the full impact of that until it’s at a very advanced point, because it’s a dog’s nature to endure and to sustain the norm at all costs. If that includes pain, then that’s the way it is. Unlike us, they have never learned that letting pain show, or reporting on it, may generate relief or aid. So they endure, assuming in their deepest doggy subconscious that whatever we abide for them is what is to be abided.
If there is a “look in the eye” or an indication of giving up that we think we see from our beloved dogs, it isn’t a conscious attitude on their part or a decision to communicate something to us. It’s just an indication of how tired and depleted they are. But they don’t know there’s any option other than struggling on, so that’s what they do. We must assume that the discomfort we see is much less than the discomfort they really feel. And we do know of other options and it is entirely our obligation to always offer them the best option for that moment … be it further intervention, or none, or the gift of rest.
From the moment we embrace these animals when they first grace our lives, every day is one day closer to the day they must abandon their very temporary and faulty bodies and return to the state of total perfection and rapture they have always deserved. We march along one day at a time, watching and weighing and continuing to embrace and respect each stage as it comes. Today is a good day. Perhaps tomorrow will be, too, and perhaps next week and the weeks or months after. But there will eventually be a winding down. And we must not let that part of the cycle become our enemy.
When I am faced with the ultimate decision about how I can best serve the animal I love so much, I try to set aside all the complications and rationales of what I may or may not understand medically and I try to clear my mind of any of the confusions and ups and downs that are so much a part of caring for a terminally ill pet. This is hard to do, because for months and often years we have been in this mode of weighing hard data, labs, food, how many ounces did he drink, should he have his rabies shot or not, etc. But at some point it’s time to put all of that in the academic folder and open the spiritual folder instead. At that point we are wise to ask ourselves the question: “Does he want to be here today, to experience this day in this way, as much as I want him to?”
Remember, dogs are not afraid, they are not carrying anxiety and fear of the unknown. So for them it’s only about whether this day holds enough companionship and ease and routine so that they would choose to have those things more than anything else and that they are able to focus on those things beyond any discomfort or pain or frustration they may feel. How great is his burden of illness this day, and does he want/need to live through this day with this burden of illness as much as I want/need him to? If I honestly believe that his condition is such, his pleasures sufficient, that he would choose to persevere, then that’s the answer and we press on.
If, on the other hand, I can look honestly and bravely at the situation and admit that he, with none of the fear or sadness that cripples me, would choose instead to rest, then my obligation is clear. Because he needs to know in his giant heart, beyond any doubt, that I will have the courage to make the hard decisions on his behalf, that I will always put his peace before my own, and that I am able to love him as unselfishly as he has loved me.
After many years, and so very many loved ones now living on joyously in their forever home in my heart, this is the view I take. As my veterinarian, who is a good and loving friend, injects my precious one with that freedom elixir, I always place my hand on top of his hand that holds the syringe. He has chosen a life of healing animals and I know how terribly hard it is for him to give up on one. So I want to shoulder that burden with him so he’s not alone. The law of my state says the veterinarian is the one licensed to administer the shot, not me. But a much higher law says this is my ultimate gift to my dog and the responsibility that I undertook on the day I welcomed that dog into my life forever. ~ Hilary Brown    Reprinted by permission of the author
Today’s submission comes from Sue Seaton, our long-time volunteer in Centennial, Colorado. If you’ve had a home visit done in the metro Denver area, you’ve most likely met Sue and her husband, Roy! We’re ever grateful to them for covering the Denver area all these years.Â
Roy and Carmen
Several years ago, my sister’s family put their family dog down at an old age. She had been a great dog. My sister Karen was very sad and quickly realized she needed another dog. She began searching on line, all over the country for the “right dog”, a dog that needed her as much as she needed her. Â
My sister lives in Michigan and found a dog in a rescue in Kentucky. She had been rescued from a breeding facility that was really just a dirty old barn. She spoke to the foster mom and was convinced this was the right dog, that they needed each other.  Two days later they made the long trip to Kentucky. When they met “Carmen”, it was love at first sight. They brought her home immediately and Carmen became a princess. She traveled everywhere with them. She never met a stranger and was a wonderful dog. She was loved at the seniors’ home where my mom resides. As much as the ladies loved her, she loved them.Â
On February 1st, she was diagnosed with cancer and within a few days it was confirmed as Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. There is little to no treatment for this horrible disease in dogs. Karen was devastated. Carmen was her pet and her friend. She was terrified at the thought of being without a dog for any length of time. She began searching on line for a dog.  She searched multiple times per day looking for a dog that needed her and would love to have a new home. She spoke with many rescue facilities but many of the dogs that seemed suitable would disappear before she could even investigate.   Carmen had no symptoms other than swollen glands. As luck and timing would have it, we have a cruise planned from 3/7 through 3/18. We were all worried that Carmen would become gravely ill while we were gone, possibly leaving my niece to euthanize her and spend a great deal of time alone as well. The family got her ice cream and burgers to eat, took her everywhere in the car and generally spoiled her all they could. Â
Carmen stayed relatively fine until two days ago. She developed a large ulcer in her mouth and stopped eating.  On Wednesday, Karen received a call from a rescue in Kentucky. They had a dog that they thought would be perfect for her. We didn’t know what to do. It seemed that Carmen might be waiting so her family would not be alone. On Thursday morning, Carmen stopped eating and declared that she was ready. Although the timing may seem strange to you, it didn’t to me. I knew that it was God. He had answered my prayers that Carmen would not suffer, that my sister could begin giving her love to a new dog and that my niece would not be left home alone, to experience solitary grief. Carmen is pictured above, having fun teasing her Uncle Roy.Â
Today, Karen and her family again made the long trip to Kentucky, filled with grief and sadness at the loss of their beloved dog, Carmen. When they got to Kentucky, they met Lily Bell, pictured below.  She immediately began bonding with the family. Within a short time, they packed up the car and made the 6 hour drive back home. Please meet Lily Bell, pictured below. She is not Carmen, but she just oozes a gentle confidence that could only come from receiving the baton from the one that passed before her. Have faith.Â
When a door closes, a window opens. Embrace it! Breathe deeply!        ~~ Sue  Â
This photo was sent to me by Emma’s adoptive family … awwwww, aren’t they sweet?!?
Emma (on the right) was surrendered to us as a one-year old. She had never been housetrained and was basically living her life as a yard dog during the day and crated from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.  Adopted by Michelle, Emma now resides in Texas.
… hit the jackpot with a new home in Berthoud, Colorado. Recent transplants from Illinois, Debra and Mark are enjoying our typically mild winters. Contrary to popular belief, the foothills and plains of Colorado are not coated in snow the entire winter. The mountains, however, are a different story and we love to hear that our mountain snowpack is “above average.”
Elle is settling in to her new home with little fanfare. Their resident cat, however, may have a different opinion of her new “roomie.”Â
Here’s what Deb and Mark had to say about Elle’s first week …
Hi Vickie, Elle has been here a week. She has been a good dog. She and Debra have bonded and she follows her around like Debra wanted. She goes outside but is subtle about wanting out. We take her out often. We have found two bad habits of hers. One she would be a car chaser. When cars go by she runs across the back yard like she is chasing.  But she never goes out alone and can’t leave the yard so it is not a problem. She doesn’t do it while on a leash. The other bad habit is she is a beggar. She begs at the dinner table. We have not given her anything but she has to be scolded when she stands up. The crate is going much better. She still whimpers but for a very short time. She figures she is going to spend the night in there.  When we leave she will still howl. You can hear her in the garage.  Other than that she is a great companion for Debra. She and the cat are getting along great. Elle wants to play more but the cat ignores her when she is not interested so Elle just walks off. She is eating better now. She started off eating one time a day. But she eats twice. Loves her greenies. They are much cheaper onliine than at pet store. Everything is good. She is right at home now and is learning her boundaries. Debra & Mark H.
Besides Elle getting a new home, we’re excited to welcome Debra and Mark as new foster parents for our organization!! Thank you for stepping up to the plate and opening your hearts and home for a dog that needs a second chance at a new life. It is only through our foster homes that we are successful in this endeavor. Again, welcome!!
This is unabashedly a repeat of last year’s post (and the year before, et al )  … the same information holds true for 2011!
Once again, we’re gearing up for the largest dog show in Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Cluster held February 18-21 at the National Western Complex (Expo Hall), 4655 Humboldt in Denver. The Premium List, which contains information on the show, parking, maps and entry, can be found here … Premium List. The actual times for judging and the ring numbers are not disseminated until just a week before the show; we’ll post a link to the judging program when available.
Update:  As promised, the Judging Program is available and here’s the line up for the Apsos: Friday, Ring 9 at 12:15; Saturday, Ring 4 at 10:35; Sunday, Ring 6 at 12:25; and Monday, Ring 6 at 9:40. Please note that Ring 6 is in the basement.
If you’re thinking of attending, please be sure to give yourself plenty of time for parking, getting into the facility, and then finding the right ring and some chairs (rings are marked by numbers on tall poles). Parking, depending on where one finds an open lot, can run anywhere from $5 to $10 — and it may also be a very long walk! Entry fee to the Expo Hall is $5. Please note that dogs not entered in the show are not allowed on the site. If considering crowds/parking, Friday or Monday would probably be the better of the four days to attend.  As the largest show in the region, the selection of vendors and their wares is pretty amazing … if it’s dog related, you’ll find it at this show! From art prints, to clothing, to grooming supplies, to dog beds, to K9-related jewelry, to crates and tables, it will be at this show. Might want to bring the plastic along (and keep in mind that the vendors start packing up on Monday for the return home).
Besides the conformation competition, one can also find other venues such as Rally, Obedience, and Agility. These are generally held in the Events Center which fronts 47th Street; Rally is held on the 3rd floor of the main building. Hope to see you there … it’s a great reason to come out and support the breed! If you need more information, please feel free to contact me at: ApsoRescue@aol.com.
… household. Specifically, feline and canine. I’ve had both dogs and cats in residence for as long as I can remember. What’s nice about having a cat around is I have an in-resident feline test for the foster dogs as to whether or not they get along with cats. Always nice to be able to say, “Yes, this dog gets along with cats and dogs.”
Boogins, the current marble-brained feline, was adopted from the Larimer Humane Society at the tender age of eight weeks in 1997. Raised with my then eight-year old Apso, Brittany, he doesn’t know life without dogs.
If owned by a cat … or simply fascinated by these amazing creatures … one must watch Simon’s Cat. He’s nailed the feline persona in spades in a series of 12 animated films. Definitely a must watch!
… and whatever it might bring! Always nice to get the trappings and rush of the holidays behind us and start with a new slate. Which generally puts us in the mood to start pitching and cleaning while stuck in the house with the cold and snow. Ever mindful of April and taxes, we sort into three piles … pitch, donate or keep. Hopefully most of it is designated pitch or donated!
Taking time for neither taxes or winter, rescue plugs along. Here’s an update on Bubba to start the New Year! Now known as “Max,” it sounds like he’s doing very well in his new home …
Wanted you to know that Max went to the ophthalmologist — Dr Nusbaum at VRCC — last week and checked out fine. She thinks he is about six from his eyes and believes that his condition was caused by his eyelashes turning inward and sweeping over his cornea. There is scar tissue there now so no discomfort. She changed his drops and he is a happy camper. Met Sadie’s doctors and staff and made some new friends! He was quite a hit! Dr Nusbaum was upset when she read the initial vets report, she noted that he was homey … I couldn’t tell what that word was so had skipped over it. She said he definitely is not homely and she wished that the vet could see him now. Told her we won’t go back to Kansas as he had a bad experience there!
Â
He is doing very well, seems like he has been with us forever. He and Sadie walk around out in the yard on patrol and he watches the cat with a great deal of interest. We are getting ready for Christmas so he will get some new toys! Hope to see Neil and Kip over the holidays.  ~~ Cindy
Â
The vet that made the “homely” comment was at my clinic. And, in her defense, Bubba was looking pretty bad that day. He’d just come off a two-day transport from eastern Kansas — dubbed “the transport from hell” because of vehicle and people problems. During his overnight stay in Kansas, he’d gotten a haircut with a pair of scissors. Poor boy had clumps of hair — sticking this way and that — and a totally bare spot on his butt and hindquarters. Thick, blackened and scaly, the bare skin looked like it belong to an elephant instead of a small dog. Added to the overall picture was his sad face. Yup, poor Bubba looked pretty homely. Just like the frog that turned into a handsome prince, Bubba bloomed with a little TLC, some hair growth, and a professional hair cut.
Elle
Next up is Elle (pronounced “El”) who arrived in rescue the day that Bubba headed home with Cindy. Found as a stray on the streets of Greeley, it soon became evident that she had some issues with separation anxiety. Not the destructive type, however. Elle’s anxiety manifests itself in … howling. Throw-the-head-back-and-howl-to-the-heavens howl. With a set routine and someone home a good portion of the day, her behavior has greatly improved while in foster care. We believe she will continue to improve once she settles into a home where she feels loved and secure.
Elle is a spayed four-year old female. She is house trained, crate trained and current on vaccinations. If interested in adoption of this *very* smart little dog, please visit our adoption page for information on our adoption procedures and the application form … Adoption Process.
May the snows fall lightly on your winter … and may you always find love at your feet.
… and may we remember those dear to our heart who have gone before us. Wishing everyone a blessed holiday season. As the midnight hour approaches, I leave you with …
If your house is anything like mine at the holidays, part of the tradition is having chocolate around … cookies, cakes, candy … chocolate! Unfortunately, it isn’t a good idea to share that sweet treat with our canine friends, intentional or not. My first Apso was known to, on the sly, open any package she could get to that contained chocolate.
National Geographic has put together a great interactive presentation to calculate your dog’s weight and how little chocolate it takes to make him or her very ill. The slide in the presentation allows one to calculate the risk by the dog’s weight. While I knew chocolate was dangerous, I was surprised at how little it takes to be toxic for a 15-pound dog!
I was advised yesterday in a Christmas card that Elvis lost his battle with immune mediated hemolytic anemia on November 28th. Yes, rescue allows me to have all the dogs I ever wanted … they just  go  live with someone else.  Which also means that, eventually, I will lose all of them as well. While our fosters go on to new lives with new families, they never really leave our thoughts. They may have been with us for only a short time but the details of their stay are vivid in the mind’s eye.Â
Elvis is fondly remembered for his enthusiasm … didn’t matter what was going on, he was a happy, bouncy boy. He was closely connected, always coming back to check-in with me and offer himself up for a good rub down … then off he’d go. One of those dogs that exuded joy through his facial expressions. You just knew he was happy. He’s also the dog that taught 18-month old Frankers how to hike his leg for every pee stop around the yard. At that time, I did not know it could be a learned behavior!
He had the dubious honor of being the first severely matted dog to endure my grooming skills (which wasn’t saying much at that time). I remember feeling completely overwhelmed and definitely lacking in appropriate grooming equipment. Of particular note was his patience with me over a 4-hour grooming session. He could have easily been the “dog from hell” given his coat condition and his undeniably inexperienced groomer. Instead, he willing did everything I asked of him, i.e., stand, sit, move this way, etc., etc.
Godspeed, Elvis … I know your family will greatly miss your gentle heart.
… and nose to the wind, little one. Prayer flags whip in the crisp air, the lofty peaks of the Himalayas gleam in the distance … and the ancestral home beckons. Godspeed, Lanni.
I got word this week that we lost one of our fosters. A 14-year old, she recently developed canine cognitive dysfuction (CCD) and was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable in her surroundings. Never easy to let them go even when we know we are doing the right thing by taking their pain and making it our own. A milestone for us as this is the first placement (that we’re aware of) that’s aged out.
Lanni arrived in rescue as a shaggy 7-year old. Her elderly owner had passed away and the family was unable to keep her. I recall how badly infected her ears were. During the intake exam, I flipped her ear leathers over and was appalled at what I found … ears full of black, gunky debris. Literally full. I started cleaning them out, getting black chunks as large as my thumbnail. A review of the medical records provided noted she had an allergy to corn. The food and treats dropped off with the dog all contained … corn. No telling how long her ears had been chronically infected. A larger Apso, it was a wrestling match every time we dosed her ears with the Panalog. Applying topical medication is normally not a problem for me; however, I couldn’t do it myself and had to enlist hubby’s assistance in restraining her. Very much like holding a greased pig.
Lanni had not been socialized around other dogs and was a bit, ummm how shall I say … lacking in canine manners. My crew did not appreciate her shouldering her way through any situation like a bull in a china closet. Gentle as they come, just not able to read the other dogs’ body language.Â
After a short time in rescue, Lanni hit the jackpot and went to live with Elaine and her mom, Anne, where she was well cared for and deeply loved. I know the days ahead will be a bit less bright without gentle Lanni to grace their home. My thanks to Elaine and Anne for taking such good care of her all these years.
There’s a certain rhythm to rescue, one that’s difficult to put into words. Like waves on a beach, it ebbs and flows from day to day, month to month and dog to dog. Long-standing protocols are put into place with each arrival, offering the new foster a sense of balance and structure. Given that my dogs are already “with the program,” the foster is generally assimilated into the pack with little fanfare.  Fosters just fall into line and cue off the resident canines, making my job much easier.
Yesterday was a double tide day … after four months in foster care and extensive medical treatment, Bubba went to his new home. A handsome boy with his new haircut, he amped up the charm for his new owner, Cindy. Left in his wake are the foster parents — John and Neil — who lovingly nursed him back to health, and then had the fortitude to send him on to a new home. Not always an easy thing and especially so when fostering for the first time (thanks, guys!). No matter how many times we manage to let go, there will always be those fosters that we keep close to our heart. But, as Neil put it, “Bubba’s journey isn’t finished yet.”  With Bubba’s new home, including canine and feline siblings, his travels are now complete. Quite the road for a dog abandoned and left tied to a fence in rural Kansas. As have all the others who have gone before, I look forward to hearing how he’s blooming in his new home.Â
Late yesterday afternoon, four-year old Elle arrived from Greeley. A stray found wandering the streets, she was taken in by a college student who attempted to find her owners. Despite having a microchip, the effort failed as the previous owners neglected to change their contact information after a move. Our thanks to Grace and Mike for getting Elle into rescue when it would have been easier  to just give her away or turn her over to a shelter! And thanks again to John and Neil for agreeing to take on another foster so quickly!!
Having six dogs in the house this morning was very much like herding cats. While everyone knows their place for the individual food bowls, they still have to mill around. Remembering names becomes more problematic the more dogs that are underfoot and especially when two of them have the same coloring. No wonder hubby calls them all “Larry.” Elle was more interested in seeing what the others had in their bowls instead of eating her breakfast. Pip finished her breakfast quickly and was quite willing to scarf down Elle’s abandoned bowl. These three need to go outside immediately after breakfast … these two have to leave the kitchen … this one comes out of his crate where he’s just finished his breakfast. One of the three that went outside is now standing at the back door, barking to be let back in. Added to the ordered chaos is some sort of gastric bug that’s making the rounds … four of the six dogs have thrown up in the past 24 hours. So goes the rhythm of rescue …
After two+ months in rescue, our little Emmy went to her new home recently. We just love repeat adoptions and this one is no exception. Trudi and Paul — who adopted Ka Tu, the little guy with the fracture jaw — opened their hearts and home for Emmy. I have no doubt that this home will more than make up for all she’s been through.  From a starving little waif to this …
Trudi & Emmy
… a new family which includes canine and feline siblings. Here’s an excerpt from Trudi’s update on how things are going …
I would say things are going great!! The first few days, Vickie, I was really concerned about her. She just seemed so melancholy and listless. Hardly responded to anything. Always a chow hound tho! which I took to be a good sign. Didn’t care about taking walks. Didn’t want to go down the deck stairs. When I carried her down and told her to potty, she looked up at me like how dare I set her in this nasty, wet grass. I was worried about her, her eyes were so blank. I think when I talked to you the first morning she had played with Tu some, running around the table? Well, even that subsided. OK – that was the first two days.
Now, oh my gawd! She’s home!!! I think she felt like she was in yet another orphanage at first. Vickie, this little gal is now the life of the household! She and Tu tear thru the house chasing and panting. I think she may end up being the alpha. The other day I threw one of the toys and Toots got to it first. Emmy runs up and bites him in the butt! Toots quit playing after that but they were back at it again yesterday evening and this morning and he’s holding his own. I’m on vacation now for a week so it will be good to really keep them both close. When I came home Sunday evening, Emmy met me with the star in her mouth and she and Tuie both danced around! It warmed my heart! Tu has a “donut” on the couch (I think it’s in his photos I left with you) and now Em is in it half the time. We’ll have to get another one – pink, of course!
Emmy has had only one accident and that was the second day. I caught her in the act, which was good. Now she goes down the deck all day long. If Tu goes, she goes. Tuie has a seeing eye hole in the fence (knot hole) just his eye level. That’s how he keeps all the riff-raff disciplined. Em is right with him. She holds her tail up all the time; has a prance to her step and a sparkle in her eyes! She even barked yesterday when the doorbell rang. She loves to sit in Paul’s lap and get long belly rubs. She no longer cries at night – not a peep. And I know Tu wakes her with his snoring! Not much different than their “human room mates!”
We are so thankful for our adoptive homes … partners in rescue, we couldn’t continue our work without them.Â
I come from a long line of farm women, all who learned to cook for large families at a very young age. I remember my Mom talking about making bread in large wash tubs as a 12-year old on the Western Slope. Enough to feed a family of 10 or 11 and any farm or harvest hands that might be there as well. While I didn’t inherit her knack for working with yeast — my few feeble attempts at yeast bread look like rejects from the brick kiln — I do enjoy my time in the kitchen and have acquired some skills of my own.
Over the years, I’ve managed to collect a rather substantial number of cookbooks, well over 72 at last count, and I especially like the small regional cookbooks produced as fund raisers for various organizations. I probably have the world’s largest untried recipe collection as well, torn from magazines or downloaded from the ‘Net. A recent project included indexing and organizing a 3-inch three-ring “D” binder to hold the additional recipes — which also meant throwing out quite a few that didn’t sound as good upon second (or third) reading. Or contained too many steps/ingredients. I’m definitely into easy comfort food.
With the return of fall and cooler weather, I am always drawn to a favorite recipe, first shared by an elderly aunt on the Western Slope and who grew up on a farm in The Depression. Chock full of apples, cinnamon and pecans, the smell of it baking wafts through the house and brings to mind autumn’s bounty and the drop in temperature soon to follow. It’s also a good way to use up those apples that, unless eaten quickly, will head out to the compost bin. Which is what happened today with apples soon headed to the compost pile! I’m trying something different with this recipe. It bakes up an absolutely fabulous crust so I’m using a Bundt pan to see what results.  Whenever I take this cake somewhere, I’m always asked for the recipe … German Apple Cake. It has now become a classic at our house and is often requested at family holiday dinners.
Along the way, I’ve also picked up and developed several dog biscuit recipes. Not surprisingly, a favorite here is an apple recipe that is allergy friendly, using oat flour instead of wheat, and safflower oil instead of corn oil. When I was doing quite a bit of dog cookie baking, the dogs were *very* aware of what was in the oven and eagerly anticipated their special treats. When the oven beeper would go off, they’d race to the kitchen to see what was coming out for them! Here’s to sharing the taste of autumn with the four-leggers … Cinnamon Apple Snaps.
P.S.  As a side note, the Bundt pan worked beautifully! Lots of yummy, crunchy crust with little adjustment … I dropped the temp 25 degrees (to 325) and used the convection option on my oven (ergo the temperature adjustment).
Emmy came through her spay with flying colors … no problems, no issues. Whew!! Always worry when the little ones undergo surgery. Doc Sherry is great but, I still worry and am always relieved when I get the call letting me know surgery is over and they’re doing well in recovery.
Given that we’ve had lots of experience over the years with dogs and surgery, we’ve added a few tricks to our bag when it comes to keeping them from licking or scratching their incisions. First up is the Elizabethan collar (e-collar) which is used only in worst-case scenarios. Looking like an evil cousin to an ugly lampshade, it is cumbersome, uncomfortable, and inhibits mobility, eating and drinking. Forget the dog sleeping in a crate with one of these as you’ll both end up losing sleep.
A humane alternative to the e-collar is the Bite-Not Collar. Looking like a short stovepipe, it keeps the dog (or cat) from accessing wound areas on the body. It is much more “user friendly” and allows full mobility. On occasion, we’ve had a long-bodied dog that was way too limber and could bend enough to access the incision site. That’s usually when we do one of two things: employ the use of a “onesie” or revert back to the e-collar, with the onsie being the preferred method.
Since Emmy didn’t seem to be too interested in irritating her incision, I opted to go for comfort. She definitely didn’t like the Bite-Not and wasn’t the least bit cooperative when I put it on. And then couldn’t get comfortable with it in place. The onsie, however, was perfect. I put it on “backwards” so the crotch snaps up on the rear and not underneath the belly. With the right size, one doesn’t even have to make a hole for the tail, just snap it to one side.  This also makes for a quick adjustment with a clothespin to hold the flap up for potty trips outside.
Emmy in her onesie
Thankfully, there are other alternatives to e-collars on the market now, including a soft cone collar, an inflatable collar (the one we purchased leaked from first inflation and was returned), as well as the soft donut-type collars.
What a fabulous day … and in a nice location with great parking! The event was well attended by the community. Emmy managed to steal the show and Bubba was a hit with the crowds. You might recall that Bubba was found abandoned, tied to a fence in Kansas. Emmy, also from Kansas, was basically abandoned by her owner —  left to fend on her own, she was starving to death when she arrived in rescue.   Â
Emmy, sporting her best bandana ...
Â
Emmy, Bubba's foster dad, Neil, and Bubba
Â
I got to see Magoo’s adoptive mom as well as Linda and Jackson (another of our foster dogs). We made some contacts with other groups and was invited to set up as a vendor at two other events … our local feedstore will be setting up an adoption event and was made aware of the 2 Million Dogs program which partners up canine and human cancer research, which will be hosting an event on November 7th as well.  Â
Loveland's 2010 Pet Expo
Â
Please keep Emmy in your thoughts for this week … she’s going in for her spay on Monday, September 20th. In the past five weeks, she’s: gained weight, blossomed into a great little dog and is growing new coat. Red-gold coat, to be exact!   Â
Many thanks to our Apso friends — old and new — who came out and visited with us … we had a great time!  Â
ApsoRescueColorado 
