How do you make a Keenex dance? Put a little Boogie in it....

Great Joke! :) And Boogie is a Great little dog! We are having a blast with him! He came with us to my parents for Thanksgiving. He was such a good boy! He rode extreemly well on the 3 hour car ride there and back. Once we got there he had a wonderful time meeting the family and behaved hinmself very well in their house. In the morning we took him and Marley for a logn walk and then up to the empty tennis courts near by where he could run. Does this dog ever LOVE to play ball! He will play fetch all day if you let him. He's pretty fast- and it's very funny to watch him run on his wobbly puppy legs! He had no accidents and really seems to have very good manners.

Here's Boogie in front of the fire place on Thanksgiving day...
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Boogie is one of those great dogs that seems to fit right in where ever he goes. He LOVES people and is extremely anxious to please.

Here's a little video of Boogie showing off his newly learned tricks, sit and down. This video was taken just a few hours into his first day with us....he's a smartie!

Boogie is Here!

Well late last night we drove to Lake Mills to pick up our new foster, Boogie. He was GREAT on the ride back to Madison. He quietly lay in the back of the car the entire way home. He also took treats from our hand minutes after meeting him! Boogie is about 35 pounds (he badly needs to put on about 10 pounds). We're not sure of his breed, to me he looks like he must have some Airedale in him- because his coloring is what I'd describe as chocolate and caramel like an Airedale. However, his size and face shape seems a little more Wheaten- so that's our guess! Boogie has the softest fur I've ever felt and big ol' puppy dog eyes. He was pretty much the opposite of our last foster Kaiah, and seemed to bond with us from the minute we met him. We're tempted to rename him shadow, because he follows us every where!

Because we got home so late last night, we actually put Boogie in his kennel as soon as we got home, and blocked Marley off to his normal sleeping quarters in the back hallway. We thought a midnight meeting might not be a wise choice. Boogie slept through the night in his new crate with no problems. He let out a whine or two for about the first minute, then we never heard a peep out of him until we let him out at 7:30 this morning. Before he met Marley, we took Marley for a long run with our bikes. He was pretty well wore out by the time he got back. Marley took the new comer in stride, acting like it was no big deal that he had a new dog in his yard. Boogie on the other hand, had already decided in the first hour he spent with me this morning while Marley was out running with Brian that I was his person and he didn't like Marley coming by me. We quickly nipped that in the butt- and they're becoming good pals!

It's very apparent that Boogie is still a puppy. His legs seem too long for his body and he wobbles around on them. He's SO skinny! Our last foster, Kaiah was skinny- but Boogie is just bones! He loves treats though so it shouldn't be long until he fills out!


He's made himself at home, he's curled up taking a nap at my feet as I type this. He is such a sweet dog and will be someone's loving, loyal shadow!

Update on Kaiah now (Kenzie)

Here is an update from Kaiah's new family!! We are all glad to here how wonderful Kenzie is doing. Great to hear from you. The Wolfes

Hi Brian and Meagan, we are doing great.We did change her name to
Kenzie, which she acknowledged this week. She is really settling in
and is coming around. She has had no accidents in the house and last
night we let her sleep in our room out of the kennel. I have no doubt
she will be attempting to have her share of the bed if we let her!!! I
have been sitting in the car with her, but not starting it up, she is
still terrified of parked cars, will need some work on that. I just
booked her a private training session for next Sat with someone to
help me understand on how to train her better. I had her in our
neighbors fenced yard yesterday and she had a great time running with
their dogs. I have got her used to running along beside me on the
bike, which she seems to enjoy.She is such a sweet dog and she will be
great pet, as you are aware. She seems to be starting to trust us more
and with that will push the boundaries a bit more in terms of car
rides etc. She really walks well on a leash, and pees on command in
the a.m and p.m. We really are having a great time with her and thanks
for all your help with her, again you need to be commended on your
efforts. If you are ever this way, please drop in for a visit, would
love to see you.
Nancy

Kaiah’s Gone!! The Aftermath

So now that Kaiah has left you would think our lives would be back to normal, but something is not quite right. You see, during Kaiah’s tenure Marley was usually a pretty good dog. For the most part he stayed out of trouble; he did not get into things or make trouble. Now that Kaiah is gone I have noticed that Marley is a bit more of trouble maker. He jumps up on the counter, digs through the garbage can (not for food but for Kleenex), barks and makes weird noises at us, and gets into things he shouldn’t. Now you may not believe this but with Kaiah here he still did some of those things but not as much as he does now. (And also don’t get me wrong I love my Marley, and the things that he does is nothing serious just annoying). You know chasing your dog a round the house when he has a pair of your underwear in his mouth. (I am waiting for him to do that sometime when we have company. Just sitting there, having a few beers watching football then all of a sudden there goes Marley, and there goes Meagan. I hope I have my video camera for that episode.) I just thought that having one dog would be easier than having two dogs and now I’m not so sure. I think Marley misses his little friend and hopefully we will be able to foster another playmate for Marley real soon. (Probably not soon enough)!! We hope you are doing well, Kaiah!!

I have posted one of my favorite videos of Marley and Kaiah. It’s really funny to see what happens when Marley goes too far.

Kaiah Found a Home!

Last Saturday Kaiah found a home with a nice family in Northern Illinios. Kaiah has been through a lot in the last few weeks and it is great that she will now be able to enjoy life in a new forever home. No more living in foster homes, no more puppy mills, she is now able to live the good life. We are so happy with the progress that she has made and we look forward to hearing further updates from her new family. Her younger brother misses her very much, we all hope you have a great new life with a loving family. Thanks for the memories. Brian, Meagan, and Marley.

Couple Pictures

I caught Kaiah in the middle of a game of chase with Marley.....

Look at all the cute little fluff growing in on her face!

Trip to the Dog Park

We took a trip to the dog park on Monday and in doing so I learned that Kaiah is not particularily fond of car rides. It seems that she becomes very stressed and drools an excessive amount and even threw up in the car about half way to the park. I thought about turning back at this point but I knew that once we arrived she would have a great time. I choose a smaller dog park and for the first 10 minutes we had the place to ourselves. Kaiah and Marley were running across the park chasing each other. Then this huge wolf hybrid showed up and I was a little nervous. The owner asked me if my dogs were friendly and I said they were. The wolf dog was very shy dog tail between the legs but the dogs got along great. Marley and the wolf dog would play and Kaiah would stay out of the way and just bark at the two dogs. Kind of like a mother telling her children to play nice. But they loved the experience. The wolf dog would chase Kaiah and Kaiah would chase the wolf dog. They played for about 45 minutes and she had her tail up was barking and playing. I knew she would have a good time and it would be worse the dreadful car ride to the dog park. I actually saw her run at full speed in our small yard she does not get to do that. She would streak across the dog park looking for her pal Marley.

Weekend

Kaiah had her first experience since settling in meeting new people! Our friends came over for dinner last night and Kaiah happily greeted them and was practically begging for attention from them. Despite all she's been through, this little lady has a lot of confidence! She happly greets people on our daily walks and bosses Marleya nd the neighbor dogs around like no other! She barks by the back door when she needs to go out and goes to her kennel when asked. She loves bones and toys of any kind, size or shape! She also loves a good game of chase with Marley. She's becoming a very fun little dog and we have no doubt she will edventually settle rigth in with the perfect family.

Update

Kaiah is happily chewing a bone on the rug in the den. She was more timid than usual for few days after her spay. But in the last few days she has been back to playing in the yard, chasing Marley around, and going for long walks. She is taking treats from our hand. However, this hasn't helped us much in the training process. She still doesn't seem to understand the concept of "rewards." However, I belive we are making progress in name recognition as well as the "kennel" command when we go to leave for work in the morning.

So far so good!

I think there’s been a mistake!!

We were under the impression that we getting a dog that was scared, timid, and that would huddle in the corner and shake. However, Kaiah is most definitely not that dog. In fact, in less than a week she has taken on several traits that are eerily similar to Marley. For instance, Marley chases squirrels, so does Kaiah, Marley barks at other dogs, so does Kaiah, Marley wants to run after other dogs on walks, so does Kaiah. Marley enjoys roughhousing in the backyard, Kaiah joins in. In fact Kaiah was chasing Marley around the yard at full speed. Marley goes up and down steps, and as of yesterday, Kaiah does as well. Believe me we are not complaining. She is just as normal as any other dog (whatever normal means). She is still a little shy in the house but compared to day one is wondering around more, spending much less time in her kennel, and playing more. It is so nice just to be able to let her out in the morning I just open the door and she goes right outside and takes care of business; although, getting her to come back in can be a bit of a problem. She is really thriving by having a routine; I think that this is the best thing for her. We are going to start training and teaching her some manners (not that she has bad manners). Although we will probably wait on that for a little while until she is done recovering from her spaying. I have no doubts that she will be a good dog for someone and that she will live a long and “normal” life.

Our First Walk

So I come home from work and I was kind of thinking maybe we should try going for a walk. No harm in that; maybe we make it to the end of the drive way or maybe make it a few blocks down the road. Well in this example we made it around the block, oh and did I say we went for a "walk" no it was more like a run.
So then we get home and she is all jacked up with energy running around the yard and barking at randomness. (A trait she undoubtedly inherited from her step-brother). However, it quickly came to an end as the roar of the F-15 fighter jets taking off from the Madison Airport sent her running for the door to go inside. After the fear subsided she proceeded to make herself at home in Marley's Kennel. And based on his reaction that was something Marley did not take to kindly to. But boy she has made herself right at home she has a kennel full of toys that she has stolen from Marley when he was preoccupied chasing a fly in the house. Its really kind of funny.

Rain.

Yesterday was rainy, stormy into the night. We thought Kaiah was just being very brave, because she spent the whole evening in our living room with us, trying to jump up on the couches. She didn't act nervous, her tail wagged, and she didn't shake. She just acted like she wanted to come up on the couch. Then it dawned on me! She had spent her entire life outside. It's only natural for her to seek high ground when she senses rain! We spent most of the night pulling her down from coffee tables and couches, until about 9:00 when I think it dawned on her, "it's storming out, and I'm not getting wet!!!!" She layed down on the rug and then enventually into her kennel as everone went to bed. It was interesting, but a sad realization of what her life used to be like.

Kaiah LOVES to be pet! She will come set her head in your lap and stay there forever if you let her! She is also still having a great time with all these toys! Everytime Marley turns his back she sneaks into his toy basket and takes another one to her kennel with her. I should post a pic of all the toys she's brought it there. I don't know if this is maybe a hearding instinct thing, or a motherly dog thing, but it's really cute.

Kaiah's New Toy!

Great Weekend!

Brian and I were just commenting how we felt like when Kaiah first came to stay with us, we only felt like between her and Marley we had about 1 and 1/4 dogs. She was so scared and quiet that we barley knew she was here. Today I'm happy to report, we feel like we have 2 whole dogs! Yesterday we made GREAT progress. Kaiah's kennel is situated in our back hall way. All day I left the back door open so she could come and go from the house to the yard. She seemed to really appreciate it! She'd happily go outside, lay in the sun, sniff around, and then wander into her kennel for a nap. I think she's coming around to the idea of having some freedom.

Still no accidents! She went right outside this morning and did her things! We still have to carry her down the stairs off our deck. She will gladly climb up stairs, but is hesitant to go down. She goes in and out the back door with no problems. She follows Marley in and out of the house and is starting to follow us too! She joined us in the living room this morning and just sat next to Brian to be pet. She loves to be talked to in a real high "baby" voice. Her tail just wags like crazy and she tilts her head from side to side while we talk. She especially likes Brian and is happiest to be where he is.

She LOVES toys! We bought her some nice, light weight toys that she could squeak easily (yeah, the type Marley would have in shreds in 30 seconds if given the opportunity!) She's so gentle, that we figured they'd be perfect! She loved them! See the video below of Marley and Kaiah having a good time with their new toy. (See post above. Sorry, I'm new at this!)

I had to ask my vet friend last night is Marley was getting "portly." She said absolutely not (fluffy, yes but not over wieght!) Kaiah is really just that skinny....... I feel like I'm hurting her when I pet her because her bones are so obvious. But the good news is, she eats like a champ, so it will just be a matter of time.

She's does have set backs. Some noises scare her, like the big dogs barking next door, but all the cars, planes and trains (we live right in Madison) don't faze her. Household noises don't seem to bother her either. She still shakes and often we can't point a finger as to why. However, she recovers much more quickly and it usually only lasts maybe a minute.

We'll see how she does adjusting to a whole week of our normal work schedule.

The First 24 Hours (or so)

I'm not sure where I heard this, but whomever it was was wise..."You don't always get the dog you want, but you ALWAYS get the dog you need." This has been so true with our experience with Kaiah. Brian and I are not patient. Kaiah is teaching us how to be, and we a thankful for that. She moves slowly. When she wants to leave the safety of her kennel, it generally takes about 15 minutes (except right now we just came home and she bounded out of her kennel!). If she needs to go outside, she will shake for 10 minutes in the lawn before getting to business. If she wants to pick up a ball, that takes a few minutes too. But that's okay, she deserves the time!

When we first got her on Thursday night, we were shocked how tiny and skinny she was. Just this little naked dog, with a long skinny tail who would shake. She was still so, very sweet though. Never showing a hint of agression. Although, she's quickly taken the position of "leader" over our dog Marley and he seems to respect her and give her the space she needs. I found this very encouraging to see that she was able to salvage a little bit of her confidence, despite all she's been through.......

Even in the short time we've had her, she's made GREAT progress! She is shaking less and less. The most suprising thing about her, is she loves toys and balls! I never would have guessed, but she "collects" all of the tennis balls around the house and puts them in her kennel. Last night we woke up to her squeaking away at a toy in her kennel. It was great to see her having fun.

She doesn't have any accidents when in the house. She waits to be let out when we get home and goes- this has amazed us! I think just being on a schedule is going to do her a world of good.

Got to go! My vetrinarian friend is coming over tonight for a camp fire, maybe she'll have some useful tips for us and Kaiah! We will post pictures tomorrow (the pic in the title isn't her- but I would guess that's pretty close to what she'll look like once her hair starts to grow in a little).

Kaiah- The Bearded Collie

Coming soon.......

Tomorrow we will meet our new foster dog, Kaiah! We're unsure what to expect. She has been through a lot! Just this Monday (9/23) she was saved from a puppy mill in Missouri. She has never been in a house or on a lease. Her entire Beardie coat has been shaved. We chose the name Kaiah, because it means "rare beauty." It may take some time, and someone special to see it, but she is sure to live up to her name!