Resolutions

First off, I apologize for not blogging in a while.  I can't believe how time gets away from you and how surprised I am every time it does!

It happens to be New Years Eve.  Jodi is at work, Tyler is falling asleep, Brianna, Grace and Alex are at Moms and I'm watching a marathon of science shows on TV.  We don't have "typical nights" in our house :)

I was catching up on emails after being off work (mostly) since December 23rd.  One of those emails was from Breanna Speth, who wrote the Marshfield News-Herald article bout Rogue and this Blog.  She is working on an update for You Magazine and had emailed me a few questions.  One of them got me thinking about this blog and so I will blog about it here.  The question, "how has Rogue changed your life?"  Watch for this in the first post of 2014.

At least it is my New Years Resolution to do this...and I still have 2 hours before I risk breaking it...make that 90 minutes.

Happy New Years Everyone...Don't celebrate too much and end up with a picture like this being taken of you.

We're still here...

Once School starts, life becomes chaos at our house.  Between Girl Scouts, Basketball, boxing, Dance, guitar and Violin...we stay busy...so I apologize for not having anything new for several months.

The good news is that Rogue is doing great, even with our crazy schedule.

We will be doing some Family/Christmas things this weekend and I will make it a point to write a long-overdue blog post about it and include updates.

Jumper

It's been a long last couple of weeks, so I apologize for not blogging recently.

Rogue has had free roam of the house now that her house breaking is coming along well.  We've had a few accidents, but overall she is doing great!  We do close all bedroom doors, which really cuts down on the need to search the entire house when we get home looking for accidents.

You've read some of the blog posts about dragging bags of sugar all over the house, or eating the molding of the bathroom door, but those have slowed as well...mainly because Rogue has trained US not to leave those things out.

One thing we struggle with is her curiosity.  She has to be able to see everything.

In the living room, under the windows facing the road, we have a table.  On the table are pictures of family and a lamp.  Almost every time we come home that table has all of its contents knocked over and on the floor.  Rogue jumps up on the table so she can see out the window.

Now, this is getting frustrating.  I've replaced, I believe, 9 light bulbs now and still have broken light bulb shards in the carpet (found another one last night).  For the first time, Rogue did this in front of us the other night.  Unfortunately she got a very loud NO as soon as she did it and realized that it was wrong.  The problem is, we never see her do this, so it is tough to discipline her for something potentially hours after she did it.  I was somewhat happy I got to witness this so she got to experience that this action was not acceptable.

Of course, the next day things were knocked over again.

I sit in the living room sometimes, thinking of ways to correct this.  Should I put a coat of wax on the table and buff it until it is slick as ice?  Well, that would potentially cause her to get hurt and also likely slide into my TV which is next to the table.  Light bulbs aren't expensive, new TVs are.

I'm still stumped on how to correct this.  She knows she shouldn't do it.  I've even gone outside to the front of the house when I was leaving and waited, to see if she'd jump up...and she doesn't.  She waits until we are gone.  She's a sneaky dog.

When I stop home for lunch, I will post a follow-up photo to show what, if any, damage she caused.

A Dogs Life...

Everyone is aware of Rogue's story as a super dog, protecting her puppies against any and all harm in a ditch.

She's moved on...and relaxed.

Since being in her new house, Rogue has started to enjoy her new life.  From relaxing on the couch to having food magically appear in her bowl every morning.  When she first came home, she would eat so fast she would burp and was constantly trying to eat Ike's food, probably not knowing when she would eat next.

Now, as you can see below, Rogue is far more relaxed.  She's even relaxed enough to lay down and relax when she eats.  Eating can tire you out!

She doesn't even seem concerned that Ike is standing so close to her bones (on the floor behind him).

If I come home and find potato chip crumbs on the coach though, there will be trouble...

In Between the Craziness

I've had a lot of people mention the article in the Marshfield News herald, and I really appreciate all of the additional traffic to this blog!

One of the things someone said to me was: "It sounds like she is a handful!".

Well, reading through my blog posts, I guess you could get that opinion.  The things that tend to standout day in and day out, especially at first, are the bad things.  Those are the things I have focused on.  It's probably time that I talked about the time in between these moments of insanity.

I have blogged about bathroom trim being eaten, metal kennels being chewed apart, sugar being dragged all over the house and running up the mileage on my carpet shampooer; but I hope to encourage more people to adopt pets from a shelter...so I want to focus on the good too!

The issues I have blogged about are not unique to rescues.  My Lab, Ike, was a pill when we fist got him.  In fact, he might have been more work because he was a puppy and puppies don't just need training, they need time to mature.  Everything that Rogue has done, Ike did as well...except the sugar thing, that is unique to Rogue.

In between all of these little pitfalls, there are tons of fun experiences that make it all worthwhile.

Last night we had a pretty loud thunderstorm come through.  Some of the loudest thunder I have heard in a while!  About 1/2 second after the first clap of thunder, I had Rogue sitting on my head, shaking.  I'm pretty sure she went from a dead sleep on the floor to airborne in under a second.

Rogue likes to get as close to you as possible.  We let her on the couch now, and she will lay right next to you, with her head on your chest, and her nose right below your chin.  Then she starts to creep up.  She will get as close to you as possible.  She's slept the entire night in my recliner with me.

When teaching Rogue to sit, she had a tough time connecting the mechanics with the command.  She knew the command meant that she needed to lower part of her body...but made some of the weirdest moves I've ever seen.  Many times we had to stop training while we all laughed at Rogue.

Then there are the kids.  Gracie has really gotten attached to Rogue. In fact, even the tough teenager, Brianna, has ben caught cuddling with Rogue.  She has a contagious personality.

Last evening, as we were getting ready for supper, I found Rogue with pink painted toe-nails.

All the carpet shampooer, wasted sugar and trim replacement is worth seeing a happy dog and happy kids.

And to think this dog was left in a ditch with puppies.  What a tragedy.  I'm glad we found her.

Celebrity...

Today became a bit of a local celebrity as she was featured on an article in the Marshfield News Herald.

You can read the article here

Thanks to the Marshfield News Herald for running this story and thanks to Breanna Speth for writing it!

Puppy Mills

As I wrote early on in this blog, we believe it is likely that Rogue was from a puppy mill. She was from Clark County, the Puppy mill Capitol of Wisconsin.  She looks to be a Lab mixed with a Jack Russell Terrier, two popular breeds you would expect to find at a puppy mill. She also had puppies, adorable puppies at that.  It seems odd that if she was a pet that got loose, she wouldn't return to a familiar place to have her puppies, instead having them (or being dumped with them) in a ditch in the middle of summer. It is important that more people are aware of puppy mills and why they are so terrible.

Most people probably know what Puppy Mills are, if not, let me quickly explain...

Puppy Mills are horrible places.   Dogs are companion animals, after all, they are "Man's Best Friend" for a reason.  Puppy mills, however, don't care about that.  They care about producing as many puppies as they can, as quickly as they can.  The well-being of the dogs is a distant consideration, if a consideration at all.  Dogs are confined to small spaces, usually exposed to the elements.  They have little, if any human interaction and are often crippled from their living conditions, severely malnourished and often times traumatized.  Reputable breeders will focus on producing healthy animals that strengthen the genetic lines of the dogs.  Puppy mills just look to make a fast buck by creating designer dogs or sometimes purebreds that are even AKC registered.  The bottom line is that you will be getting a dog that has had almost no human contact, has been treated poorly and is very likely to develop health issues, while all the time thinking you are getting a great puppy.

If you think that buying from your local pet store is safe; think again.  Many pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills.  The only way to be sure the dog you are purchasing is not from a puppy mill is to see the place it was born.  Ask to see the parents.  Ask to see their living space.  If a seller is unwilling to do this, you are dealing with a puppy mill.

The videos I am including here are from You Tube.  Some are pretty hard to watch, but if you want to understand what it is like at a Puppy Mill, please watch them.  Some estimates claim that there were 2,500 dogs in puppy mills....just in Clark County, Wisconsin.  This is partly because of the large Amish populations, which unfortunately is a major contributor to this problem.

Wisconsin Act 90, signed into Law by then Governor Jim Doyle, required that any breeder who sells more than 25 animals per year must be licensed.  I also requires that animals be provided proper shelter, food and exercise.  This law is working, but as a result, many of these dogs are now simply being left to run away or are turned over to shelters.  This is where YOU can help, by adopting one of these fantastic animals!  While I have talked about all the negative things you can be expecting with a rescue from a puppy mill, you are also getting an animal that needs you; and with time and work, will develop into a fantastic companion.  At the same time, you are supporting your local shelter and NOT contributing to the continued operation and profit of a puppy mill.

Dog Auctions Exposed

Inside an Eau Clair County Puppy Mill
Courtesy of You Tube User "leinielodge"

I had the experience of purchasing a puppy mill dog over a decade ago.  I didn't know about puppy mills at the time and have regretted the decision to purchase many times; not because I didn't love the dog (we had our issues), but because I contributed to the continuation of this mill.  When we visited the seller at their home in Clintonville, the dog was inside the house.  We met the puppy in their kitchen.  When asked if we could see the parents, we were told they were not available to see.  We could hear dogs barking in the barn.

Rocky was a Cockapoo.  He was a very skittish dog that was leary of people.  At age 6 he had a detached retina in one eye that caused the eyeball to expand from the size of a large marble (normal) to the size of a golf ball.  After traveling to Madison to be seen at the UW Veterinary hospital, we returned to Marshfield and scheduled surgery to have his eye removed.  A month and about $1000 later, we had a one eyed dog.

About two years later, Rocky went blind in his other eye.  He developed bladder control problems and eventually was unable to eat.  Rocky was put to sleep just before Thanksgiving in 2010.  Rocky was a Cockapoo, a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, a so called "designer dog".  As he grew, it was obvious that he had other breeds in him as well, probably some sort of terrier.  A dog that should have had a long life of 12-15 years or more, was gone at 9 years old.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and maybe this blog entry will give you some foresight to avoid the same mistake we made.  Rocky was a great part of our family, but the $300 I paid for him allowed that mill to continue to operate.  That money could have been better used at a shelter; where many of these dogs end up when their new owners can't handle them or don't want to deal with them anymore.  It's easy to think you are "saving" this dog, that's the logic I used at the time.  It is tough to say no, but it's what I should have done.

Rocky - 2001-2010

Family Photo

The Clark County Humane Society does a great job using social media.  One of the things they like to do is take a picture of their adopted pets with their new families.

We delayed our picture because when we adopted Rogue, Brianna was off at camp.  A few weeks later, it was Labor day and the start of school.

Finally, this past Saturday, we loaded up in the Suburban and drove over to the shelter to have our picture taken.

Here's a picture of the entire Family!

You should also check out the Clark County Humane Societies website or Facebook page.

(L to R) Jodi Nelson, Tyler Nelson (hiding), Grace Meyer, Chris Meyer, Rogue, Ike, Brianna Meyer and Alex Meyer

Mischief

Rogue got the best of me on Friday.  Just as I do as a parent from time to time, I needed to take a timeout.

I got home after a long week of work and walked in to find Rogue waiting at the door, waging her tail.  She had been home for about 2 hours after Jodi had left and was free to roam during that time.  We've had mixed results with this, but ultimately, it is our goal for her to have free roam, like Ike does, during the day.

Friday was an exhausting day, and we had plans that night to attend a picnic and then the High School Football game.  I was thinking that I could sneak in about 30 minutes of calm silence before the kids got home and before we started our busy night.  Rogue had other plans.

I walked into the kitchen to look for Rogue damage, something I do each time we get home.  It looked fine, but then I realized I was stepping in something.  White.  It was sugar.  Where did that come from?  I didn't see the sugar anywhere on the counter.  Maybe someone spilled it this morning...

As I walked into the living room, I realized that it wasn't "someone" that spilled the sugar.  It was Rogue.  It seems that we left a brand new 5# bag of sugar on the counter after making coffee in the morning...and Rogue found it.

My living room looked like a really bad 1970s party.

This is when I knew I needed a timeout.  I think Rogue sensed it too.  I didn't say anything, but I am sure my body language did.  I walked to the bathroom, said "In" and Rogue bolted into the bathroom.  I closed the door and sat down.

Sometimes, just like with children, you need to remove yourself from a situation and allow yourself to relax a little.  Five pounds of sugar all over my living room qualified as an event that needed such restraint.

It wasn't terrible to clean up.  The shop vac, Kirby and carpet shampooer were all in reach and in about 15 minutes the mess was cleaned....but Rogue stayed in the bathroom a bit longer.  While I never yelled, when I opened the door to the bathroom, Rogue stayed put...for about 5 more minutes.

Of course, the lesson learned is that nothing is out of reach.  This morning when leaving the house, I walked around at least 3 times to look for anything that she might get into today.  I wonder what I missed?

 

"After the thieves broke in and dumped this sugar everywhere, I chased them off!"

A Dogs Life...

Rogue has been with us for about month now.  It sure seems longer, like she's been a part of the family forever.

Rogue really has two lives.  Since Mom and Dad are divorced, one week she is left with just Dad and Jodi, and the other week, chaos reigns with all of the kids at home, four of them!

So, what is it like for Rogue?  Let me see if I can explain...

When the kids are not home, Rogue sleeps in my room, usually with Ike.  Honestly, there are lots of time I fall asleep in the recliner in the living room and she sleeps on the floor by my feet.  Usually, at some point in the night, she climbs up on the couch and sleeps.

First thing in the morning we go outside.  Rogue has the bathroom thing down, knows exactly where to go and has figured out that when I say "hurry up" it means go behind the garage, do your thing, and then come sit by the backdoor.  The only struggle yet is with her intense chase drive.  Mornings are the time this is most likely to happen...just ask the rabbits and squirrels in my neighborhood who are probably still hyper-ventilating.  She does stop when I call her and comes right back.

Then, its a pretty lonely day.  Often times Jodi, who works nights at the Hospital, is there to sleep before the next day of work and Rogue can hang out with her.  Other times, Rogue and Ike are on their own.  You've seen the images of the destruction of her kennel (in the garbage this week), so we have been letting her have free roam and, so far, she has done well.

Then, I come home and it is a little play time and then relaxing with news, a beer (put the bottle up...she apparently likes beer and will stick her tongue down the bottle) and then bedtime.

Now, when the kids are there, it's a different life.

Bathroom in the morning....lots of commotion getting ready for school.  A day of solitude and then a combination of excitement, terror and hilarity once the kids come home.

Every day is different.  We might have a bon fire, we might watch a movie, we could go someplace.  No matter what, the activity level is much higher and Rogue is clearly more tired at night...and so am I!

Last night, after a night on the deck grilling out and having a fire, I found Rogue exhausted and sleeping in the living room.  I'm not sure what wore her out more, the exercise or the embarrassment of what Gracie did to her.  As you can see in the photo below, Rogue gets very different attention when the kids are home.  I never play dress-up with her....well, almost never. :-)

Apparently, nail painting is on the agenda for the weekend.  My response to that:  "Whatever, just do it outside".  We'll see what Rogue's response is...

It was even funnier with the matching hat on her head...

Health update...

A quick update on Rogue's health.

She finished her Lymes medication.  Hurray!

She's gained weight and is probable close to 50 ponds, up from about 46 when we brought her home. She's probably just about to her ideal weight.

Rogue suffered from relentless horseflies while homeless and had about a 1 inch area on each ear that had been bitten raw.  Below you can see a photo from a few posts ago (which was already greatly improved from when she was found) along with one I took last night.  You can still see the spots if you know to look, but most people wouldn't notice them anymore.

The only treatment we used was Neosporen, for about a week.  The shelter had used a dairy skin moisturizer prior to this that also seemed to work (and protect her from more bites when she was outside).

I'd get a better picture right now, but Rogue is busy being a pillow for Grace on her bed :)

About two weeks ago

September 4

The new white tipped ears are actually quite striking

Training the trainers

Rogue has been doing good with her training, so we decided to start getting other family members into the fold.  It doesn't do any good to teach her obedience if she will only do it for me.

Grace likes working with Rogue and Rogue is responding very well.  In the video below, Rogue is exhausted, we had been training for over an hour and she was ready to take a break.

Enjoy the video, especially the cameo by Ike, who tends to get a little jealous of the Rogue videos and sometime "video bombs" them.

The funniest part of making this video might be the confusion it caused Rogue as I was playing this video back, over and over.

Also, for the record, I am sitting in a trainers chair, not a lawn chair...

Defective Dogs

I've heard people talk about the concern of getting a "defective dog" when adopting from a shelter as a reason many people don't consider rescue adoption.

The term "defective" seems terminal to me.  Once you are defective, you can't become EFFECTIVE, can you?  If you buy a defective product, can it become effective?  Not without some effort on your part!

Rogue was a "defective dog".  She was likely a puppy mill dog because she is clearly Lab and Jack Russell, two popular breeds...and therefor popular with puppy mills as well.  She was found with puppies in a Clark County ditch, the puppy mill capitol of Wisconsin, soon after new state laws went into effect that are finally shutting down puppy mills.  It seems reasonable that she either escaped, or was simply released.

She contracted Lyme's disease and had some funky ears from hundreds of horse fly bites.

The sad thing is, she was adopted by someone and then returned less than 48 hours later.  Their feelings were that she was an outside dog and not right for them.  Their loss is our gain.

Shelters routinely have dogs and cats (I'm not a cat person, but cats need rescuing too) that are brought in with a range of problems.  Some have medical issues such as Rogue did.  Some have temperament issues (think about what they may have been through) and still others have other hindrances to adoption...too old, too big, too small, etc..

Certainly you have to find a dog that is right for you.  If you live in an apartment, a St. Bernard is probably a bad choice and will not work out...that doesn't make the dog defective though.

When you look to adopt a dog (or cat), you need to think about breeds and what characteristics will work with your lifestyle.  Do you have several hours a day to groom  and exercise your dog (not walking, but hard exercise)?  If so, a working breed might be a good fit.  Border Collies are my favorite!  Talk to your shelter, they are a great resource to helping select the right dog for you.

What I can tell you is that when you adopt a dog, you need to be ready to train it.  You are making a commitment.  No dog, purebred from a reputable breeder, or stray adopted from a shelter, will be the dog you dream of the day you bring them home.

As far as medical issues go, most shelters are fantastic about treating animals and rely on volunteers to assist with finances and caring.  Rogue was being treated with antibiotics when we adopted her and we simply had to finish the medication which was given to us at adoption.

What most people fear, and understandably so, is that they will get a dog that has temperament issues.  Many dogs are abused (I suspect Rogue was because of her reactions to certain things).  Dogs, like people, need time to learn to trust their new owners and environments.  They will need someone who understands that there is a history with them that they can't share with us, but that shapes their behaviors.

Rogue has a reaction to touching of her rear legs.  We learned this when she nipped at one of the kids when they were playing.  It was a reaction, that was clear.  She immediately knew what she did was wrong and was simply reacting because of an instinct.

What caused this instinct?  We have no idea.  She lived in a ditch with puppies.  Did raccoons bite her at night in the ditch?  Was she routinely pulled by her hind legs by her previous owner?  Anything is possible.  We just needed to know that was an issue for her.

Now, I' not going to tell you to learn to live with that "defect", you can make great strides at correcting it, with just a little effort and patience.

Rogue sometimes lays in the chair with me at night.  When she does, I pet her and gradually make my way back to her hind legs.  She always looks back at me...apprehensive like...when I do this, but over a few weeks, she has gotten better.  I can do this now without much of a response from her.  Now we need to get that level of trust with everyone else in the house.  In time, that instinctive reaction will simply disappear as more trust develops.

I'll be honest here, this might not be the best path to pet ownership for everyone.  Adopting a dog is not like buying fish...they need a lot of attention and training.  Shelter rescues sometimes come with some psychological baggage that will take some effort to correct, but once you do, you will be well rewarded with an incredible dog.  This can also be true for purebreds from breeders.  If you can't commit time and effort to a new dog (rescue of not) fish might be a safer bet!

In just one month of very low level training (15 or 20 minutes a few days a week), Rogue has learned to sit on command reliably, laydown (still working on it), head down (new), come (mastered with me), Hurry Up (almost there...this is command to go to bathroom behind garage) and kennel, which is the command to go in her kennel, which she does pretty well as long as we are by the kennel.

That's in just 4 weeks.  She's also almost housebroke.  In my opinion, that is remarkable.

Now, if we had gotten a puppy, it would be about 12 weeks old right now.  How many 12 week old puppies could do all of this? 

On top of all of this, Rogue is a huge ball of love.  If you could sit in our living room at night and watch her, you would see that she lays as close to us as possible (on top of us usually), she can't get close enough to us...and she is calm around us.  She's a fantastic dog with a long life ahead of her and the efforts we put into training now will yield a decade or more of benefits as she lives her life with us.

This is a longer post, but if you take anything away from this, I hope that it is that all dogs have the ability to adjust, and do so relatively quickly.  There are no "defective dogs", just defective behaviors that can be corrected.  There is a wealth of information available online to assit you with any behaviors you need to correct.  Most dogs naturally want to please their owners, which makes training a lot easier then most people thing; but remember, it takes time.  Dog's don't speak English...they don't know what "sit means", but with repetition, they learn the action that they need to do when they hear that word.

Most importantly, take your time.  Everyone would love to have the dog that can walk off leash through the middle of a crowd the day they bring it home...not going to happen.  When you get frustrated, stop.  I've stopped lots of times.  I never want Rogue to sense I am frustrated while training...training needs to be fun.  Learn what works to motivate your dog.  Is play time a reqard that motivates them?  Is it treats?  Once you learn their "currency" you know how to reward them and make training even more effective.

And never forget.  Dogs want to please you.  I believe this to be universal.  You just need to learn to communicate in a way that is effective for your dog.

More to come....

I  apologize for no posts this week about Rogue.  As the IT Manager at the UW-Marshfield/Wood County Campus, this is a busy week and I have been a bit consumed with end of summer projects.  Don't fear!  I have more blog post ideas for this weekend.

As an update:

Rogue continues to improve.  We had a spurt of inside accidents again, which was frustrating, but when I look at her training to this point, about a month after she came home, her progress really is remarkable.

She sits on command fairly consistently.

She sometimes likes to play fetch, but seems to need Ike to do it first before she gets excited enough to want to do it.

She is doing better with come.  This morning she was let outside with Ike and a squirrel has the misfortune of running through the yard.   Rogue was off.  One loud "COME" from me and she stopped dead in her tracks and came running back.  That's great!

As I mentioned, housebreaking continues to be a challenge.  Housebreaking takes a lot of patience.  However, she has learned where to go (we designate an area behind the garage for the dogs and Ike is let out and goes to that spot every day).  Today was the first day she went to the spot on her own without me walking her there.  This is useful considering the 90 degree weather we have had lately will change to freezing temperatures all too soon.

Rogue is starting learn Lay Down, which is a bit tough for her...laying down takes her further from us physically, so she doesn't like to do it.  However, we are also working on Head Down, so that when she lays down she can then be told to put her head down. Why?  Because Rogue is a cuddler...and that is nice, but she has a habit of getting right in your face...head down allows her to be by us, but not right in our face.

Finally, Rogue is going to be famous.  There will be an article in the Marshfield News-Herald in the next few weeks that discuss this blog, rescue adoption, etc...  I'm very proud of this, because this Blog is meant to help others who would like to adopt a rescue, but are hesitant.  The idea of getting a defective dog can keep people from taking the step to adopt.

My next blog post will be about Defective Dogs...and how they don't exist.

Chewing...and more chewing

Rogue is a chewer.

You saw the last blog post, Murder in Marshfield, were her stuffed monkey experienced her chewing first hand.

That night, her dog bed was shredded as well.

We've had some issues with her chewing and it is frustrating...but what can you do?

I set out to try and figure out the best way to stop the chewing and came across another Zak George video on YouTube that I plan to try.  The basic premise?  EXERCISE.

Rogue has done a good job with "drop it" when she picks up something she shouldn't have.  That makes stopping her when you catch her chewing pretty easy...but its the chewing she does when she is alone that needs addressing.

Starting tonight, I am going to do 15 minute exercise sessions in the morning and at night.  These will be play sessions meant to stimulate her mind as well as body.  The idea is that this will calm her down so she is not so restless during the day and is therefore not tempted to chew as much.

To date, besides the monkey, the bathroom door, her kennel, various kids toys and shoes have been her targets...so this needs to be corrected ASAP.

I think it will take more than 15 minutes, but we will start there.

Here is the video I mentioned.  I will keep this blog updated with the results.

Murder in Marshfield

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT FOLLOWS


As I write this, my backyard is a crime scene.

Rogue has been spoiled with toys since coming home with us and she loves to play with them. Unfortunately, she sometimes gets carried away.

R.I.P. little monkey

 

The Cremation Service

Rogue's Puppies

Many people have asked me what Rogue's puppies looked like.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the puppies at the time we adopted Rogue, but I did find the pictures of all three puppies on the CCHS Facebook page with their new families.

Rogue is a Lab/Jack Russell mix, and the puppies father is a purebred "sneaky neighbors dog".

All of her puppies where cream colored with a white stripe on the face and various white markings on their bodies.  They were also tall, so we suspect dad was as well.  They were nearly as tall as Rogue when we brought her home and they were only about 3-4 months old at the time.

All puppies were very healthy and active when we saw them at CCHS.

Here are Rocky, Rocca and Roscoe with their new families.  If you are in one of these images, please drop me a note and say hi.

Rocca

Rocky

Roscoe

Microchipping

Yesterday's blog was about Rogue getting loose and then lost.

EVERY pet owner should take the time to microchip their pets.  It is very inexpensive and much more reliable compared to just tags.

As you see from the last Blog post, Rogue had all of her tags on, Rabies, license, ID tag...but they were left laying on the ground. They won't do any good there.

I was confident that we would find Rogue, because she had a microchip implant at the Shelter.  When she was eventually caught, the police or shelter would scan her and see my name and phone number and call us.

What is a microchip implant?

Technically, it is an RFID Tag, slightly larger than a grain of rice, injected into the animal under the skin using a needle, much like a regular vaccination.  In dogs, it is normally placed in the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades; though it can be placed almost anywhere.

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identifier.

RFID tags are very common and are used in many areas such as inventory management and product tracking.  There has even been some experimentation with people.  For example, how convenient would it be to go to the Doctor, have your hand scanned to provide the doctor with your entire medical record.  RFIDs can do that.

Of course, there are major privacy issues.  Who else could walk by you and scan your ID, getting any information tied to it (Medical, financial, etc...).  Plus, we have that whole "mark of the beast" issue that comes up anyone even discusses something like this; so for now, RFIDs are pretty much limited to helping make sure our pets always find their way home.

There is a picture of a microchip below, as well as a video that explains the entire micro-chipping process in more detail.

Rogue's Great Escape

Last night was homecoming...well, that's what I call it.  It's the Sunday night when all of the kids come back home for the week.  It's a fun time.

We had a campfire and were hanging around outside.  Around 8:30, when it was getting dark, I told Grace to tie Rogue up.  She has a 50 foot training lead that we clip to her collar and then tie around a tree...just to be sure she stays near us in the dark.

Around 9:00 we were making all kinds of noise, kids were on the trampoline (and some adults) and I was sitting by the campfire and realized Rogue wasn't there.

I called and asked everyone to stop.  Rogue was gone.

I found her lead, with the ring for her ID tags stretched out.  The lead had gotten connected to the ring for her IDs, not the ring on her collar.  One tug and she was free.

We called Rogue, no response.  We all stood in the backyard, calling for Rogue.  Tears started to flow pretty quick for Gracie.

We got in the car, leaving one team (Brianna and kids) at home in case she came back.  We drove around the block, but saw no sign of her.

We then split into two cars to cover more ground.  I in one car and Grace and Jodi in another.  At about 9:30, I called the police department to report our missing Dog, in case they found her.

At this point, kids are crying and I'm getting really worried.  I keep telling myself that she made it for a long time in a ditch with three puppies, she will be okay for one night.

Although she is new to us yet, this just didn't seem like something Rogue would do.  Certainly she takes off after things, such as Rabbits, but she is always right by our side; it doesn't make sense for her to just take off.

After driving all over the South East part of town, I returned home.  Brianna was in the driveway and said Rogue had not returned, but she heard something in the neighbors backyard; but wasn't checking on it herself!  We headed out back.

We walked into the neighbors yard and I called Rogue.  I didn't hear any reply, but I saw some raspberries move.  I called again...

Then, there she was, behind the fence.  Somehow she had gotten into the neighbors garden, probably chasing a rabbit, and gotten stuck.  Why she didn't bark or whine when we called her, I have no idea, but she was trapped, at most, 75 feet from where we were sitting all night.

Needless to say, everyone was relieved.  It goes to show that anyone can make a mistake when it comes to caring for a dog.  Rogue was tied up at night, to keep her safe, but one small mistake allowed her to get free.

Fortunately, the fact that she was right by us and couldn't get to us reaffirms my feelings that her running off didn't make sense.  I would have been much more frustrated if we had found her blocks and blocks away.  While Rogue has a lot of training to go, she has made great progress, to the point that she is off-lead in the yard with me.  That would have all changed had she taken off and not come back.  Fortunately, we know her pretty well and were right that it "just didn't seem like something she would do".

PROGRESS!!!

If you've ready through this Blog, you will know that Rogue is a rescue from the Clark County Humane Society

When Rogue was taken to the shelter, she had badly bitten ears.  To read about how this happened, click here.

Well, it has been a couple of weeks for Rogue with our family and she is fitting in just fine.  She's also healing well.

She continues to take antibiotics for her Lyme's disease and that should be completed in another week or so.

Then it will be time for booster shots and Rogue will be officially current on all health needs.

As for her ears, we really weren't sure if the hair would ever fully grow back and it still has a ways to go; but take a look at this picture from today.  They are healing very well and she looks like she will be back to normal in no time.

If you look closely, you will see the hair that is growing in is lighter, almost white.  Those areas were part of her wounds when we brought her home.  We've simply left them alone recently, initially, we used Neosporin to help the healing.

More about Rogue's Past

Over the last week we have noticed a few things with Rogue that gives us some indication of her past.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it was a good past.

We've allowed Rogue on the couch with us.  This was only going to happen once she was fully housebroke.  She's not there yet, but we decided we couldn't hold back any longer.  Of course, within a day of allowing this new privilege, we had two accidents in the house after going days without one...

In any event, when Rogue was on the couch with us, she was worse then my son Alex, who is the worlds biggest "squirmmer".  She was climbing all over us, laying everywhere.  It was fun, she is definitely a loving dog!

At one point I was trying to move her and I started to move her back legs when she nipped...very rare for her.  She immediately knew what she did was wrong, but instead of saying No, I decided to see what would happen if I did it again...same thing.  I suspect that something in her past happened and that surprise touching of her back legs is not something she likes.

A few other things we have noticed...

When she is scared, she hides.  She will climb behind the couch or under a chair outside.  She certainly has learned to love her crate and I suspect she really needs a safe calming place like her crate, more then other dogs.

Yesterday, when getting the mail, I also grabbed the Buyers Guide out of the paper box and was walking into the house.  I rolled the paper up as I carried it and as soon as Rogue saw that, she laid down in a very submissive way and wouldn't move.  I tossed the paper in the trash can and she was fine.

So, we know Rogue spent an unknown amount of time in a Clark County ditch in the hottest days of July, caring for 3 new born pups as a stray dog.

Clark County has over half of the estimated puppy mills in the state.

I suspect that Rogue may have escaped from her former home, possibly a puppy mill (since she appears to be part Jack Russell and Lab, two very popular dogs that you would expect to be present in a puppy mill).  I have no doubt she was abused.  Probably by hitting with a news paper.

I also suspect that she was either dragged by the rear legs, or maybe had some interaction with another animal while a stray to cause her to dislike touching of her rear legs.

These are the things you really need to spend time thinking about with a rescue.  Nothing that I have listed here is major.  Everything can be trained or reverse trained.  While training can have tough moments, Rogue loves praise as a reward and I think that the more of that she gets the less these quirks will show.

Tomorrow I will post an update on Rogue's ears, which where badly bitten while she was homeless.  It will be a good update!

Until then, Zak George has a great video on working with a nervous dog.

Housebreaking - Advanced Level

Rogue has graduated.

With very few accidents over the last week, we've moved from just learning to go outside, to also learning WHERE to go outside.

When you have kids running around, and occasionally find yourself rolling on the ground, you want to make sure you are in a safe area!  Ike has been trained to "hurry up" behind the garage.  Only rarely does he, for whatever reason, forget this rule.  It has worked out great and kept many kids (and adults) from needing additional baths/showers.

Rogue, of course, didn't start going in the same area as Ike...maybe this is some sort of territory thing...I'm not sure, but we all need to get over that!

Yesterday I took the dogs out and called Rogue and stood in the area and wouldn't let her leave until she went.  It took a long time too.

She was off-lead and comes pretty reliably when called now.  She sat by me, stared at me and kept trying to leave the area and head to "her area".  She responded perfectly to my calls each time she tried to leave.

Knowing that she had to go meant it was a battle of wills.  I just waited; and so did she.  After about 5 or so minutes, she started to sniff around.  A few redirects when she started to sniff her way out of the area worked well.  Eventually she went and got lots of praise and high energy rewards.

This morning I took her out again with Ike.  She headed to her spot, but I called her and she came.  She went right away.  In the right area.  Now for the tough part.  Consistency, not just on her part, but on ours too.

We are also working on returning to the backdoor when she is finished, sitting and waiting.  Ike has done so well for so many years.  In the winter you can open the door, say "hurry up" and he goes right to the back of the garage, does his business and comes right back to the door and sits and waits.  Rogue is going to take some work on this, but so far is doing great.

I also maintain that having Ike helps tremendously.  I don't know how much dogs learn from observing other dogs, but it can't hurt!

"The Teacher"

Acting Guilty

Sunday afternoon was pretty laid back at our house.  There was some laundry done, a little cleaning and a lot of relaxing.

We were going to take some pictures of Rogue to post on Facebook.  All of her puppies were adopted from CCHS and we thought we would post a photo of Mom to the Facebook posts that show her puppies with their new owners.

I got down on the floor and called Rogue so I could take a few pictures.  She came in, then stopped dead in her tracks and laid down like this and wouldn't move.  I had no idea why...she always comes running and usually right into your lap.

As I moved around I realized the floor was still wet from the shampooing I gave it on Saturday...then I realized that spot I was sitting in was more wet than the surrounding area...of course, being a parent, I instantly stuck my nose into the carpet and immediately realized why Rogue wasn't interested in coming any closer.  Accident.

She's doing remarkably well.  Positive reinforcement works great with her.  The fact that she knew what she did was wrong is promising.  She has done a good job of holding it through the night.  We even let her free roam in the bedroom at night and have only had a few accidents.  As long as she is out first thing in the morning and right before bed, she is fine.

What happened on Sunday, I can't be sure.  With 6 people and 2 dogs in our house, its easy for things to get overlooked, like making sure she gets out every couple of hours.  I think we need more training...not just Rogue.

The fact that she can't hide her guilt might be one of the best things about her!

I'll stay right here, thank you very much.

Opportunity Training

I am a planner.  I have a spreadsheet for everything.  I've even considered a spreadsheet to keep track of my spreadsheets...seriously.

So, it shouldn't surprising that I have a spreadsheet for Rogue; a training plan.

Last night I realized that there are times that training opportunities arise that I should take advantage of, even if they aren't on the plan yet.

Last night, as Rogue and I worked around the house and yard, I was talking to her.  I would see her go potty and I would say "Good Girl, Hurry up" (Hurry Up is, for whatever reason, the phrase I have used when I let Ike out...and it has stuck).

When we were inside and I went upstairs or downstairs, Rogue would fillow me and I would say, "Good Girl, Downstairs".  These are some of the commands that I have used with Ike and since she is doing the act, it just made sense to start rewarding her and introducing her to the command.  There was no correction, no negative reinforcement.  If she did something, I pointed it out and statted the command several times.

Likewise, when she went in her kennel, I would say, "Good Girl, Kennel"...of course then she would get out of her kennel and come over by me...but over time I think she will get the connection.

Ike is a Retriever and so we spent some time throwing Frisbees and tennis balls last night.  Rogue was interested, so we tried it with her and her 50 foot training lead.

The first few times, she didn't return to me, so I guided her back on her lead while remaining upbeat and excited.  After a couple of throws, she was returning back to me 75% of the time.

The coolest thing was that the very first time I told her "Drop it", she did.  All I can imagine is that she learned this from watching me with Ike.

We also found out she likes to try and catch the ball when thrown to her, so we did this some as well.  Again, accuracy wasn't great, she probably caught less than 10% of the balls we tossed to her (short distance, maybe 3 or 4 yards away from her), but she like the game.

So, while I have a specific command planed for each week, we are going a little off script and doing this will, hopefully, keep things interesting for Rogue too.

Crate Training

Rogue was a rescue with no training whatsoever.  Figuring out where to start is tough because we all want to start working on the fun stuff right away like retrieving, playing dead, etc..

The first thing we did was nothing.  We focused on letting Rogue get used to her new home.  We certainly provided some corrections when she went potty in the house or jumped on people...but we didn't focus on it.

After a few days we started focusing more on housebreaking Rogue, because nothing will frusterate you more than an indoor dog that is not potty trained.

We use the crate training method.

Rule 1 - The crate is a fun place.  It is your dogs space!  Keep kids out of the crate, don't use the crate as a punishment.

Rule 2 - expect this won't go smoothly the first time.

As I stated in an earlier post, our first attempt failed with Rogue.  We let her check her crate out and she seemed okay with it.  We crated her for about an hour that day while we ran errands...mistake number 1.  Don't leave your dog the first time they are crated.  First they are in a new place, they are trapped and suddenly you are gone.

We learned.  I actually slept in the living room for the last 3 nights (my back is reminding me), while Rogue slept in her kennel with the door open.  One night, I closed her door and stayed by her...and she did great.

We also determined that Rogue did better when the crate was covered with a blanket.  The front is still open, but we put a blanket over the rest.

Yesterday, we left Rogue for about an hour again.  When we came back, she was not barking and she did not try to eat her kennel this time.

When we let Rogue out of her crate, she does have a lot of energy, so what better time to take her right outside.  As soon as she was outside, she went and we celebrated like we won the lottery.  Since then, we have had no accidents inside (but we fully expect another one eventually).  We are going on 4 days without an accident, and considering she was never an inside dog and that she has been with us only 8 days, I think that is outstanding.

Google Crate training for more information.  This is a good video on it as well.

How Do I Train a New Dog?

Finally something I have a little knowledge about!  To train your dog you only need a few things.  A few basic training aids (clickers, treats, leads, dog crate, etc...), a plan (watch many videos, read books, websites and talk to people who have trained dogs before) and most importantly, you need TIME and PATIENCE.  When you (or your dog) get frustrated, it is time to stop for a while.

When I was younger, in 8th grade to be exact, I got a Border Collie/Lab Mix.  Actually the farmer I got him from said that he was a Collie/Lab (Mom) mixed with "Sneaky Neighbor dogs".  It was pretty obvious that the sneaky neighbors dog had to be a Border Collie or at least part Border Collie (Mom was a Smooth Collie/Lab mix).

Tyler 1990-2002

I really got into training Tyler and spent lots of time reading books and watching tapes (this was pre-DVD and pre-internet!).  Tyler was an outside dog for many years until I grew up, graduated high school and college and bought my own house.  Then for the last 4 years of his life, Tyler was an inside dog...so you can teach an old dog new tricks, including house breaking.

There are many different types of training philosophies when it comes to dog training.  I do subscribe to any one as the right approach for every dog.  I don't like stereotyping dogs (which is wrong, every breed can produce a bad dog if given the wrong owner), but there are some differences in breeds that need to be considered when it comes to training.  Some breeds are driven to please, some have higher intelligence (Border Collies are incredibly smart), so are not so smart and some just have a sort of stubborn streak.

Positive reinforcement (making a big deal when they do something right) seems to work best.  Zak George, a dog trainer with a wealth of dog training videos on Youtube subscribes to this philosophy.  Here is a great video about how to make you outside dog an inside dog.  This is probably most valuable to new rescue owners because many of the dogs at shelters were strays and may or may not have been in a home before.

Dog Training:  How to Make Your Dog an Indoor Dog

zakgeorge21 - YouTube

Another philosophy, and the one I used with Tyler, is focused on exerting your dominance over the dog.  Physically moving the dog into positions, negative reinforcement (NO!, Naughty, etc..).  While this method does work, I feel Zak's style is better at building a relationship with the dog.  Still, I have meet dogs that saw themselves as the Alpha Dog, even above their owner.  Ceasar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, uses this method with "bad dogs".

Fortunately, Rogue has shown that she is receptive to me and doesn't exert any dominance.  We will continue to focus on positive reinforcement training with her.

My experiences working with Tyler, Ike and now Rogue have been that using negative reinforcement encourages the dog to perform so they don't disappoint you.  Ike is like this.  While he is a very good dog and has good obedience skills, you can tell sometimes that he is doing something because he is being told and not because he WANTS to.  My goal with Rogue is to make her not only perform on command, but want to perform.

I'll have several more posts talking about the experiences we have had using this method with Rogue.

For now, we are starting with basic house breaking and transition to being an inside dog.

A Mix of What?

Rogue is was a stray, so we know very little about her.

The vet at the shelter listed her as a Lab Mix.  Since Labs are so common, it seems most dogs end up being a lab mix.

Based on what we saw at the kennels, it appears that the most common mixes were Labs, Pits, Australian Shepard's, Blue Heelers and Jack Russell Terriers, at least at CCHS

The more I looked at Rogue, the more I saw some Jack Russell in her.  I found some pictures of Labs mixed with Jack Russell's.  This would also explain her bursts of insane energy!  What do you think?

Goofy look and sprawled everywhere...just like Rogue

This guy even looks like Rogue!

Rogue

One Week Later

It's hard to believe Rogue has only been with us a week, but today is day 7.

I think she is doing remarkably well.  In fact, we've gone over 24 hours without an accident inside the house and she is learning to go when we take her outside.

I thought it would be good to put a picture of her from the Shelter with one of her from yesterday (8/5/13).  Clearly she is better at accessorizing now that she lives with us...

Rogue's Mugshot from the Shelter

 

Rogue a week later

 

And so Ike doesn't feel left out....a picture of the "Boss"

 

Ike

 

We are gaining ground everyday with obedience and house training.  Rogue is a bundle of love.

What a Weird Dog!

Several times over the last week I have thought to myself, what a weird dog.  Some of her habits and mannerism leave you mystified.  Remember, rescue dogs have a history.  Sometimes they were neglected or beaten.

Rogue has clearly never been in a crate and does not like to be left alone, at all.

Rogue was the recipient of a brand new pink kennel (Ebay has everything).  We had a delay from the day we brought Rogue home until we got the crate.  When it arrived, we focused on just leaving it open for her to explore.  We put her toys inside, threw a couple of treats and let her check it out.  She seemed fine.

We needed to crate her for the first time while we ran some errands and grabbed a bite to eat.  We've already gathered that Rogue doesn't like to be left alone, so we probably shouldn't have been surprised when she started to eat her metal kennel!  She did, afterall, try to eat her way out of the bathroom when we used that as a temporary kennel (I'll write about that later).

Our Dog can eat metal...how about yours?

 

 

So it was time to regroup.

 

The first thing we did was cover the kennel with a blanket (pink, of course).  This made it feel more protected and like a den...at least that was the theory.

 

We also added a pillow and her toys to help make it feel like "her place".

 

A den fit for a Princess!

 

Finally, we started letting her relax in her kennel while we were watching TV at night.  She is always right by our side, so this only works if she is right beside us.  Once she gets more comfortable with us and her kennel, we will start moving it further away to break the separation anxiety she seems to have.

She seems to be adjusting well.

 





The Adjustment Begins

How hard can if be to bring a rescue dog home anyway?

Well, it can be as hard as you make it.  We did lots of reading and watched lots of youtube videos on various subjects before we got Rogue.  We learned that the best way to introduce dogs is NOT to shove their faces together (we pretty much did this at the shelter the first time we meet Rogue). Instead, walk the dogs together (one person with each) and give them time to adjust.  Let them sniff while you hold the other dog to prevent them from turning around and snapping.  Allow each dog to sniff and be sniffed....then watch.  We did this the second time Rogue and Ike met at the shelter.

Ike and Rogue did good.

When we brought Rogue home, we knew not to just bring her in the house to meet Ike.  We kept her outside and brought Ike out and did the same thing we had done when we introduced them at the shelter the second time.  Then we let them "just hang out" around each other and us.

After about 30 minutes, we took Rogue to the potty area of the back yard and she went.  At the time I felt this was a huge victory that housebreaking her would be simple...I was wrong, but more on that later...

We then went inside, reasonably sure we would not have an accident right away.  We let Rogue explore, following closely in case there were any issues with Ike or got into other things we had neglected to  put away before bringing her in.

There were a few growls and snaps between the dogs that we quickly thwarted.  We continued to watch them closely throughout the night.  Overall, they did good.  Rogue was even allowed to sleep in our room that night.  We will be crate training her, but unfortunately she made it home before the crate.  So for Wednesday and Thursday nights, we need to improvise.

We had also stocked up on supplies before bringing Rogue home.  Collars, leashes, food, treats...and carpet Shampoo.

Actually, I made my own and if works great!  If you want the recipe, it is right here:

1 Tablespoon Dish Soap (I used Dawn)
4 Tablespoons White Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Hydrogen Peroxide (3% strength).

Mix together and add 1.5 Quarts of warm water.

You can add some essential oils to the mix as well.  I added about 8 drops of "Hawaiian Beach" to mine.  It doesn't necessarily smell like that when you shampoo; but it doesn't smell like vinegar either, and that's all I cared about.

I store mine in a Tupperware container that is easy to pour from.  I use about 2 oz to each tank of water and it has done a remarkable job.

Over the next several weeks, I will make several batches of this shampoo, as you will see as I continue to post updates.

We will be house broken.  It will happen.  It's going to take time and patience, but we will get there.

Rogue's Story

Rogue was sort of a celebrity at the shelter.  She had a touching story that really exemplifies why shelters are needed so badly.

The summer of 2013 had some very hot spells where temperatures got into the high 90s and stayed there for over a week.

While we were sitting in the cool air of our air conditioned house, Rogues story was unfolding in a ditch about 30 miles away.

Rogue was found in a ditch in Clark County with three puppies.  She had kept the puppies alive and healthy while she was wasting away in the ditch in that 90+ degree heat with high humidity.  She was underweight, had contracted Lymes disease and her poor ears had been bitten terribly by horseflies.  She was in bad shape, but her puppies were in excellent shape.

Rogue was brought to CCHS and the puppies and mom were well cared for.  The staff at CCHS gave mom the name Rogue.

Rogue's Adoption Picture

After being treated by the vet, Rogue started on a regimen of antibiotics to take care of the Lymes disease and on July 25th she was spayed (this is the day before we met her).

While we meet Rogue on Friday the 26th of July, it was on Saturday that Rogue was adopted by another family.  I don't know their story, nor do I want to speculate, but they returned her to the shelter on Monday morning (just before we showed up after deciding, at the last minute, to go back to this shelter).  All I do know is that they felt she was an outside dog.

Now, I have experience with "outside dogs" because my former Border Collie/Lab mix was an outside dog until he was about 8 years old...and was trained to be one of the best inside dogs you could ever want.  So the designation of an "outside dog" doesn't scare me.

Fortunately, Rogue story at the shelter ends with her being adopted by our family the very same day she was returned.

In the prior month, Rogue has cared for her puppies in a ditch during the hottest part of summer.  She had contracted lymes disease and her ears were eaten raw by horseflies.  She was brought to CCHS, cared for, healed and adopted by a family that returned her 48 hours later.  Then, finally adopted by us and brought home on July 31st.

Rogue had a very difficult July, but we are glad she made it and is now part of our family.

Decission Time

After leaving the last shelter, we had dinner at the IHop next door.  I only mention this because this meal has become known as the meal from IHop Hell by our family.  Talk about a negative experience!  I won't dwell on it here...really, I have moved on and I've gotten the butter our of my clothes that was dropped on me by the waitress...

Over the feast we enjoyed at IHop we discussed the days adventures.  It was decided that Rogue was our top choice and Micah was our second choice.

That weekend, Brianna was leaving for camp for 2 weeks.  A week later, Gracie joined her for a week at camp.  I did say that I would like to wait until they returned from camp to bring a new dog home.  Everyone agreed.

On Sunday we took Brianna to camp and on the way, we discussed the adoption of a dog in depth.  I was going to bring up the listing for Rogue (see: www.petfinder.com) but it was gone.  It appeared that Rogue had been adopted.

We dropped Brianna off at camp and headed home.

The next morning I called CCHS and asked if Rogue was gone.  They confirmed that she was adopted on Saturday.  I then asked if we could start the process of adoption Micah and was told that he too had an adoption pending.

After that call, Jodi and I had a discussion and decided to drive to Portage County that afternoon to visit Joey, even though I was still a little upset by their policy not to let Ike meet until we started the adoption process.

I left work after lunch, but when I got Jodi, I mentioned going to CCHS again.  They had a lot of dogs we didn't look at and we all liked the facility the best.  So we changed gears and went to Neillsville again.

When we walked in the door, I introduced myself and mentioned that I was the person who had called about Rogue and Micah and that we were here to start looking again.

The lady asked if I had gotten the email she sent a short time ago and I told her that I had not.  She smiled and said, Rogue is back.  Her adopters had her for less than 48 hours and returned her because she was apparently "an outside dog".

We took her outside and walked with Ike again.  They did better.  We walked back in and asked what we needed to do to adopt her.

We filled out the application and were approved for adoption.  We decided to come back on Wednesday to get Rogue as we were not prepared to take her home that day.

After meeting Rogue, then losing her to another family...only to have her available again, we knew we had the right dog.

All of these dogs have stories to tell and love to give.  Rogue's story is one of a rescue that endured a very difficult situation and is alive today to live out her life the way a dog should...as a member of a family.