Monday, September 30, 2013

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.



Friday, September 20, 2013

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...


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

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.

Monday, September 16, 2013

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!


Thursday, September 12, 2013

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

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

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

Monday, September 9, 2013

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!"

Friday, September 6, 2013

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...

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

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

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

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...