WOW I can’t seem to catch up!  I wrote this up a few days ago and totally forgot to post it here on the blog.  Better late than never!

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Welcome to 2013 everyone!  We survived yet another year!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season, but I am very happy to have it all behind me.  We were busy travelers, for sure.  Right now I am just trying to catch up on all those little things.  Today I finally got around to mailing a vWD DNA test to Kelsey to use on our Ziva girl.  I also dropped a NE DNA test in the mail to Heather McQuiddy for Quincy.  Lastly I finally mailed Jay’s AKC papers to his new Mommy, Maria in NM.  I had registered Jay in my name because I was going to keep him.  When they picked up Jay his papers were still in transit.  Anyway, I ‘think’ I am caught up on all my doggy paperwork.  Please, if I was suppose to mail you something over the last year and haven’t, remind me.  I forget these things.  There is a reason the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

I have gotten some fabulous updates from puppy owners this  season.  One of the best was from Sasha’s new family.  Sasha was the cream rescue girly I took in around November.  She found a lovely home in San Antonio with Deborah, Paul, and Apollo the Lab.  🙂

Welcome Home!!!

    Glad to hear that the trip to the Magic Kingdom went well.  All here is improving daily.  Apollo and Sasha are in constant adjustment mode.  We had Sasha checked out by our vet and all her shots are up to date.  He added to her medication regime with more stuff for the ears.  We are keeping with the daily wash and meds.  At first she wanted to be isolated and off by herself.  That is changing.  She lays closer to Apollo and her “good morning” prancing is a welcomed way to start a day.

    Also found out, the hard way, that she steals items off the counter top in the kitchen.  We baked some ‘moon pies’, placed them in Ziploc baggies and left 2 baggies(4 cookies in all) on the counter.  They had been there a few days.  On Tuesday morning, Deborah accidentally placed my cell phone along with hers into her purse and off to work she went.  While cleaning up the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, I noticed Sasha was not underfoot.  Then saw that the pies were gone from the counter.  Not sure if Deborah had taken them to work or not, not seeing Sasha under foot, I went looking.  I found one empty bag in the family room and the second was securely under paw in the master bedroom.  The contents of the bag was short one cookie.

    Did I mention they were chocolate cookies.  Absent any telephone connection to the outer world.  I took to e-mail as to what to do.  First contact with Deborah, locating the phone and advising her of the situation.  Apollo had been with me in the kitchen but could not take the chance.  On advise from our Vet, via Deborah, I did my best to give Sasha some hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.  No go.   So off to the Vet with both dogs.  Apollo did eventually vomit with no evidence of cookies. He seemed upset that he had to undergo the same treatment without the benefit of the cookies.   Sasha, however, held her own and would not vomit even after 3 treatments to induce. Charcoal was added as a bonding agent to offset any effects of the cookies. Finally around 3:30 still with no vomiting from Sasha, we were given the “all clear” and were on our way back home.    Around 4:00 pm we were home and Sasha drank gallons of water.  That was the catalyst and the flood gates opened.  She finally competed the “voiding process” around 9:30 at night.  We stayed up late keeping an eye on her.  Wednesday she was a bit calmer and not herself yet.  Today she woke us up and was ready to play.  And yes, we have “Sasha proofed” the house.  We hope.

   We are learning more about Sasha each day. Our subdivision has a 40 acre parcel of trees and wildlife area. We take the fur kids (read dogs) there several times a week. It is a blast. They can be off lead in this area and sniff stuff to their heart’s content.  This is where we learned that Sasha can run like a deer and if Apollo is in her way, she just jumps over him without missing a stride. It is awesome to watch her run. She comes when called and likes to stay on your heels when walking in the area. We also have learned she loves to go for rides in the car.  I can only imagine what it looks like from the rear with a Lab head out one window and a Poodle out the other.  She has claimed a corner of the couch formerly owned by Deborah.  She loves to play.  Our kitchen faces the street and Sasha keeps a keen eye on everything that passes by and lets us know about it. The neighborhood has cats and squirrels. She can also see out the family room into the back yard where Apollo and her take turns being lookouts.  If they spot one, the bark is on followed by the dash for the door.  We do believe that in addition to the neglect, she was also physically abused.  This based on the reaction to fast hand movements.  All in all, the adjustment process is going better than can be expected.  Deborah loves the fact that she can say goodbye to Sasha in the morning and not have to brush the white hairs off her clothes.  Thus far this adoption placement is working out quite well.  I am still adjusting to the “nose in the pocket” as she is on my heels most times.  Adjusting to the unique body movement of the poodle is an education at best.  Having Labs for the past 13 plus years, leads me to believe that Sasha is very dainty. When a Lab sits, it maintains it position, Sasha puts it in reverse to sit down.  Still working on commands like sit and lay.  Having some challenges in learning what she means by her body movements.  She puts her paw out when sitting.  Not sure what that is all about.  We are making it.  I am sure I neglected to attach more tales of the tails.

    We know we owe you pictures and they will be on the way.  Best of the holiday season to you and yours.  Ours is more merry thanks to the second “fur kid” .  Stay safe and warm.

Deborah and Paul