Very Sad News

Monday morning, on August 8, 2016, my beloved Wanagi Passed away. She was lying next to my bed and all of a sudden, I heard this blood curdling , in pain cry. I jumped off the bed to see what was wrong. Wanagi just lay there unresponsive, I called my friend Carla and she rushed over and she and another friend helped get Wanagi in the car. On the way to the vet, I had thoughts of my beloved Nala in my mind.As we sat, waiting for the vet to come out, I was wondering if this was the same thing that killed my Nala.I was right. It was the same tumor on the spleen that burst.Wanagi also had the tumor around her heart.. There was nothing that could be done for her , so she was put to sleep. She is no longer suffering, and I have her ashes. Neither  Nala or Wanagi had any signs they the were sick. It was just very sudden . My heart is broken.  This has left a huge hole in my heart. Rest in peace, my sweet, loving, presious Wanagi. I love you. To be continued.............

Sedona is now working with my power wheelchair

Johnny and I took Sedona to PetsMart and worked her with my manual wheelchair. She did very well. I used  a piece of PVC pipe and ran a short leash through it and hooked one end to the dog and the other end to the wheelchair.. I had hoped that this would keep her feet safe from being run over by the chair. Well, so much for that. She still got her toes crunched twice, but after that she learned not to get her feet so close to the wheels. I have been working her around the block with my power wheelchair now and she is doing great. No crunched toes either. This gives her some much needed running exercise. She has slipped her collar several times and gotten away from me while taking her out of her pen. She ran around with the other dogs,but I think they are still too ruff with her.I don't want her to get injured so I will wait until she gets a little bigger before I let her play with the other dogs. To be continued..........

Sedona's training is going well

Sedona's training is progressing very well. I have fazed out the treats when she sits and lays down as she does not need them . She sits and lays on cue with no treat incentive. She really prefers verbal praise and some petting.We are working on the stay command. She will stay for a short period and she will stay when I put her in her crate,while I close the door. She no longer tries to run out of the crate.She does not mind being in her crate and she is very good when in it,but she would rather be out running around in the living room playing with her toys and getting tummy rubs from me. This puppy is so energetic! she is the most energetic puppy I have ever had. She wears me out some times.I love her and she is a very sweet puppy. She is also very smart.We are working on her house manners and obedience and socialization. She has a long way to go before we get to the guide training but I know she will make it. I am so glad I got this puppy.I am enjoying raising her and she is the second puppy I have raised to be a service dog.Lily was my first. Nala,Shaman and Nici were all older when I got them and even though they made great guide dogs,it is nice to be able to take the time to raise a puppy to be a special working dog. There is a lot of satisfaction in it.Shaman was still somewhat a puppy at 10 months,when I got him and he worked out wonderfully. I am still working him occasionally to keep him happy.Nici is working well and when Sedona is ready to work as a guide,I will transition her in to the work by alternating them. When Nici is ready to retire, Sedona will take over.  To be continued...........

We took Sedona to PetsMart for socialization.

My friend Dave and I took Sedona to Petsmart for some socialization last Friday. Sedona was so good! She even sat 3 times when I asked her to,with all those people and dogs around her.She was wearing her red bandanna that says she is a future guide dog. She looked so cute! Johnny took some pictures of Sedona on Monday.I know she will be a great guide dog.She is so smart. She knows sit and down and she walks on a loose leash most of the time,till she sees something exciting. My house keeper,took a picture of Sedona at Christmas time. She has grown quite a bit since then. She is such a good puppy.    to be continued................

Shulamith went back to the rescue that she came from.

Shulamith went back to the SanTan Valley rescue that she came from. They finally had room for her. Maybe they will have better luck finding a home for her. At least now she has good house manners and knows how to sit and lie down on cue.I hope they can find the right home for her..to be continued.................

I don't know what to do with Shulamith

I placed Shulamith with what I thought was a great home.I spent a lot of time going over her issues with other dogs and cats. I thought they understood that she can't be around other animals. Well......when they went to PetsMart to buy a crate and other things they needed,they took Shulamith with them . After I spent all that time explaining her issues with other animals,they took her to Petsmart. She went after another dog and the man got bitten trying to separate the dogs.Are people deaf or just stupid? How much plainer can you get when you tell them,she eats cats and hates other dogs.Well, she is back. Not even gone one day and she is back. I just don't know what to do with this dog. I want her to have a good home,but I just can't seem to find that home.Is there no one out their that wants a beautiful spayed female German Shepherd,current on all shots, that needs to be the only pet in the family. Some one that will love her and treat her with kindness and patience and work on her training and KEEP HER AWAY FROM OTHER ANIMALS????????  I just don't know what to do with her now that she has bitten . She never bit any one while she was in my home. She is really a people dog. But when she is around other animals she will go after them.   To be continued............

Sedona is learning very fast

Sedona is walking on a loose leash and is well on her way to being house broken. The only time she goes in her crate is if I don't get her out in time.She has learned to sit on cue even with out a treat. We are now working on the down command. She also comes to me when I call her name.When I put her in the crate, she has learned to stay while I am closing the door. She used to try and run out when I was closing the door but now she stays.She loves to play with all her toys and has discovered the squeaker in the toys and she squeaks them non stop when she is out running around the living room. She lays on the blanket under the computer desk and chews on her white bones and squeaks her toys. Then she will start running around and tossing her toys in the air and catches them and runs some more.She has a multi colored bird and a Santa and and a squirl and a teddy bear. She also has a tennis ball,a hard rubber ball,a pear shaped hard rubber ball and a spiked dumbell and a hard rubber donut shaped toy. Do you think she has enough toys? She is now eating the small milk bones and she loves them.She has been having loose stools on the Taste of the Wild, Pacific Stream, puppy food, so I am changing her over to Purina Pro Plan ,Sensative Skin and Stomach. Max, my old Border Collie, RIP, did well on this food . He had digestive issues and that food really helped him. Sedona does not have any skin problems but maybe it will help her digestive issues. I am also giving her a probiotic and that is helping some.She has a vet appointment to get a stool sample on Monday.   To be continued............

Shulamith is back

Shulamith was returrned to me. The man that took her did not do as he promised. He did not find a trainer to work with him and the dog.Evidently, he bought a cheap harness and put that on her and removed the collars I gave him with the dog. Of course he had no control on a very energetic, strong dog and she pulled him down.He returned the dog with out the collars so now I have to go buy a new collar for her.Right now I have a collar on her that was Shaman's and it is really too small for her. My friend Johnny and I put up some chain link fencing so I can keep her away from my other dogs. She is still being advertised so I hope the right person will want a very nice German Shepherd that need some more training and some one to love,and show patience with her. She deserves to have a nice home with someone who will really care about her and that has no other animals.    to be continued...........