Boarded Charlie for the first time

Our first time boarding Charlie was on Memorial Day weekend. It was the families first time staying at my parents shore house overnight. My parents said we could bring the dog but I wanted more time making sure the dog was use to the shore on day visits before he slept there overnight. This would avoid him waking up the family in the middle of the night.

Last weekend I finally took him to the shore for his first overnight. He did wake up once (which he doesn't normally do at home) but I think it was because he drank a lot of water to stay hydrated in the heat. So potty time was needed at 1 am.

Overall, back to boarding Charlie. He was happy to come home. In a little shock, but no behavior problems or stomach upset.

I used a kennel that I used to use for my old dog. I have two kennel places that I used for Stoney and those are the only ones I will consider for Charlie. Kennel choosing is like choosing a pre-school or summer camp program for your child. You need to get the full tour while the business is in operation to see the real goings on. Any kennel that does not allow you to see the dogs kenneled and will only allow drop off at the check-in counter is not where you want to board your dog. I expect full revelation of facilities.

I know that when I check myself into a hotel I require to see the facilities before I sign my name and give a credit card. A nice front desk with a sweet face at the counter doesn't mean a clean, bug free room. Do the same for your pet. He/she is a family member. Save yourself aggravation and start looking for a kennel before you need one. Also find out what shots/immunizations are required for that particular kennel. There is a new shot out required by some kennels. It is called the Influenza Vaccine which is a 2 shot series. The old vaccine Bordetella is also still required. Most places seem to take just the Bordetella but make sure. You don't want to find out at the last minute that you didn't have all of the required ones.

update on DE usage

Monday was the first day I gave Charlie the full 1 teaspoon dose of DE in his breakfast. This did not work well for him. He had numerous stools of all shapes, sizes and consistencies and tiny spots of blood. I fed him his regular (no DE) dinner later than usual in the evening. The next morning I gave him a late breakfast to monitor his potty breaks and then would feed him if everything seemed fine. It did, so I returned to the 1/2 teaspoon of diatomaceous earth(DE) and he is fine. Stools returned back to normal.

Diatomaceous Earth

After using worming medicines, I decided to prevent any possible problems from happening with this puppy who eats everything inside and outside. I am continuing the usual heartworm medicines and the flea tick drops, but now the new addition is the use of an organic treatment of diatomaceous earth. This DE is supposed to be a preventer of any internal parasites from staying in gut of the dog (or human or farm animal for that matter). The DE is scratchy and doesn't make the dogs insides a comfortable place to live so it evacuates with the poop. The other benefit of the dog eating DE is his poops will be less tasty to flies and to the dog. Thankfully I haven't had the dog eating his feces.

This is his first partial week. I obtained the 50 pound bag of food grade DE from a garden center near Lambertville, NJ for 22.50. This is enough DE for the dogs life so I stored it in airtight containers.

I will keep an eye on his poops and see if anything seems to change.

By the way I did run this idea that I came across to use the DE with a vet. She seems very interested in my trial even though many people on different websites seem to claim this DE is great.

I started with 1/2 teaspoons - once per day for 4 days and saw that Charlie would eat it mixed with his food so I increased the dose to 1 teaspoon - once per day. That is the maximum dosage for small dogs.

not yet 7 months old

At 15 pounds he is holding on to the happy go lucky puppy stage. We noticed that since he hit the six month mark his sense of smell really kicked in and now he finds those crumbs on the floor under the kitchen table and seeks out the wild animals that roam the yard. Also his eyesight is more in tune to seeing birds squirrels and the desire to take off after them has definitely kicked in.

Another trait that has kicked in is his desire to take over our couches and jump up on our kitchen chairs that are not stored back under the table and help himself to whatever crumbs may be left behind. This is driving me nuts. I am constantly trying to keep him from the table or from pulling the corner of a placemat off the table to obtain the leftover crumbs from my toddler. I can laugh about it but it is also disgusting to me to have a dog found at my table. I can verify the claims on many cockapoo sites that these dogs are problem solvers. He figures out every plot I attempt to stop him. Fun yes but annoying at the same time. My kids just keep laughing.

Today the dog was penned up on our very large upper and lower deck while I did some gardening. He decided to over look his kingdom by climbing up onto my picnic table on the second story deck (upper). Like the deck wasn't high enough already for him to see all.

Stitches

One month after Charlie was neutered he had his stitches taken out. They were supposed to be absorbable but there was too much excess tail on the ties so they needed to be removed.

Neutered today

Charlie had his surgery today to be neutered. We used the local Animal Shelter AWA clinic which was very efficient and a third of the price of our vet which saved 200 dollars.

He is supposed to wear the e-collar 24/7 but he can't get his mouth in his bowl to eat or drink and he refuses to walk with it. I am limiting the use to when I just can't watch him. I leashed him in the house and one of us constantly sits next to him so we can monitor his contact with his stitches.

Charlie at 12-13 weeks just brought home for first photos

Charlie at 12 to 13 weeks old as a pup in crate

Weight and height

Charlie keeps growing. He is a healthy puppy whose weight was about 5 to 6 pounds when we adopted him January 18, 2010 to over 10 pounds in mid-March. The web searches say to get a non-scientific adult weight estimate double the weight at 14 weeks. It should be about 20 pounds as the original owners vet determined. We shall see for real soon since small dogs tend to reach their adult size quicker than medium and large breeds.

He had a puppy grooming at Petsmart to trim around his eyes, back side and paws. He received a nail clipping also at the end of February. Friday he gets a full grooming. We are having him trimmed down to about one inch to get him prepped for his neutering scheduled for Monday. This will keep him cleaner cut for a little longer around his lower area and less need to run back for a grooming while waiting for his site to heal and stitches to dissolve. The Petsmart groomers said that they will not groom him if any stitches are showing even if it is months since his surgery. Therefore, I figured I'll give him a bit longer to between grooming and hope all heals well. Hope to not have to have stitches taken out.

"Everthing Grows and Grows" even puppies just like Raffi said

House breaking a puppy

House breaking has been going very well. In his one month plus time with us he has only had about 15 accidents. Most in the first week. I learned that puppies should go out every 30 minutes for the first days home and then no more than every 60 minutes between trips to the outside potty. I didn't paper train at all. I read that it can be too confusing for the puppy to learn to paper train and then be told he has to go outside. Also his greatest quantity of accidents came from his "revenge." He didn't like it if I left him in the kitchen to run to the laundry room. I then began crating him every time I had to leave him to go to another room. I was not allowing him in the first week and a half to have any access to the other rooms in the house unless he was on my lap or on a towel right next to my feet. As he became more secure with us his accidents lessened and our confidence allowed him to follow us in the house. We still don't allow him to just roam the house, but we do allow him in the rooms we are in.

Finally success - Cockapoo

On January 18, 2010 success was achieved. I logged onto Craigslist after thinking I will abandon this site forever. I said to myself, OK just one more try to find that puppy. Up around 6 am to eat breakfast with my 18 year old daughter before she was off to work for the day. We did our normal chit chat and then I signed onto craigslist and found a posting for a 12 week old Cockapoo around 5 pounds. The posting had just been listed within the hour so there was a really good chance with this one. Too early in the morning for people to flagg the posting I guessed. I emailed the listing immediately and the owners responded very quickly. We kept in touch all morning and I requested the name of the vet they claimed to have taken the pup to for its first shots and checkup. They were willing to provide the information and it checked out with their vet that the dog was healthy and ready for its next set of shots within 2 weeks. WOW!!!! This was a real opportunity. A picture was listed on Craigslist to show the family and all agreed that we have to continue pursuing this. We once again contacted the owners and said we would like to adopt the dog that day. Both parties agreed on the time and we picked up the puppy at his home in Tuckerton, NJ from a very nice family.

A very good experience that final day of searching. No more disappointing attempts and we have a very healthy and happy puppy.

Apology Accepted

Yesterday, I sent an email to my local animal shelter complaining about the "customer service" I received at the counter (which was none).

I am happy to report that my complaint did not fall on deaf ears and that an apology was offered and I accepted it. I just hope that this will be the end of poor customer relations in the end for the sake of adopting these animals.

Guess what the local rescue did with the listing

The dog I applied for and then visited and told them I was bringing my kids back to see and it disappeared from store along with the foster mom, has now disappeared from the Petfinder.com listing with the rescue.

I guess they miraculously found another family to adopt this dog which never even came to view it at Petsmart.

Received an email from a breeder here in NJ who knows that I can't spend 1200 dollars to adopt a dog. The breeder passed along a listing they saw on Craigslist this morning. This breeder will take back dogs if the owner changes their mind. You don't get your money back but you have someone willing to find a worthy home for the animal. So I contacted the Craigslist family re-homing a Goldendoodle. Left my name and phone along with telling them I could provide references.

Another sit, wait and hope.

Thanks to the breeder who kept my name I get another attempt.

Another trip to Petsmart for a view of potentials

I decided to take the trip to Petsmart by myself this afternoon to see if any unlisted new arrivals happen to be at the adoption event held by the rescues with Petsmart once again providing an enormous amount of space to these rescues.

I knew that a dog I had put in an application for was going to be at the event but that the rescue had relabeled the dog as a "no kids" adoption because the foster family felt that it became too mouthy when it played. Well, since I had never met the dog before and saw it as soon as I entered Petsmart I figured I'd greet the dog and foster mom and see how the dog acted. It was a wonderful, interactive dog. I kept playing and petting it and began a discussion about the dog with the foster mom. She asked if I wanted to fill out an application for the dog and I said I already did but that it was relisted after I applied as a "no-kid" dog adoption. She discussed with me the "mouthing" of the dog and I was surprised and expressed that surprise to her since I had 2 other dogs for 15 and 18 years each. It didn't seem like a serious problem or a problem at all. The dog was sweet. I then engaged the organizer for the rescue into the conversation letting her know that I am still very interested in this dog and that the dog doesn't seem to have any problems. I then said that I didn't bring my kids this week to look at the dogs because they become very disappointed when the dogs they like aren't compatible either because of my choice or the rescues desires for right family to adopt. I verified with the foster mom that she would be at the Petsmart until 3 pm. She said yes. I told her I would go home and pick up my children immediately and return within 30 minutes with the children to meet the dog. She said OK. I return within 30 minutes and the dog and foster mom had to leave suddenly. I found another person I knew from the rescue and mentioned to her the problem and she asked the rescue organizer for this rescue to call the foster mom to ask her to come back. The lady takes out a phone then disappears. Comes back and says that the foster mom had to leave unexpectedly but that there other dogs here that I should look at to adopt.
WOW. I brought my kids to the store to meet and greet and make a decision on a pup and once again they are disappointed. I went home to pick them up to meet this specific dog not go dog shopping from scratch again.

Why didn't the rescue organizer representative suggest we try to make an appointment during the week or next weekend to meet the dog?

another pup

I just remembered that just before Christmas I was offered another dog from a reputable organization in my area. The dog was a small breed and about 1 1/2 years old and not house broken (train to go potty outside) yet. My son really wants a larger dog, a real guys dog. I wasn't so sure about the age of the dog and trying to house break a dog of this age. We opted out. It was a cute dog and sweet. Just keep trying.

Puppy offered

I received an email this morning that I have been pre-approved for adoption of a puppy I found on Petfinder.com through what I initially thought was a real rescue when I applied. Soon after applying I started researching these rescues and shelters more and found this particular rescue really buys their puppies from puppy mills in PA and then charges around 400 dollars for a supposed rescue.

I declined the puppy.

Another attempt to get a puppy the right way has not come through, but the right organization I believe will come through with a pup that my whole family will fall in love with.

I can't stress enough that we need to do research and use sites like http://www.njcapsa.org/index.php/Hall-of-Shame.php to protect ourselves from adopting from groups that sell puppy mill pups that also come with genetic defects and major sicknesses.

Post's get flagged by ...

Posting on Craigslist for adopting a pet or "re-homing" a pet sounds like a great way for both sides to accomplish the needs the owners/potential owners have when it comes to pets. How much is Criagslist.com regulating the site. It seems as if it is regulated by the people who post and read the site only. Craigslist allows individuals to FLAG your posting which remove your posting without any verification by Craigslist that there was a real need to remove it. Find yourself posting a comment trying to warn or assist people in making good decisions on where and how to do what is best for the pet and you get removed. By whom I ask? And why is Craigslist not checking into the flagging and then Craigslist deciding whether or not to remove the comment or listing? Instead some people have taken over the site on a 24 hour basis and I suspect they are puppy mill operators or people who will adopt your free or cheap pet and resell at a great/greater profit. Also the other watchers/flaggers on the site may be some of the many so-called animal rescues that have non-profit status but no one watching to see whose interest is the main priority. PLEASE note that I do not in any way believe that all non-profit animal rescues are in the adoption business for the wrong and selfish reasons but I see too many rescues. Thankfully I have figured out my own way to determine if an animal adoption agency seems legitimate (at least for dogs and cats). My system is simple...does the organization have pet adoption days where you get to meet and greet the volunteers in a low-stress environment (a local pet store adoption day, or an adoption room where you don't have 25 or more dogs in cages barking in the room where you are trying to talk to the employees or volunteers.

Go to visit the shelters, rescues, and adoption days many times before falling in love with the pet of your dreams.

Don't adopt from a breeder that you don't have a personal friend or family member that has obtained a pet from them. If you do you must visit the place that the pet is being housed/kenneled at. The living conditions should help you decide if the pet has a healthy environment.

Most important in trying to adopt a pet, contact local humane society watch groups like here in New Jersey see www.njcapsa.org.

I am only scratching a surface that seems to be deeper.

I ask Craigslist to start regulating its own website and stop allowing individuals to remove other peoples postings.

New Jersey's Dirty Dozen - Top Twelve Pet Stores for Complaints

The following information has been taken from the following website to help people avoid buying puppies from places known to sell sick puppies:

http://www.njcapsa.org/index.php/Hall-of-Shame.php


New Jersey's Dirty Dozen - Top Twelve Pet Stores for Complaints

American Puppy Club, Middletown

Animal Kingdom, Bordentown

Animals and Things, Woodbridge

Bark Avenue, Red Bank

Breeders Association, Brick

Pet Company stores

Petite Puppies, Nutley

Pets Plus

Pets & Supplies Unlimited, Trenton/Hamilton

Puppy King at Pet Depot

Puppy Palace, Atco, Clementon & Moorestown Mall

Puppy Stop, Turnersville, Gloucester County

Craig's List search fails

My husband suggested I use Craigslist.org to look for this puppy. I took his advice and daily searched morning and night for the right puppy to be posted. I would think that I had viable candidates for our new family only to find that either when asking for their name of their vet along with vet address and phone number I would not get a reply. But I did get the name of one family's vet who claimed in the posting that the dog was up to date with shots from a vet. Well the family took the puppy for one set of shots and never return for the boosters that need to be given within so many weeks of each other. So what I thought was going to be 150 for the adoption fee with just the dog needing a rabies shot turned into a 500 dollar adoption. The vets in my area a all around the same prices of 70 to 100 dollars for shots and office visit. I called to verify with vets.

If I was adopting a pedigree with papers maybe I could justify the expense but since I wasn't interested in a pedigree and clicked on this dog and began the conversation to adopt thinking it wasn't going to cost my famliy an arm and a leg I had to again re-think this dog adoption.

When I called the vet for the shots record, I also had permission from the family to asked about the health of the dog. I am glad I did. Although the dog didn't have any serious health problems it did have a serious flea problem with skin problems including redness and scabbing. What did this now mean? If I was to adopt this dog I now had to go to a flea infested home to pick it up. Put the flea infested dog into my car and get it to a groomer immediately. Chances of not infesting my car. Slim. Chances of getting a groomer to immediately take the dog to flea dip it. Slim. Oh well...

Another dog will come along. We will just be patient.

Next posting on how Craigslist is being watch by the puppymill breeders, or some claiming to be rescues.

searching for a puppy for family

Amazed at how hard it is to adopt a puppy.

One can try sites like Petfinder.com, Puppyfind.com, Craigslist.com and various other .com sites. Frustration and the ups and downs of emotions continue until you numb up.

After approximately 2 months of pretty much daily web searches, phone calls to "supposed" breeders, rescue organizations, shelters (both private and county) I have all but thrown up my hands.

I hold out some hope that owning a dog is not just for the rich who can afford the airplane flights across the country to visit the one lone breeder who actually raises quality dogs that don't have genetic defects (known ones anyway).

I have spent my weekends visiting the local Petsmarts that host rescue organizations to meet the people who work to save the dogs. I must say I am impressed by some organizations in my area that really do seem to care for the safety of the dogs and don't want dogs sent to homes that are just going to return them.

My delay is my own desire for my children to be able to raise a puppy (doesn't have to be just weened). Just young enough to really make dog and humans feel like we know each others ways inside and out. For me I also add the desire to have a low shedder, medium size. I have lived with the virtually non-shedder and the high shedder. With a toddler and 2 other children, I think I'd prefer not spending my time vacuuming the house, but playing with everyone.

We were offered a 60 pound mix breed beautiful dog that is a big shedder and would get about 20 larger. My son loved her. I loved her. I just knew that with a toddler a very large dog that didn't grow up with her was a potential problem for scaring the child when the dog accidently knocks her over. The shedding made it even more a problem.

A cocker-spaniel rescue called the other day. Said I could adopt after I answered many questions. They said I could avoid the adoption fee if I traveled to the home of the dog and picked it up myself. The home was over an hour away. I opted to allow an organization to evaluate the dog I adopt rather than picking it up myself and not knowing the health status or conditions I would be walking into.

I called a "breeder" on puppyfind.com. Saw a doodle for a discount price. Called the owner. She offered for me to come to see the dog. I googled the address and got a street view it. Oh my goodness. This was not where I wanted to buy my dog from or bring my children to see it. Either puppy mill type operation or backyard breeder. When I questioned the woman about the 5 month old I was told it had little interaction over 5 months with any people. Thankfully she was honest about that, but why??? How could you do this to any dog?

Still searching but not with the same hopes of filling the spot in our family with a pooch as quickly as I had hoped.

Next time I'll tell you about my Craigslist experience....