Rescuing Rover: To My Best Friend

by Sandy

© reader copyright on file
Shiloh

To My Best Friend

That cold winter day when we first met

I surely didn't know

That you would be the special one

Who soon with me, home would go

The nice man took you from your cage

So the two of us could meet

You were cute but I didn't think

That you were the right one for me

Back into your cage you went

I heard you cry as I walked away

"Don't worry, boy, she'll be back"

I heard the nice man say

"Somewhere", I thought, "there must be

A perfect dog to share my life"

And so my search continued on

I looked near and far both day and night

I didn't find what I thought I wanted

Perhaps I had no clue

So I went back to that shelter

And decided just to "settle" for you

To my surprise we bonded so fast

It happened right from the start

How could I have ever imagined

That so quickly you would steal my heart

In my search I had been so wrong

It didn't take long to see

That a power greater than I had known

That my want had not been my need

People often say I saved you

If only they could see

The void in me had been so great

That it was you, my friend, who saved me

If you have a story or poem about rescuing your best friend, I'd like to share it with my readers. Feel free to send submissions for the Rescuing Rover column to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Include at least one photo of your dog that was taken by you. 

Rescuing Rover: Shiloh Gets an Owner

by Sandy

© S.D., reader copyright on file
Shiloh and Owner
 Enjoy Outdoor Adventures

I already had one dog, and I'm usually a one-dog kind of person. The only reason I wanted a second one was because two nights in a row someone tried to break into my window in the middle of the night, while I was sleeping. My other dog wasn't a barker, so I wanted a dog that would alert me and scare off intruders.

I was looking for an older, calm, female dog. Shiloh was a young, energetic male. When I met him at animal control, the handler removed him from his cage and brought him to the meeting area, and he jumped right into my lap for some loving. He ran around all over the place and seemed a bit too rambunctious. When I left, the handler put him back in his cage, and Shiloh cried out as I walked away. The handler said, 

"Don't worry boy, she'll be back for you." 

But I told him I didn't think I would be back, as I didn't think he was the right dog for me.

© S.D., reader copyright on file
Shiloh's is Always Smiling

I kept looking for the "right" dog. I went to all the shelters within a 50-mile drive, and checked out all the "free dog" ads in the paper. Still couldn't find what I wanted. A few days later, my mom talked me into giving Shiloh a chance, as he was the only dog I sort of liked out of those I met.


 Yes, I was being very picky. I had a very elderly dog at home and a new dog would have to fit in just right with her, and with my lifestyle. When I went back to the shelter, I wasn't sure he'd still be there, as it was a high-kill shelter. But there he was. The handler told me Shiloh was supposed to have been euthanized already, but he said "something" told them to hang on to him for a little while longer. On the drive home with him, I still wondered if I had made a mistake adopting him.

It didn't take long to know that it wasn't a mistake. Adopting him was the best decision I've ever made in my life. We quickly formed a bond so strong... stronger than I had ever thought could be possible between a human and a dog. He truly is my soulmate. 

Funny thing is, he turned out not to be a barker either. If someone were to break in, he'd welcome them and tell them to take whatever they wanted. So I didn't get what I was originally looking for in a dog, but I got so much more, and definitely got what I needed in him.

© S.D., reader copyright on file
Shiloh Sets Aside a Snack for Sandy

 There is a story behind the 3 nuggets lying next to his bowl in this photo. When Shiloh was very sick and on medicine that made him stop eating, I would do everything I could to get him to eat, including lying next to him and pretending to eat from his bowl. 


After he recovered and started eating again, he'd beg me to still come eat with him. I guess he liked the company. Now I just stay in the room with him while he eats. Before he eats, he looks at me and removes 3-5 nuggets from his bowl and lays them in a straight row next to his bowl. Then he eats what's in his bowl, and walks away, leaving the nuggets on the floor. I think he's leaving me a snack. LOL!  

If you have a rescue story that you would enjoy sharing with our readers, please submit your story to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. I make every attempt to publish every story, however some editing may be required. Please include at least one photo of your dog, taken by you. Happy tails!

RESCUING ROVER: Meet Choco King

by Pamela Mullins

© P. Mullins
Choco King, aka
The Most Super Puppy in the World

We adopted our dog, Choco, 4 1/2 yrs ago from the Animal Rescue League here in Boston, MA.  I love dogs and had not had one in a long time. My husband never had a dog and my sons had collected over 100 stuffed doggies. 


One of my twin boys had said we should get a puppy now that I was getting better. He was almost 7 and I had just finished chemo and radiation for the 2nd time. Our other landlord had made us move and so when we moved to our current house, I told them that if they were good, we would get a puppy. 


One day I was looking online and I saw that they had a Shih Tzu for adoption. The people who had him could not take care of him or his siblings, so when I saw him I just told them I wanted him. Choco was so cute and cuddly that he just had to go home with us. My hubby even said it was cool and he was then 46 and never had a dog. So I told them I wanted him and we went thru the whole adoption thing and the next day I brought my 3 sons in to see him. It was love at first sight!!  


He has brought so much happiness to this house and, even better, he has made my hubby into a dog lover. Choco pulled my spirits up after all that I had went thru from my cancer treatments. And he has made my boys into more responsible children. They take him every where. Choco has become the school mascot in a way, and he goes to all of their sporting events. 


They say dogs are man's best friend, but in this case he saved me when I was so down. Choco made me think about all of the good things and he has made my family whole again.  And now he is the king of his castle. My husband misses him so much when he is on the road; he wants to take him over the road in the truck. But the boys have told him,  "No daddy; he has to stay home until he gets older."  I love my furry baby so much and when you look at him you can see why.


Do you have a RESCUING ROVER story that you would enjoy sharing with our readers? You can submit your story to AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Please include a photo that you have taken of your dog, and tell us all about your experiences with adopting and owning your pup. Your story must be less than 500 words to publish. We look forward to hearing about your Fido.

Pup Profiles: Meet Maya Papaya

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Dawn R., reader copyright on file
Maya Papaya
What a Great Nickname!

What is your nickname? 

Maya Papaya, Trouble, Poopers

What is the thing you hate most? 
I'm a Lab... I love everything

What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I ran through a water fountain which was dyed pink for Breast Cancer Awareness week - I was pink for three days!

What is your favorite physical activity(ies)?
Running from Sephi... It really irritates her because she is too slow to catch me.

Would you like your dog featured in our Pup Profile column? To submit your Fido, just answer the 4 questions you see above and send me your pup's picture with the answers to LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com.


Perhaps you'd prefer to have his story shared in our Rescuing Rover column. In this column, readers tell their rescue dog's story in their own words. Send your story along with your dog's photo to the same email address, placing "Rescuing Rover" in the subject line. 


When your pup is published on All Things Dog Blog, he will also have his photo displayed on our Facebook page. Be sure to visit and see him. We look forward to hearing from you. Happy tails!

Other Pup Profiles you may enjoy:
Buttons the Bed Bug
Pup Profiles Coming Soon (how to submit your Pup Profile)
Baxter
Poodle Packmates Charm

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Pet Blogger Introductions:"Nice to Meet You"

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© A. Boyko
Xena, Carrie, Tanner and Oliver

Jack and A.J. over at Pup Love invited us to join another blog hop this weekend, designed to introduce ourselves. I see their point. When you enter the world of blogging, and everyone already seems to know one another, you can sometimes feel a bit lost. It's sort of like transferring to a new middle school and trying to figure out where to sit at lunch. Everyone seems to have friends and is already having fun. What a great idea to help us all get acquainted without playing that peer pressure game. Below is a quick shot at my hello. Feel free to leave questions in the comments, and I'll spill. No lack of words here!

Names: Tanner, the Golden Retriever, and Oliver, a Papillon. Xena left us for the Rainbow Bridge in October. You can read about her at her eulogy, and I've linked to one post for Tanner and Oliver that will help you get acquainted.

Humans: Carrie

Blog: Carrie writes All Things Dog Blog. Tanner and Oliver offer commentary and general silliness at 5 Minutes for Fido.

Age: Tanner is 4 1/2 and Oliver is nearly 3 1/2.

Location: Near Orlando (in hot, sunny, humid Florida)

Breeds: Tanner is a Golden Retriever that was a non-standard pup. His breeder practically gave him to us for a food/medical donation. He's far too tall, has an unusually short coat for a Golden, and a knobby occipital lobe, but I love him all the same. I still find it hard to believe anyone could not have loved this goofy, affectionate, loyal dog. 

Oliver is a Papillon with an interesting adoption story. You can read it at the link above in the Name category. You'll probably enjoy the antics of my daughter--his savior.

Best trick: Oliver performs "Go Nite Nite", which translates to "crate" at the speed of light. He also has an adorable pirouette at dinnertime, just to show his excitement. It's an endearing behavior that everyone seems to enjoy witnessing.  

The answer to Tanner's best trick is a toss up. He's an excellent Houdini, managing to unlatch crates, unlock gates, open our front door and even unlatch a child-guard-protected baby gate that humans cannot figure out. He's probably pretty proud of his Houdini skills, but he also takes mealtime very seriously and will sit and wait permission to eat, in a puddle of drool if necessary, until I give him the go ahead. Then there's Fetch. He's an ace at Fetch, Drop It, Leave It, and swimming is his favorite activity. We have spell that word around him. He's one busy guy.

Favorite toy: No good answers here. Tanner loves ALL toys, even Oliver's little 'baby' toys. He enjoys everything he has permission to play with--thankfully not hubby's hats or shoes. 

Oliver is another story, but lately he likes the toys that you insert an empty plastic water bottle inside. He loves their crinkly sound, and these toys are light weight enough for him to pick up and drag around. At 9 lbs., he can't play with Tanners 'big boy' toys. 

Best Friend: Oliver is true to his companion dog heritage. He's bonded to me and hubby and spends most of his time keeping us company, pretty much no matter what we're doing. When he's not with us, he's usually chewing on Tanner's ears, an activity that Tanner seems to think is more of an ear massage--he loves it! 

Tanner, on the other hand, is the epitome of an extrovert. He knows how to work a party and demonstrates those skills at the dog park quite enthusiastically each week, stopping to sniff and visit with everyone. Some even get personal kisses. Best friends? I can't even guess.

Worst Enemy: Tough question. I suppose Oliver is not fond of a thunder storm. He tends to lie down close by and not leave my side. No behavioral issues--he just wants to be near me when the rumbles get going.

Tanner's only enemy is a barrier. He doesn't like to be held back from a social opportunity. If he's off leash--such as at the dog park or in my yard--he'll behave admirably and friendly. He'll heel and walk with me like a perfect angel. Put him on a leash for a walk and sometimes he'll decide he absolutely must visit that friend that is two blocks down. At 70 lbs., I have to put on my imaginary Pack Leader hat and really play boss when I walk him. Thank goodness for good training as a puppy, or he'd be dragging me around like those poor owners on the Dog Whisperer.

Proudest Moment: Tanner is the most proud each time he bolts through the gate at the dog park, making his victory lap, as if to say "I'm here. Let the party begin!"

Oliver now has 2 proudest moments and I can't possibly leave either out. Earning his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) was a big deal for him. Sit and Down always seemed to mean the same thing, so we found ourselves struggling with the simplest of concepts to overcome.

Recently Oliver was accepted into Dogs for the PAWS, and his portrait was painted as a part of this project to build awareness for rescue dogs. We're totally smitten with Miss Anna Marie's fab art. He's so proud; he's bursting. (Me too!) Now he's officially part of the Paws Pack 80; what's not to be proud of about that!

All Things Dog Blog's Niche: Here's one more tweak. If I'm introducing my blog, I might as well offer up some kibble on what we're all about. All Things Dog Blog is primarily a resource that provides solutions for living with dogs. Thus our tagline: Strategies for Happy Dogs and Happy Families. In addition to my problem-solving articles, I offer an Ask the Vet column, penned by holistic veterinarian, Dr. Pat Bradley, and an Ask the Dog Trainer column, where your questions are fielded by a team of training professionals.

Of course, we have to lighten things up a bit occasionally by tossing in a humorous video, a comic relief article, and inviting our readers to submit their stories for RESCUING ROVER  (archives here) and Pup Profiles.

We also offer a Rainbow Bridge Memorial to our readers who wish to have a serene place to remember their fallen pups. With beautiful music playing along with a nice video, you can visit the pups that have joined your loved one, adding their photos, poems, comments and such to our place to remember them by. My Xena is there now also.

Got questions? We've got answers. You can reach us at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook and Twitter too. Hope to hear from you soon. Happy tails! 

RESCUING ROVER: Duke Returns his Owner's Favor

by Anita-Niki M.

© A.N.M., reader copyright

Duke was brought into the no kill rescue skin and bones, scared of men, and shy. After fixing him and feeding him he gained some weight. He went from a skinny Rat Terrier to a pitbull wannabe. 

Duke was adopted out a few times but was soon brought back. He either he growled at men or bit them. He was also fiercely protective of babies; he wouldn't let people near them. 


My youngest child met him and fell in love; they became best buds. Duke was a role model for rescues always being a shoulder to lean on, especially for the smaller dogs. 

Duke is a big baby, loves to jump up in your lap, or push you out of bed. He loves to rough-house, and growl but never bite. 

He doesn't like my dad; I think it's the hat. He didn't like my brother-in-law at first, but now is his buddy because Lee took him 'Muddin'. Duke loves to ride; all you have to do is ask him to get the keys and he will and meet you at the door. He would live in the car if you let him. He's in the states (U.S.) with my oldest son, but when I visit he's my bed buddy.

© A.N.M. reader copyright
Duke, My Bed Buddy

*****************

Do you have a rescued dog whose story you would like to share? Rescuing Rover is a monthly readers' column. Your story and your pup's photo could be here. Submit yours to LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com.

On another note, if you're planning a holiday trip with your furry friends, perhaps a few tips would be helpful in getting him (and you) ready. Stop by my friends at GoPetFriendly to see my latest guest post, Preparing Rover to be a Well-Behaved Holiday Visitor. Happy travels!

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© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Sniffing out Upcoming Dog Topics? Here's the Scoop:

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Woof and Meow Returns Saturday

Things are certainly hopping around here. Today's post is simply to give you a little insight into what's coming up shortly. If you don't want to miss a single post, be sure to grab a free email subscription in the top of the sidebar at the blog. Don't forget; you'll get a free ebook just for subscribing: How to Put Your Dog on a Budget. 

Upcoming Posts:

• Assessing the extent of your dog's vocabulary--just for fun, we'll look at just how many words our dogs really understand.
• Woof and Meow will be back on Saturday, as usual, to offer a few tips on training your dog to respect your cat. I'm amazed at what I've been able to accomplish with Tanner and Oliver. You'll see the difference too. Be sure to join us for this fun post, and don't forget to enter the drawing for the World's Best Cat Litter, tote bags and a self-cleaning Litter-Robot for your Meow.
• Dr. Pat will return to help a reader with an overweight pet. Don't miss this helpful topic if your pup could use a bit of help from our own weight watchers team!
• Are puppies a good match for senior citizens? Join me to explore what works and what doesn't with older pet owners and puppies.
• A touching topic coming up is a letter from a reader on her dog owner guilty feelings. This one will touch your heart and likely make you think a bit. Your opinions and comments will be welcome, as always.
• Our Rescuing Rover column will return with Duke this month, a lucky fella who landed with a loyal reader and avid rescuer, Anita. 
• Has your Fido entered the Halloween costume contest? No?!!! C'mon; there's a big bag of assorted treats waiting for one lucky winner. Don't miss the announcement of the winner on Friday, October 29, when Tanner and Oliver will be here to show off their costumes that will honor our beloved Xena. Can you guess what they will be dressed as?
• Tomorrow's post offers another fun giveaway--a hardback copy of A Dog's Purpose. I'm enjoying this delightful book. Will you win the prize copy in Monday's drawing? Only if you enter, so don't miss the post and your options for entering.

That's all for now. If you just can't wait, you can order your copy of A Dog's Purpose right here from Amazon:

Visit Adopt a Dog Park

Help protect our precious dog parks

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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