New Hope’s Dog Blog
Hi,, I’m Eddie. If you didn’t notice from my pictures, I am one handsome canine, and I have quite the perfect personality and disposition. I’m a super great guy (of course I am because I am part Shepherd), good natured, and will be good for you! Actually, I’m not just “good” for you, but FANTASTIC for you. Past the puppy stages of life, I’m a mature dog who has plenty of energy and a real zest for life.
My foster mom says I am quiet intelligent and eager to please. I tend to agree with the intelligence part. As a Shepherd I have inherent traits such as being protective, loyal and affectionate. I am currently in a foster home where I am playing with another dog that I absolutely love. She is smaller and a lot quicker but I can keep up.
My most favorite thing is going for a walk. I know what the word means, I know I need to find a leash and I know that I have to sit and wait till my leash is on and my 2 legged companions go out the door first. I try to be so quiet while I wait, but I can can’t. I keep practicing though. I don’t need practice at walking however. I mastered that. I stay right beside my companion all the time. And the kids in this house! What can I say, they are even more fun to play with then my 4 legged dog friend. I am careful with them so they keep coming back. I love playing with a ball in the backyard and cuddling up on the couch (I’m a lap dog I swear). Oh, the best is the car rides. I know what that word means too, I told you I was smart, and I can ride for hours.
I am three years old, house trained, neutered and current on all my vaccinations. I am quite the package. My foster mom just adores me and likes to brag about me, she would also like to tell you that I have impeccable manners, that I’m very confident, and that I am quite the gentleman.
It doesn’t get any better than this. Trust me, I am the perfect companion.
Chapter Two: The one detail I forgot to mention about Macree was that she came as a ‘package deal’ and once settled in a bit she visited Dr.Chu to see how big my pack was about to become! She was pregnant and after a quick x-ray i saw 7 little pups on the screen!…Wow! 7 pups was a good number i thought…i can manage that (like i was the one pregnant!) and low and behold she surprised me once again and on Friday Oct.30 th she gave birth to 11 pups…around #9 i started to hyperventilate!!!…i quite possibly might not be the person you want around in an emergency!!!(the first two pups were a bit of a blur..but i may have placed some wild phone call to catherine?) i have now changed my middle name to “panic”…with Macree exhausted and me in a ’state…of something’ i loaded Macree and crew in the car to head to the vet as the last (hopefully!!!) pup was a bit more reluctant to join this world!…and as we raced into the parking lot to the clinic ‘wee one’ made her debut! in the back seat of the car! Whew!..and if you were the person in front of me at the corner of clarence and taylor around 12:30 that day..i am sorry for honking at you like some frantic maniac..i apparently watched too many mission impossible movies!!! All is well with Macree and Crew, they are healthy and gorgeous…and what a beautiful mom she has turned out to be…not surprisingly!! I attempt to be of some help to her but she has it cased…so i am on ‘laundry duty’ for now…happily!
Macree
CHAPTER ONE: So I think her name defines her…MACREE! and for two reasons…she came to us having never had a name… and Macree means ‘My Heart’..which this girl has!!! 10 fold! Now, I have a house full of old friends that have ‘my heart’ but their struggles ended many, many years ago when they too were in Macree’s place in one way or another. So the ‘newness’ of her journey kind of tugs at my heart and has a wonderful way of reminding me of where my dogs came from…and why I still do this ‘dog stuff’!
So to backtrack a bit…her intro to my life was spontaneous and her intro to my ‘pack’…well, I can only assume was terrifying! I read about her in a new hope email about a female “in need” of some help as she was marked to be shot by days end…and considering I live with more than one dog that has survived gunshots and dog hunts in their day, I had had my fill of ’shoot the dog’ solutions!!! so after a shaky phone call and a few hours of trying to busy myself with dishes and such, Catherine called to say she was safe, and shortly there after Macree arrived at my home…and what I saw as I peered off my deck was a sight to behold….yes, she was much smaller than I envisioned her to be, a bit of a shock…but mostly what I noticed was that she was ‘SORRY!’…sorry to be here, sorry to be alive! , sorry to be breathing! Sorry to be a bother!!…she was what my sister and I call a “walking apology!”…and it broke my heart in a split second! I had one of those flashes as to what she might have experienced to date…and what she was about to encounter…and it overwhelmed even me!!!!So she came…reluctanly…into the yard, and after a few moments to let her gather herself she was introduced to my crew…and that is exactly where and when i fell in love!! She did not miss a beat…now; imagine trying to navigate through an established pack of shepherds that have been ‘tight’ for over 10yrs…And this girl did it with grace!!!….no aggression…no confrontation…no anything. (Okay, maybe the urge to take a pee!!)…just wanting to be accepted finally and to rest!!! And…True to form…my pack ‘accepted’ her and she was ‘IN’…to our hearts… and our pack…and what a wild ride we have had since that day… to be continued!!!
Buddy
Hi my name is Buddy. I came to New Hope Dog Rescue not too long ago. I got lost and then I was found by a nice lady who put me in her kennel so I could be safe. But I was lonely so the nice people at New Hope said I could stay in one of their foster homes until I found my own family.
So life has been pretty busy since I moved to my foster home. I now live with 2 kids, and other dogs. I really the like the kids, especially when I get a chance I play with them. I try really hard to stay gentle with them. The dogs I live with are pretty fun too and I pretty much like everyone of any size. In fact, I cannot remember meeting anyone that I have not liked! I even like the grumpy dog and he seems to be warming up to me too!
My foster mom says that I’m a really nice boy with lots of good qualities. We have been working on teaching me a new language. Bet you didn’t know that I was multilingual! Well my foster mom has been teaching me a whole bunch of new words I didn’t know before like “down”, “wait”, “stay”, “stand” and some fun things like “shake” (a-paw) and “spin”. I think there are new words to come but I’m mastering these ones before I get the next ones. I knew “sit” already but I have now learned you have to do it even when you don’t hear the word, like when we go out in the morning. I have to “sit” and wait to have my leash on. I have to keep waiting until the front door opens and then I have to look at my foster mom before I go anywhere. Sometimes she has to remind me but I’m getting the hang of it. She says “Yes, let’s go” and then we get to go for a walk. My foster mom said we had a break through when I figured that one out. It was pretty hard to get all those steps but I get lots of pats and praise when I get it right! I really like the attention!!! I also know “sit” and “stay” so my foster home can put down the food bowl. I stay really still and watch her then she says “okay” I get to eat.
I really like going for walks! That’s the BEST part about the sitting for the leash and waiting really patiently! I also like the treats I get and I’m excellent at taking treats really gently (and from kids too)! I like to run but because my foster home does not have a fenced yard and there are lots of coyotes around we go for walks on a flexi leash. I’m good about not pulling to hard and knowing where the end of the long leash is!
My foster mom says I’m much better looking than my pictures! She’ll try to get some better pictures of me soon and when it’s brighter so she doesn’t have to use the flash. I put my ears back when it flashes. She calls my name….so I come running. Apparently the pictures of my nose, my eye and ear up close are not quite what she is looking for. We’ll just have to try again.
My foster mom lets me hang out with her when she’s in the kitchen doing stuff. I usually lie down and just watch what she is doing. I also like family time, so I find a nice spot on the big pillow just for me on the floor. When everything quiets down, I’m happy to hang out and maybe even take a snooze. I like belly rubs, being cuddled and feeling like someone loves me. I really like my foster home but I know there is a family out there that will love me more and keep me safe. I’m just waiting for the right one to come along. I sure hope they will let me love them forever!
Angus
Hello! Angus the border collie here. I’m sure you’ve been wondering what’s happened to me since my beautiful, handsome, charming, adorable (if you think I’m vain you haven’t seen ‘em) pictures were taken off the New Hope website.
Well, I thought I’d put your minds at ease. I’m fine. I just decided that people make a tasty snack (and really, where’s the harm in a little nibble?) so my foster family decided I needed to stay with them in Cell Block T (T for Training) for a little while longer. Personally I would prefer playing ball with one of the wardens - excuse me, people - or playing tackle with my cell mate, a cat, although he is a little prickly around the paws and teeth. Ouch!
When the cat, who is really grossly lazy, is conked out where I can’t reach him, I like to pester my fellow inmates, Vixen (who is also a New Hope dog taken off the website not because she bites but because she is a total maniac just the same) and Mandy, who I lovelovelove because she is Her Highness the Alpha Dog and that’s just what you’re supposed to do.
There are a lot of things I lovelovelove: my tennis ball, my walks, food, my tennis ball, my cell mates (both canine and feline), my tennis ball, and treats. And my tennis ball!
There is, however, one thing I don’t like, and that is the heat in the summer. My energy level has plummeted from being able to spend 99.999% of my time running and playing to an alarming - and utterly shocking - 98%! I know, it’s appalling. My wardens must be bored out of their minds with the unexpected 3.5 minutes of free time this gives them every day.
Anyways, I’d better be going. Rumor has it that there’s a fresh tennis ball behind the couch that hasn’t had all the fuzz chewed off yet. I have GOT to do something about that. I feel it’s my duty, and frankly Vixen and Mandy just aren’t qualified professionals like myself, and don’t even get me started on that cat’s technique, which is absolutely insulting.
The tennis ball awaits!!!!
-Angus
As translated from Dog to English by Sarah Patrick
We welcome your dog blogs…just send us an email with your blog and we’ll get it posted. You can send your email to catherine.nhdr@gmail.com
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