DogTails - The "Give a Dog a Bone" Blog

FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:58:00 +0000

anticipation.

joy.

tummy rubs.
Not too long ago, I was contacted by Elizabeth Brock, of Zootoo PetNews, which is a national online site devoted to the animal world in which we are fortunate enough to reside.

http://zootoo.nypost.com/petnews/alonedetaineddogsfeelwomanslov-1413

This was a different kind of interview, done entirely by email, which gave me the opportunity to really reflect upon her questions, some of which I either hadn't thought about in a long time or hadn't thought about at all. I found myself in a place that I can't quite explain - jumbled feelings and memories that I had to sort out, as well as many clear, concise pictures of the past few years that came to mind, bringing up issues that appear over and over again. I really had to think about how to convey my world in a way that readers could feel the truth.

Truth.

"For me, dogs have always been a measure of our humanity, not only in how we regard and treat them, but perhaps, even more important, in how they help us to regard and treat our fellow humans. The miracle of dogs for me - and Orson was the living embodiment of this - is the way they brought me back to people. . . . Through him, I came to see that the work of dogs is not to lead us away from humanity but towards it." A Good Dog Jon Katz (http://www.bedlamfarm.com/)

People and dogs. Quality of life. Compassion. Humanity. Shelter dogs. Volunteers.

Our babies thrive on affection. Quiet time. Down time.

Shelter dogs, not surprisingly,
lose the ability to relax
in such a species
inappropriate
environment.

Just sitting with them is such a gift.

One stick, two road cones, and a young dog braves the leap, enticed by a treat in a volunteer's hand that holds good things. Learning that hands are good is huge for a lot of our dogs.

One of our buddies follows the treat hand as the other hand controls how slowly this homemade see-saw lowers. Our hesitant buddy learns confidence as the volunteer handler responds only to the dog's movements. And then we throw a party as our pal makes it on through to the other side. No hurry, pal, we're on your time.
One case of neglected demodex. This little guy was bald on intake, and in this photo is in the midst of traditional (our shelter vet) and alternative (GADAB) treatments, and now enjoys a good life with a full, healthy coat in a good home.

Real life "weave" objects and an enthusiastic volunteer handler allow our four-legged friends to become comfortable with everyday objects, some of them upside down, some with treats on them, and a big jackpot at the end with a sit. A hose? That's what I'm talkin' about!

This little fellow, a victim of sickening abuse, perches himself on a homemade tunnel that he has learned to jauntily run through with the encouragement of this volunteer, and next (not seen), he will balance himself, hind legs on the tunnel and forelegs on the fire hydrant, for a jackpot. Hey, what else can we do with this tunnel and this fire hydrant? Rehomed happily.

Dog with people. Quality of life for all of us. Make it so for all species.

SOMETIMES TREATS JUST AREN'T ENOUGH

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Who would have thought that a dog would notice the small opening between the floor and the elevator? Most of our dogs have never given a thought to that opening but to this dog, not only did he notice the opening, he had severe misgivings about crossing over it. Just look at what his body language is telling us.

He considered the treat lures that were offered, but to him, the value of those treats (which he had thoroughly enjoyed just moments ago out in our shelter park) were not enough to overcome his fear of making it over that threshold safely.

So we covered the threat, a very simple solution to a very real problem for our buddy, and it worked for him. His body language in the second photo is telling us that it's not a done deal for him, but he succeeded. Bigtime. That's what this scenario was about - giving the dog control over his environment and giving him an opportunity for success. Kudoes to our brave buddy.

No pushing the dog , no dragging the dog with the leash, no carrying the dog, no loud voice telling him it's ok when he knows perfectly well that it's not, all of which would have exacerbated his fear and done nothing to change it. We created the beginning of a positive emotional response to this particular fear. Each small success leads to a more confident dog. Not to mention the trust factor that we're establishing

So, thanks, honeybunch, for giving us yet another tool to work with youse guys. (No, I'm not from the Bronx.)

BANJO DECIDES TO JOIN THE WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Meet Banjo. We believe that he hails from the ancient Isles of Rivatelah, the second dog from there whom we have been fortunate enough to have encountered here at GADAB. Although the people of Rivatelah are long gone, the breed has always been admired for their prowess in the art of lap snuggling and their outstanding ability to capture hearts.

Unlike The Captain, our first Rivatelahan, it took Banjo some time to get used to us. We used the tried and true techniques that we use with all our, "I don't really want to bite you, so please stay away from me" signals that we get from our fearful buddies. But once he decided to come around, he exhibited traits that Rivatelahan Snuggle Terriers were known for, although he is clearly a mix. What really got to us was his outstanding underbite. If you are a sucker for a good underbite, like I am, this guy could win prizes all over the world just for that. He shines as well in many other important ways, perhaps the most delightful being his cheerful demeanor. He loves playing outdoors with us, truly a people loving dog.

As we noted before with The Captain, not much is known today about the Isles of Rivatelah. They were thought to have been in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England. The scant artifacts that the Rivatelahans have left include many images and partial sculptures of dogs resembling the Snuggle Terrier in loving positions with human companions, indicating a profound intimacy between the two species.

Banjo lives now in a foster home with Grateful Dogs Rescue. His background and the wonderful times we had with him lead us to believe that his forever home isn't too far off in the future.

SEEN ANY FLYING PIT BULL TERRIERS LATELY??

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Meet our newest volunteer, Jonathan, along with a couple of his dogs. He's now teaching our dogs, mostly pitties, the joys of frisbee.

The dogs come back in from a frisbee outing, panting happily, tails wagging, and exhibiting the famous pit bull grin. They've learned impulse control, gotten unbelievable exercise, and once back in their kennels, take a well-deserved looooong nap.

Nothing like seeing a stretched out shelter dog snoring away in his bed, completely oblivious to his or her surroundings. Wonder what they are dreaming of? Since dogs live in the moment, what more can we ask for than a happy, well-exercised dog who is relaxed enough to conk out completely in a shelter environment?
One of these days, we'll be publishing a new super-star from GADAB because Jonathan will be looking for a foster from us.

Right now, it's Aztec and Ruby who compete with Jonathan and give demos to delighted and astounded folks in the Bay Area.

Sadie is retired after an illustrious career.

UPDATE ALERT!!!

Jonathan, Aztec, and Ruby will be showing their stuff just behind the Give a Dog a Bone booth at Pet Pride Day on Sunday, October 25. Pet Pride Day is the annual San Francisco Care & Control outdoor super event. For more info, go to http://www.petprideday.com/

Pippin, World Class Dock Diver

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:43:00 +0000

None of you could have forgotten our Christmas story this past year . . . posted on our blog December 22, 2008, entitled "Our Christmas Story" . . . starring Pippin and a young man whom we will always salute as a hero.

AND HERE SHE IS, THE FEARLESS ADVENTURE LOVER, PIP-PIP !!!!! And MaxineeBean shakes her head indulgently at the antics of her young roommate as she heads back to the tent where multiple doggie comforts await. Angela puts her babies first, as do we all, don't we now?

We will forever be grateful to the young man who rescued Pippin, and to Angela, a truly fabulous mom.

Truly an ending we never could have foreseen. It's still all about the love, baby.

SHADOW DOZES OFF

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Sweet dreams, darlin', darlin'.

"Lay your head

Upon my pillow.

Hold your warm and tender body

Close to mine . . . "

For the Good Times

by Kris Kristofferson

FROM SNAP TO SUGAR SNAP

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:24:00 +0000

Someone had named her "Snap".

And snap she did, as close to the rear corner of her kennel as she could possibly be, from anyone who approached her in any way, lunging, baring teeth, growling. So utterly fearful of absolutely everyone - had her former people named her Snap because they thought it was funny to see such a tiny little dog acting so ferociously? Someone clearly had made this little girl act incredibly aggressively towards people - for one of those insane reasons we don't even want to guess at.

But we had something different in mind for her. And lots of experience with good instincts based on former successes. I waited her out. I would pass by her kennel and say hello to her without looking at her a few times a day. I would open her kennel door, and again, without looking at her, place some tasty morsels on the floor, close the door quietly and leave.

Then I spent short increments of time laying down as far away from her as I could be and ignored her. I did not lift my limbs, I moved very slowly, and not towards her. Using a lot of the calming techniques of Turid Rugas, such as keeping my body relaxed, soft yawning, quiet lip smacking, and never looking directly at her.

I upped the ante slowly, letting her feel safe enough to initiate an approach. At first, of course, there would be slight movements towards me with lots of darting retreats. Gradually, very gradually, her approaches became closer and she began eating treats in front of me, then from my hand. I still did not make eye contact with her, keeping my head lowered and facing away from her.

When I first touched her, I still did not face her directly, but let my hand drift towards her neck, speaking softly and cheerfully, saying her name a lot, and letting the tips of my fingers wiggle playfully just the tiniest bit. It worked. She was ready. My hand came towards her, always touching the blanket, and I never lifted it until I reached her neck and then I reached up to underneath her neck where she could see it. I stroked her gently and she stayed. Oh, baby.

That was the beginning of our love affair. It went slowly for a while and then she made the leap. Suddenly I was the apple of her eye, the person who made her twirl with happiness and jump for joy, who made her heart sing. She trusted someone. She found out about love. And how!!!

Then it was time for others to do the same thing. She needed to continue to grow and expand. She decided that was a good thing to do, although it took time with each new person, with each new place, and with each new dog whom she encountered. She met each challenge with suspicion and wariness and perhaps she always will.

Someone changed her name to Sugar Snap. Perfect. A little ( :-) ), or a lot (!), of each, our baby has finally made it out of the kennel where she began her transition into the dog she will become.

Sugar Snap is in a foster home with Grateful Dog Rescue and awaits her forever home.

FARAH aka LADYBUG - update!

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Who could resist a face like this?

Well, it didn't take long for our little charmer to find a forever home, but it's turned out that there was a glitch in the works,as she reports from Lake Tahoe (where she spent the weekend with her foster family), "my new forever family has had a family emergency that is going to be a long term time commitment, so they had to put off getting a dog. Yup, me. Oh, dear, dear. So, I'm going to be with my lovely foster family until my new forever home finds me. My foster dad emailed this about me: I am housetrained, crate trained, I know sit, down, stay and come. We are working on loose-leash walking and I am improving on that quickly with his good leadership. I am (listen to this!!) incredibly good with adults and older children, and other dogs. I am active and affectionate and snuggly.

"I've been living on the streets of San Francisco (yes, I have heard of the tv show!) for most of my young life with different folks and I was never sure who my family was. How I landed in the isolation kennel at SF/ACC I'm not really sure, but there were some bald patches on my skin that made me itch like crazy, so I'm guessing that someone just dropped me off. One bath and a few Full Spa Treatments from the folks at GADAB changed that pretty quickly. Here's the kicker, though, I was adopted from ACC by Home at Last Rescue through the magnificent efforts of a particularly spectacular woman who is an ace at finding foster and forever homes. Her name is Joyce. Remember that, all you people who are looking to hire a most excellent foster coordinator. This is her true calling and we need to keep her in this field!!! By gosh and by golly!!!"

"Anyway, on one of the first days that Corinne had taken me out to the shelter park, she tossed a ball for me, and as I ran to catch it, I slipped onto my belly and then frog-legged to the ball. That cracked her up so much that she almost fell over too! Add that to my natural affection for people, that I play well with most dogs, and you can see why she called Joyce about me that same night.

"I am a lucky, lucky dog. J and C (as I call them) make a fabu team. Hey, guys and gals, I'm here to tell you - Dreams will come true."

10/06/09

And so it did. I have a nice size family: two (count 'em - 2!) dads, a doggie brother, and a kittie.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Joyce of Home at Last Rescue in Berkeley.

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:05:00 +0000

ANIMAL TORTURERS

Make my blood boil. Horrified beyond belief. Afraid yet compelled to read one more paragraph. I’m sorry, I like happy endings as much as the next person, they very much make my day, but how do I ignore the rest? Soapbox time. Graphic too, I’m afraid, and very off topic from GADAB’s Mission Statement, but may I? For the squeamish, skip through to the last four paragraphs if you just need to know how you can make a difference.

The recent news stories, about the three state dog fighting ring, involving 30 men and 350 dogs, made news, I’m afraid, because of the sheer numbers involved. And that would just be the current number of dogs, not those maimed and killed over the years that these men were in business.

Men and women who fight animals are profiteers in other ways - arms smugglers, drug smugglers, gamblers – big money. It’s a huge business as well as a sick pleasure. You say it doesn’t happen in Canada because it’s illegal? Here’s a wake-up call – dog fighting is illegal in every state in the Union. Multitudes of animals are fought all over the world. Perhaps Michael Vick could offer some insight into the vast networks of global animal fighters.

Those of us who are familiar with dog fighting busts, canary fighting busts, cockfighting busts, also know about those animals who are bred to be tortured daily in testing laboratories all over the world. Include beagles as a breed especially victimized by animal laboratories, bunnies, monkeys and other primates bred as “test” animals by agencies that are both familiar and unfamiliar to you. The packaged meats that are displayed in your supermarket and butcher stores with nice fake grass sticking up between the different cuts – those farm animals live sickening, abysmal lives that the consumer does not see.

How about that new mascara being touted as “24 hour perfect long-lash” worn by the beautiful model smiling at you from the full page ad in a national magazine? That mascara was tested on many, many cute animals that you would snuggle in your arms as quickly as you could swoop them up, but she wouldn’t have any eyes, since the chemicals used to test that mascara have burned those little eyes crisply and effectively, without anesthesia. Anesthesia is too costly. But those companies don’t tell you that other, equally effective ways have been developed to test those live-saving drugs that are pushed as the reason for animal cruelty. Cosmetics are barely mentioned.

Those eggs that were $.79 a dozen last week at the supermarket chain people shop at were produced by chickens living in filthy cages so small that they could not move. They are filthy themselves, living in stacked cages, beaks removed so they cannot injure each other, living with dead chickens. Their life span, understandably and thankfully, is very short. Eggs come at a cost higher than $.79/dozen.

Puppy mills have been in the news lately. Good. Those darling little white and fluffies in the pet shops are damaged goods - both physically and behaviorally through no fault of their own. Breeders are to be looked at carefully; and just try to meet the dams and sires of those little ones. The lives of the dams especially would make you gag.

And Breed Specific Legislation? How safe does BSL make you feel? Wait til they target your favorite breed. Who will stand up for you?

What to do? Really, where to start? As always, with education. Then, in this economy, how do most of us afford to put our money where our mouth is?

As always, there is finding out who our legislators are and writing them, emailing them, calling them. There’s one-person boycotts, again contacting a corporation or company who practice animal cruelty and letting them know that your dollars are going to a socially conscious competitor. There’s going bigger - joining an organized group or donating a few or lots of your hard-earned dollars. In this networked world, it’s pretty effortless to do something easily and quickly.

Go to caringconsumer.com, do a search on Covance Research Products or Huntingdon Life Sciences. Your helping stop animal cruelty can just be a click away.

As for dog fighters, harder to find, harder to stop. But we can make our laws stronger, the penalties more severe, and teach our kids that morality applies to all species.

Speak up.

STOP THE MICHAEL VICKS OF THIS WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:25:00 +0000

ENOUGH

For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to even consider meeting with Michael Vick, who was recently released from federal custody for dog fighting, speaks volumes about the NFL.

As for Michael Vick, his efforts to resume his professional football career indicate that he has little understanding of how sickened we were, and are, by the "blood sport" which he practiced. And, how additionally sickening that he wants to return to his former "glory days". It's over, Michael Vick. There are no more glory days for you. We all know who you are.

If such a meeting does occur, from the statements given by the Commissioner's office, I hold little hope that it would be to discuss Michael Vick's more appropriate future, which would be to spend the rest of his life speaking publicly, openly, and apologetically about the harm he has inflicted on the most maligned and victimized dog breed in our world today, the American Pit Bull Terrier. Easy victims are brutalized by the most cowardly of people.

Courage, Michael Vick, means openly recognizing that you chose to victimize helpless living beings in unspeakably cruel ways. Courage means owning up the harm that you have done. Courage means saying no in the first place.

But it also means that you, along with your influential friends and acquaintances, have a unique opportunity to educate the public and to actively promote the positive character of American Pit Bull Terriers, and even further, to discuss animal cruelty in an open, humane forum that addresses the possibility that one day, our species will stop hurting other species. Activism works. I hope you can meet some of the dogs that you terrorized and tell them that you are truly sorry and I hope you have heart enough to mean it. I hope you cry until you have no more tears. It will do you good to cry.

And then I hope you put your money where it belongs - directly to the shelters all over this country who care for these animals. Do you have guts enough to volunteer in a shelter? You see, it's not the animals who judge you - it's us, we're the ones who will be looking at you and trying to understand and forgive while we mop up canine blood from the floor.

Don't even think about giving your money to big animal organizations - that's the easy way out, to write a big check. Do some homework. Opportunities exist for you to make some reparation.

Then you can look your kids in the eyes and tell them that their daddy finally learned how to do the right thing.

JOIN US THIS SATURDAY - JUNE 20 over at SF/SPCA

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Rescue Recycle Renew Adoption Fair

Come look for our table

have a great time with all

of us! Cats, dogs, birds, bunnies, other small mammals . . .

and YOU!

San Francisco SPCA invites you

Rescue, Recycle, Renew

Free Adoption Fair

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

11:00 am - 3:00 pm

201 Alabama Street
(in the courtyard of The SF/SPCA’s Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center)

FREE parking available

♥ Variety of Rescue Groups (adoption fees apply for each group)
♥ “Second Chance Sale” of new or gently used pet toys, outfits, bric-a-brac, supplies & more
♥ Education on recycling: garbage vs. compost vs. recyclables
♥ Tours of the new SF/SPCA Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center
♥ Maddies Pet Adoption Center
♥ Foster Care Program with kittens, and Fospice (Foster/Hospice) animals

Participating Bay Area Groups:

California Chins
Copper's Dream Animal Rescue
The Dog Spot Rescue

Give A Dog A Bone

Golden State Greyhound Adoption
Grateful Dogs Rescue

Hopalong and Second Chance Animal Rescue
Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue
The Milo Foundation

Muttville
Rocket Dog
San Francisco Animal Care & Control

Save A Bunny
Toni's Kitty Rescue
Wonder Dog Rescue

Meet some really cool animals and bring your kids

- the next generation of adopters.

Adopt a homeless animal and save a life! Join The SF/SPCA and Bay Area rescue groups for a free Adoption Fair featuring cats and dogs of all ages, birds, bunnies, and other small mammals!
------------------------------------------
Participating Vendors ...

Dress My Pooch
Greenhome

-------------------------------------------
Sponsored by ... PetCo Foundation - thank you, PetCo!

SEE YOU ALL THERE !!!!

De-stressing your dog

noreply@blogger.com (jessicab) — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:36:00 +0000

It is easy to forget that dogs, like people, need very similar things to thrive. Your dog follows your routine, your eating habits, exercise habits and more. It is time that we thought about our own routines, and how they can impact the life of our pet. Dogs don't just need "dog food" and a ball to chase: each dog has something special and unique about them that should be honored, and it is up to you-- the owner-- to find out what it is!

In order to live, humans need the basics: food, water, and shelter. In order to thrive, however, we need a stable home environment, whole and nourishing foods, regular exercise, touch, love, community, strategies for managing stress, and a positive outlook on life. It would seem, to me, that we can say the same things about our pets.

At Give A Dog A Bone, we may work on a tight budget, but Corinne and her volunteers try to tackle the physical, emotional, and mental health of the dogs. One thing in particular: STRESS is not just our enemy, but an enemy of our pets as well. Although in some cases, prescription medicine is a necessity, these days, it is fun to play around with some of the extremely effective holistic and all-natural stress-busting options. Corinne has come up with some all-natural remedies that are worth sharing for de-stressing the dogs at the shelter:

1. Lavender spray bottle: Lavender has been used for ages as an herb to combat depression, anxiety, insomnia and a variety of other conditions. It works by having a calming effect on the body and thereby reducing the body's stress response. At the shelter, Corinne has a spray bottle filled with filtered water and lavender essential oil. Sprayed in the air around the dogs, they are noticeably intrigued and calmed by the smell. It is worth trying at home if your dog is having a barking attack, or noticeably agitated.

2. Bach's Rescue Remedy: A long time holistic health staple, rescue remedy is a combination of flower essences developed by Edward Bach to be used in times of stress. Everyone from celebrities, to health professionals, or just your Average Joe can keep this in mind when stress arises. (Some EMT's even carry it around in their medical bag to use when patients are presenting with signs of shock!) The combination of flowers works synergistically to reduce stress, calm the mind, decrease anxiety, and even goes so far as to decrease panic symptoms.

3. Diet: Dogs and people are sensitive to food. We may not know it, after all of the processes and refinements have taken place, but food definitely effects how we behave. Refined white sugar, for instance, spikes the blood sugar, causes mood imbalances, cravings, anxiety, and weight gain. Instead, it has been found that complex carbohydrates: quinoa, brown rice, millet, and protein: fish (high in protein and omega-s), chicken, lean meats have a profoundly calming effect on the body and mind. If you are up for it, make your dog breakfast of salmon, quinoa, and steamed veggies with olive oil to see how they respond to an all-natural and nourishing meal!!!

The list can go on forever, and it is fun to play around with your own stress busting ideas: Meditation, Yoga, massage, long walks, doing something fun with someone you love, watching a movie. Whatever your tactic is for stress-relief, try to get your dog in on the action as well!

Wonderful wishes for a beautiful spring- the perfect time of year to enjoy a sunny patch of grass at the park with your furry friend.

Agility on a budget

noreply@blogger.com (jessicab) — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:45:00 +0000

It is one of the many perks of non-profit work that when recessions hit, you normally have a pretty good idea already of ways to save money. In an effort to make sure you can still get the most joy out of your time with your dog, we can show you how to do agility on a shoe-string.

When looking for inexpensive thrills for your pet, look no further than some of the training equipment we use here at Give A Dog A Bone. Trust us, it doesn't take fancy toys, equipment, or high priced training sessions to make your pet happy (although I guess that never hurt, either). As any dog will tell you, they prefer your old shoes or stuffed animals to any of the other high priced toys you can find at the dog "boutiques".

And why not let the pictures speak for themselves? The first thing you think when you see these pictures is, "My Gosh! That is one happy puppy!" Again, big thanks to Sylvia Spiro (our wonderful volunteer photographer) for being able to capture a puppy smiling and exuding pure puppy joy. You know, what we see in the pictures is not a picture-perfect puppy on a picture-perfect agility course; but rather, a sweet little guy with a patch of demodex (treatable mange) and a beautiful spirit making his own real-life agility course. Using a chair, a cone, a frisbee, and a fire hydrant (although we are not expecting you to have well-placed fire hydrants in your back yard:)), this puppy is in heaven!!! Using household objects: a broom handle, plastic chair, step stool, frisbee, rope, and any safe combination you can think of, can prove to be just the agility course your dog needs. In fact, using objects like cones and plastic chairs (cheap thrills!) is a wonderful way of getting your puppy used to objects that may seem "scary" or "strange" to its young mind. If you are looking for fun ways to socialize your puppy and get them accustomed to the big world out there, an at-home agility course could be just the mental and physical exercise they need to grow into strong, confident dogs. So look around your house today, and get experimental with your pet's agility course, they will thank you for it!

Life Behind Bars

noreply@blogger.com (jessicab) — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:54:00 +0000

It isn't always glamorous at the animal shelter, but there is some serious work that gets done while the animals are "behind bars". When animals are not being taken out for exercise and love, they spend the majority of their time inside of their kennel looking at life behind metal bars. Through no fault of their own, these dogs have ended up at Animal Care and Control, and it is through the effort of dedicated volunteers, like Corinne and her staff, that they end up with any human interaction at all.

But don't despair yet! Where others might see a dead-end, Corinne and her volunteers see another opportunity to enrich the lives of the dogs. They strive to give their dogs the emotional support and mental stimulation they need in order to keep sane, even with a metal fence between them. In fact, Corinne once told me that every single time she enters a run she tries to acknowledge each dog she passes by.

The photos above are taken by a wonderful volunteer, Sylvia, who uses her gift of photography to capture some of the wonderful day to day moments at Give A Dog A Bone. While in the cage, Corinne (seen above) is practicing "Ups" with one of her dogs. Treats abound in these training sessions, which Corinne stresses to me, keeps the dogs mentally stimulated and engaged, even when they can't be taken out. It seems that everything in life works from the inside out. Even when inside of their cages, Corinne and her volunteers begin putting behaviors on cue that will help groom these animals into well-behaved, loving dogs. Each time they pass by they have a kind word, a delicious treat, or squeaky toy to make each dog feel special.

At Give A Dog A Bone, no dog is too hopeless to be worked with or too sick to be loved. Every volunteer knows that each animal comes to the shelter with a unique set of circumstances and behaviors. Even dogs that are confined to their kennels because of aggression are not excluded from Corinne's remarkably positive training sessions. It may seem a small victory, but an animal deemed "vicious" or "aggressive" taking a treat from your hand, and doing "ups" for the volunteers, is just one of the many reasons that volunteering at Give A Dog A Bone is a worthwhile and enriching experience.

More broadly, can you imagine what that would do for the world, if instead of turning a blind eye to others who need our help, we took the time to acknowledge each individual's beautiful and unique existence? We may not always have the answer to a problem, but taking the time to acknowledge what is around us is one of the most thoughtful things we can do.

So this is a big Thank You to all of the volunteers at Give A Dog A Bone, and to San Francisco's Animal Care and Control who make it their passion to acknowledge every dog, and give love, toys, treats, and affection to the dogs "behind bars".

Do you have a type?

noreply@blogger.com (jessicab) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:33:00 +0000

You can like them lean and handsome, scruffy and wise, young and nubile, or edgy and dark. Dogs, like humans, come in all shapes and sizes. No doubt most of us love all dogs unconditionally, but is there one certain type that goes straight to the soft spot in your heart?

An obvious start would be the big dog vs small dog battle that seems to divide most of us, but there may be more to it than that. Do you like big fluffy dogs with brown hair? Or small dogs with spots and sassy attitudes? The list continues with young dogs, adolescent dogs, old dogs, parti-colors, brindles, wire-haired, short-haired, bossy, laid-back...oh my!

While shadowing Deb (one amazing lady and volunteer!) I got to take a peek at her daily interactions with the dogs, and in the process, discovered her type! While we were taking the dogs out for some exercise and love, there was one adolescent puppy in particular who had captured her heart. Hunter is a gorgeous black pit-bull puppy, heading into his adolescent phase, and with lots of love to spare. Watching them work together, I saw a lot of the depth of emotion that passes between each of these volunteers and their animals. Despite how long they are in the shelter, or whatever the outcome may be, GADAB volunteers treat these animals like their own, with all of the nurturing and love that the animals can handle.

As I watched them together, and saw such genuine affection pass between them, I got to thinking about my own "type". I'd have to say that I'm a sucker for fluffy black and white dogs with goofy personalities, but I still manage to fall in love with animals of all shapes and sizes. Type or no type, these dogs are loved to the maximum capacity of each volunteer, and let me tell you, these volunteers have pretty huge hearts.

Squeaky Faucet? Nope, that's just Squeakers.

noreply@blogger.com (SJ) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:05:00 +0000

One of my most favorite things about volunteering at Give a Dog a Bone is finding the very thing that ROCKS a custody dog's world! Sometimes it's just hanging out in the park offering some TLC, for other dogs it's fetching a ball and learning a new agility trick.

This last Sunday, we found Squeaker's very favorite thing--so simple, so refreshing...the water hose!

Squeaker is a red Merle and LOVES to chase and bite the water straight from the hose. Now, doesn't that look like fun? Yay Squeaky Squeaker McSqueakerton!!

Update: Danni the Great

noreply@blogger.com (judes) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:28:00 +0000

Now, this is a happy ending.

Do you remember Dandelion? She's the adorable girl who came in to Give a Dog a Bone under some unfortunate circumstances. She was instantly a favorite...and how could she not be? All love, this little girl wanted nothing but affection, attention, and to crawl into a lap. She was very lucky to be fostered by some very kind and patient foster parents while she was put up for adoption through Grateful Dogs Rescue.

I just so happened to be Dandy's biggest fan, and sent out an email to friends and coworkers, touting her adorableness (is that a word?). A very good friend of mine from Sacramento happened to share this email with her friend/coworker, who just happened to be looking for a 3rd dog to join their family.

A few days later, Barbara was on her way down to San Francisco.

Now, no story doesn't have a few bumps, and there were a few little bumps when Dandy, now deemed Danni, joined her new family. The dogs all had to adjust to the new dynamic. But, because they were committed to making it work, Barbara and her husband took the time to learn how to make all of the dogs comfortable in their roles in the family. And soon, the dogs were doing great, and Danni was even going to doggie school, and from what I hear, was the best dog in the class.

Plenty of exercise, dog companions, loving owners...this girl hit the jackpot.

"I am so excited to have her, she brings such great energy to our family," said Barbara in an email to me, and I have to say...it makes me a little verklempt every time I think about Danni, starting out behind the bars of the shelter, and now...well, look for yourself...

So, thanks to Corinne for running a program that allows such happy endings to occur, and thanks to Jordan and Ellie for being great foster parents, thanks to Grateful Dogs Rescue for putting Danni in their program...and thanks to Barbara for giving the girl a chance...and for making a special little pittie's dreams come true!

OUR CHRISTMAS STORY

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:15:00 +0000

AN ANIMAL HERO EMERGES
Is there a rule somewhere that says before one is twice blessed, one must endure pain and suffering? For our newly named little Pippin, a puppy somewhere between three and four months old, one wonders if maybe such a rule did exist. But on October 12, 2008, her life and luck changed.

A thirteen year old young man celebrating his birthday became a Hero that day. He was on a San Francisco city bus, on his way to church to meet his grandmother, and saw something that suddenly made him pull the string and request a stop. A group of young males were beating a puppy. The puppy was Pippin and our young Hero stepped in and rescued her. He took her to his grandmother at church and together they brought her home to call San Francisco Animal Care and Control. The responding officer took the young pup to the emergency for a complete examination, treating not only the possible injuries inflicted by the beating, but also a severe case of long neglected non-contagious mange.

After being temporarily ensconced in a kennel at Give a Dog a Bone with toys, soft blankets, and chews, our lucky little lassie now lives with her foster mom, a foster brother, and a big sister who maintains a semblance of order in the household. She is learning proper doggie house rules, play skills, and most of all, is well loved and well cared for. Lively, active, and still a lover of people, we’re hoping that that this little pittie will be twice blessed with a loving, breed-savvy home.

For those of us who witness instances of animal abuse, neglect and brutality every day, it is truly inspiring to encounter a young man in our community with such heart, strength and compassion. With barely any time to think about doing the right thing, he did. Decisions that can make a difference and lead to such lasting change in our community can be quite simple. Give A Dog A Bone’s mission is to foster just that.

Together, we can help encourage more Heroes and make San Francisco an even better place for us all to call home.

May all of us be as blessed as Miss Pippin during this season and the forthcoming year.

Underbites and Puppy Love

noreply@blogger.com (SJ) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:30:00 +0000

I've recently returned to volunteering Sunday mornings for Give a Dog a Bone. Boy, did I miss these pups. It's so great to be back. First thing I did: Belly rubs, massages, treats, and genuine affection for Chiqi, the dachshund with an *award winning underbite*. One look at this little man and he will steal your heart for good. THEN...puppy shuttle tour! Yada and Dollar are 3-month-old white pitbull puppies..(yep, puppy smell!).
Give a Dog a Bone works to socialize puppies that are in the custody dog program as much as possible. We tour the shelter with the Puppy Shuttle by introducing them to all kinds of people, environments, sounds, and smells. I was so impressed with how fast these two little ones learn - they aleady know that when they sit, good things happen. Even little Yada who is deaf!

Take a look at this cute overload!

READ ALL ABOUT US !!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:29:00 +0000

We had a wonderful article written about us. It's been a while since we've received any serious publicity, and of course, I am hoping that it generates interest in Give a Dog a Bone. I feel that the author, Eileen Mitchell, speaks well about who we are and what we do . . . she also writes frequently about her rescue Greyhound, Elvis - he's quite a character!

Enjoy and please leave a comment at the end of the article if you feel like doing so!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/14/HO2F13S3MH.DTL

arf!

The Nothing-in-Life-is-Free Club

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:17:00 +0000

is not, by any means, exclusive. Not at all. Any ill-mannered dog should join, if they don't, they're headed for trouble.

If a pup is not taught manners, it may mean that her life will be spent in a back yard with no understanding of why she is not in her home with her people pack because, after all, when she was a puppy, her people family thought all of that nipping and jumping up was cute. A cute puppy jumping up on your child means an adult dog jumping up on your child. If dogs are not taught manners, it can mean the difference between a good life, a lonely, distressed life, or death. We are all social creatures.

What NILF does is let our pups, and some adults, know that impulse control is a good thing. It's part of our quality of life practices. It's absolutely a given that quality of life directly impacts adoptability. The bond between our two species is only enhanced when both species understand how to live with each other.

I'm not sure why C.K. looks worried here, could it be that he's looking at his treasured squeaky stuffed toy while Christine is taking his photo and wondering why he can't have it RIGHT NOW? Our little redhead is learning that he can't grab toys from our hands, that by being mannerly at doors will get him through that door, and that jumping up gets him - nothing. Nothing. We just ignore that behavior. We know that he knows better and we have a lot of patience. Dogs like little C.K. have taught us lots of patience.

Both he and our little Pippin are reminded over and over again that rewards for good behavior are many and varied. They've learned to sit, to watch (making eye contact with people is huge), C.K. has learned down and roll-over, and done some "agility jumping". Miss Pippin, being newer to GADAB, is still learning down, learning to use her mouth on objects, and has a good watch working. She loves to chase stuffies - it is her main joy in life. She is also a very funny dog - just look at her little froggie imitation, and that's only one of the many ways in which she makes us laugh.

Pippin's ugly destiny was changed forever when she was rescued by an unlikely hero. Like too many of the dogs whom we see, she has a hideous case of demodex (non-contagious mange), but our little froggie love bunny's skin is slowly getting better, with both traditional and alternative medical treatments. Our shelter vet does the traditional; we do the alternative. She's going to be a big girl - she's only 3 1/2 months old in this photo!

Both of these confident, fearless tykes, who came in as cruelty cases, love other dogs and will learn proper play skills in their new foster homes. Yes, they're outta here! They have been adopted by Grateful Dogs Rescue, and their fosters, carefully selected, will continue to socialize, train, and love them until they find their forever homes.

Stay well, little treasures!

Just Dandy.

noreply@blogger.com (judes) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:19:00 +0000

Sometimes a dog gets under your skin, and you hold a piece of them in your mind all day. Dandelion is one of those dogs.

She came into the shelter with a different name. And, I won't go into her whole story, but just know that it isn't the happiest story. The first time I went into her kennel, she crawled into my lap, laid her neck on mine, and let me hug her for a long time. I was hooked.

When I found out that Dandy (I call her Dandy. And Princess Dandelion) was not going back to her owner, and was going to foster care, and was going to foster care with friends of mine (!!)...well, let's just say I was ecstatic.

Last week, I went to my friends' house to see Dandy. She had been out of the shelter for a few days. When I walked into their house, she ran up to me, and I swear I could hear her say, "LOOK AT ME. How cool is this? I am SO happy! Thank you!"
In her foster home she is surrounded by two humans, two dogs, a hairless cat, two hairless rats, and a gecko. She likes to lay on the couch, and I hear she likes to sleep under the covers. I can't tell you how much this warms my heart.

Today, my dogs got to meet Dandy. We all took a walk together at McClaren Park. I was a little worried that my big girl would try to boss little Dandy around, but it went really well. From kennel to wooded trails, this little girl has come a long way.

I can't wait to see how happy she will make a very lucky adoptee. I just hope she'll keep in touch with me. I consider her a friend, and I think she might kind of like me too.

Pictures of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Sometimes

photos just tell it how it is -

and you're reminded

of that oh-so-sweet

puppy breath
and your heart gets to melt

all over again.

Who's a ham?

noreply@blogger.com (judes) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Sunday mornings at the shelter can sometimes be a little quiet...a little morose, even. But, for the last few weeks, there has been a big boy named Bopper waiting for me, and he is all sunshine and joy. And I'm going to admit it...he's my favorite. Could it be the resemblance he has to my girl dog at home? Maybe that's part of it. But, the guy is a clown, and he has me laughing at all of his jokes. Today we had a little impromptu photo session as we played games in the park. Isn't he just a natural?

For all the dogs we've ever loved . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Corinne) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:46:00 +0000

and for all of those whom we haven't met yet . . . .
come help us celebrate and honor their lives.

Yes, a fundraising party at:

the one and only

El Rio

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT
Give a Dog a Bone
Muttville
Grateful Dogs Rescue
Wonder Dog Rescue

We're all small, we all work together,
we all need each other, and we need you!

Enjoy fabulous food, great company, check out our fun raffle prizes and then bid on marvelous items at our live auction. To take a look at some items, please go to www.raiseyourpaws-sf.org. We've got dinners, hotel stays, gift baskets, art, photography sessions, dog training sessions . . .

When was the last time you were at a live auction raising your paws, er, paddles?

Save the date!!!!!

Date: October 11, Saturday
Time: 4-8 p.m.