Category: Dogs with Issues

adopters, Dogs with Issues

Bonnie and Clyde

Cara Sue Achterberg

I’ve been waiting to tell you this story. The puppies were much too distracting, but now that five of six puppies have been adopted (and the sixth will go home on Sunday), I can tell you about Bonnie and Clyde.

The other reason I’ve waited is because I wanted to give them time. Their minds were so completely blown when I first brought them home and I didn’t think it was fair to assess them until they had the opportunity to settle in and be treated like the good dogs they are.

Bonnie and Clyde were born in a house rented by an elderly woman. She kept all of the dogs in a small ten by ten room off her kitchen closed in with a piece of plywood. She had illusions of breeding ‘Scotch Terriers’ to make money. Her story is not unusual. In fact, it’s the reason so many shelters are overwhelmed by the number of puppies coming in.

Continue reading “Bonnie and Clyde” →
dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, fosterdogs

My Husband is Pretty Great

Cara Sue Achterberg

My husband is pretty great. If you’ve read my book, Another Good Dog, you probably already know that (and wonder why he’s still married to me).

He likes dogs. But not like I like dogs. Or at least not like I like fostering dogs. Right now we have two foster dogs (the puppies all went home-finally!!) living with us (plus Gracie Lou who is currently fostering in Maryland).

Continue reading “My Husband is Pretty Great” →
documentary, dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, Gracie, owner responsibility, training, Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Lucky Dog

Cara Sue Achterberg

Holidays are always hard on pets. At this house, it was more the after-holiday that did Otis in.

Our house was full for the holidays with grown children, my parents, and our favorite cousins. The extra people available for petting, walking, and giving treats was welcomed by Otis and Graice, but Fanny Wiggles is an overly anxious, shy dog. A house full of people means she’s off her food, on edge, and reacting at every tiny thing.

Continue reading “Lucky Dog” →
cats, Dogs with Issues, Fanny

Dog Park By Reservation Only

Cara Sue Achterberg

Ever since moving here, I’ve been tracking the activity at the local dog park. It’s a great park. Two big areas that have built-in agilty equipment, plus shade and water and benches to sit on.

It’s a busy place.

And that’s the problem.

Continue reading “Dog Park By Reservation Only” →
adopters, cats, Dogs with Issues, foster cats

Practicing Self Control

Cara Sue Achterberg

The puppies have all gone home. Sigh. It was only two weeks, but it sure felt like longer.

Ian confessed to me that for the first time ever, he got attached to a puppy. Usually he views the puppies as work, knowing that more often than not, during a litter’s time with us the responsibility of caring for them will fall to him. (His mother being a busy, overcommitted woman and all.)

Continue reading “Practicing Self Control” →
Dogs with Issues, Fanny, former foster dogs, training

Living With a Shy Dog

Cara Sue Achterberg

It’s been a week.

Having no foster dog feels awfully strange, and I wondered if I would even post this week. This blog, though, has become habit. Plus, there is an extra dog here beyond Fanny and Gracie.

Beau is here until July 12; he’s a former-foster we’re babysitting. Since he arrived last week, we’ve said on more than one occasion—why didn’t we adopt him? He and Fanny are the perfect playmates. He’s proving what I’ve suspected for some time: Fanny could use an emotional support dog.

IMG_9383

Fanny is a shy dog. Anyone who has ever adopted a shy dog knows Continue reading “Living With a Shy Dog” →

dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, foster fail, fosterdogs, fostering, heartworms

A Sick Foster Dog Changes Everything

Cara Sue Achterberg

You know what they say about plans?

Okay, I think that is actually assumptions.

And maybe I was naively assuming our plan would work.

When our newest foster dog, Tito (OPH Lieutenant Howl) arrived last week, two things became instantly clear: Continue reading “A Sick Foster Dog Changes Everything” →

adopters, dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, fostering, owner responsibility, puppies, returned dogs, training, Uncategorized

CAUTION: Puppies

Cara Sue Achterberg

Everyone wants a puppy.

I get that.

Puppies are cute and fun and at least at this age (seven weeks) they are highly entertaining.

pup with tongue out
photo by Ian Achterberg

 

These puppies are no exception and already, Continue reading “CAUTION: Puppies” →

dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, Flannery Oconnor, former foster dogs, foster dogs, fostering, Gala, hard to adopt, Long Term Dog

Sometimes it Don’t Come Easy…

Cara Sue Achterberg

Sometimes rescue is hard. Sometimes it doesn’t come easy.

As I put the final touches on my next book, due to the publisher December 1 (and if all goes well, released July 2020), I’ve spent a lot of time remembering one particular dog who changed my life. Gala was with us for over eleven months, but truly she has never left my heart.

Gala-7
photo by Nancy Slattery

The new book, One Hundred Dogs and Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues (and yes, that is a mouthful and no, it wasn’t up to me), begins with Gala. Up until Gala, fostering had been mostly fun, occasionally stressful, but ultimately a win-win for all parties involved.

Gala challenged me, not just in terms of exposing how much I don’t know about dogs, but emotionally as I wrestled Continue reading “Sometimes it Don’t Come Easy…” →

dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, Flannery Oconnor, fosterdogs, fostering, hard to adopt, Long Term Dog, oph, returned dogs, training

A Designer Dog Looking for his Designer Family

Cara Sue Achterberg

There was a time when we had two, even three new fosters each month, but for the last few years, it’s been one long-term foster after another (Gala, Flannery, Daisy…) and a few puppy litters. This weekend we had planned to welcome a much anticipated foster dog from Alabama – Houdini, whom I met while visiting Walker County Animal Shelter where OPH partners with RUFF to support the shelter and rescue dogs.

That reunion has been postponed because transport for Houdini and the other RUFF dogs fell through at the last moment. Hopefully, he will catch his freedom ride at the end of this month and we’ll welcome him then.

Meanwhile, Fanny was in need of a playmate as Flannery and Gracie easily tire of her endless puppy-like energy, so I Continue reading “A Designer Dog Looking for his Designer Family” →