Our latest Foster ~ Rylee

[A-Jay]

Local animal shelter asked us to take this 7 month old pure bred GSD in for a while.  

We have the time & the room.  How could we say no ?

We've been doing it for a while and really enjoy it. 

 Good part is we get to re-home / place her.  Love that part. 

She's quite a looker already and has an infectious happy spirit.

A handful for sure right now but 3 weeks or so here and she'll awesome. 

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

She is a pretty girl. That's cool you guys foster. My wife and I have rescued dogs that's how our GP ended up here. If we fostered my wife wouldn't be able to re-home them. ?

[A-Jay]

10 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

She is a pretty girl. That's cool you guys foster. My wife and I have rescued dogs that's how our GP ended up here. If we fostered my wife wouldn't be able to re-home them. ?

Yup - it's a tough deal - we've kept a few.  Re-homed many.

I don't say this too often because they are all special but you can just tell - she's a real diamond in the rough.

Alert, attentive, confident, and once she's a little more healed from her spay, we'll get her some seriously needed exercise - The equalizer !  Let her drag me around the county on the mountain bike for a few miles - she starts to sleep really good.

A-Jay

 

[A-Jay]

Today we introduced Rylee to a little of what the next few weeks will be like.

She was All About It ! 

I love smart dogs. 

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

Latest update and it's all good.

After being with us for just a few days, Rylee was impressing us at every turn.

So much so that we really felt like she had the capacity for something well beyond being trained & eventually re-homed as a pet; not that that's a bad thing.

Her intensity, willingness to please & her sheer joy of being challenged, led us to start looking for what could be her 'next step'.   Well after talking to & working with the local animal shelter director and then several calls, inquiries and recommendations, we reached out to West Michigan K9.  We were hoping to donate Rylee to be trained & placed as a service dog for a veteran in need.   

 They agreed to see her for an evaluation and if they liked what they saw they'd place Rylee into their training program.

Well, she was there bright an early this morning.  Didn't take long before Rylee had a few more fans.

So she is currently enrolled in the 2 week consignment training there and after it's completion we'll have a better idea what direction she could be headed next; training wise. 

The West Michigan K9 Facility is impressive to say the least. 

Here's their site - https://www.westmichigank9.com/ 

 

We always get a little bummed out when we have to say good-bye to a foster (regardless of the length of their stay) but knowing what could be ahead for Miss Rylee is very exciting at the same time. 

 

A-Jay

[TOXIC]

Noble cause.  Someone will be very lucky to get her.  I have an 11 year old Weim that we are starting to consider what our next dog will be.  This is the 2nd Weim we have owned.  The first was a standard and our current is a Blue Weim of 100+ lbs.  He is smart and a very very good protector of home and family.  

 

 

[Gundog]

Glad to know that Rylee may have a greater purpose. Hope the pup gets through training and gets to help out one of our heroes.

[B-Dozer]

A-Jay, you are a good man! I also foster (although that sometimes ends up an adoption ? )

Fostering can let even a dog with a tough early life, see that people, and other dogs, are their friends.

One of my previous fosters, now part of my family, had never been in a home, or even indoors.

At first EVERYTHING scared him. He slept the first night, head cradled in my hands while I slept in a chair.

The shelter was convinced because of his distrust of people and other dogs, he should be put down.

Today he is SUPER social with every person and dog he meets has found many lost dogs and cats as well as a lost older gentleman. I believe he is one of the smartest dogs I have ever known, and that's a lot.

Here he is, on the right, Yogi Bear

 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, B-Dozer said:

A-Jay, you are a good man! I also foster (although that sometimes ends up an adoption ? )

Fostering can let even a dog with a tough early life, see that people, and other dogs, are their friends.

One of my previous fosters, now part of my family, had never been in a home, or even indoors.

At first EVERYTHING scared him. He slept the first night, head cradled in my hands while I slept in a chair.

The shelter was convinced because of his distrust of people and other dogs, he should be put down.

Today he is SUPER social with every person and dog he meets has found many lost dogs and cats as well as a lost older gentleman. I believe he is one of the smartest dogs I have ever known, and that's a lot.

Here he is, on the right, Yogi Bear

 

Right back at ya @B-Dozer   

It's always a very busy event - but it's hard to call it work.

Especially when the reward is what it is.

Perhaps different for each of us but still, just so good. 

And I have to give credit where credit is due.  While I really enjoy the whole deal, my wife has 'whatever it is' that so often works wonders on dogs with trust issues.  So often a giant hurdle, it's one that she seems to be able to find a way over more often than not.   

It's always an honor & a pleasure to be part of the transformation.

Can take a long while to earn their trust & respect and one instant to lose them.

And we certainly can't buy it.

A-Jay

 

[B-Dozer]

A-Jay, I've been involved in rescue, foster ad AC, about 45 years. Dogs usually do better with women, sorry to say, it's usually men the abusers. So we have to be the ones who show them, men can be a best friend too. 

My Boxer/mix takes the credit for showing dogs, not all dogs are a threat to them. He has a gift for making friends with many dogs, all different sizes. 

And the best part is, they thank you every day for giving them a chance. 

[TnRiver46]

2 of our 3 dogs are rescue dogs and the other was an oops baby mutt from a full bred Pyrenees. It’s crazy How much more time it takes to train the rescue dogs than the one we’ve had since she was a pup. I’m not a skilled dog trainer but it takes our rescue dogs forever to learn not to jump on people. They are very excitable.....

 

@B-Dozer, that’s a good looking pack you have there! I’m glad yogi bear didn’t go to the pound and I bet the one in the middle is faaaaasssttt!

[12poundbass]

Wow cool @A-Jay! My wife has this 'special power' you speak of. I've seen one person dogs befriend her and the owner flabbergasted. Hopefully you get updates on Rylee through this process and you can keep us updated. 

 

West Olive...only about 45 minutes from me. 

[B-Dozer]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

2 of our 3 dogs are rescue dogs and the other was an oops baby mutt from a full bred Pyrenees. It’s crazy How much more time it takes to train the rescue dogs than the one we’ve had since she was a pup. I’m not a skilled dog trainer but it takes our rescue dogs forever to learn not to jump on people. They are very excitable.....

 

@B-Dozer, that’s a good looking pack you have there! I’m glad yogi bear didn’t go to the pound and I bet the one in the middle is faaaaasssttt!

the other two were from animal control, Yogi was from a rescue, but they wanted him PTS

sometimes it takes longer to train a rescue dog, but one thing for sure, they never let you forget how thankful they are you saved them. 

The middle boy is sure fast, and obsessed with green (ONLY green) tennis balls. He is also obsessed with fishing!

I have an electric powered pontoon we all share for fishing.

Best friends ever!

 

[A-Jay]

The final word ~ 

Just heard back from the local animal shelter director where Rylee had been surrendered to before we started our foster care.   Rylee's consignment training was completed yesterday.   West Michigan K-9 was sufficiently impressed with her energy, eagerness to learn, Fearlessness & willingness to try anything & everything new, that the decision has been made to place Rylee into their training program; ie police work, military work,  detection or protection work.  

This is a big deal. 

Just another example of how there are shelters all across this country full of Rock Star dogs just waiting for some one to give them a chance. 

A-Jay

[B-Dozer]

GSD make EXCELLENT S&R dogs, too.  Thank you for helping this beautiful pup!

[A-Jay]

3 minutes ago, B-Dozer said:

GSD make EXCELLENT S&R dogs, too.  Thank you for helping this beautiful pup!

You know as well as anyone - It's always our pleasure & privilege. 

And clearly she's one I'd of loved to have at my side for the next 12-15 years - but she's on to bigger & better things.

A-Jay

 

[B-Dozer]

Just recently, in my own town, a State Police K-9 found a missing 5 year old child. House was waterfront, so you can imagine the stress for all. The K-9 hero was bouncing around, he knew he did well! Bet that kid is asking his parents every day for a companion of his own ?

[A-Jay]

26 minutes ago, B-Dozer said:

Just recently, in my own town, a State Police K-9 found a missing 5 year old child. House was waterfront, so you can imagine the stress for all. The K-9 hero was bouncing around, he knew he did well! Bet that kid is asking his parents every day for a companion of his own ?

That's fantastic ~ 

Such a valuable skill - one we can never hope to emulate and cold never put a price on.

Love happy endings.

A-Jay

[12poundbass]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

The final word ~ 

Just heard back from the local animal shelter director where Rylee had been surrendered to before we started our foster care.   Rylee's consignment training was completed yesterday.   West Michigan K-9 was sufficiently impressed with her energy, eagerness to learn, Fearlessness & willingness to try anything & everything new, that the decision has been made to place Rylee into their training program; ie police work, military work,  detection or protection work.  

This is a big deal. 

Just another example of how there are shelters all across this country full of Rock Star dogs just waiting for some one to give them a chance. 

A-Jay

Great to hear! Thanks for updating us. 

[burrows]

On 9/1/2018 at 2:00 PM, A-Jay said:

Local animal shelter asked us to take this 7 month old pure bred GSD in for a while.  

We have the time & the room.  How could we say no ?

We've been doing it for a while and really enjoy it. 

 Good part is we get to re-home / place her.  Love that part. 

She's quite a looker already and has an infectious happy spirit.

A handful for sure right now but 3 weeks or so here and she'll awesome. 

A-Jay

Beautiful dog.

[Hyrule Bass]

My 2 German Shepherds, Zelda and Peach(the puppy).