Thursday, September 20, 2012

Best Friends

 
 
With our dry weather, I have been doing lots of watering. Champ is very excited about this. He loves water.
 
 
He leaps and runs and bites at the water. He jumps back and forth like a happy child.
 
 
This is a happy dog. Soaking wet. Exhausted from leaping through the water. All clean.
 
It makes me happy, too.
 
 
For those who don't know Champ's story, he came to us from The Border Collie Rescue.
 
We had just lost our beloved Little Bear from old age.
 
 
Our American Eskimo, Whitey Bear was very depressed.
 
We had to find him a companion.
 
And a companion for me.
 
I am alone most of the time while Hubby is at work and traveling.
 
And we live in Bear and Cougar country.
 
 
Like everyone, Champ came with baggage.
 
He had many behavior problems from being teased and mistreated.
 
His foster family kept him for nearly a year to work on socializing him before putting him up for adoption.
 
When I saw his face, I fell in love, despite it all.
 
I am happy to say that I am still in love with this remarkable little survivor. Since coming to stay, he has continued to improve.
 
He is almost normal.
 
Like the rest of us.
 
He has bonded with Whitey and they are the very best of pals.
 
They play, they chase squirrels, they investigate every sound together.
 
But they still steal each other's bones.
 
Some things never change.
 
 
 Here are some tips to keep your beloved companion healthy.
 
Table Scraps That are Toxic
  •  Raisins: Both grapes and raisins can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney failure.
  • Chocolate: contains a caffeine-like substance that can be toxic to dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more the effect. Just one quarter of an ounce of baking chocolate can cause serious problems in a small dog, whereas it takes two ounces of milk chocolate to produce the same effect. Consumption causes excitement, increased urination, muscle tremors, seizures, and rapid heart rate.
  • Sugarless Gum: Dogs will eat a pack of gum, wrappers and all, any chance they get. Sugarless gum, and candies for that matter, often contain xylitol, a sugar alcohol that can cause a rapid drop in blood sugar for dogs. So keep your purse out of your dog's reach.
  • Onions: A chemical in onions damages dogs' blood cells and can cause anemia. One small onion may be fatal.
  • Macadamia Nuts: Never leave these nuts unattended on your coffee table. A compound in them may leave your dog with temporary paralysis in his hind legs.


5 comments:

  1. So nice to hear that Champ has a good home with you. I have a Border Collie, and though she is so very smart, she is a challenge! They are great dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice fotos and thanks for sharing the story of your two dogs and that they are getting along fine.
    Looks like we are going to get some rain next week so that will be nice.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dearest Karen,

    So glad your new fur baby got so well adapted to his new family! That is great and I guess that animals do tray hard to fit in.
    Hugs to you,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad to hear that Champ is doing well - but he has you, so I would expect nothing less. <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh it's great to hear that Champ is doing so well, and that he and Whitey are the best of pals. They are lucky to have come to your family.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...