Thurs 30th Nov: A handy new staff member

I keep telling myself I really should start taking more photos when I'm out and about, but then forget to do so.  I was at Tai Po today with my phone firmly in my bag which was in a locker, so I will have to rely on the shots that others take and send me, including some of the new beds I had bought recently and which were delivered to the Homing Centre today.  I'm always trying to find alternative and better ways to make the dogs comfortable, but most dog houses and beds last a very short time given the number of dogs that use them, bounce on or chew everything.  I decided to try the metal human beds that I have in my own home, having long since given up on anything wooden, and found what I think will work.  Time will tell, and it could be weeks or months,  hopefully not just days.

The real reason I was at Tai Po today was to meet with our new Maintenance & Repair man, Wolfgang, and he will have plenty to do around the site fixing and building and all those sorts of jobs.  I think and hope it will take a load off the shoulders of May and the rest of the Centre staff and they can concentrate on looking after the dogs and dealing with adopters, and it's something that I've been wanting for a long time.

Linus is one of a very special litter

Another reason for going to Tai Po was to take puppy Linus to hand over to his foster family, where hopefully he will be staying for ever.  Now I have to find a home for his sister Betty, a beautiful and very sweet girl too.

Beautiful Betty

Often when would-be adopters come to meet the dogs or puppies they are expecting an instant bond or connection, but that rarely happens.  Some dogs, like Dorset the Doberman at Tai Po, will be your best friend the moment she meets you as she is an incredibly soft and loving dog, but most will take time to warm up.

Dorset treats every stranger like her best friend

  When the puppies are on the terrace at Whiskers N Paws they are interested in playing,  not in stopping to chat with the human visitors, so it's often difficult for adopters to know the personality of each pup.  That's where I come in, because I do know them and can try to advise on a suitable match.  However even I was happily surprised to receive the update and very sweet video of the puppy Blanket, adopted last Sunday, because she wasn't one that liked to be picked up or, it seemed, to be keen to interact.  But what a difference a home has made, because now Blanket (new name Guinness) is more than happy to play and be part of the family.

Blanket loves her new family and they adore her

Even dogs being interviewed by already-resident dogs are rarely instant best friends unless they're both puppies.  It takes a while for friendships to form whatever the species, so again it's the Homing Centre staff who know the dogs best and whether they are likely to fit in with the established family group.  It's not fair or realistic to expect dogs to understand why they are being introduced and that they are supposed to immediately like each other. 

One of the many things that our HKDR trainer Cactus does is to explain to adopters who already have dogs how best to introduce the newcomer and the already-resident dog.  It can be very easy or it can take time, as dogs have their own complex personalities just as humans do.  There are a few dogs that really don't want a friend, but in most cases they really enjoy having a companion of their own kind, or another animal like a cat.

Candy easily found another home

We had a long list of would-be adopters for corgi puppy Candy so we were able to contact the next name on the list after she was returned by her first home for being too active, and she left Ap Lei Chau again today.   It would be nice if I didn't need to state the obvious, that puppies are full of energy and will chew and play bite and all of the other puppy things, but even people who have had dogs before forget that this is the way youngsters behave, and it doesn't really settle down until a dog is considered to be fully adult.  Physically, and depending on size, that's anything between a year and eighteen months, but based on my own experience over the years I would say a dog doesn't really mature until it's three years old.

When Rafi knows you he is the smoochiest boy ever

As easy as it is for purebreeds like Candy to find new homes, it's the mixed breed puppies-returned-as-adults that struggle.  At Ap Lei Chau we have Tara and Nancy, and most recently Rafi, now in foster with my neighbours.   He will be at Whiskers N Paws again on Sunday, but it's hard for the young adults to catch the eye of potential adopters, particularly as they may not like being touched by strangers at that age.   The best chance for older puppies and these returned adults is to meet potential new families away from the mayhem of the puppy afternoons and in a quieter environment.  So if anyone would be interested in meeting Rafi any day of the week, please let me know ad I'll arrange it.