Tues 21st May: Hot weather warnings

Sammy, Beefy (and brother Scout) will never be fathers now

It's been a very frustrating few days after my (newish) Smartphone totally died and I've been having to rely on regular text and phone calls instead of Whatsapp, and particularly group chats.  As a result of failed or mixed messages I was without a van and driver today, so apart from twins Sammy and Beefy, and their black-and-white brother Scout, going for desexing there was nothing more I could do other than to buy a cheap temporary phone replacement.

The summer is just about to start in earnest, and it already seems to be as hot as I can recall it ever being.   Now is the time to remind everyone about the dangers of heatstroke, and to walk in the shade on streets and pavements especially with small dogs whose bodies are very close to the oven-like surfaces.  Never ever leave a dog in a car, even for a short time, and carry water with you for your dogs if there is no natural source available.  Every year too many dogs die unnecessarily so be aware and watch for signs of distress such as heavy panting when out walking, and know what to do if that happens.  There is a huge amount of information on the internet, and here is just some:

Any pet that cannot cool himself off is at risk for heatstroke. Following these guidelines can help prevent serious problems.

• Keep pets with predisposing conditions like heart disease, obesity, older age, or breathing problems cool and in the shade. Even normal activity for these pets can be harmful.
• Provide access to water at all times.
• Do not leave your pet in a hot parked car even if you’re in the shade or will only be gone a short time. The temperature inside a parked car can quickly reach up to140 degrees.
• Make sure outside dogs have access to shade.
• On a hot day, restrict exercise and don’t take your dog jogging with you. Too much exercise when the weather is very hot can be dangerous.
• Do not muzzle your dog.
• Avoid places like the beach and especially concrete or asphalt areas where heat is reflected and there is no access to shade.
• Wetting down your dog with cool water or allowing him to swim can help maintain a normal body temperature.
• Move your dog to a cool area of the house. Air conditioning is one of the best ways to keep a dog cool, but is not always dependable. To provide a cooler environment, freeze water in soda bottles, or place ice and a small amount of water in several resealable food storage bags, and then wrap them in a towel or tube sock. Place them on the floor for the dog to lie on.

To protect your dog from a heat stroke, take the time to learn the signs and symptoms of heat stroke in dogs. Always ensure that your dog has access to water and shade in hot temperatures, and never leave your your dog in a hot car even if it is only for “a few minutes”.

I received an email from AFCD giving the link to full details of the proposed Animal Trader Licensing laws, and the contact email address if you have questions or comments.  I hope that anyone currently breeding and selling puppies is aware of these and is having a re-think, because I know that there are many online and home breeders masquerading as loving dog parents who just happen to have puppies "for adoption".  The sooner these people are forced to provide a license number every time they advertise the better, and of course the amendments also apply to commercial breeders too.

We would like to inform you that the proposed new Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice for licensed dog breeders and licensed animal traders trading in dogs are now available to download from our website. 

http://www.pets.gov.hk/en_business_3_1_5.php#btop 

If you have any enquiries about these documents, please email Cap139B_amendment@afcd.gov.hk 


敬啟者 

本署謹通知閣下，從現在起閣下可以從本署網頁下載建議中的持牌狗隻繁殖商和狗隻售賣商的發牌條件和營業守則。 

http://www.pets.gov.hk/b5_business_3_1_5.php#btop 

如閣下對上述文件有任何疑問，歡迎發送電郵到Cap139B_amendment@afcd.gov.hk 查詢。 

Mon 30th May: A true Mira"cle"

Today's amazing news was that Mira had been found

As usual there's a mixed bag of news, some good some not, so starting with the happy stuff came the incredible announcement that lost schnauzer Mira had been found alive and well (considering that she had been out on her own for so long).  I don't know how she managed to survive the heat and must assume she'd found a water source.  I had thought she had been picked up by someone to have disappeared so quickly and completely, but by a stroke of sheer luck she was discovered by some hikers.  As her owner Wendy said, her name should be changed to Mira"cle".

The second piece of happy news is the confirmed adoption of Tai Po dog Polo, who has been staying with long-term volunteer Susan for some months now.  What is especially lovely about this is that Polo was considered a bit of a problem dog, having been adopted once and returned.  When he first came to us I can remember him well as being very affectionate, in fact overly so as he kept jumping on me (this was the time when I was at Tai Po a lot).  Something about him changed after he came back from his first short-lasting home, and he seemed to be angry with life.  Luckily Susan saw through that self-protective behaviour and asked if she could give him a try with her other dogs (and husband), and Polo turned back into the loving and easy boy he was always meant to be.

These 2 babies are fine and now in foster

The really sad piece of news came with the death of one of the gorgeous new baby pups after a bad reaction to the tick fever drug Berenil, and now that this has happened three times I won't be using the treatment on very young pups any more.  It's strange that for years there had never been a problem with Berenil, and although I knew there was a risk I'd never seen it.  One injection was all that was needed and it was an easy solution to the tick fever problem in puppies, but it's a risk I'm not prepared to take any more even though two more of the litter have tick fever.

Bali is one of the early HKDR dogs who has always lived with  me

At the end of the day when I was just starting to think about what I was going to have to eat, I noticed that Bali wasn't in his usual spot.  The dogs allocate themselves their particular spaces and stick to them, so I know who sleeps where and Bali's crate was empty.  I called and searched, although I knew he would never be anywhere else, until it was absolutely clear that he wasn't in the house or garden.  There was nothing for it but to go out looking for him as I was really worried by that time.  Bali is suffering from a degenerative neurological problem in his back legs which means he is losing strength and coordination in his hind quarters.  Nevertheless, like all of my dogs who have walked with me for years he is quite determined to join the morning hiking group, although it's a struggle at times.  Now I was afraid he had fallen into one of the storm drains and been unable to get out, or had deliberately taken himself off somewhere.  Luckily, as it was starting to get very dark by then, he wasn't too far from home and was lying down in the shade as if expecting to be rescued.  Now, along with Cindy and Murphy, I will have to take extra care to check that they are with me every step of the way on our walks, especially in this very hot weather.

There's a big discount for earlybirds and groups

Now that it's almost June it's time to start planning for the month, and thinking about summer events like our dog-friendly barbeque which, in line with our love for all animals, will include vegetarian sausages and burgers.   There's a heavy price discount for groups and an extra earlybird discount for reservations by 5th June, so come along with friends (and your dogs) to enjoy the fun.  Please email andrea.chung@hongkongdogrescue.com for details.

Sun 29th May: Baby parade

The pups were so hot they needed to be cooled with water

It was Baby Day at Whiskers N Paws today and of course they stole the show, to the extent that at one point in the afternoon they had to be crated and put inside the store for a rest and air-conditioning.   It's stressful and exhausting for very young pups to be constantly picked up and handled, and it can easily become too much of a good thing.  All but one of the babies went to foster homes at the end of the afternoon, and the unlucky singleton had to come back to Lamma with me and spend the night alone in the giant cage on top of my work table, not  something that any baby should have to do even if the room is full of other dogs.  Puppies that are confined will scream, and that's just what happened.

No matter how small or young, pups hate to be confined

One of the new babies was lucky enough to be chosen to go home with an older puppy, Sandy, and they will have to see if they can get along with the two resident chihuahuas before any adoption is confirmed.

Sandy and odd-one-out new baby went for a trial 

Minty was another lucky pup as she too was taken for a trial, while sweet Stanley had already passed his cat test after just two days and was clearly bonded to his new parents.   He is really a very special puppy, as are his Stanley Barracks siblings Stanley, Sooty and Nero.

Sooty and lookalike brother Nero are super-sweet Stanley Barracks pups

Stanley fitted in perfectly so his adoption was quickly confirmed

To add to the good news of the afternoon, HKIS classmates and US Girl Scouts Janice, Sora, Gabby and Hillary, all aged seven, raised funds for HKDR by baking and selling cookies. Thank you for your generosity, girls!

Congratulations to our May Positive Partners graduates

It was end-of-the-month Graduation Day for Positive Partners dogs and their families, so congratulations to all, as well as Happy First Birthday to trainer Alice Lau's adopted girl Charmaine!

Add caption

The Girl Scouts raised an amazing $2200!

Sat 28th May: A catalogue of disasters

Jeremy had recently become totally blind but it was renal failure that ended his life

There have been worse days than today I'm sure, but I'd be hard pressed to remember one and it seemed like every disaster led to another.  I'm not going to catalogue all of the events as they happened, but by the end of the day my fairly new phone had completely shut down and I was - and still am - left with a calls-and-texts-only replacement. Being without Whatsapp and emails-on-the-run feels like being isolated on a small island, which is just about the truth. My wonderful dog Jeremy had to be euthanised, while difficult cocker spaniel Leo was suddenly returned (to me), and the two new super-friendly golden retrievers turned out to be not at all sweet and lovely when it came to small dogs and they are now at Tai Po as a result.

Leo was only returned as an act of human childishness, not because of anything he had done

This particular part of today's dramas highlighted once again that judging a dog by its breed is as sensible as thinking that all black dogs are aggressive.  As a rule all dogs are born good, albeit with different personalities, and yes "mass produced" breeds do tend to have inbred tendencies but they are still individuals.   Who knows why these two golden retrievers turned out to be so horrible with small dogs, although it does seem like the female was led on by the male.  Whatever the cause and although the two are closely bonded, we will separate them and at least give the girl the benefit of the doubt. Away from the influences of her "brother" there's a good chance that she will be fine, although of course until proven otherwise she can't be allowed to be around small dogs or other animals such as cats.

Without having access to our usual form of information sharing, I have no idea if anything of note happened at Tai Po or Ap Lei Chau, since nobody would have been aware that I wasn't receiving any Whatsapp messages.  I was expecting some good news about certain dogs that potential adopters had enquired about but I'll have to wait to find out, just as you will.

There are so many puppies needing homes now.

At least I'll be at Whiskers N Paws in person on Sunday so will be able to directly witness any adoptions or baby puppy fostering, and I hope there'll be some action to make up for my lack of good news today.  I have so many puppies now, all ages, and I need to find them homes.

Fri 27th May: New Pixie Pups need foster homes

I had some "can I, can't I" moments early on in the morning with the first typhoon signal of the year along with some heavy rain, but thankfully the bad weather cleared in time for me to go over to the office for a meeting, and then on to AFCD and Acorn.

"Game of Bones" gala will take place on 1st October

The meeting was to discuss this year's "Game of Bones" gala fundraiser with new(ish) volunteer Events Coordinator Jamie Nunn, and our multitasker staff member Eva Sit.   This being our fourth gala dinner event, we are going to bring in a lot of new ideas to keep things fresh and exciting, and not forgetting that all-important word, fun. I've already started thinking about what my outfit for the event will be, and there's huge scope for dressing-up ideas given the theme.  Even if you aren't a fan of the show itself, just Google the characters and you'll see.   Of course we are in need of sponsors and auction item donations (goods, services or talents) if you or your company are interested.  Please contact jamie@hongkongdogrescue.com for information and details.

I asked Eva if she had ever been to AFCD, even though she's been working with and for HKDR as both a volunteer and staff member for a long time.  Usually it's just me who goes to Pokfulam while the others are there to receive the dogs that come their way, either at Tai Po or Ap Lei Chau, and as Eva's answer was no I asked if she wanted to come with me today.

Mark's ever-sore nose is almost certainly an immune-mediated issue

When we arrived I was told there was a new "border collie" that had been surrendered, and as I was walking the length of the kennel block checking in on the dogs I already knew I turned around to see the new dog was already out, leashed and ready to go. It seemed driver Michael and Eva had already made that decision and I wasn't going to argue.  Of course it's not a border collie, just a very lovely dog who was given up because he has a condition which gives him a constantly sore nose.  I have a dog on Lamma, Gabriel, who has the same thing so I knew immediately what the problem was.

All of these puppies need foster homes please

The next stop was Acorn where the morning's "catch" from AFCD in Sheung Shui were waiting to be picked up.  The two golden retrievers were happily bouncing all over the place, desperate for attention and lucky to have a foster home to go to.   I was there to take the puppies back to Lamma, and they turned out to be tiny little things.  They're probably around five weeks old but I think I can be pretty sure that they won't be large adults, and medium sized at most.  I need fosters for these babies because I had to put them in with the other puppies I have, and the size difference is huge.  I don't have my own photos yet but the one from AFCD shows two bigger pups from another litter in the middle and two "pixie pups" on either side.  If you can take a pair of "pixies" for fostering, please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com, and if you are interested in adopting we will stall ask that you take a second for fostering while they are still so young.

Thurs 26th May: Another lost dog needs your help

One of the lucky pair who have been offered a home in advance of their arrival

Most of the dog news involved the Tai Po dogs, current, adopted or just promised a home, like the two golden retrievers coming from AFCD on Friday who already have somewhere to go to, and together.  They were surrendered as a pair so it's especially nice that they don't have to be separated at this stage in their lives, and we're very grateful to their potential foster-maybe-adopter.

There is also an old German Shepherd at AFCD Pokfulam who is desperate to get out, so if there are any kind-hearted fans of the breed who can help save this big old boy (ten years to be exact) please let me know by emailing sally@hongkongdogrescue.com

Can Mali and Rambo be friends?

Malinois Mali has also gone to a home with another dog, our ex-HKDR Rambo, and now it remains to be seen whether the two of them can be friends and we are keeping our fingers tightly crossed on that front.

Kuma was lost in Tai Po on 20th May

各位大埔的朋友，麻煩幫幫手⋯
朋友今早帶狗狗散步時，不慎走失了，狗主現四處外出尋覓，非常擔心，如見到以下狗隻，請盡快致電90282906聯絡黃小姐，薄酬，謝謝各位！

詳細資料如下：
走失日期：20/5/2016（五）
走失時間：8:00am
走失地點：大埔廣福道
狗狗名：Kuma
狗狗特徵：唐狗大型犬，有黃色頸圈，男，一歲，有晶片，性格十分怕人

非常感謝大家的幫忙🙇🏻

Ladies tai po friends, please help...
Friend this morning to take the dog for a walk, inadvertently lost, dog owners are out looking for everywhere, very worried, if you see the following dogs, please call 90282906 as soon as possible to contact miss wong, thank you!
Details are as follows:
Lost date: 20/5/2016 (Friday)
Lost time: 8:00 am
Lost Location: Tai po road, Canton
Dog Name: kuma
Dog Features:  yellow collar, male, one year old, has a chip, personality very afraid
Thank you very much for your help. 🙇🏻

While runaway Becky was quickly reunited with her family and dog-sister Amanda, there is yet another lost ex-HKDR in the Tai Po area.  I'd seen the postings on Facebook but hadn't realised that the dog in question, now called Kuma, was an ex-puppy of ours who was Peanut at the time.  Now the race is on to try and catch him before the bad weather breaks, if indeed there is a mini-typhoon threatening.  Hopefully it won't bring anything worse than some rain and a refreshing strong breeze, but you never really know. Kuma has  been missing for a week now so obviously his family are extremely worried, and if you live in the Tai Po area and spot him please call the number shown or contact may@hongkongdogrescue.com

Kimi's foster status has been changed to adopted

Poodle Kimi had his foster status changed to adopted today, while sadly Pot Poodle Maya was brought back to Ap Lei Chau after proving to be too much of a handful.  I won't bore everyone with writing the same thing about poodles that I have written so many times before, but of all the breeds this is the one is bred and bought more than any other, and is so misunderstood and subsequently abandoned.  Poodles aren't human babies they are dogs, real dogs, dogs that are up at the top of the dog intelligence league and dogs that require mental stimulation as well as lot of physical exercise. By the time they are finally dumped and end up at AFCD, these poodles are so confused they have no idea what or who they are or what is expected of them, and so they end up being badly behaved.

Pot Poodle Maya is confused about what and who she is

Maya is still young enough at four years to be rehabilitated, but it will take someone with patience and tolerance.  My advice in these cases is always the same and that is to leave a dog alone, and by that I mean totally ignore it other than the necessities of food and water of course, and to walk it until it has no energy left for anything by sleep.  Our in-house trainer, Cactus, is always there for any adopters to guide them through the various stages of changing a dog's behaviour, and it can be done. 

Weds 25th May: Calypso's amazing story

Young Calypso in 2006

On Monday, September 24, 2007 I wrote this message to the HKDR Volunteers, something I used to do in my pre-blog days.  We were based in Pokfulam then, in wonderful purpose-built kennels, until May 2010 when we moved to our current Tai Po Homing Centre.  There is a reason for me sharing this old news which I will explain afterwards, but you will see that nothing much has changed other than the location, with the same mix of adoptions, returns and dogs lost and found, or not.

Hi All,

The big news, already mentioned in the volunteer schedule, is that Pokkie is back.  She came to the back fence and was trying to get in, so while Marie kept her busy with chicken, Ivy hooked her leash with a coat hanger to make sure she didn't run off, and Alice slipped through a gap in the fence near the front gate, went round the back and got Pokkie.  She is thin but otherwise in good health, and she was very happy to see all her friends again.

We have seen a few dogs go, but also new arrivals and the always disappointing returns. Pops, the old golden retriever, only stayed a night in his new home, but then he does have the rather un-gentlemanly habit of peeing (a lot) inside.  Otherwise he is like a puppy, despite his age, and I wonder if we can teach him to pee where he is supposed to.

Little cocker spaniel, Tammy, was returned without notice yesterday.  She is an adorable little dog.  Nelson the shih tzu also came back, apparently for biting, but nobody has ever experienced this behaviour at kennels.  I always wonder what happens in the home they go to which turns a sweet dog into a biting dog.

A 5-month labrador puppy was surrendered "for biting"!  How stupid people can be. All puppies bite, and this lovely pup still has his sharp baby teeth.  Mind you, I don't think it's a "real" labrador, but a pet shop special, that is, looks like a labrador but isn't really.  If people are stupid enough to buy these puppies, then they are stupid enough not to know that puppies bite.

A new American cocker spaniel, Cadet, replaced Jonas who was adopted on Saturday.  Cadet was in AFCD in such a shocking condition, that it took 3 volunteers to get rid of the thick matted hair on his body.  Sammy, Susan and I worked for hours in the afternoon to cut away the solid lumps and clumps, and the skin underneath was literally being pulled off by the weight of the hair.  The poor dog was in great pain, as well as not being able to walk because of the masses of matted hair, and the fact that his nails had grown round and were digging into his pads.  He also has a visible eye ulcer, so how this poor dog suffered in unimaginable.  He is only 1 year old.

Some other very exciting news is that Shelly - yes, Shelly, the dog that barks and is afraid of everyone - will go to a new home soon.  Luckily the adopter, who already has two dogs from HKDR, is being guided by Shan, who was the original foster of "The Stripeys", so she knows Shelly and Shelly remembers Shan.  My biggest fear is that Shelly will run away, just like Calypso did, so I have asked the adopter to make sure that she is never outside without being on a leash until she has settled.  I think the plan is that the adopter will come and get to know Shelly before taking her home.

We have some new T-shirts that are a bit smarter than our other HKDR T-shirts, and we gave them a trial run on Friday evening at Stauntons, where a group of us met up for sundowners (evening drinks).  Bumpy and Fuzzy came along too, and Fuzzy even went for a sleepover with her old kennels mate, Flicka, but sadly Flicka didn't appreciate having to share her man so Fuzzy came back. Poor Fuzzy.

Some more good news, Bumpy and Mari have a home together and will go on Tuesday. These are two of my favourite puppies so I am delighted.

I mentioned Calypso here, a young dog who went to a foster home in Chung Hom Kok in 2006 and quickly disappeared from the garden.  Despite many visits to the area and days spent searching, Calypso was never seen again and was eventually assumed to be dead.

Has someone been taking care of Calypso for all these years?

This morning I got a message from AFCD letting me know that there was an old dog that had been picked up in Redhill, Tai Tam, and although reported as lost in 2006 she was still microchipped in my name. They sent a photo of the dog, and when I saw it I immediately knew it was Calypso, even though she had obviously aged a lot in the intervening years.  As it was my day off I asked Kathy (in the office) to arrange for Calypso to be picked up immediately, but on being told that she (Calypso) was unable to walk or even move the best I could do was to send her to Acorn to be euthanised.  They confirmed that Calypso was indeed completely immobile, so her life was gently ended.

I'm sorry I didn't get to see her or that she was in a condition that meant there was no alternative to her being put to sleep, because what a story she could have told.  That she lived as a stray for ten years is amazing enough in itself, and from the photos she seemed to be quite well fed.  Maybe someone living in the Redhill area could throw some light on the story and tell us more about Calypso and how she survived for so long, and what happened in the end that made her unable to walk.

It gives hope to all of those who have lost dogs and who have been unable to let go of the hope that one day they may be found.  Everything is possible it seems. 

Becky is safely back home thanks once again to our team of volunteers

At least runaway Becky didn't spend more than one night away, and as expected once she had been spotted several times close to her new home she is already back, safe and sound.
Thank once again to our volunteers Sue, Jacklyn and Xanthe for giving up their time to help with the search. 

Tues 24th May: Open 365 days a year

Hopefully this poster can soon be removed if Becky goes home

There's a positive update to counteract the bad news that newly adopted Becky ran out of the house and fled when the front door was opened, as she's been seen several times hanging around the vicinity and the chances are that if left alone and not scared off she'll go back by herself.  It seems that she's already worked out that this place she's been staying at isn't at all bad and maybe leaving wasn't such a good idea after all.

Sweet Fanta took matters into her own hands (teeth)

I was very happy to see the Whiskers N Paws photos up on our Hong Kong Dog Rescue (HKDR) Facebook page, thanks to Chantal Brands at Capture Life by Chantal, and Semirah for editing and posting.  There are some great shots of our beautiful puppies, including quite a few of our new star Stanley and his soon-to-be adopters.

Apart from the puppies we have a lot of very beautiful dogs at our Tao Po Homing Centre like German Shepherd-cross Chewy, a very sweet girl, and young Malinois Mali who probably needs a more experienced adopter. Our Homing Centres are open every single day of the year from 10am to 6pm, so there is no need to wait until the weekend or for a special Homing Day event to meet any of the dogs.

Mali is a young Malinois, a breed that really needs a lot of exercise and an experienced owner

Beautiful Chewy is suitable for any home big enough for a large dog

Stanley's smile says it all

By a funny turn of events (a misdirected email), our ex-Managing Director Linda got her current company to agree to a special flight/donation deal for HKDR, so if you are planning to fly to the USA and like the idea of a great Business Class deal while donating at the same time, read on:

Flight Centre have a really special Business Class deal from American Airlines that they would love to share with supporters of Hong Kong Dog Rescue.

This special low fare deal includes HK$1,000 hotel or annual travel insurance booking credit, and also another HK$1,000 cash donation to HKDR for each Business Class ticket booked by 31 May 2016.

Fare starts at HKD22,000 to San Francisco for example.

Destinations: North, Central and South America

Contact linda.law@flightcentre.com.hk for details and be sure to mention HKDR when booking!

Mon 23rd May: Getting back what you give

Coming up: a party for you and your dog!

Having the van available I wanted to go back to AFCD to pick up the remaining Stanley Barracks pups who, although probably from the same litter as Stanley and Sandy, look more like black labradors than pure mongrels.  They are just as sweet-natured though and now have the names Nero and Sooty.

There was also a slightly older pup that I had spotted last Friday but wasn't able to take at the time. This boy, now called Hopper, seemed to have a broken, or at least damaged, back leg and he needed to stay at Acorn to be X-rayed when I took them along for their vaccinations.  I hope the leg can be saved, although even if not he'll be able to cope just as well as three-legged Chance does.

I'm still waiting for Sunday's Whiskers N Paws photos, especially because we tried something new this time.  I often have problems identifying all the puppies and adding their names when the album is posted on Facebook, especially if they are close-ups, so I had the idea of writing name cards and holding them up in front of each individual as they were photographed and I want to see how it turned out.

Playtime is essential for all puppies

Thinking of Whiskers N Paws and all of the lovely puppies and doglets reminds me that I wanted to mention something about adopting a baby pup, especially for those who have never had a dog before, or maybe have but can't remember what the early weeks and months were like.  As I've written so many times before (because it's true and important), the formative period of any animal's life will shape their future character and behaviour, whether it's a human baby or  dog.   A recent case of a doglet that was surrendered to AFCD for "aggressive" behaviour is a perfect example of what I'm talking about because this older puppy is actually a very sweet and easy boy.  What went wrong was a lack of understanding from both sides, and by that I mean the owner not "reading" the puppy correctly and the puppy getting mixed messages from the humans.

It's never too early to start gentle training

This starts in the very early stages of puppyhood when the human parents play roughly with their new "baby", meaning playfighting and encouraging biting and growling because it's sweet and funny and harmless. It may seem that way, but actually it's teaching the puppy that their human family members are up for a play session that allows biting, and once this behaviour is established it's hard to stop. All puppies must understand that playbiting is fine as long as it's directed at another puppy or a toy, but never a human.  Games are important for bonding but they should also be considered as fun training sessions, and these can start at any age.  Be aware that everything you are doing is a lesson, and that your puppy's behaviour is a reflection of your own.   If you are kind, calm and gentle with your puppy, understanding that there is no intentional naughtiness, then you will quickly see equal results.   Puppies don't understand smacking, shouting or any punishment as they can't connect it with anything that they may have done, and all it teaches them is to fear their human.

This sweet doglet was so easy to train

Going back to the "aggressive" doglet, he had simply never been shown that playbiting for attention or fun resulted in the opposite, meaning being ignored. It took a matter of days for him to get the message that petting and attention was the reward for good behaviour, and for all "mouthing" to stop. It was really that easy, and now he is a happy and genuinely sweet boy.

Sun 22nd May: Olive's major breakthough

It really feels like the summer has finally begun and it was a glorious day to be on the terrace at Whiskers N Paws for some puppy fun.  New youngsters Stanley and Sandy, the two puppies from Stanley Barracks, charmed all visitors throughout the afternoon and there can be no sweeter and happier characters than these two boys.  Unfortunately it didn't result in a home for either just yet, but I'm absolutely sure that they won't have to wait too long.

Olive finally made the decision to come to me for attention

For me the best aspect of the day was finally seeing a change in Olive, a corgi cross who came to us from AFCD along with her two sisters about a year ago.   While the sisters were adopted very quickly Olive was so timid that she ran away from any human contact, even though if forced to she was fine to be handled (meaning not at all fear-aggressive).  She was lucky enough to find a very understanding foster home who gave her the space and time she needed without pushing her to go beyond what she was comfortable with, while bringing her to Whiskers N Paws every Sunday just so she could run around with the other dogs and get used to people.  Olive attracted attention because of her small size, but ultimately she was just too shy to make her suitable for adoption.

What happened today was such a lovely surprise, as Olive initiated contact with me and clearly wanted to be petted.  In fact she kept coming back for more, sitting down behind me and waiting for me to notice her and give her attention.  It was so unexpected which made it doubly special, and now that the breakthrough has come I think it can only get better.  Olive loves the company of other dogs, as almost all timid dogs do, so we would still want her to go to a home where she wouldn't be the only one, but her current foster told me that she's also affectionate and likes human attention when the mood takes her.

Ollie has the look and temperament of a fox terrier

Being able to stay in a home environment while waiting for adoption, particularly for a dog like Olive, is a real blessing and one which makes a huge difference to any dog's chance of finding a forever home.  Another dog who has been given the opportunity to shine in a lovely foster home is Ollie, also medium sized, and this is what his "for now" family have to say about him:

Ollie

We’ve had the pleasure of fostering Ollie since mid-February and he’s an absolute pleasure have around.

A bit about him….

He’s a 1 year old mix (Sally guesses fox terrier) who loves attention and loves to run and play.  He’s finished up his ‘Positive Partners’ HKDR training classes and is fully house (toilet) trained.  He would do best in a 1 dog home as he loves human attention and will let it be known if he thinks he’s being ignored.  We’re only had one interaction with a cat, but  think it’s safe to say that he shouldn't be in a home with a cat (!)

We’ve had many dogs before, but few have stolen our hearts like Ollie has!  He’s a very smart, gentle dog with a real ‘passion for life’ and ‘passion for human attention’.

If you are interested in knowing more about Olive or Ollie with a view to adopting, please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com, or in the case of Olive just come to Whiskers N Paws any Sunday afternoon to meet her.

Becky joins recently-adopted Amanda

It was another lucky day for one Tai Po dog, and this time it was Becky who was taken by the same family who adopted Amanda only recently.  This current trend of dogs and puppies being adopted in pairs is just fantastic, not only from our point of view but for the dogs' sake too.  As much as all dogs love their humans more than anything else, having a friend who talks the same language and enjoys the same games, not to mention mutual grooming, makes their lives complete.

A reminder of Amanda's going home photo just the other day

Sat 21st May: Please make it for keeps

My Saturdays recently have been taken over by visits to the New Territories to look at potential sites, not at this point for the Tai Po dogs but more for my Lamma lot, restricted as we currently are by transport and the weather.  There's a possibility that this time it might really happen but as always I won't say any more until everything is confirmed.  What I can say is that if and when the time ever comes to actually make a move it will require planning on a major scale, and I can't even bring myself to think about the logistics.  I've lived in the same place on Lamma since 1986 and my roots are very deep.

Patchi has waited many years for this moment

Anyway that's something for the possible future and for now it's business as usual, with the good and bad to deal with.  The good is actually very good, as long-termer Patchi finally left Tai Po for a home of her own.   Patchi has been with us since she was a puppy a long time ago so it's really time that she was given this chance.  She's always been a very sweet girl but luck wasn't on her side until today.

The bad is yet more adopters wanting to "return" (actually abandon) dogs, one because there is a new baby and the other because they are leaving Hong Kong.  Both of these possibilities are addressed very clearly in our adoption questionnaire with potential adopters asked specifically if they would take a dog with them if they moved to another country, and if they had considered future children if young and childless at the time.  The dogs are the innocent victims in these cases and it's incredibly upsetting for all of us to have to deal with such situations.  Dogs and puppies have absolutely no choice when it comes to adoptions, and while most go to lovely homes where they are loved until the end of their days not all are so lucky.

Petra was taken home last Sunday and her adoption paperwork was completed today

Sunday brings us back to Whiskers N Paws and hopes for all the puppies that they will be the lucky ones.  I'll have Stanley and Sandy with me this week, the two Stanley Barracks orphans, as well as the remaining siblings of the three lucky baby pups who have found homes over the past couple of weeks (Debra, Petra and Panda).  Sophie and Babette are the only doglets still at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre from the very large group of puppies that moved there early this year when I was in hospital (which seems like a lifetime ago to me), so I'm really hoping that this week will finally be their time.

Lulu, six months

Other hopefuls include pretty Lulu (six months), beautiful brother and sister pair Camille and Buster, best friends Trixie and Fanta, lookalike brothers Sammy and Beefy and many more.  You can take a look at their photos on last Sunday's Facebook photo album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1195675133778550.1073742182.111369775542430&type=3.

A home for Sammy and Beefy together would be perfect

Fri 20th May: Stanley Barracks again

Trixie and Fanta think they are sisters

I was without our usual HKDR transport today as driver Michael had a day off, but I wanted to get to AFCD in case there were any urgent rescue cases.  By this I mean vulnerable dogs such as the small oldies or those that need to see a vet as emergency cases.  I had intended going on Thursday but with one thing or another didn't make it, and with the weekend looming I didn't want to wait until Monday.

It's been a while since there have been puppies from Stanley Barracks, not since our HKDR volunteer, Catherine, had spoken to the PLO Camp Commander about the stray dog problem and asked if they would be willing to help us do something about it, such as catching and desexing.  We even got as far as putting traps out, unfortunately without result, and now Catherine has been out of Hong Kong for a few months on an extended holiday.  So today when I walked the length of the kennel block checking for new dogs, there was a whole collection from Stanley Barracks and all very friendly as they always are.

It seems to be the time for old Maltese to be thrown out after Paddy's recent arrival and now a new one

As mentioned, I was without a van and driver, and I had already been handed what I was first told was a surrendered poodle but who is actually a Maltese.  The staff had washed him so he was clean and white, but he's another throwaway senior, just the type I was there for.  So already having one little dog to carry out, I wasn't in a position to be able to take more than two of the Stanley pups and even that was a struggle.  One of the AFCD staff found a discarded dog crate I could use, and helped me to carry it (with pups inside) to the main road so I could find a taxi.  Whatever anyone's opinions of AFCD as a Government Department are, I have always found the kennel staff to be very kind and helpful.

Debra on her way home

As I was dealing with my new recruits, two lucky puppies were on their way to start a new life after having been picked up from their foster home.  Debra and Magic aren't siblings or even the same age, but they have become very good friends since being fostered together so seeing them adopted as a pair was perfect.  In fact there is already a resident ex-HKDR dog in the new home and the initial intention had been to get one new friend, but as there is plenty of space for more it was offered to a pair. Magic immediately sought out his new "uncle" while Debra ran happily round the garden, returning to sleep at Magic's side when it was time for dinner and a sleep.

Debra's remaining siblings will be at Whiskers N Paws on Sunday, along with the two Stanley Barracks pups, Sandy and Stanley, and many other hopefuls. With luck the weather won't be as rainy as today, but we'll be there regardless.

Magic immediately chose to be near his big "uncle"