Mon 31st May: The Little Whites, a new "breed"

 

What should we call this "breed"? 

While thirty six dogs and puppies were adopted during May (see list below), we take in as many as go out, especially puppies as they come in litters rather than one-by-one.  Two more arrived today, slightly older so they went to the Tai Po Homing Centre, and what struck me was that one of them was identical to so many others we've had this year.  

I can't remember ever having had so many white, short-haired, pink-nosed and small-eared puppies before, and all I can think of is that these dogs are coming from the same area (I think Tuen Mun) and are interbreeding to produce many that look alike.  This happens quite a lot, when entire (not desexed) males and females who share the parents, grandparents etc, continue to breed within a certain area, so they create a specific common appearance.  A long time ago there were the Chung Hom Kok Collies, a beautiful "breed" that came from one original pair.  Thankfully all puppies were caught and adopted and the adults were eventually desexed so that all ended, but while they were reproducing the look was unmistakeable. 

P Litter Percy

Little Percy is another white, short-haired, pink-nosed and small-eared puppy, and while his brother-in-foster Pringle has been offered a home, Percy is going to have to be returned to our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre.

Quartz is yet another of this "breed", and they did all come from the same rescuer in the Tuen Mun area.  I think you will see what I mean by them so closely resembling each other.

Tai Po:

Soba (Multibreed puppy)

Timo (Multibreed puppy)

Sundae (Multibreed puppy)

Sadie (German Shepherd)

Remy (Multibreed)

Cotton (Multibreed puppy)

Zoe (Multibreed)

Ap Lei Chau:

Tizzy (Multibreed puppy)

Casper (Multireed puppy)

Udon (Multibreed puppy)

Jessie (Multibreed)

Bert (Multibreed puppy)

Yoyo (Shih Tzu)

James (Chow Chow mix)

Sugar (Multibreed puppy)

Amber (Poodle)

Bella (Multibreed puppy)

Lola (Multibreed puppy)

WNP:

Jenkins (Multibreed puppy)

Kiwi (Multibreed puppy) 

Romeo (Multibreed puppy)

Alison (Multibreed puppy)

Jet (Multibreed puppy)

Foster Home:

Mitsu (Multibreed)

Crusoe (Multibreed)

Jelly (Yorkshire Terrier)

Pesto (Multibreed puppy)

Prissy (Multibreed puppy)

Esme (Multibreed puppy)

Wilfred (Multibreed)

Parsley (Multibreed puppy)

Lyra (Multibreed puppy)

Bailey (Multibreed) 

Xylo (Multibreed puppy)

Lamma:

King (Shiba Inu)

Others:

Summer (Bull Terrier)

I was sent another before-and-after photo of Jasmine, also from the group of nine poodles who arrived in a very poor condition.  You can't really see too much because of Jasmine's coat in the before photo, but she looks so pretty now.

Sun 30th May: The joy of before and after

Alison has settled in brilliantly

 Alison was picked up from Whiskers N Paws in the morning so she had already gone home by the time the other Tai Po puppies arrived for the Sunday party, and from the photos and videos that I've been sent she's settled right in.  She's already perfectly toilet trained and slept well (and stayed dry) for the whole night, and this is yet another reason to choose a slightly older puppy rather than a baby.  A couple of months makes no difference in the long-term, but it makes things so much easier in the beginning. 

Minto 

Minto was another lucky puppy chosen to go home for a trial with the other two resident ex-HKDR dogs, so we're really hoping that works out of course. 

Loopy's expression makes me laugh

Elena Mathew was the volunteer photographer at Whiskers N Paws and her photos are really wonderful.  Take a look here Puppy Adoption Day 30th May 2021.   Loopy and Pasta are the two that stayed behind to take up residence in the store until they too are chosen, just like Jet and Alison.

Just 9 weeks old, sick and surrendered

As an update on the distemper-positive puppy that was surrendered on Saturday afternoon, it seems this is a border collie, just nine weeks old.  Given that he had already been in a home for around three weeks that means it was bought as a six week-old, far too young to be separated and be living alone without mother or siblings.  We're all angry about this situation, just one of so many puppies bought from unscrupulous and illegal breeders, using animals as their source of income without a thought for their health and welfare.  No wonder there are so many dogs with behaviour issues, and the miracle is that they aren't all crazy. 

Holly now

There's something I really love, even more than straightforward adoptions, and that's the before-and-after photos of dogs that came to us as total wrecks, sick and broken from their years as breeder dogs (see above).  Holly's foster parents, who took her in to see her though all the surgery and recovery period, which is actually still ongoing, have confirmed that they have joined the Failed Fosters Club  meaning Holly is now a forever family member.  Compare the two photos and see the difference!

8 of the 9 poodles that arrived as a group

Sat 29th May: Happy and hot Saturday

Maya has been given a new chance at life

 It was a surprisingly busy day at our Tai Po Homing Centre today with recent surrenders Maya and Gyro being chosen, and puppies Ramen and Byron going for trials, coincidentally both with ex-HKDR German shepherds Jenna and Sadie respectively.   I forgot to mention that another puppy, Romeo, who had been taken for a trial with the resident dog also had his adoption confirmed, but you may have seen that on our Facebook page. 

Jet has left Whiskers N Paws for good

Puppy Jet was also picked up from Whiskers N Paws, with Alison going home as I write, so there will be two new store residents after the puppy afternoon on Sunday.  One of them will be Loopy, coming back from her foster home, unless of course she's adopted.

Coral and Salty 

I did a double-take on seeing photos of two of the Beach Babies, Coral and Salty, as they're an identical pair to another of this litter in a different foster home.  The sibling pair look nothing like each other though, and that's not at all uncommon as genetically there can be many in the final mix, not to mention that there can also be different fathers within one litter.

The matching pair are those nicknamed Elf and Twelvty, and you can see their photos on Instagram under why_i_foster.  You'll be amazed at how similar they are.

This is a very sick puppy

We had a late surrender at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre in the afternoon, a very cute puppy that had already been passed from one friend to another (this is so common it's really no surprise any more) and was brought to us after it was found to have the distemper virus. We sent the pup straight to ALCVC to be quarantined during assessment and possible treatment, so we'll have to see what Sunday brings in terms of any hope for survival.  

I'm late posting today so I'll keep this short, just with another reminder about the puppies going to Whiskers N Paws, and here they are (less Ramen of course).

Fri 28th May: Wherever you look, there they are

 I'm talking about puppies in the title of this post, as we have so many puppies scattered around the place, whether at the two Homing Centres or in foster homes, and they're all ages from just-ready-for-adoption to changing-teeth-stage.  Yes, puppies have milk teeth just like human babies do, and apart from anything else these teeth are very helpful in assessing a puppy's age as they start to change at around five months, starting with the front two. 

Berry is older than Quartz

Berry and Quartz are two of the older puppies at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, and they've become very close friends as you can see from these photos. In fact Berry has always been an incredibly gentle girl, even as a younger puppy, and one day (soon I hope) she'll make the best family member and companion. 

The Tai Po group will be at Whiskers N Paws this Sunday, along with some of the younger pups, at least Elsa and sister Cupcake that I know of. 

Elsa and friend last Sunday

In foster we have the Baby Blacks and the Beach Babies, as well as the "P" Litter who are definitely ready for adoption now.  I've asked for updated photos so you (and I) can see what they look like now, and how they've grown. 

Pickle and Penny, two of the "P" Litter

One of the Baby Blacks (who will be older now)

The smaller adults currently at Ap Lei Chau are white shiba inu Bumpy (3 years), Maltese Bessie (7 years), corgi Jimmy (5 years) and terrier-type Johnnie (2 years). Please start by completing the adoption questionnaire if interested in meeting any of these dogs or puppies: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Thurs 27th May: Two Baby Bobs and Buddy Bites

 

You might be wondering what's happened to all the puppy adoptions and yes, it's been a slow period recently thanks to the intense heat that's been keeping people at home in the coolness of air conditioning, and also the kennel cough at Tai Po which is thankfully now over.   Still, things have been quietly moving along and both puppies currently staying at Whiskers N Paws as temporary full-time guests will be gone by Sunday, and they're Jet and Alison.  We know that one of the puppies moving into the soon-to-be vacant space is Loopy, but the other is yet to be decided.  Maybe it will be one of "The Edibles" as we've had a request for Ramen to move in, but everything also depends on who's lucky enough to be adopted.  

How the Little Gems looked

Jet is one of the "Little Gems" litter

"The Edibles" have now been posted on our HKDR website www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/ as they're getting to the age when that happens.  We don't post the younger pups because they change and grow so quickly it would be impossible to keep up.  Here are the short decriptions of "The Edibles", all of whom will be back at Whiskers N Paws for the coming Sunday puppy party, 2pm to 4pm.

Ziti has funny wrinkles and folds and soft appealing eyes which always melt your heart. He is very docile and waiting to be loved in a real home of his own.

Lemon has grown into the sweetest character, an absolute gem, and she would love nothing more than a home filled with human love and attention. 

Ramen

Ramen has long soft ears and round eyes which give him such an appealing look. He is great with people and loves belly rubs.

Pasta has grown into a really handsome boy who is full of life and is always raring to go for a walk. He would make a great family member and companion.

Yuzu loves playing with water and soaking herself into the splash pool. She will definitely appreciate a family who enjoys outdoor activities.

  Minto (was Mango) is a gorgeous chubby girl who always walks around with her big round tummy. She loves food and it’s hard to resist her begging eyes when she is asking for treats.

Size matters in the fight for life

While one litter of puppies is growing and coming close to adoption age, new babies arrive to take the end space in the line.  Today it was two newborns, part of a large litter found next to their dead mother, some of whom were already too weak to survive.   Named by their foster parents as Billy Bob and Meerkat Bob, the smaller Bob was also too weak to make it through the night.  It's some compansation that tiny Meerkat Bob had a name and a home for those few hours, and now we'll see if we can get a sibling to be Billy Bob's companion.

The rain that was so welcome for a couple of days seems to have disappeared again and the heat is back, so much so that we've decided to put a hold on all hiking applications unless the dogs are being taken swimming or to a place that can provide cool shade.  The temporary ban also includes beach outings because the sand gets very hot and there is often no shade, as well as the danger of dogs swallowing too much seawater during play and swimming. 

This was a big and very welcome donation

Not long ago, Chris and Ryan from Buddy Bites knocked on our door and invited HKDR to be a part of their Buddy Bites Shelter Partnership. We appreciate how genuinely they want to help charities with their business model - donating 1kg for every 2kg purchase!

To kick off the programme Buddy Bites donated a whopping 500kg to our Tai Po Homing Centre, where a group of dogs were nominated to be the Buddy Biters Testing Team and to give their taste test opinion on the European kibble. The results were a unanimous PAWS UP!

The Buddy Bites Shelter Partnership aims to provide free food to shelters across Hong Kong, so for every purchase (delivered straight to your door) there'll be something put aside for the HKDR dogs.

Thank you Buddy Bites for such an amazing initiative, and with food the dogs really love!

Weds 26th May: When is a dog too old?

Binky looking very happy

 It didn't take long for one of the new arrivals to be chosen, and it was poodle Binky who headed off in the afternoon to see how she fitted in with the other two dogs in the home.  It was a tough choice between her and Bessie and at one point it almost looked as though both would be taken together, but in the end it was Binky. 

Bessie also has a smile on her face

It's interesting to me what age people consider a dog to be old, or a senior, and that means not needing or wanting to go out for long walks (weather and heat permitting), or really do much at all.  Large dogs age faster than small ones and their lifespans differ quite considerably, but at an estimated seven years of age I don't think Bessie and Binky are seniors yet, in fact they should still be in the prime of their life.  I have many dogs on Lamma that are in the ten-to-twelve age range, and they're still as active as they were when younger.  Gigi, a standard-sized mixed breed, died at seventeen, and little Murphy at eighteen, but the average life expectancy for a larger dog is fourteen to fifteen.  There are records of dogs living to well into their twenties, although I'd say that was exceptional, however by keeping a dog fit with regular and plentiful exercise will help them to live longer and fuller lives. 

The new dogs always get a lot of interest, but we have others still waiting.  You can keep checking up on them at Eagle's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HKDR.DOGGIES, or https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK, and of course all of the available dogs on our website www.hongkongdogrescue.com/dogs/

Baby "Edibles"

Lemon, Ramen, Ziti, Pasta and Yuzu are the five remaining "Edibles" puppies staying at our Tai Po Homing Centre, along with other puppies Minto, Lexi, Louie and Donut.  They're gorgeous, happy and friendly girls and boys, well socialised and really ready to go to their own homes.   The Tai Po puppies couldn't be at Whiskers N Paws last Sunday as they had mild kennel cough, but they'll be back this coming weekend and available every other day to meet.   Puppy Adoption Day 16th May 2021

Tues 25th May: New dogs and a new promotion

Bumpy, 3 years old shiba inu
 

The new dogs arrived from AFCD Sheung Shui today, poodle and Maltese girls and a (white) shiba inu boy.  They went straight to ALCVC for their health checks and have no obvious problems other than the standard bad teeth.  The two females appear to be ex-breeder dogs and the poodle arrived at AFCD in such a state that they shaved her. As I've mentioned before the shiba inu isn't suitable for homes with children even though we don't know this individual's behaviour yet.  You know what to do if interested I'm sure, complete the adoption questionnaire if not already done: www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Bessie

Binky

It was also a big day for bull terrier Summer as she started her new life after two years in kennels.  This was the chance of a lifetime as Summer has dog-aggression problems (we were told) which made her unsuitable for most environments where there are many other dogs in the area.  She's already settling in and is doing well so far, so I look foward to further positive updates. 

There's many ways that you can support HKDR other than direct donations, and this is one promotion currently running that will mean yummy food being donated to the dogs.  We already know that our dogs go cazy for the Bowl & Bowls freeze-dried meaty bites, and my Lamma dogs already recognise the packets when I pick them up and start opening them. 

Thank you Bowl & Bowls for donating a big amount of natural, NZ sourced and made freeze-dried bites for HKDR dogs. Our dogs absolutely love them and can't wait for more!

In this "SHARE MY BOWL" campaign, you can help HKDR dogs get an extra pack of donation by two simple steps:

1. "Like" Bowl & Bowls Facebook page

2. Share this post on your Facebook

Thanks for your support! One more "like"& "share"= One more donation!

Mon 24th May: A day at the seaside

Damson 

 Luckily the weather was perfect for the visit to my Lamma bay of Iris and two volunteers, the start of what is planned to be regular outings and grooming sessions for the smaller dogs that stay over on the island with me.  Today it was shiba inu Damson and little mixed breed Dainty who went swimming and had their hair brushed, and they both loved it. 

Dainty

Although Dainty is probably too timid to be a candidate for adoption, Damson is just a typical shiba inu with the behaviour seen in so many of this breed.  She can be as sweet as anything but she will guard what she seens as her possessions, so toys and long-lasting chews or treats are out of the question, although she's totally fine around food in general.  She came to us as an eight month-old puppy and is now three years old, still young enough to have a long life ahead of her with the right home and environment.   In fact I'd say she's an easier dog than (shiba) King is, but now that he's adopted and has the freedom to roam at will and pretty much make his own rules he's a happy boy.  Luckily our community is very small and nobody minds having neighbours' dogs dropping by to say hello as long as they later go back home.  As for Damson, if anyone is interested in adopting her (with no children in the home) please complete the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ 

As it happens we have another shiba of the same age arriving on Tuesday, coming from AFCD Sheung Shui, along with a poodle and a Maltese (estimated to be around seven years old). This new shiba is the same age as Damson but is white, a colour I don't think is natural for the breed, and again we won't consider homing to a family with children.  By now the characteristics of the shiba inu are clearly shared as a breed norm, and there are many YouTube videos you can watch to see that it's not only our own experience that has seen this, but a general fact. 

Sun 23rd May: Hot weather foster homes needed!

 

While I'm waiting for the photos (by Rodger So) from today's Whiskers N Paws session  Puppy Adoption Day 23rd May 2021, here's a funny video of sweet Alison having fun with the pools that were provided for the puppies to enjoy.  Alison is staying full time at the store until she finds a home, so you can meet her there any day. 

After having warned about the very hot weather and the risk of heatstroke in dogs, there were two cases today that underlined how easy it is for this to happen.  One involved Tai Po senior Macadamia (Mac) who was sent to Concordia as an emergency case which turned out to be just the heat, even though he hadn't been doing anything.  With the temperature at a record high for May today, it's hardly surprising that it's too much for many outdoor dogs. 

The other was one of my Lamma dogs, Sumo, also a senior and one who insists on joining the morning walk even though he struggles and has to lie down a lot.  I wish he'd stay home but he's determined to come along, and I'm keeping the walks short these days for all the dogs' sake, including Sumo.  When we get back I take the dogs to the sea for a paddle or swim, as they choose, and Sumo likes to stand in the shallows to cool off.  Today while the rest of the dogs had finished their swims and wanted to get back to the house, Sumo was still enjoying the water so I left him there while putting the others inside, a matter of a couple of minutes.  When I returned for Sumo he was nowhere to be seen, even though he'd been struggling after the walk and was quite exhausted.  I searched everywhere for him, all along the stony beach, which is actually quite difficult to walk on, and it was about fifteen minutes later that he eventually came staggering up the path from the opposite direction and dripping blood from his paw.  He must have become disorientated and rather than walk the fifty feet back to the house had wandered off, cutting his paw on some glass on the way, and eventually hearing my calls had found his way home.  Happily he's fine now, but it took a good few hours for him to recover from his ordeal, and I will make sure he doesn't come for the daily walk while the temperatures are so unbearably high. 

We thought we had a new foster home for yet another senior, Otis, but that fell through and now we have just a week before his current foster leaves Hong Kong.   

Otis is a very sweet boy and deeply loved by his current foster mom but she is having to leave HK by the end of May. Otis is 11 years old with heart problems so he definitely needs a quiet home instead of coming back to centre with so many dogs and visitors. Can you offer him a retirement home ?

Otis' heart problems are now controlled well with medication. If you are fine to take care of an easy senior dog and don't mind giving medication and bringing him for checkup about once a month (medical cost on HKDR). Please email foster@hongkongdogrescue.com

Otis is best suited to a quiet home with no children, although he's fine with other dogs.

Given the record high temperatures we can expect this summer following today's blistering heat, and the number of seniors we have at our Tai Po Homing Centre who are so vulnerable to suffering heatstroke, we're in need of foster homes for these dogs specifically.  If you can take in a lodger for the hot summer months please let Cindy know by emailing foster@hongkongdogrescue.com, thank you. 

Sat 22nd May: Reduced numbers this Sunday

All adopters are given this information

 One of the things that commonly happens when puppies are adopted, and often adults too, is that they get sick, with diarrhoea and coughing being the two most common symptoms.  It's very stressful for a puppy to move to a new home and environment, and their immune systems have yet to properly develop, so it's not at all uncommon for them to react in this way.   

The Sunday puppy afternoons can also be very stressful, even though it appears that the puppies are having fun (which they are), and on Mondays we can see the result.  Last Sunday we sent puppies from Tai Po, so that was a long day for them including a visit to the vet for vaccinations before Whiskers N Paws, and they subsequently developed a cough, not serious, but we don't want to send them again this week. 

In a way it's going to work better having fewer puppies at Whiskers N Paws this Sunday as I think we'll need to be inside due to the heat, and it also means those puppies that will be available to meet will get a better chance at being noticed.  Jet and Alison are the two permanent residents at the store (until they find a home), so they're never affected by Sunday afternoons, and we have some foster pups coming too, including new and young ones. 

Alison feels at home at Whiskers N Paws

The puppies that were there last Sunday Puppy Adoption Day 16th May 2021 are mostly still available for adoption (other than Romeo, Cotton and Kiwi), but they'll stay at Tai Po Homing Centre if you want to meet them there. We do also have some at our Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre that won't be sent this week, so please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/ so we can direct you to the right place for the puppy that's going to best suit you and your home.   

Loopy comes every Sunday from her foster home

Fri 21st May: The heat continues

The number of dogs joining my morning walk has dropped to a handful as the intense heat continues, and I can no longer call it a hike as I have to keep it short.  Rain wasn't forecast today but when I saw black clouds gathering in the evening I couldn't have been happier, and the few seconds of rain (and again this morning) felt like a blessing. Let's see what happens over the weekend, but regardless of the weather our two Homing Centres will be open as always, 10am to 6pm, and the Whiskers N Paws puppy party will be taking place on Sunday, 2pm to 4pm.

Although not all of the young puppies are ready to be at the Puppy Afternoon, namely the Baby Blacks and the Beach Babies, there is one litter who will be making their debut, but for some reason they don't have a specific group name.  I know the reason, it's because they by-passed the Homing Centre completely when they arrived due to the distemper outbreak we had at the time, very thankfully over with now. 

Sweet girl Berry

We usually send the older puppies to Tai Po when they grow too big for the limited space at the small Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre, but nobody wants to let go of sweet Berry, one of those exceptionally gentle characters who plays with the smallest and youngest without hurting them.  She's a perfect candidate for a home with young children, and I'm sure she'd be fine with cats too. 

Ned's Bailey Chair

Another older puppy who's stayed at Ap Lei Chau is Ned, and you may remember he came to us as a baby pup with the eating problem megaoesophagus.  Although otherwise healthy it's vital that Ned sits in his specially-made Bailey Chair when he eats, so the food goes down the right way and not into his lungs.   It would be a special day for sure if Ned was chosen for adoption, and we would happily let his feeding chair go with him if it ever happened. 

Brothers Freddie and Doddy, Ned and Sherpa

Brothers Freddie and Doddy have struggled with tick fever since coming as very young pups, as has Sherpa, and all three have grown up at the Homing Centre where they're happy enough and not outwardly showing signs of any illness.  Sherpa is ready for adoption now and the bothers are pretty close to getting the all clear, but being quite shy we hope they could stay together.  It's a wild dream perhaps, but dreams can come true. 

Thurs 20th May: Little Life Saver sponsors needed

 

Cotton-now-Bella is moving to New York

There are always lucky dogs (and cats) moving to other countries with their families, and either this is happening more frequently at the moment or we're just being asked a lot more for help.  It does seem that information is being required that previously didn't matter, such as the breed make-up of mongrels and even the name of the dog being considered important, and we don't have knowledge of all of the latest import requirements.   We can only recommend that you use a professional pet travel company so that you can be sure of having everything in place, and even then there's a long delay in securing space on flights as we have found out when trying to send our own HKDR dogs to other countries.  The company we always use is International Pet Travel, www.internationalpettravel.com, but there are obviously others offering a similar service. 

Ted is also moving to the USA

For those waiting for a flight for their dogs and asking if we offer a boarding service or can find a foster home, unfortunately we can't help on either.  Our Homing Centres are always full, and in any case we don't have a license to board dogs, with foster homes being needed for HKDR dogs and puppies.  There are home boarding options available, meaning places that aren't kennels so the dogs stay in a home environment, and this is probably the best solution if friends can't take care of your dog(s) temporarily.   I know it's a situation that's causing a lot of problems and stress, but please don't give up and leave your pet behind just because it's too difficult.  If others can do it, so can you.

Dainty is almost 10 now

I had to send one of my Lamma dogs to see a vet today, little Dainty, and she's one of the dogs being sponsored through the Life Saver Club.  As with so many of the long-termers I remember Dainty as a tiny baby puppy at AFCD, and for such a little pup she was quite wild.  Although she settled at the Ap Lei Chau Homing Centre she was always too timid to be adoptable, and she was eventually moved to Lamma.  After talking with Homing Centre Manager Iris about Dainty, and the other small dogs on Lamma like young shiba inu Damson, we've decided to start a new volunteer group who can come out to walk, groom and spend time with these little ones with perhaps the chance that they will be ready to move back to Ap Lei Chau, but even if not they can enjoy walks and swimming at the beach as they used to in previous years when we had such a group of volunteers.   

Banjo being groomed

If you would like to become a Life Saver Club sponsor, please email Eva at lifesaver@hongkongdogrescue.com for information on sponsor options.  Perhaps you can sponsor one of the Small Delinquents, the Lamma version of the Red Dogs, like funny little Banjo, or Damson the shiba inu.  There are poodles Kobe and Nobby, American cocker Leo and mixed breed Piper, all sadly with their own behaviour problems but still with lives worth living and saving.  

Poodle Kobe having a haircut

Weds 19th May: Summer saved!

Summer's going home

I had some really happy news today when bull terrier Summer was offered a home as the deadline for moving her drew close.  She's not the first dog with serious dog-aggression issues that still found a home, as I remember we had one at Tai Po in the early days of our time there. Staffie-type Prima was also really bad when it came to other dogs however after adoption all of this behaviour changed, just as our little "Red Dog" poodle Bell changed, so all things are possible.

Tanner is much calmer without his "man bits"

Remembering Prima brings another dog to mind, this one not at all aggressive to anyone, human or otherwise, it's just that Tanner has the same kind of Staffie-type look that Prima had.  He came to us from AFCD and was super-friendly from the start, in fact his "friendliness" as an entire male (meaning not desexed) was the reason for him coming back from his adoptive home.  Now he's had the "snip", as well as calming down naturally after settling at the Tai Po Homing Centre, and he no longer humps everyone as a sign of welcome.  If you would like to give this lovely boy a home, please start by completing the adoption questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/

Ramen stays with his siblings at Tai Po

Dogs that are aggressive towards other dogs are usually that way due to lack of socialisation as puppies, and in fact the isolation of young puppies is the major reason for most adult behaviour issues.  It's very upsetting and frustrating that we still receive so many adoption applications from people who are out all day and would leave a puppy or dog for long hours.  Even if we reject such homes there is always the knowledge that pet shops and breeders will sell to anyone, a very good example being the puppy I wrote about yesterday (who is a golden retriever by the way).   Our HKDR puppies always live in groups so they can grow up in the company of others, for play and comfort while also learning social skills.  Here's Ramen and his friends at Tai Po: https://www.facebook.com/HappyWoofHK/videos/4054837154595201

Other than puppies biting in play, the issue our trainer Cactus receives more messages for help about than any other is new puppies that cry during the night.   If you think about it though, it's perfectly understandable why an animal that is born part of a litter and by nature would always live within a family group, or pack, would be extremely distressed at finding itself alone.  If this was the natural world being in this situation would mean certain death, so a puppy would cry loudly for its mother to come and save it.  Our recommendation to avoid night crying is that puppies sleep in the same room as one of the human family members so both sides can get some sleep.

It's an old-fashioned way of thinking to say that you should never allow a dog to sleep in the bedroom, and it actually makes no sense.  Having a pet sleeping in the bed (or bedroom) can be a great comfort to both children and adults, something I know for myself as I sleep with multiple dogs either next to me or close by.  It's also been proven many times over that far from being unhygienic,  having an animal in the home boosts the immune system so there's more than one reason for letting a dog live as one of the family: 

"Letting children sleep next to their pets can help them get a better night's rest, according to a new study.

Researchers from Concordia University in Montreal analysed 188 people aged 11 to 17 about sleep habits and whether they have pets at home.

About half of children with a pet 'regularly share their bed' with the animal, say the authors, who wanted to find out what impact this has on sleep quality. 

They found that of those involved in the study who 'frequently' shared a bed with their pet dog, cat or rabbit enjoyed a better quality of rest than those who didn't have a furry friend to slumber alongside.

The researchers suggest this may be because children see their pet as a 'close friend' and having it with them could help calm nighttime fears."

Not only that, but there is no better guard than a dog, unless of course it's old or one of those types that would invite a burglar in and ask for a head scratch.  Keeping a dog outside the home as a guard puts it at risk of being distracted while a burglar sneaks in, or even worse being poisoned.  The best bodyguard is one that sleeps close by.