Happy Thanksgiving for Risha

Guess who got adopted?  Yes, it's Risha!

Risha has been adopted by a wonderful family who can give her just what she needs:  someone home much of the time, people experienced with rescued dogs, lots of visiting grandchildren, and another Rat Terrier to hunt with in the fenced yard who can teach her the ropes at her new home.  She will be joining her adopting family in Oregon after Thanksgiving.

We have become very attached to Risha and are certainly going to notice her absence.  Elsie, especially, has loved having a girl friend who also likes to hunt squirrels.  But Risha has waited a long time for her furever home and we are grateful that she has finally found the perfect family.

Elsie is getting Risha's contact information so they can stay in touch.

 

 

This is Risha's shelter picture taken in December 2011.

Risha on November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweater Girl

Following her mani pedi and lavender mint shampoo, Risha tried on a few sweaters this afternoon.  She was very cooperative about wearing them, but didn't appreciate my efforts to photograph her in these silly things.

This is so embarrassing. . .

What did I do to deserve this?

Maybe if I keep my head in the shadow no one will recognize me

I think this may be last year's color

Not sure about this ruffle thing going on

Finally! this one I could live with.  Maybe.

Battling Boredom

It's now dark, cold, and wet, and could be like this for much of the next six months. What's a dog to do for fun inside the house?  Yesterday afternoon I loaded a Jolly Pets Monster Mouth with a half dozen pieces of kibble and gave it to Risha.

We started out in the dining area of the house, with Risha and the Monster Mouth on a rug.

 

.  She then moved into the living room area.

Risha figured out that it was easier to control the Monster Mouth if she took it to her bed.

Risha worked with the Monster Mouth for one hour with full concentration.  When I took it away from her it still contained two-thirds of the kibble!  So, she is not a dog genius, but she definitely has some dogged determination:>)

What Happened? It's cold.

All of a sudden, almost, the day time temperature dropped to 50 degrees with moisture in the air.  All three dogs are napping more often and longer, and Risha has discovered the comfort of a blanket over her body.

Risha under the blanket.  This blanket was formerly under Risha, hence the white hairs.

Elsie is completely under her blanket.

Nina chooses to tough it out.

How to eat a tomato, Rat Terrier style

When the girls came back into the house from a potty break  this evening Risha was carrying an almost-ripe tomato in her mouth.  After checking it over and finding it pretty much unblemished, I decided to be a good sport and let her eat it.  Risha trotted happily to her bed with this prize and consumed it, in a very dainty but efficient manner, within 2 minutes, 14 seconds.

Risha with the tomato

 

 

 

She didn't ask for salt, olive oil, mozzarella, basil, capers, anchovies, or even a fork. Or a napkin.

Think that her palate is unrefined? She chose not to eat the tomato stem. The tomato fruit is a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.

Risha says, eat your tomatoes!

Autumn

It's definitely cooling down in the evenings now.  Risha has never displayed much burrowing behavior before this but tonight she  began to sneak her head under her blanket.

Risha (front) and Elsie resting after dinner and play time

Risha's  nose and part of  one eye peeking out

Entire head under the blanket now

Ten and Three-quarter Pounds of Perfection

I thought Risha's waistline was looking more pronounced this afternoon so we got on my beam scales.  Yes!  She is now at ten and three-quarter pounds, just a few ounces away from our goal.  This despite her hoovering up all the ground fall apples she can find and snacking on tomatoes still on the vine whenever she gets a chance.  Increased walking and trips to the dog park have burned some calories and revved up her metabolism, perhaps.

Risha is still camera shy and wouldn't hold still for a glamour shot, but I think you will agree you can see that waistline.  Great accomplishment, Risha!  We girls know that weight loss is not an easy attainment.  (I was going to say, not a walk in the park, but thought better of it.)

I don't do glamour shots.  Check my contract.

Sunday Morning at the Dog Park

French Lake Dog Park

 

 Nina and Elsie have visited this 10-acre off leash park many times but I had never taken Risha before and was curious to find out how she would behave. Overall, she did really well!

I like to walk the perimeter of the park with my three small dogs before joining groups that hang out near the picnic tables.  This allows me to scope out the dogs present and decide which dogs (and humans) look like good candidates for meeting and which might better be avoided.

 

Risha tracking scents in the grass

Uhhmm, found a good one

Needed a taste test, too

Risha meets Lucy 

When my three dogs met Lucy it turned into a terrier love-fest!  I was too busy juggling leashes, treats, and camera while keeping an eye on the dogs to get a picture of all four together, but it was a happy dog event.  Risha also met a half-dozen large dogs and greeted them nicely.  

This was fun.  When can we come back?

The Kong Challenge

When Risha came into foster care it was pretty obvious that she had never seen or played with a Kong dog toy before.  She is such an eager eater that home made chicken liver treats practically disappear the moment they leave my hand, so I decided to slow her down a bit by putting them in a Kong. It didn't take her long to discover how much fun this Kong toy can be!

Getting Liver from a Kong

That was yummy!

Sleepy Saturday Afternoon

Foster Mom stayed up too late last night so we are spending a very quiet Saturday afternoon at our house.  These dogs are so cooperative!

Nina, front, hamming it up for the camera.  Risha, back, wondering, ????

All three settling down for some serious rest time

Oh please, just let me sleep

Leash Training

Risha the Wonder Walker

Now that Risha has lost enough weight to be more comfortable with exercise we are ramping up the leash walking training.  I have tried in the past to walk my two and Risha at the same time but have decided that is not the way to go.  If I put Elsie with Risha on a tandem leash, Elsie's feet almost never touch the ground, and if I put Nina and Risha together on a tandem leash, it's a race to see who can be in front.  I even tried all three on separate leashes once but that was such a major headache I never gave it a second try.

So, now that we are getting serious, it is just Risha, walking alone with me.  Last time we tried a neighborhood walk with a two-foot leash attached to the front of her Wonder Walker harness.  This gave me very nice control of her and it was not a bad walk, altho walking in the neighborhood meant we encountered quite a number of reactive dogs behind fences.  This morning I decided to take Risha to the BPA trail where I have often walked with Nina and Elsie and where I knew we would encounter lots of dogs out for a Sunday morning stroll.

This morning I used a four-foot leash, again attached to the front of her Wonder Walker.  Not long after we began the walk we encountered a woman with her dog, both well known to me!  I had stuffed my pocket full of kibble and after I let the woman know what we were trying to accomplish, I lured Risha's attention with the kibble and kept her focused on me until the woman and dog were a good twenty yards away.  The good thing about a dog who is always hungry:  even her usual kibble is more exciting than lunging and barking at another dog.

We continued our two-mile walk, coming across at least a half-dozen more dogs and people who walked quietly by us while Risha sat on the edge of the trail focused on the kibble in my hand.  I was very much encouraged by her behavior and was even more encouraged when we met another couple with their two very stable, well socialized dogs, that I have met on the trail and at the local off leash park frequently over the past several years.  Risha was doing so well at this point that when one of the couple suggested letting the dogs meet, I agreed.  Risha then performed a totally normal dog meeting with butt sniffing and shoulder sniffing, fairly relaxed. After a minute or so  I resumed the kibble shower and the couple left with their dogs.

The only disappointing aspect of the walk was that I forgot to take my camera!  Next time, pictures, for sure.  And I think I may have to up the ante a little with some actual treats, instead of kibble.  When the weather is cooler I am thinking I could walk her about an hour before her usual dinner time and just feed her dinner on the trail. . .

We WILL get there!

Post Walk

We have a visitor!

Sophie, a Papillon, has been staying with us this week.  I wasn't sure how all four dogs would get along with each other, but they have been doing just fine.  Risha seems to be taking it all in stride, and while she hasn't wanted to play with Sophie, she has no objection to sharing her space.  I have been taking turns with the girls on my lap, and as long as each one gets enough one on one time, things go smoothly.

What Risha doesn't like, is being photographed!  It is so difficult for me to get pictures of this beautiful girl because every time I bring out the camera she tucks her ears back and looks away.  So this afternoon I tried to be a little sneaky and this is what we ended up with.

Our guest, Sophie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie with Elsie in front.  Elsie spent most of the afternoon alerting me to the blackberry brush clearing activity going on behind our lot.

 

 

 

Risha wonders if this camera stuff will be delaying her dinner.

Nina, on the right, has longer legs in real life.

 

 

 

Elsie may be wondering the same thing.

 

 

 

Are we just about finished with this nonsense?

 

 

Maybe if I humor her just a little she will stop pointing this thing at me.

Really?  Another one?

That's it, we're done here.

Happy National Dog Day!

 

Risha is celebrating with an elk antler

Nina joins the party

Elsie is always ready for a party

Risha is ready to bring some joy to your home!  If you are interested in adopting this beautiful, affectionate, house trained, crate trained girl, go to  New Rattitude's website at http://www.newrattitude.org/adopt.htm where there is detailed information and a link to our adoption application.

Risha on January 9, 2012

Weight Challenge

When she arrived the first time in January Risha weighed just a few ounces more than ten pounds  which the vet and I both thought was a good weight for her.  Dogs carrying too much weight risk damaging their hips and knees, not to mention their organs.  Risha returned to foster care in late June weighing a bit over 13 pounds, and the challenge has been to get her back to her ideal weight.

It's a cliche that a dog's primary job is finding food.  Let me brag that  Risha is very, very good at her job.  When she is not inhaling the carefully measured portion in her dog dish two times a day Risha prowls the back yard seeking food.  She eats strawberries from the bush, apples and raspberries from low branches, tomatoes she can reach, salal berries, blueberries, and anything the squirrels have buried. Shortly after her arrival I uprooted and discarded any garden plants I knew to be poisonous because even though the house dogs have never sampled them, I don't trust Risha not to do a taste test. I am thankful she does not have a sensitive stomach and has never shown the slightest reaction to any of her self-selected feasts.

If I am preparing food in the kitchen, Risha stands nearby, knowing how likely I am to clumsily drop a bit now and then.  Cucumber.  Green bean.  Red pepper.  Summer squash.  Cauliflower.  Broccoli.  Cabbage.  She is the only dog I have ever known who will eat lettuce.  Plain, undressed, lettuce.  

As of this afternoon, Risha weighs 11 1/2 pounds and she is getting her waistline back!  We are halfway to our goal, despite all that sneaky snacking.  Hhhmmm, could this be a new weight loss plan?  Lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, no grains.  Nope, not new at all, and it does work.

Waistline in progress

 

Personality?

Had you asked me 50 years ago to describe Risha's personality I would have wondered what you were talking about. Dogs have personality?  On the small farm of my childhood the dog lived either on the back porch or in the barn and was never, ever invited into the farmhouse.  We kids did of course spend a lot of time with the dog while fishing or catching crawdads in the creek, and the dog always went with us on our exploratory treks in the forest.  But it was a casual sort of relationship between dog and child, and I didn't notice that dogs do indeed possess individual characteristics that I would now call personality.  It wasn't until as a middle-aged adult I invited a dog to share my living space that I observed up close the qualities that differentiate one dog from another.  Now I am astounded that I used to lump them all together.  

 Risha  arrived in January after a long ground transport from Southern California.  She arrived in the dark, in the dead of winter.  She was with me for a scant two weeks before her adoption, and during that time not all of her personality was displayed.  I could tell immediately that she was a snuggler and a cuddler who loved human touch and would have been thrilled to spend most of her time on my lap.  I thought she was a needy little girl who might prefer to have her person in sight most of the time.

Now that she has been here this second stint for a couple of months, I see other qualities that I missed in January.  While she loves to lounge on or near her human, she is also an avid hunter.  Risha is the first one out the back door to subdue whatever small mammal or bird is threatening our domain.  She is also the most persistent hunter in my pack, stalking her prey for suprisingly long lengths of time.  She has not yet captured a rodent but I definitely see that possibility in her future.  Risha is the first to alert me to neighborhood sounds and walkers-by. Risha loves car rides and prefers the back seat window open a bit so she can monitor the scents on the breeze.  She is the only dog in my pack who will run into the water of the Puget Sound after a bird.

So, not the 24-hour couch potato I took her for in January.

Here she is, hunting in the garden with her faithful short-legged sidekick, Elsie:

This is Risha, who is available for adoption.

 

I began fostering rat terriers for a national non profit rescue group, New  Rattitude, in late 2010.  Since then eight ratties have shared my home and moved on to their permanent adopting homes, each taking a piece of my heart when they left.  Knowing that I have been an essential link between their trauma-filled life in a shelter and a loving home makes the goodbyes easier, although never easy.

Risha, on the left, gets along very well with the house dogs.

Risha came to my home as a foster the first time in January this year.  She had been rescued from a shelter in Van Nuys, California and arrived in Washington State suffering from dental disease and kennel cough.  After undergoing dental cleaning and spay surgery she was quickly adopted by a kind and caring retired lady who looked forward to giving Risha the pampered life she had provided for her previous pets.  This adoption had no fairy tale ending, tho, because the lady herself subsequently underwent some very serious medical procedures which eventually caused  her to return Risha to New Rattitude.

So, once again, little Risha's world has been turned upside down and she is wondering, what will happen to me next?

What I hope will happen next, Risha, is that you will find the home you (and every other dog) deserve.  I am starting this blog, the first ever for me, to help you get there.

 

Click here to see Risha's info on Petfinder.

You may submit an online application by clicking here.

And you can read all about New Rattitude by clicking here. 

More tomorrow.