Make the time to enrich your dog’s life…🩵🧚
Pal has fully transitioned to @walnutgroveboarding as I have returned to work full-time so that his daily activity needs can continue to be met, and our sweet boy is THRIVING! Anna has continued to work on his touch sensitivity and trust building and THIS made my fairy heart swell with pride!! What a good boy your are Pal!!🧚🩵
It took several weeks of trust building and the help of meds for Pal to be ok with touch, but it is still a work progress. He will often seek it out, but he is still uneasy when he doesn’t initiate it, but he is trying so hard…🩵🧚
#goodboypal
Pal enjoyed his first beef bone today. It was the longest he has sat still apart from when he is sleeping!
Beef bones for the win!! 🧚🩵
Dog people are the best people 🐾🫶🏻
#dog #dogsofinstagram #doglover #followforfollowback
Saying goodbye on my last day with the flock! @the_snuggled_hens
Today’s Pal update isn’t as bright and shiny as some of our previous updates. I have been working on reconditioning him around moving vehicles, admittedly though, with very little success. Of all of the quirky behaviours he came with, this one puts him in greatest danger, as he is hell bent at dodging head first at passing cars seemingly unaware of the danger they present. As you can see in the video, he is also quite noisy and I’m sure people must think I am harming him in some way based on the sounds he makes as they drive-by - which has made our walks together anything but enjoyable. Lately, I have been walking him early in the morning and late at night when there’s less traffic, just because it’s easier. However, I know in my heart that this is not a long-term solution. Pal needs to relearn how to respond and react in a calm manner for his own safety. Imagine if he slipped out the front door, or if he was able to slip his leash or get out of an open gate? He would certainly meet his demise in a big hurry. So, after some conversation with our trusted veterinarian, we took a different approach today. I walked Pal to an area where we could watch traffic from a distance in the hopes that by allowing him to observe and process, he would feel less anxious, and I felt it was a very promising first attempt. At this point, he is still fixated on moving vehicles, and it is impossible to distract him with treats. So even though he will follow the sit/stay command easily when he is not in a high state of anxiety, when moving traffic is involved, he is completely nonresponsive to me. So that is our next step once we have the reactivity under control, Pal will needs to learn that these commands apply outside of the house as well, so that if he ever slipped off leash, we could count on the sit/stay command to save his life.
I am not a professional trainer, but I will do my best during our time together to work on this very important part of his rehabilitation. Pal
The day is finally here!! ✂️ #spayandneuteryourpets #goodboypal
Jiggs, you have stolen my heart…🧚🩵
Pal Update!
Having an under socialization dog doesn’t mean they are not canine friendly. Pal is a perfect example of an under socialized dog, who struggles with reading body language and behavioural cues from other dogs. He wants so desperately to be in their space, and to introduce himself with lots of sniffing and to initiate play. However not all dogs (like senior boy, Jet) are comfortable with his puppy energy, and although it sounds intimidating, he is simply trying to let Pal know, he isn’t interested. For the first couple of days, Pal could not understand the cue for more space. Here we are on day four, and he is finally slowly starting to get it, and instead of me, having to redirect him with his leash, he is backing off on his own. He is generally easily corrected with a firm verbal “NO” however, I’m trying to give him an opportunity to process and understand what Jet is trying to say here. Because Jet is my dog, I know that he is all talk… so I’m comfortable letting them have some time to sort it out on their own. Not all dogs however, would be this patient and I would never allow him to approach a dog I did not know who is clearly uncomfortable with his invasiveness. Not having these social skills and the capacity to understand canine body language makes placing Pal in a home with another dog very challenging, and why ensuring puppies have the appropriate level of socialization in their first 16 weeks of life (and beyond) is so vitally important to their growth and development.🧚🩵🐾
#fosteringsaveslives #k9crusaders #goodboypal
General information provided by the families who surrender their animals is shared with the intaking rescue. K9Crusaders was told that Pal was nearly impossible to walk as he cannot focus and pulls and whines to get to other people and animals he passes by. We did his second walk today and frankly, I just don’t see it. I see a dog who is fascinated by and curious about the world around him which is all new…including geese! When he stops or pulls towards something he is curious about, I simply allow him time to sniff, process, examine and the he easily moves in. Overall, he seemed pretty focused to me!! Great job, pal!! 🧚🩵
#k9crusaders #justrescued #fosteringsaveslives
Meet Pal! This adorable little fuzzy haired moppet is my new pet project. Hard to believe a 1 year old Yorkie mix was going to be euthanized in a Quebec pound, but it speaks to how many animals are being surrendered, that after 5 days he had no rescue commitment. Now has a second chance as I have wrapped my Fairy Dog Mum wings around him to keep him safe while we work on a few things, primarily socialization, basic manners and building his confidence. While I work on this, the rescue will take care of his vetting. If you are interested is adopting Pal, please fill out an application through @k9crusaders_canada. 🧚🩵
On our walk yesterday, Masey and I paused to enjoy this view. It felt so peaceful…and for a brief moment…it was spring.☀️
Got a high energy dog? Try a snuffle mat for the win! 🧚🐾 #fairydogmum #doglover #tipsandtricks #enrichment
Thank you again to Anna of Walnut Grove Daycare Boarding and Spaw for allowing me to use your kennel and beautiful yard space this weekend to give Levi a chance to stretch his legs…and make his very first friend!! 🧚🐾💕🥹
#teamwork #petcare #playtime #fairydogmum
Here’s your moment of pure joy for today…🧚🐾
After initial introductions through the fence at Walnut Grove Daycare Boarding and Spaw went so well, we decided to open the gate and let Levi meet Ozzy!  It simply could not have gone better, as these two became instant pals, and they have been in full play mode ever since!  No word of a lie, this was a “lump in the throat” experience to watch this magical moment as Levi made his very first canine friend!!🥹
The opportunity for Levi to meet and interact with other dogs is so important for so many reasons! It will increase his socialization and comfort level with other animals, he will take behavioural cues and learn appropriate body language & boundaries, and he will be able burn off some of that intense puppy energy!!
Nothing makes a Fairy Dog Mum happier than this…🧚🐾💜
Today I had a play date with Levi, a gorgeous 9-month old pupper who’s family has been struggling to manage his sheer abundance of energy. Sadly, when they purchased him as a wee babe, they were mislead about his lineage and thought they were bringing home a puppy who was going to mature into a small-medium sized, hypoallergenic dog. Instead they actually ended up with an Aussie mix who grew to 65 lbs of pure energy in the first 6 months.😱
Apart from the shock of seeing how quickly Levi grew and just how big he has gotten, what makes it even more challenging is that their lifestyle as a busy young family is simply not conducive to meeting the needs of a large, high energy, working dog - though they have been giving it their very best effort. Levi has also been trying to be the bestest boy by suppressing his urge to run, jump and play but it’s very clear that he is wired to use his energy and intelligence for a purpose in order achieve a calm and balanced state.
My first visit with him today included a good brisk walk and some snow play. Near the end of our walk, we found this 3 foot retaining wall which he happily jumped up and down from several times in a row without even needing a pause. He just loved listening to the different sounds around him and reacted with playful curiosity to it all. For most of the walk he had his nose to the ground and was tracking all kinds of smells with such delight.
It was an absolute pleasure to watch how much he enjoyed our time together…and honestly? I kind of fell in love…🥰🧚🐾
Don’t let her size file you…Reyna is just the sweetest, most gentle soul!! 💕💕💕
#fairydogmum #gentlegiant #petcare
Even in the dark, Zoe never misses!! 🧚♂️
#fairydogmum #petcare #northerndog
