Dogs in the House: The Boling Hotel for Dogs

06/09/2024

05/20/2024

I hear it's National Dog Rescue Day. Here are our two babies. Both rescued and now known as "The Twins."

11/18/2023

This is concerning. Does not seem to be in Louisiana (yet). Please share any info you hear.

Cases have been reported in Oregon, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, California, the Northeast and more.

01/25/2023

💯. Retractable leashes can be very dangerous. I do not recommend them. When dogs come to stay with us and they have one, we'll use our own leashes.

Retractable leashes can be dangerous for both you and your dog. To find out why and what to use instead, we turn to the experts.

12/02/2022

Thanksgiving week was a big week for Marshall. We didn't think he was ready to be left with anyone, so for our trip to the mountains we arranged to stay in a pet-friendly cabin.

Things didn't start off great. Marshall saw us packing up the car and was Anxious (with that capital A). He did NOT want to get in that car and had to be carried into it.

Once we got rolling, he did better and about half way there he finally settled in and laid down. Good thing: it was about a 10 hour drive. He did okay at rest stops, too, but we've learned that regular collars and harnesses don't work as well as a pinch collar.

At the cabin, you could tell he was wondering why we were there. We had a loft bedroom and set up a private lair for him, but he decided the stairway landing was where he wanted to be. Halfway between up and down.

He loved going out for walks around the cabin. So many unusual smells. When we left the cabin, he was a good boy. We crated his brother Jasper (who was of course up for all of this). We also rearranged the furniture which meet with Marshall's approval because it gave him a direct path from the stairwell to a couch. He settled in.

Dogs aren't allowed on most National Park trails, so the dogs mainly hung around the cabin until the last day when we took them both for a short walk in downtown Gatlinburg. It was in a less-traveled part of the town, and Marshall was still a bit anxious, but overall did well. He was on a alert, but followed our lead and while he kept watch all around him, I was super proud.

Since we've been back, Marshall has been Mr. Sociability. Much more social than normal. I think he might realize that since we went away and came back, this is his forever home. He's much more relaxed. So much so that he's eaten a book and a pillow. But you take the good with the bad, and I'm just happy he is more relaxed. Small but meaningful steps. It's easier to see the everyday dog in him. 🐶🐕‍🦺💕

09/30/2022

It’s been a minute. A busy minute. Lots of dog guests, plus Jasper, plus Marshall.

I’m happy to report that Marshall is doing GREAT! We’ve continued with the holistic treatments and we’ve also had a consultation with a trainer who gave us some homework - a few basic commands to work with. And Marshall is doing great - learning with flying colors.

One bonus to all this has been Jasper. At first, Marshall did not like Jasper because Jasper was constantly trying to hump him. Thankfully, Jasper got past that and Marshall decided to give him another chance. And now they are best buds - bigtime play buddies. Jasper seems to be drawing Marshall way out of his shell, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Marshall is more relaxed, more eager to play and socialize, less bothered by all the things that bother him.

We see the trainer in person mid-October, and I’m looking forward to showing Marshall off!

09/30/2022

I find so much about this disgusting. Now, I have clients with purebred dogs and although it would not be my choice, I guess I'm okay with someone getting a purebred dog if they really have their heart set on a particular breed or they possibly want to show their dog. But there is so much to dislike about the breeding industry. I think there should be very strict guidelines for who can breed dogs and even what costs should be involved. We have a pet overpopulation problem. Period. No one should be paying almost $5,000 for a dog when there are so many dogs looking for homes. Add to that fact that people are taking out LOANS to get dogs and those loans are predatory and deceptive, and it is just a bad story all around. No one wins. If you have to take out a loan to get a dog, go to your local shelter. Dogs can require expensive medical care. If you have to take out a loan to buy a dog, save your money and pay for preventative care and good dog food.

Some states are cracking down on pet store loans that can balloon by tens of thousands of dollars.

09/11/2022

Meet Jasper! Jasper was found by a friend who couldn’t care for him, so the Boling Hotel for Dogs is fostering him until a forever home can be found for him. We’ve had him checked out by our vet and this is what we know about him:
- He’s about 6 years old
- 18 lbs
- Intact (un-neutered)
- Heartworm positive
- Some tooth decay
- Otherwise healthy

We also know that he is super friendly and loves everyone. The more we can do for him, the better his chances will be for adoption. Toward that end, I’ve got him started on the first steps of heartworm treatment as well as on a heartworm and flea preventative. I’d love to keep this going until he finds a home, which would involve:
- Expensive heartworm treatment
- Neutering
- Vaccinations
- Teeth cleaning

If you’d like to help us give Jasper the best chance at finding a home, we’d love the support. My Venmo is -boling and my Paypal is at [email protected]. We cannot keep him because our attention is really focused on Marshall right now.

08/26/2022

Happy National Dog's Day, Marshall. We think the natural remedies are helping him. He's been more social with us and not quite as fearful, although sounds are still an issue. Thunder this morning? Nope. Snowballs Lakeview Veterinary Hospital? No way! Bad noises! Although he did get to see his buddy Rocky at the vet's. (Lakeview was having snowball day for pets and pet families.)

08/12/2022

This is not a great photo of Marshall, but honestly there haven't been a lot of great photos of Marshall lately. He has been regressing lately. Spending more and more time in his den under our bed. More cautious. Doesn't even want to eat in his room (which we also use as a laundry room).

The decline started when we went away for two days, but that initial regression seemed to stop then start again. It's also been rainy making bounding time in the backyard difficult.

Based on all this, we took Marshall to Natural Pet Care today. We've long used and recommended Dr. Sagrera for difficult issues. In the past she cured Oakley's ear infections and helped Kenya through chemotherapy. Cassie never saw her because she was never sick until the last few days of her life. 💔

As expected we were scolded for some things. Like the Bravecto we had been using. But what I like is that Dr. Sagrera considers the whole dog. She asks questions about his behaviors, what's changed, what's in his past. Of course, we don't fully know what is in his past...but what we do know is that he was found near the B.R. airport. And Randy had a lightbulb 💡 moment during the visit. Marshall is always looking up as though something is coming down to get him. He is also afraid of open spaces. We think he may be afraid of planes! It makes sense when you think about it.

Dr. S prescribed a homeopathic remedy and a supplement with his food and we'll check in in a week. She threw out the idea of also consulting a pet communicator (aka, a psychic). I want to ask Kathleen Usher and Jeanne Galloway more about that because I know that Henry has talked to a psychic. If it helps Marshall I'm willing to do it. We know Marshall's inner dog is in there and we are looking forward to spending more time with him.

07/27/2022

Blue-green algae are extremely toxic to dogs. Learn how to keep your pet safe from algae toxic to dogs, along with how to spot exposure.

07/21/2022

Cassie was a very good dog.

When my yellow Lab died last spring, I was flattened by an overwhelming sadness that’s with me still. And that’s normal, experts say, because losing a pet is often one of the hardest yet least acknowledged traumas we’ll ever face.

07/04/2022

I'm with you Michael. The loss is unbearable, but the heart expands to include other loves. Dogs are the best of us.
Randy Boling

For most of my life I lived in dogless ignorance and would have mocked sentiments about intense cross-species friendships. How wrong I was.

07/04/2022

There have been no real significant updates to share about the Marshall of Argonne. I haven't been working with him as regularly - I feel as though I'm just more tired since COVID, plus it's been about 115 degrees most days. So he hasn't been a regular about coming out to the couch, although here is a good pic of him with a new baby I got him - his own Lambchop! I think we need to go back to some of the basics - leashing him and bringing him out with us in the house, running with him in the backyard, and beginning to teach basic skills. What I do love is how he nuzzles me to show affection. I'll share a video of him playing with a guest dog in the comments.

05/22/2022

It's been a minute since my last update. I've had COVID. Marshall had diarrhea. Tulane had a week of graduation activities. It's been a lot.

Marshall got over his diarrhea (thanks, Lakeview Veterinary Hospital!) and he's back to his normal self. He's doing great. Slow, incremental progress, but definite progress. One night last week he laid on the couch with me for almost 3 hours! He was so comfortable! He's also been wandering into the living room on his own more often.

He has started to bark when he needs to go out. Just one bark. He's so smart! He's missed having me romp with him. I do go out and egg him on a bit but haven't been up to running around yet.

I know I missed due to graduation madness so consider this my post for that. Randy says Marshall is a Golden God in the pic below, the way the light is around him. You have to agree, right???

04/29/2022

Okay, friends, here's a recent video of our boy Marshall. I had a hard time determining which one to post. He's had a lot of friends to play with and I've captured a lot of video of him frolicking with both me and his friends. He clearly loves his backyard. Although he still doesn't love the house being built next door, I think he is getting slightly more acclimated to it. He sleeps every night beneath our bed and the cutest thing is that if one of us gets up to use the bathroom during the night, he comes with us. I don't know if he is keeping us safe or the other way around. He's also more confident barking when he hears something - and he has exceptional hearing. We are anxiously waiting for the results of his DNA test!

04/19/2022

While Marshall still doesn't like all the goings on next door as the house is built, I think he is beginning to relax a little. He still spends most of his time in the northern end of the house, but seems less bothered when he does come by the laundry room where his original bed is located.

I haven't done a lot of formal training with him, but that's because I think my running around the backyard with him does more to train him than anything formal could do. Every time I run with him, he gets more relaxed overall and looks more to me as a trusted source. It's like the ultimate in radical acceptance. Last night, we were running and I stopped and crouched down and asked him to come to me - and he came right over, no hesitation.

He's becoming more joyful. He is eating with gusto. He has treats that he favors. And he loves having friends, as you can see below. Every new dog sparks excitement in him. Really thrilled with the progress this boy has made and will continue to make.

04/13/2022

Sandra, Marshall's foster mom, asked for an update. Unfortunately I don't have a whole lot to update on. Work on the house next door has begun in earnest and Marshall Does. Not. Like it. He has almost entirely abandoned his bed by the back door in favor of his bed that was beside mine but he has now pushed it under the bed, like a den. Once the workmen get on site, he spends the rest of the day either under the bed or in the bathroom.

We were playing over the weekend - he and I bounding around - and he accidentally knocked into my knee with his jaw. Oof. It hurt enough that I had to sit down and poor Marshall was sure I was going to be mad and he tried to hide by the tree. I coaxed him out and assured him I was not mad, that it was just an accident.

A few days later we were running around again in the yard but it was windy and the sound of Tyvek flapping was distracting him. So I thought I'd move to our training. I had just been walking him around on a leash but I decided to try to introduce sit to the mix. That was a no go. I could tell Marshall thought I was trying to dominate him. So I'm going to look for some additional resources to introduce it in a different way. We'll stick with just having him follow me on leash in the backyard for now!

04/06/2022

While seeing myself run is not among my favorite things to watch, I will overlook it for the joy this brings me. I've been taking Marshall out into the backyard and walking him with a leash to get him used to being on the leash and listening to me. No commands, just walking with him. Earlier this week, when I took him, he was frisky, so I let him off the leash and asked if he wanted to run around. Well...run around he did. He and I played like two puppies! He was SO HAPPY. Tail up and wagging, smile on his face. No anxiety or worry. After maybe 10 minutes, we did our walking and he held my eye contact.

I think this playtime is going to be a regular part of our routine. I think it relaxes him and builds trust between us. He's slept beside me 2 out of the past 3 nights. He still has a ways to go, but this felt huge - like we took a big step forward!

04/01/2022

Thank you, Facebook, for losing this post the first time. 🧐

Life with Marshall is often two steps forward, one step back, although that is still forward progression. After coming to lay on the couch with me by his own accord, he has since relegated himself to his bed in the laundry room, rarely venturing out to the rest of the house. He's the sole dog in the house, too, for at least the next several days. I gave him a new plush toy (a sloth) and he seems to like it.

He didn't like the bad weather earlier this week. Randy did pick him up and lay him next to me that night. He also does not like the hammering and other noise from next door where they are building a new house. Unfortunately, that will be with us for a while.

He does love the backyard and his new nickname is Bounder b/c he bounds all over the yard. I plan to work with him just a bit this weekend, simple commands, positive reinforcement, out in his yard.

04/01/2022

It's been a minute so let me update all of you on Marshall. It very much feels like 2 steps forward, 1 step back, but at least that's still forward progression. After sitting with me on the couch three nights in a row, Marshall has relegated himself to his bed in the laundry room. He has not been venturing out much in the house unless someone new arrives. I hope we can get back to that cozy visiting!

He's also a little lonely - we have about a week's spell going on without any guests. I did give him a new plush toy and he seems to like it. He didn't like the bad weather earlier this week. Randy carried him and put him next to me that night and he eventually settled down. He also does not like the noise from the new house going up next door. He will bark at the workers. (Good dog!)

I plan to work with him in the backyard this weekend on some basic commands. Just for a little bit, all positive reinforcement. He loves the backyard and his new nickname is Bounder because he bounds all over the yard.

03/21/2022

It's been a momentous couple of days, the highlight of which has been having Marshall come up onto the couch and sitting in my lap! I won't deny that having the dryer run near Marshall's bed played into it. (He doesn't like the noise.) But whatever the reason it was so wonderful!!

He also loved the weather this past weekend. Such beautiful weather and he loves his backyard. He literally romps and prances through the yard.

The funniest thing that happened was with a non-rawhide chewy. Rocky had one that we had taken from him some weeks ago because it was a potential contention point between dogs. In general I don't even like chewies, even the "safe" ones. Well, Rocky found where we had stashed it and started chewing on it. And Marshall felt bold enough to take right out from under him! Now that is confidence and also trust among them. Rocky just looked around like, "What? Where'd it go?"

Jump forward a day. Rocky came in from the backyard and Marshall went out. Rocky saw this as his moment and he took the chewie back! The two of them are such good, kind friends together, with a little good-natured rivalry between them!

03/18/2022

Marshall went to visit the fine folks at Lakeview Vet this week. He got a bump of meds to make the visit less scary, although Randy reported that he didn't seem especially groggy or sedated. He did well, met Miss Nancy (who said he has big shoes to fill), and generally did great. Lakeview did not charge for the well check since we adopted a rescue. 💕

This morning, Marshall made a new friend - Louisa, a pug/beagle mix who is a frequent flyer at the Boling Hotel. He was thrilled to make her acquaintance, and she seemed equally happy to meet him as well.

A few nights ago, Marshall became interested in our box of TOYS. Since then he's brought three or four toys over to his lair. He's also gotten much better at coming in the house. There's still some hesitation right as he gets to the steps, but he often gets over it and comes right in. He also does a little dance when it's mealtime.

Still looking forward to having him spend time in close proximity when we're in the living room or basically anywhere that's not the laundry room or kitchen. He does some reconnaissance on it, but he's not been ready to just hang out with us. Step by step.

03/16/2022

Hello to the fans of the Marshall of Argonne. The boy is doing well. Coming along a little more each day. He still largely haunts the laundry room but is coming in from the backyard easier (although he still almost always hesitates at the top step). We tried moving his bed to the nearby office but nope, wasn't having it. He eats well.

Yesterday and today we heard him bark for the first time. Yesterday he barked at some roofers (good dog! they shouldn't be up there!) and today I think he barked to go out.

He does get excited to see me and seems to like higher-pitched people (so, women) - he will come check them out more easily. I love when he is excited because his nub of a tail just flies and he wiggles.

Today he is going to meet the vets at Lakeview Veterinary Hospital. They are going to give him some meds to calm him down before he comes. It's a well check and a visit to get him registered as a patient there. I know he doesn't like the leash but I'm sure the meds will help. Eventually we'll get to work on the leash thing, but for now we're just helping him get comfortable in his new home.

03/11/2022

I cannot tell all of you how much Marshall loves Rocky. In fact, while we can have a hard time getting him to come in the house when he is in the backyard, this morning, he went out and when he saw Rocky didn't come with him, he came back in!

We also added a third dog to the mix today. While we are largely "closed" to bookings, we are taking a few of our most regular, most "known" dogs...like Rowdy from Paula's Paw-Some Dawghouse. And Marshall started wagging his tail as soon as he saw Rowdy. Rowdy will be another great role model for Marsh-dog.

He largely stays at or near his bedding but is venturing out more throughout the house. He wants to be a part of it all, and of course, he sees Rocky in the thick of it. He eats well, although he rarely finishes his bowl. I think we are doing well and will only do better!