Utah's perfect pointers

08/07/2024

Snake Aversion! Sooooo......... important. If you're out in the fields or trails with your dogs this could be a lifesaver. Whether it's with Barleys or another reputable trainer please consider this as a good use of time.

As some of you know, we hold a rattlesnake aversion training at our facility throughout the summer. It is run by one of our owners, Mike Parmley. He is now offering a 20.00 discount to all current Barley’s clients for the remainder of his training season. At the moment, there are only a few weeks left where he will be holding classes. Please visit rattlesnakealert.com for details or email him at [email protected] for any questions you may have. In order to receive the discount, you must let Mike know that you are a current client before your scheduled class.

08/05/2024

Dear little Suri. I spent a lovely 3 hours going through emails from 2013 and appreciating the amazing cadre of women & men who make this work possible. It really takes a community. A large community. I'm so grateful that I had this one for so many years.

May 9, 2013 we got an email from Melisa at the Roosevelt Shelter about a little momma pointer with 6 babies that had been dumped there by her breeder a day after giving birth - probably because it was pretty obvious an itinerant ACD was the sire. And of course shelters just aren't equipped to accommodate moms and new babies. Tim & Darlene brought them to me 2 days later which gave me time to set up our downstairs shower & spacious bathroom (all tile) to accommodate the little family.

At 6 weeks the little piranha's teeth were coming in and Suri was less and less enthusiastic about caring for their sustenance needs. They were quite happy with this arrangement. They ran through their food, scattered it all over the room and pounced on it like prey, slept on it and pooped on it. Thank goodness it was warm enough for them to go outside and provide me with exercise making sure no one went "under the wall" as they spread out in different directions.

Fortunately Sharon, the owner of Camp Bow Wow, came to my rescue and took them in for daycare. And yes, she adopted the largest, feistiest little man.

Suri was with me until October 2013 when a lovely woman with a cat in WA adopted her. It was a perfect match. Suri had a cat friend and a mom who took her walking on the coast. It was a perfect match until September 2023 when Suri's mom was moving to Europe and didn't want to put her girl through the boarding requirements for importing animals.

As luck would have it two of my favorite adopters and friends were very happy to have this lovely little girl as theirs. They'd adopted 4 UPP dogs, fostered more, and had been pointer-less for several months. It was love at first lick. Her first mom and my boys stayed in touch and shared pictures.

And of course Suri's a pointer so she's going to chase squirrels! It's a compulsion. This spring while the boys & dogs were in the yard Suri pointed a squirrel and chased it under the bushes returning with a 10-12" gaping wound from her flank to abdomen.. The guys rushed her to emergency surgery. Three vet visits in 2 weeks revealed that the tissue was necrotic and the only option was amputation with no realistic good result. It was time to release her from pain and stay with her while she was euthanized.

First time in 24 years my boys haven't had at least one GSP in their house. Suri's loss is absolutely devastating for them. From her dad:

"She was the sweetest, mot adorable dog we have ever had. She was the center of our universe and the house seems awfully empty without her. We are so grateful she came into our lives but we are completely devastated that it was for such a short time. The only thing greater than the love she brought into our lives is the sorrow when she left it."

07/29/2024

TIME WITH TRIXIE

Dear little Trixie. It was the middle of December, 2009 when Darlene with Pet Samaritan called to tell me there was a 2 year old pointer-lab X in the Uintah Animal Control Shelter and she could bring it to me that very day! Thanks to the help of the dedicated shelter people and rescue groups she was home with us 9 days before Christmas! And because it was holiday season we had a cadre of co-workers at our "real jobs" migrating through Casa UPP for seasonal celebrations.

One of the social regulars was Paul who'd lost a lovely lab recently. He made himself comfy on the couch while I was attending to libations when Trisquit approached the couch, put her head on his lap and peed on his foot. It was love at first sight and my Trisquit became Paul's Trixie.

They had the best life together - hiking in the UT mountains, moving for a stint in Houston, and finally moving to Big Sky Country where the outdoor excursions continued. This April she left her dad after a diagnosis of inoperable bowel cancer at the respectable age of 17 years..

I'm so grateful to all the people who helped our Trixie through her life. And I grieve with my friend for the loss of his girl.

03/12/2024

Our little Remi is spreading the word about rescue in the wilds ❣

We are honored, pleased and proud to announce that beginning Monday March 11th our Fido Pro documentary that was shot last summer will begin airing on the tv program, Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid. It will air for several months on over 300 public television stations across the US. For a preview, follow the link in our bio💜🐶⛑

02/23/2024

It's never to late to

12/24/2023

Hope you've all had a wonderful year! Tate was very successful in protecting us from critters........... Every..........Single.........Day............ 😁

12/12/2023

Never Give Up😋

11/18/2023

Look! We have a tv model in our pack of adopted pointers❣

We are honored to have been chosen to participate in the documentary series Viewpoint hosted by Dennis Quaid. Out of all the dog product companies, Fido Pro was chosen because of our “significant and positive impact we have had on the pet / dog product industry”. The eight minute mini-doc will air an unlimited number of times on over 300 public tv stations for one year. In return for providing program content, Viewpoint gifted us 400 one minute, primetime tv ads, airing in the top 100 markets in the US. The links are in our bio. 💜🐶⛑

11/13/2023

Once upon a time (fall, 2009) I got a call from Darlene Koerner, a rescue woman with Pet Samaritan in Vernal. In her spare time Darlene traveled extensively for work so she found strays everywhere!

11/11/2023

Dear little Griffles (Griff) came to UPP as a skinny little yearling from Roosevelt AS in 2010. He had a deformed/injured right front foot that was inoperable and bothered him occasionally but didn't slow him down. He traveled with his mom, dad & dog housemates. He loved his life and in turn was loved by everyone who met him, especially his human and dog companions. Christina and Clayton were his family for 13 amazing years. We're so grateful for every minute of his time with them. Sleep well little man. You were loved.

11/09/2023

Love this stuff! I'm too old to carry them out on my own 😁

The Fido Pro Airlift is an easy-to-use harness to safely carry your dog if they become sick or injured while hiking

09/30/2023

Tiny little Suri was a child momma in May 2013 when she gave birth in the Roosevelt animal shelter. Thank you, Darlene, for bringing the little family to Casa UPP where she became our poster child for teen pregnancy. Those babies were h-u-g-e and hungry! Of course Misty and Tama took good care of them. By the end of November the babies were adopted and it was Suri's turn.

She had a wonderful life with Tammy in WA where they hiked and cuddled and eventually moved to CO. It's hard to believe Suri's story started 10 years ago!

And then........... I got an email from Suri's mom who was moving to Europe and didn't want to put her 10 year old girl through the plane trip or quarantine period. Of course I could! Well........ we all get by with a little help from our friends.......

Two wonderful adopters just lost their dear Mocha to lung cancer. They were devastated and needed another pointer type in their home. Suri's mom brought her to meet the boys last Saturday and it was love at first sight. Our little traveling girl is in her forever home.🥰

09/28/2023

Everyone's getting ready for winter. And Tate's keeping a close eye on them!

09/17/2023

Who knew??!

Our Chagas Resource Program is SWESR’s newest program. We first started testing for the Chagas parasite in 2018. In 2022 we formalized SWESR’s Chagas Resource Program and we are now committed to testing all incoming dogs for Chagas and educating Vet professionals and the general public about the risk and treatment of Chagas. Many are under the misunderstanding that you don’t need to worry about Chagas unless there are symptoms. That is not accurate. The time to diagnose and treat Chagas is BEFORE there are any symptoms and any irreversible damage.

You can find in depth information about Chagas here: https://swesr.org/chagas-resource-page/

In 2022/23 more incoming dogs were diagnosed with Chagas than with Heartworm disease. And we expect this trend to continue, especially as more rescues and individuals come to understand the importance of proactive testing for Chagas.

Please click here to support SWESR in our annual Big Give Fundraiser:
https://www.thebiggivesa.org/organizations/southwest-english-setter-rescue

09/16/2023

Dear Mocha........... She became a Perfect Pointer in January 2021 at the age of 10. She'd lived with her family since she was a baby but when they had a human baby with serious health concerns Mocha was discombobuated with the change in all their lives. Her mom loved her but she was spending so much time trying to keep her baby son alive that Mocha took that responsibility to heart and needed an outlet. That outlet included escaping the yard and some fairly extensive excursions. It wasn't a good situation for the mom and her little family or for Mocha so she became a UPP girl.

Mocha was great with all the dogs at Casa UPP. And she was "very" fond of the cats.  Way too fond of the cats! So she went to stay with Auntie Lynne for awhile and explore the mountains with her friends and dog packs. That was a great time! When Lynne hit the road for the warmer weather in the southeast Mocha became the best buddy of Bowie who'd been adopted by a lovely couple in August, 2008. More hiking and swimming and socializing! It was wonderful.

And then...... it was time for her real home. Our wonderful fosters and adopters of Ace, were experienced and love our breeds. After Ace's adoption they fostered Izzy (adopted), Victoria, Miley, Elwin, and finally Mocha (adopted). They also babysat for Tate numerous times during his initial paralysis when Rescue Lady had to drive dogs out of state. Mocha had the best life with the boys. They went to the cabin. They went on regular walks in the city. There were games and toys. And there was even a nice little girl who came to live with them when their mom died.

Suddenly in July Mocha started to go downhill in comfort and energy. She had terminal lung cancer that wasn't evident in any of her previous wellness checks and had no history of living in a to***co household. There was no good end to this. The prognosis was bleak and the end came quickly.

The boys were heartbroken. And they missed their girl. We love you boys. And we're so grateful to you for all the UPP dogs you've given shelter to over the years.

09/14/2023

What a Great Party! The weather was great. The wine was wonderful. And the dogs.......... ❤️❤️❣️ Those wonderful dogs.

I walked into the party room and the first little muffin to greet me was Brooklyn. She remembered me! Best Welcome Ever! And of course Brooklyn's mom also had their Avi with them. So wonderful to see them again.

Gina and Dave had their personal herd with them and Dave brought in little Sesi for me to hug. She doesn't change........ever!

The biggest surprise was little Rudy! He was one wild child when I took him to Gina in 2018. He did everything at top speed. And after some training at Paws To Peaks he found the perfect mom he adores.

It was a wonderful evening. Thank you Gina and Dave for all the work that goes into pulling this together. You're an amazing couple. 🥰

09/10/2023

Dear little Nutmeg became a Perfect Pointer in August, 2011. She'd been turned in to the West Jordan Animal shelter by her family who bought her from a back-yard breeder when she was too young and didn't get the proper socialization with other dogs or learn appropriate behavior from her mom. She was nervous and fear-aggressive with other dogs although she loved people. Overcoming that early lack of socialization was tough so...... she came to Casa UPP. My old Seneca and Macallan were just what she needed. She was introduced to them on a leash and raced around the yard (dragging the long line behind her) until she was socialized. My dogs were used to this and let her be "her" until she wanted to interact with them. As soon as she was somewhat comfortable in our yard & home I started taking her to daycare where Teryn Schultz - the dog whisperer - tied her to her big pit bull and led her around the facility with other dogs. After a couple of hours and lots of monitoring she was "good to go". She still needed frequent time-outs but this was a huge stride for her. When things got a little too exciting she came back to Casa UPP for a break.

Then......... one day............. a lovely couple from southern UT arrived to find a new addition for their home. They loved our breed. They knew GSP's. Sandra had her eye on another dog we were fostering at the daycare facility but Bill immediately honed in on Nutmeg and within an hour she was on her way home. Best Day Ever!

From that moment on she was "Bill's Girl". She loved her mom, too, and did well with the other dogs. But...... she gave her heart to her dad. They did everything together from hikes, swimming, chasing prey and fixing cars............ she was his girl. This was an amazing love story.

And as with all deep loves, they can last forever but the body can't after 13.5 years. Nutmeg had heart issues for the last year but never was in any pain. Sandra & Bill's little girl died in her dad's arms after "4000 plus days of heaven together". Thank you dear adopters for the love and care you gave your girl.

08/27/2023

This wonderful rescue group has touched so many during their work in Utah. The hours were long. The distances were far. The areas were tough. I'm in awe and admiration for Jamee and her crew. Bless you wonderful rescuers. You've set an amazing example for those following in your footsteps. 💗

08/02/2023

Elke became a Perfect "Pointer" on August 13, 2014. She and Elwin were both in the Ephraim shelter when Jamee Wag-N-Train alerted us to them and delivered them both within a couple of days. Elwin was a treasured 8-year old boy adopted in Canada and 2-year old Elke went to her new parents in WA. Of course both were fostered by super foster mom, Lynne, while they were with us.

I'm always in awe of the amazing people involved in rescue work - from the overwhelmed shelters to the dedicated rescue people to the loving families that make them "theirs". It's been a privilege to be a small part of this vast network.

From Elke's mom:

July 14, 2023

We lost our sweet Elke this morning. After bravely fighting back from a bleeding ulcer several weeks ago, she developed bloat and was gone within 12 hrs.

Yesterday on our day trip to the Lakeplace she was enthusiastic and happily patrolling her yard, barking as residents strolled past. She loved having yummy cheese snacks with us for lunch. She napped all the way home from having a great day.

Elke ate her dinner and was cuddly and loving the whole eve.
Overnight her tummy turned hard and she was restless, would not relax all throughout the night.
Took her to Emergency this morning.
We opted for no surgery as her blood tests /xrays told us she was failing quickly and was not a good candidate.

We miss our mini-weim......sweet girl Elke.
She'll never be forgotten
She was OUR WORLD SINCE Nov 1st, 2014.

08/01/2023

Tilley was an owner-release to UPP in September 2015 at the respectable age of 8 years. She was such a lovely dog! She had lots of "get up and go" tempered with a gentle and happy demeanor. Fortunately we had a wonderful Park City foster family with a pack of pointers to make her feel right at home. It wasn't long before her perfect dad contacted us and met me in Washington UT to become her forever home. It was love at first sight for both of them.

She went everywhere with him....... to work, on hikes, the parks, and of course she had a special place on the bed. She knew she was his special girl and returned his love for 8 wonderful years.

This last year was a little tough for both of them. It was hard for Tilley to partake in their walks so Rich got a carriage for her so she could enjoy the sights and outings from her "chariot". Sadly none of us is meant to live forever and when she became too uncomfortable her dad was there to help her die. You had the very best 8 years baby girl. We won't forget you. 💗

05/25/2023

GAH! Needles! I hate having to dispose of them. I naively assumed that the vet clinics or police would want them properly disposed of. They do. They just don't want to take them from you.

During my tenure at UPP I had a "sharp's container" for putting used needles in. It worked great. But then............. you have to find a place that will take them.

I've been collecting tons of needles since moving to WA with my Tama who has kidney disease and gets fluids daily (down from twice daily!). So I took my collection of used needles to the vet. She didn't want them but suggested the police station. They didn't want them either. But they did suggest that I put them in a strong container and seal it well and toss it in the garbage. 😲

I have mixed feelings about this but I can't keep them forever so...........

04/24/2023

Some toys last for seconds - others for years. This amazing cat cave has been a feature of our living rooms since the summer of 2007. 😁 It doesn't look that sturdy. And it's light as a feather. But over 100 cats have claimed it in the last 15 years. And now........ Tate! 😂

While Tate was waiting for us to take the crew for their morning walk he somehow got entangled in The Cube. We watched his contortions for awhile before assisting with his freedom. Kohl and Mo (the cats) were highly unimpressed. 😾

04/14/2023

Everyone needs a hobby...........

04/12/2023

It's raining........ forever. I got tired of cleaning 12 feet coming inside every 15 minutes so relented & smooshed a banana into kongs. Only 2/3 of the group approved. 😋

04/05/2023

Nash The Lover

Nash & his 7 siblings were born on August 13, 2012 in Chandler AZ. Just before Christmas (arg!) we got a message from the breeder that he'd like to release his 4 remaining pups to UPP - 3 boys and a girl. Driving to the UT/AZ border in the dead of winter with very little daylight wasn't my idea of a good time, but they were babies and needed a safe place. And of course they were horrible little babies. That first night Nash was convinced that he was going to starve to death and planted his front feet in the puppy food so none of the other 3 could get to it. Obviously this wasn't going to work. I separated the little horrors for feeding & let them sleep together at night which seemed to be a reasonable idea until he dumped over his water dish and all the blankets were soaked.

His mom fell in love with the continually growing pup and on Feb. 9, 2013 we made it official. He became Nashville Chin-Wah Martinez aka Nashy, Sauce, NashBill, Sootz, Sootzah, FatNash & Billy Button - just a few nicknames. What a great home. He had dogs and kids to socialize with. His folks took him camping and did all kinds of training tricks with him. He came to UPP fundraisers with his mom & dad. And I received wonderful Nashville presents from his mom for his got-cha birthdays. It's the perfect life for a perfect pointer. Our hearts go out to his family. I'm going to miss the updates on his antics. And I'm so grateful for every minute he was with them.

From Nash's mom: "Nash – AKA 'The Best There Ever Was' – was unique, even in a world of unique dogs. I can try to explain this pup, but never could I do him justice. He was just so funny. And arrogant. And self-centered. And loving. And mouthy. And independent. Did I say funny? And just so very … Nashy! If you knew him, you understand what I am trying to say. He was, in short, a sweet gangsta dog who 100% believed he was the actual center of the very universe. I tend to agree.

He was brave. Not much scared him. He inspected a horse until it kicked him, twice! He went back for more. He survived a barbed wire fence that trip, too. He was scared to swim after he nearly got washed away, but he came back with a vengeance and swimming became his favorite summertime activity. He jumped from boats, swam lakes, survived a 'lake hurricane', and getting hit by a car (it was a soft hit, thankfully).

Nash started having seizures last month. He started medication, but there just wasn’t enough time for it to work. The seizures were just too much and too many. This morning, his dad & I had to make, yet again, a choice, and we let him go at 10:30AM today. His human brother Talon and his human sister Brooke were with him, as well.

Our world won’t be the same without our beloved Fat Nash, but we are all better for having had him in our family. This remarkable Perfect Pointer will go down as one of the greatest loves of my life. I will miss him every single day of mine.

Sleep well, my sweet boy."

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About the rest of the pack: Rigsby (now Cooper), fostered by Terryn, was the first pup adopted in Rock Springs. Shilah (now Mona), fostered by Shawna & Kenny, went home to Las Vegas. Tiny little Zillah (now Pixie), fostered by Marylin was adopted in Edmonton in May 2013.

03/15/2023

Dear Nova...... what an amazing and adventurous life you had

03/08/2023

Interesting article from AVMA........

Results of a study of more than 3,000 dogs diagnosed with cancer suggest that routine evaluations should begin at age 7 to identify cancer at an early stage—and as early as age 4 for breeds with a lower median age at cancer diagnosis.

02/23/2023

GAH! It's S-N-O-W-I-N-G!🥶

01/31/2023

Ace became a Perfect Pointer in April 2014 at the ripe young age of 7 years. He was turned into the shelter by his owners because he could jump over/dig under their 4-foot chain link fence so spent most of this time outside on a chain. He was skinny and subdued and very, very loving. Like most of our dogs he spent time at Second Chance for Homeless Pets, Old Farm Pet Resort, Dog Town and Utah Dog Park before heading to Lynne for fostering. Of course Lynne took him hiking and he got to play with her other fosters so life had improved significantly.

Toward the end of June I was contacted by a lovely couple whose GSP male had just died. They and their girl, Daisy, missed him terribly and they were wondering if one of our boys would like to join their family. Little Tate had just arrived from San Pete Co with Jamee Neilson Wheelwright who brought us so many dogs over the years. He was delightful - 2-3 years old and very loving and playful without a mean bone in his body. The boys thought he'd be perfect for their home with Daisy. But first....... he needed to be neutered.

The neutering did not go well. Tate developed a blood clot in his spine and was paralyzed. He was unable to walk - none of the treatments/therapy worked and we weren't sure he was going to live for the first 3 weeks - recouperation was going to be long and uncertain.

Soooooooo......... the boys and Daisy met Ace! It was love at first sight for everyone. Daisy perked up, snuffled the new guy and was very happy to share her home. They played like teenagers racing around the yard, sharing toys and their dads' laps. They explored the mountains at the cabin, went on hikes, and Ace had extra attention at the dog parks. It was pure pleasure to watch him run. Ace had found his forever home.

Of course this wonderful little family fostered many pointing things with Ace's help. Tate became a regular visitor while rescue lady did the drives to Canada with pointers for adoption by our Vancouver GSP sister group. Other fosters included Leanne's Elwin (BC), little old Victoria, and Miley.

And sadly when Daisy died, our beautiful Izzy helped the three boys with their loss. Izzy and Ace were a great match. It broke all they boys' hearts when Izzy died. But they have big hearts and opened them again for their mom's little CAWS dog and our Rocha in 2021.

Dear Ace. You were amazing. It was pure joy watching you run in the park and play in your home and explore the wilderness at the cabin. You had the best life possible for the last 9 years. We're so grateful to have been able to share your love. Your family misses you and is thankful for every minute they had with you. Rest easy sweet boy.