Lucky Farms Animal Rescue

16/12/2025

Adopted!!

Brulee found her forever family and we couldn't be happier for her!!

Brulee joins LFAR alum Tilly, formerly Diyoza. We love our repeat adopters!!

16/12/2025

Monday’s musing....

16/12/2025

Mealtimes can be chaotic, especially if your dog begs or is protective of food. But structure (for your kids AND dogs!) helps.

For example, if your child ONLY eats at the table, then your dog won't chase them around the house looking for snacks or stealing items from little hands.

Your dog can also be on a leash or mat, in a pen, or behind a gate to prevent begging.

For more tips like these, check out the Pooch Parenting Podcast or the limited podcast series, Parenting Kids and Dogs 101.

16/12/2025

Have you ever had one of those days where things just seem to happen, one after another, until you just can’t take any more? Welcome to the concept of trigger stacking.

This is perhaps even more important to understand at this time of year, when there is so much activity and things going on, with lots of different people, smells, excitement, etc.

To explain how trigger stacking works, here’s an excerpt from my book Fight or Fright:

“Imagine a scenario for me. You are in the supermarket and get into a queue to pay for your shopping. You may not have much, and anticipate getting out of there smoothly, without hassle. Someone cuts in line in front of you. It is annoying, but they only have a couple of items and give you a big friendly smile. It really is not that big a deal, so although it could be considered annoying, you leave it and avoid the aggravation.

Let us rewind now to earlier in the day…

• You walk out of the house to see that you have a flat tyre. How annoying!
• Someone cuts you up at the roundabout. Clearly they are an idiot but no damage done.
• Every traffic light seems to go red as you are on your way. This ‘quick trip’ to the shop is taking forever.
• In the car park, the only space left is on the far side of the car park, next to someone that cannot park their car properly within the lines so it is hanging over into your space. This means that you have to squeeze in very carefully and just hope you will be able to get back in your car when you come to leave.
• You start making your way around the shop and it becomes clear that you have ‘that’ trolley – the one with a mind of its own and absolutely no intention of being steered anywhere meaning your back and shoulders are getting really sore.
• Then, to cap it all off, someone cuts you up in line and gives you this big over cheerful smug grin as they do so. That is just the last straw and you explode at them.

Anyone looking on would likely say ‘They just went off on one out of nowhere!’

Welcome to the concept of trigger stacking. Any one of the things that happened on the way to the store or during your shopping trip is annoying to have happen, but add them all together and it is just too much. Every one of those things that has caused you some annoyance lingers in the system for a little while, and that means that the effect is building up. One or two of those occurrences before the queue jumper at the store might have meant that you were left irritated but did not fly off the handle at the person barging in, but the added effect of all of them took you beyond what you could stand without losing it – it took you beyond your reaction threshold.

Dogs are no different.”

It’s not just negative things that can lead to trigger stacking. Over excitement can also result in a dog bubbling over and not being able to cope. Anything that raises the dog’s (or our) arousal levels can all accumulate until the point where it’s just all too much.

This is why it is so important to be able to recognise the signs of increased arousal so we can tell if our dog needs a break and a chance to calm down so they don’t reach that threshold point and life stays calmer for both them and us.

15/12/2025

🎄 Maizi’s Christmas wish 🎄

This sweet, snuggly Great Dane girl is dreaming of a family to love and a cozy couch to curl up on for Christmas. If your home has room for big cuddles and even bigger love, Maizi is ready to fill it. ❤️🐾

✨ Could you be the family on her holiday wish list?

♥️Available for adoption♥️
♥️Maizi
♥️1.5 yr old female Great Dane
✅Spayed & UTD on vet care, vaccine & preventatives
🐶Good with dogs, large and small; but can play rough
🐱Good with cats
👧🏻Good with kids. Lived with children 2 & 8 but will still unintentionally knock little ones over if excited
⚠️Physically fenced yard PREFFERED due to little experience on leash
🏠Housebroken & crate trained
🌎Located in Birmingham AL
🚗We adopt nationwide

Meet Maizi! 💖
At 130 pounds of pure goofy love, Maizi is a 1.5-year-old Great Dane girl who’s equal parts snuggly sweetheart and oversized goofball. She loves romping in the yard, playing with toys, and leaning into you for cuddles — because yes, she thinks she’s a lap dog.

Maizi is great with other dogs and would love a confident canine friend to play with (and maybe help remind her she’s not the size of a Chihuahua). She’s lived happily with big and small dogs, children and even tested wonderfully with cats!

Like any teenager, Maizi’s full of sass, smarts, and spirit. She’s eager to please, attention-motivated, and learning quickly — working on her manners, “place” command, and remembering that jumping up isn’t always the best way to say hello. She’s also learning that personal space exists… kind of.

Before rescue life, Maizi didn’t get much leash time, so she’s still learning how to stroll politely and will need a confident handler committed to her training. She can be cautious with new visitors at home, but out in public she shines — earning an A+ at the vet, even for her nail trim!

Maizi’s favorite things? Her toys, her KONG, her people, and sneaking your shoes if you’re not careful 👟💕

If you’re looking for a lovable, goofy, big-hearted girl who’ll make you laugh every day (and lean on you for life), Maizi’s your girl. She’s still growing into her giant paws and her best self — and she can’t wait to find a forever family to grow up with.

Maizi is spayed & UTD on vet care, vaccines and preventatives. She is currently being fostered in Birmingham AL. We adopt NATIONWIDE but require adopters to travel to the foster home with their current dog/dogs (to ensure they will be friends) to pick up. Out of respect for our foster family's time and privacy, we do NOT arrange meet and greet without an approved application on file. If you’re interested in adopting Maizi, you can view our requirements, age based adoption fees and fill out an adoption application at https://www.luckyfarmsrescue.org/adoption

If Birmingham AL is too far... no worries ... we have other wonderful Great Danes looking for homes in GA TN VA

📸 more pics pf Maizi in comments

15/12/2025

Management vs. Training — what’s the difference? 🤔

These two terms get used interchangeably in dog training, but they are not the same.

Management is about controlling the environment so unwanted behaviors don’t happen in the first place. This might look like using gates, crates, leashes, or distance to prevent jumping, chewing, counter surfing, or over-arousal. Management is immediate and keeps dogs (and humans) safe!

Training is about teaching your dog what to do instead. Through repetition and reinforcement, dogs learn behaviors like sit, settle, leave it, and recall. Training takes time, but it creates long-term behavior change.

Here’s the key part:
👉 Management prevents rehearsal of unwanted behavior.
👉 Training builds the behaviors you want to see more of.

The most effective dog training plans use both. Management supports learning, and training makes management less necessary over time.

That being said, it is also okay to JUST use management in situations when you feel you need it! As a busy parent, management is essential to both your success and the success of your dog and baby or toddler!

Have questions? We’ve got answers to help support you through this journey!

Send us a DM today and we will help connect you with the right resources to help!! 🐶

15/12/2025

🤔

Over the last few generations, dogs have had more and more expectations placed on them by their human families and society. Many dogs in the UK have lost their overall freedom. They have lost crucial opportunities to practice natural behaviours too.

Humans have taken dogs from independent and bolder animals to reliant and often anxious pets through artificial selection. Ethically, we must consider our influence on 'pet' dogs and their welfare. Let's not presume that normal behaviour is naughtiness. Instead, let's work on our understanding and meet them halfway.

Practicing natural behaviour and communication is a welfare right.

15/12/2025

Good info for the Holidays

Dogs without escape routes are dogs who are cornered.

Dogs without escape routes are dogs who lash out.

Dogs without escape routes are dogs who bite.

While the buzz of the holidays may be fun for you and your family, all of the people coming in and out can be overwhelming or straight up distressing for your dog.

At a bare minimum, your dog should have a reliable escape route where they can go if they are feeling stressed. This could be…

- behind a baby gate
- into another room
- their bed (if you can guarantee no one will approach them there)

Not all dogs will leave on their own when they are stressed, so it’s up to you to notice body language and make the decision for them if they aren’t leaving on their own.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and uneventful holiday season! 🎄

15/12/2025

“Primarily, it's about respect; just as humans value personal space, so too do dogs. Touching them without their consent can cause distress.”

Interacting with dogs can be a delightful experience. However, approaching and touching an unfamiliar dog is unwise for several reasons. Primarily, it's about respect; just as humans value personal space, so too do dogs. Touching them without their consent can cause distress. Additionally, despite domestication, dogs retain innate instincts which can trigger aggressive reactions when they feel threatened. Health is another concern; some dogs can have pain or discomfort that human touch exacerbates. Therefore, it's better to build trust, read their body language and follow their guardians' instructions before making physical contact.

Learn more about dog language with Canine Principles https://www.canineprinciples.com/course/canine-communication-diploma

15/12/2025

Good read!

One of my posts from 2022 that spoke to so many and deserves a re-post. ❤

For many dogs, the world is a fun and engaging place.👍 We take our dogs with us to restaurants, pet stores, crowded parks, and gatherings - in an attempt to give our dogs a life of experiences and have them with us enjoying life by our side.

But for just as many dogs, the world and those activities, is overwhelming, chaotic, and confusing.🥺 There is a common belief that in order for a dog to have a "full life", they need to be social with other people and dogs, they should be comfortable and able to be in public spaces, and they need to get out and explore the 🌏. And if you're not doing these things, you are doing your dog a disservice.

Now, I'm not saying these things should be discouraged or that dogs don't enjoy such situations. But what I am saying, is 👉NOT ALL DOGS WILL! 👈

If your dog is overwhelmed by the chaos of crowded spaces, if they don't enjoy the company of other dogs or strange people, and if you find they are most happy in quiet and familiar spaces, I'm here to tell you that's okay!

Dogs can live a full and complete life without needing to be thrusted into these situations. And I'll take it one step further that forcing a stressed dog into these situations is doing them a greater disservice. 🙁

By creating safe opportunities for enrichment at home and in private spaces where your dog feels safe, you are allowing your dog the ability to be him/herself and fully enjoy life without constantly feeling on edge. You are NOT doing your dog an injustice by keeping him/her away from those things that may be overwhelming for him.

👉You do NOT have to take your dog to that "dog friendly" cafe downtown just because other people do.

👉You do NOT need to take your dog to the dog park to "be social" and "meet new friends" if this isn't something your dog enjoys

👉You do NOT need to take your dog for walks in that crowded park where he consistently feels on edge with all of the activity around

👉And you certainly do NOT need to take your dog into stores or other public spaces so he can meet new people (who he has no interest in meeting).

I'm here to take that burden off of your shoulders. To recommend focusing on providing your dog with enriching activities, novel experiences, and opportunities to do the things that bring you both joy in the spaces that fit your dog's needs and preferences.

Our dog's worlds don't have to be big, they just have to be full. Full of enrichment, love, safety, and joy.❤️🐾

15/12/2025

HAPPY 2nd GOTCHA DAY REMI & ROCCO!!

Their wonderful family says "They sure do fill our hearts and Own our house😂💕🐶. Wouldn’t want it anyother way !!"

14/12/2025

🎄💔 Tut’s Christmas Wish… One Year Later 💔🎄

For 365 days, Tut has woken up in his foster home with the same quiet hope in his heart: “Maybe today will be the day my family finds me.”

He has watched every other dog around him get scooped up, celebrated, packed up with their new families… while he stays behind, wagging his tail anyway, because he’s happy for them.
But he wonders, softly, if anyone will ever choose HIM.

Last Christmas, Tut spent the holiday with no family of his own.
No stocking with his name on it.
No first Christmas photos.
No one whispering, “Welcome home, buddy.”

His foster home loves him deeply, but even they see the way he lingers by the door a little longer, the way he lights up every time someone new walks in — just in case that is his person.

This sweet, gentle, tender-hearted Great Dane has waited far too long.
He deserves a home where he isn’t “almost chosen” or “next in line.”
He deserves a family who sees him — really sees him — and says,
“You’ve waited long enough. Come home.”

If you have room in your heart and home this Christmas, please… consider Tut.
Let’s give him the miracle he has spent an entire year dreaming of.

❤️🎁 Help Tut finally have a Christmas where he’s not wishing — he’s home.

🩶Tut
🩶approximately 18-24 month old male Great Dane (DNA test confirmed)
✅Neutered & UTD on vet care, vaccines & preventatives
🎓Graduated from intermediate training program
🐶Good with other dogs but due to play style no small dogs.
🐱No cats at this time - seems a little overly interested and unaware of size
👧🏻Kids 8+ yrs old due to not having lived with young children as well as having no awareness of size
🏠Housebroken & crate trained
🌎Location Nashville TN area
🚗We are willing to transport within a reasonable distance for the right fit

Meet Tut – the Great Dane with the “Teen Spirit” (and the manners to match… someday).

Tut is an estimated to be 18-24 month old blue Great Dane, smack dab in the middle of his teenager phase—which means he’s tall enough to reach your counters, smart enough to know he shouldn’t, and mischievous enough to try anyway.

He’s great with other dogs, but his “OMG NEW FRIEND!” enthusiasm means he plays like a linebacker—so, no small or delicate pups, please.

True to his “Velcro Dane” heritage, Tut’s specialty is becoming one with his human. He’ll lean on you until you’re holding him up, rub against you like an 100-pound cat, and look deeply into your eyes like he’s reading your soul (and possibly checking for snacks).

He’s also got the most expressive, adorable ears and a signature strut—a prancing, high-stepping gait worthy of a Tennessee Walking Horse, which we lovingly call The Tut Strut.

It’s suspected that as a puppy, Tut broke one of the bones in his hind leg, leaving it a few millimeters shorter than the other. The vet says it may cause a little arthritis later in life, but it doesn’t slow him down one bit—he’s still a galloping goofball with places to be and people to lean on. You can see countless videos of his play with other dogs on our Facebook and Instagram.

He may be on the smaller side for a Dane, but Tut’s personality is Texas-sized—funny, loving, and just a little over the top. With continued training and manners work, he’s going to be the perfect blend of gentle giant and goofball sidekick.

If you’ve got space in your home, your heart, and your lap (he insists he’s a lap dog), Tut is ready to lean his way into your life forever.

Tut is neutered and UTD on vet care, vaccines and preventatives. He is currently being fostered in the Nashville TN area. We are willing to transport within a reasonable distance for the right fit. Out of respect for our foster family's time and privacy, we do NOT arrange meet and greet without an approved application on file. If you’re interested in adopting Tut, you can view our requirements, age based adoption fees and fill out an adoption application at https://www.luckyfarmsrescue.org/adoption