GABR Double Transport - Foster and Walker T

Well instead of spending my day fighting the crazy crowds on Black Friday, which I have never done.  I took the opportunity to transport not one but two bassets for GABR.  It started out to be just one, then at the last minute a 10 year old needed some help so she came along.

May I present to you Foster and Walker T.


Foster - 2/3 yr Male (Black, White)

I really didn't get much of a story this guy.  He was a cutie, short legged, short body and solid as a tank.  I was informed he was a talker in the car, but as usual this did not prove to be the case.  He rode in the front seat and I petted him for a while and he finally settled in for a nice long nap.  Didn't hear a sound out of him the whole way there, still sleeping when we pulled in the parking lot at the vets.  He reminds me a lot of our Amiee and they almost look like they could have been litter mates or something.

Walker T - 10 yr Female (Red/White)

Her story is sad, that her owner passed away and the son is disabled and unable to care for her.  It would be interesting to know how she got her name though.  She didn't look like a Walker, more like a Princess.  She settled in the backseat and slept all the way there as well.

Heck they both even had baths so you could hardly even smell them in the car.  They were both gems and hopefully soon the will get a great foster home.

GABR currently is looking for foster homes at this time.  They have so many bassets in rescue right know it is hard to believe.  Some of the foster homes have 4-5 bassets in them.  So if you are in the Illinois or Indiana area and want to foster, click on their link on the sidebar and you can find all the necessary forms to complete to become a Foster Home.

Blueberry Auction - Let the Bidding Begin

A good blogging fur-friend of ours Blueberry is going through some health issues, you can read all about her on her blog.  So JD and Max and Frankie came up with the idea for an on-line auction to help raise some funds to help cover her medical expenses.

This is official business and we are taking this mission very seriously.  You can swing on over to Blueberry's Auction Website to see all the great items that have been donated.  You maybe even find some unique Christmas gifts while also helping the most sweetest girl, Rise to Adversity.

Feel free to grab a button off our sidebar to show your support for Blueberry.

So what are you waiting for, head on over here at let the bidding beginning.

Pressies for Parents

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day and got lots and lots of Turkey and trimmings to eat.  I am sure we are all exhausted from reading all those great postings for everyone's "Story About Me". 

Today, we are pawticipating in Frankie's event called Pressies for Parents

So here are all things we think our Parents would need, want for Christmas.

Dad

• A new wallet.  His seems to disappear from the little pick pocket we have in the family.  Usually the wallet does not fair well through these events.
• A new pair of boots, his are falling apart and really don't taste well anymore.
• A new cap. Again, something keeps happening to these things.

Mom

• A new purse, because it has become the same fate as da wallet.
• A new pair slippers, the ones from last year are no more.  And we all could use new slippers.

Mom/Dad together

• A new king size bed because this little old queen one they make us sleep on with them is getting a little tight.

Well we hope you all had a great holiday and we look forward to moving on to next events.  Christmas Pressie Exchange and the Christmas Card Exchange.

The Story About Me

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

This Thanksgiving we are pawticipating in the "Story About Me" that Minna Krebs is hosting. 

We are three basset hounds that live in Illinois with our Mom and Dad.  We have a 2-legged brother that lives in town but in a different house.  We will be sharing two stories with you today.  The first one being Cleo a 5 year old female that was adopted, rescued and rescued us.  The second one will be about Amiee a 2 year old female that was adopted, rescued at 8 weeks.  Both Cleo and Amiee were adopted from our local shelter in town Humane Society of Central Illinois.  We also have Winston a 3 year old male that we purchased from a breeder in Missouri when he was 4 months old.  His story will not appear in this post but will blog about him in his own post.  He is very unique basset and has so many special talents.

The Story About Me - Cleo

Gotcha Day - February 18, 2006

Cleo’s story begins when she was dropped off at 9 months old at the local shelter.  She was adopted very quickly but the people that adopted her were not really basset savvy.  Next thing you know after 7 months she was found back at the shelter wondering what the heck went wrong.  This brought me into the picture because I had begun volunteering at the shelter after losing my 1^st basset after 12 years.  When I first heard Cleo she was hidden behind a curtain in a lonely kennel in the back room of the shelter.  Only staff members were allowed behind the curtain, no volunteers.   

I had been there for a few months and was doing great with not taking one home yet, still looking for the perfect one that needed a loving home.  Well in mid-January while volunteering with the dogs, I seen a staff lady headed out the side door with a basset.  About face and out the side door and tried to tackle the lady with the basset.  I immediately asked her name, age, etc.  When she said “Cleo” my heart melted, then I asked why she was in the back behind the dreaded curtain.  She informed me that Cleo has been returned several times and was waiting to go to basset rescue.  I was like, okay, that is cool.  But in the back of my head I am going, I have always wanted a basset and one named Cleo to fit with the old story I use to read about Cleo the Movie Star.  So I was bummed, didn’t tell my husband.  Then with 2 weeks, I was volunteering and seen Cleo again back with them.  Immediately off to the office I went and asked about her.  I was told to speak to so and so.  So I came back in when they were available and I was told that she was probably going to have to be euthanized, I was like WHAT or WTF?  They informed me that she had severe aggression to toys, food, basically anything she got and didn’t want you to have.  She supposedly didn’t like kids and had snapped; bit her foster family while in Basset Rescue.  Basset Rescue returned her to the Humane Society as a hopeless cause due to her aggression.

I begged and pleaded with them to let me go back and see her and spend some time with her.   And that I was pretty sure I wanted to adopt her to save her from what they had planned for her.  I was pretty much told that it was going to take an act of God to allow me to adopt her with her “issues”.  I told them that I really had never seen a basset with aggression and really found it hard to believe and wanted to try.  Have to be honest here, cried, begged pleaded.  Finally, the head adoption lady said that I could try.  But, I had to sign an agreement that if she snapped, bit anyone she must come back to them and be euthanized.  Okay we can handle that (well maybe not).   So my husband comes to see her, still behind the dreaded curtain.  By this time, I have explained her issues and the agreement.  She took to him right away, and he took to her right away.  We played, snuggled and then had to place her back in the pen.  This is when she would supposedly attack you as well.  No issues, we placed her in there talked and told her we would need to bring Elliott and Tabby in to see you.  We would be back tomorrow.  The next day took Elliott and Tabby to meet her.  Which I knew it was not going to be good with Tabby, she was always so scared when you took her to anything out in public.  We went to an outside pen and had them on leash.  Cleo came in tail held high, wondered around and sniffed them, they both could give a flying hoot about her.  Which I knew it would be like, just because they have never been exposed to something like that.  The adoption lady said we could go ahead and try it.  But remember the agreement!  Oh, yes, Oh yes that nasty agreement.  I told Cleo one more day and she would be going home for good.  So off we went with the other two and we prepared ourselves for trying to figure out a Basset with “Issues”.  Actually, I just kind of tucked that in the back of my head, like it would not be an issue.  It was just an un-experienced basset hound owner that failed her.

So the next day a "Tuesday", I went to the pet store and purchased a new bed and a few toys for her to call her own.  Then I went to pick her up at the shelter around lunch time.  I had already planned to take the reminder of the week off just to be home to help her adjust and make sure she would not experience any of her "issues" in my absence and attack the other dogs.  When we got home my husband and son greeted us at the door with the other two and before even bringing her in the house we went for a nice long walk with all three of them.  We came back walked in the back yard/gate and took Tabby and Elliott off leash and left Cleo's leash on her.  They had told us to make sure that we monitored her at all times and not let her have free range of the house.  Well everything is going good, no issues and I look around and cannot find Cleo anywhere.  Where could this short-legged little hound have gone in the one second I looked away?  So off I went to search the house and find Cleo rolling around the bed just happy as could be.  So much for monitoring and controlling her activities as you wondered through the house.

I would like to say that once Cleo got home and settled in, we never seen that side of her.  But that was not to be the case.  We began to see that Cleo definitely was beginning to get territorial with some areas of the house and if poor Tabby would look at her wrong Cleo would go into attack mode.  Cleo also had begun to show us the signs of severe aggression when she would get something she did not want you to have.  Say the toad in the backyard that was a fixation for 8 hours her first week home.  We began to call these her “Out of Body Experiences” because we really had no idea where she would go during this time.  Her eyes would glass over, you could not get with 10 feet of her, it was like she had her wires crossed really bad upstairs.  There was no approaching her or taking away that one item she wanted.  Well by the second week she definitely was trying to show us her true colors and I began to realize that she did have “severe aggression” which I had never seen before especially in a basset hound.  We were really beginning to wonder what the heck we had done to our family with adopting her.  But there was no giving up on her, because if she went back to the shelter she would be euthanized for sure.  Remember we signed those papers, so taking her back really wasn’t an option for me and I could not phatham the word “Failure” in my eyes for her or for me.

I began to read all of the Dog Whispers books and really felt that we were beginning to get one of those “RED ZONE” dogs that he referred to.  Exercise is one thing he highly recommends so this is where we began with her.  She would get 4-5 walks a day which would wear her out and she was not so apt to strike at a moment’s notice.  I also began to see signs early on when she would be ready to attack one of the other dogs.  She would begin to puff up a like a little “Puff Toad” and I could see it coming and distract her with something else.  We also set for 2 hours one night while I tried to convince her to give up on chewing up Dads new boots.  I held on to it and she held on to it but after 2 hours she finally gave in and walked away.  I believe this was the beginning of our turning around point with her.  I will say it was a very long 6 months at the beginning and boy it sure tried my patients.

It has been four years since the day that we brought Cleo home to our family.  She has grown in so many ways and you would never guess she had the “issues” that plagued her at the beginning. It has been well over a year since her last “Out of Body Experience” and she runs and plays with her Basset Brother and Sister.  Sometimes when they are playing Cleo sounds like she is being really mean but it is just her way of interacting.  Tabby and she bonded after losing Elliot and then we brought Winston home and her world just seemed to open up.  Amiee joined our family Tabby went to the RB, but these three hounds (Cleo, Winston and Amiee) could not have bonded any better.   

Cleo is actually the reason that I became so involved with Basset Rescue.  The Basset Rescue we are involved with is the ones that gave her back to the shelter and said she was hopeless.  So to be able to take Cleo to their events and show them that she just needed the right person to show her the way brings so much joy to my heart.  They are truly amazed at the progress she made and so glad her outcome became a positive one.

It is so hard to believe that it has been four years since we brought her into our family.  It was trying times at first, but to know that she is so happy and has won the battle and will never leave her fur-ever home.  To think that when I first meet her at 18 months old, she already had a death sentence assigned to her and been in five different homes.   She is know safe, a happy, healthy, well adjusted basset girl.

The Story About Me - Amiee

Gotcha Day - September 28, 2008

Amiee’s  story starts out with her and her four siblings being given to the local shelter at 5 weeks old.  She was very lucky that the shelter has a person that foster’s almost all the puppies that are brought in.  Amiee and her siblings spent 3 weeks with her before I received notice of a litter of basset puppies had arrived.

We actually were not in the market for another addition; we had even been to the waddle the weekend before and didn’t come home with one.  Just remember, never allow your best friend to send you pictures of a liter of basset puppies no matter what.  My BFF (Best Friend Forever) sent me a picture of the liter and titled it “Can you smell them”.  I immediately fell in love with the one that had the black face but also thought the little boy was pretty handsome.  But heck, what am I even looking for we were not in the market for a new addition.

Well the picture went home at lunch so the hubby could check them out.  He is like it can’t hurt to go look at them, can it.  I am like there is no going and just looking for me at a liter of basset puppies.  We either makes the decision we are adding an addition before we go see them or we don’t see go see them.  Well we went to see them; of course, I had all the necessary paperwork completed before I got there, just in case.

We were placed in a room with a five basset puppies.  I was pretty parcel to the little male, but this little black faced female kept coming over to hubby and sitting between his boots and kept looking up at him.  Needless, to say she sold herself and the next step was to bring Cleo and Winston to meet her.  They were nice enough to not make me bring Tabby in for her meet and greet.  Tabby just didn’t do well in those types of situations and would get major stressed.  So we went home and loaded them in the car and we went to the outside pens with them and then they brought her out.  They immediately came up to her and sniffed her; they ran and played like they had been together forever.

Well normally, you have to wait like a day or so after you complete paperwork so they can validate all your information (vet references, etc.).  I asked when I could come pick her back up and they are like we have already contacted your vet and you can take her home TODAY.   Once home with them we got Tabby on a leash and again we took them all for a walk to familiar themselves with each other.

It has been just two years since we brought Amiee home with us and oh my.  The joy that this sweet little girl brought to our home has been unstoppable.  She just seemed to be the glue that sealed the seams on the hound pack.  Amiee and Winston was an instant bond, she tormented Tabby with bite face, and seemed to even bring Cleo out of her shell more.  Tabby has since gone to the RB, so Cleo has become the one that receives the bite face attacks and to see her put up with this is amazing.  Amiee is so happy and is a talker and has a special pee-dance and song she does when she has to potty outside.

Amiee, you are a special girl and we are so glad that you joined our hound family.

We hope you enjoyed our “Stories About Me” on this Thanksgiving Day.  We hope each and everyone of you have a very Blessed Thanskgiving. 

Wordless Wednesday - 11/24

Upcoming Thanksgiving Events

This Thanksgiving we are going to pawticipate in the "Story of Me" that Minna Krebs has come up with to help celebrate her "Gotcha Day".  Just click here to find out all the details on how you can pawticipate as well.

HDM has been busy for several days writing the Story of Cleo and the Story of Amiee.  Winston will not pawticipate in this since he was from a breeder and not really adopted like our girls.  Although each and everyone one of them holds a very special place in our hearts.  We will be posting our stories bright and early on Thanksgiving.

Event #2 that we are pawticipating in is very fun posting that Frankie is hosting for us this Thanksgiving as well.

We have been working really hard on this post becase we know of several things our parents could use replacing.  But of course, these are not due to any of our helping them need these items.  We will be posting our lists for Pressies for Parents on Friday the day after Thanksgiving.

These are two awesome events and we cannot wait to read all the "Gotcha Stories" and the Parents for Pressie lists.  There is till time for you to join in all the fun.

Wordless Wednesday 11/17/2010

Wordless Wednesday

Cleo, Amiee, Winston

Today is the Day - WorldWide Moment

Watching the clock and counting the minutes until the special 2nd Annual WorldWide Moment.  That will be about 5:00pm (CST) here in Illinois.  We look forward to be with our our fur-friends, blogging buddies during this special time.  We will hold each and everyone of you in paw prayer and light a candle of all the loved ones we have lost this year.

2nd Annual WorldWide Moment

Won't you join us!

Cleo, Winston and Amiee

WorldWide Moment - 2nd Annual

2nd Annual WorldWide Moment

Won't you join us!

In just a few short days
We'll be coming to the One Year Anniversary
of the Worldwide Momentthat so many shared last year.

This will be the first year that we pawticipate in this wonderful event.  We will probably mark it with a good howl and light candles for all the fur-babies that have left us this year.

Since we are new to this event we strongly encourage you to click Jake and Fergie to get all the details about this wonderful event.


(And at exactly 11:00 PM (23:00) GMT on Sunday 14 Nov 10

(Click on this link to find what time that is for you)

Turn toward the Skies

And join together in One Silent Minute

of Meditation, Contemplation, Reflection and/or Prayer
Whatever feels right to you.

And wish and send Any and Every

Furry, Fuzzy, Feathered Fabulous Friend and Their Families

(Still with us on Earth or already across the Bridge)

Whatever is in your Hearts

That will help them feel the Love and Support

They want and need and deserve right Now.

It'll be an Amazing Moment

We know it will

It was Last Year

Realizing how much Energy

Was being transmitted and shared

Simultaneously.

Here is the Countdown Timer 
You can add to a Blog Post
or to your Side Bar
So it will be easier to know when exactly the Moment arrives.

Be sure to join us

AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

OH!
One more Thing.

If it's Safe and Possible for you to do
You might want to light a Candle
for the five Minutes or so surrounding the Worldwide Moment
so a Flicker of Light
Might be seen
All around the World!

Imagine
The Community
All Together
Simultaneously

SoVeryPowerful

(It makes us feel So Proud to be a part of I

Blogger Templates

Wordless Wednesday 11/10/2010

Wordless Wednesday

All three where wordless this Wednesday

Cleo

Winston

Amiee

Sniffs,

The Hounddogs

Our Other Fur-Friends

Since a few of our new blogging friends have the other fur-kid kind (cats/kittens).  We (or our human) thought it would be a good idea to show everyone that we love all fur-animals even if they go Meow.  We don't chase them as long as they stay in the front yard and don't jump the fence.  We hope our dog blogging friends won't take offense to these other fur-kids making an appearance on the "dog" blog.

This is just a few of the feline kind that hang with us (outside front yard), last time we counted we had 13 for breakfast and dinner all checking in at different times.

Feeding time with the herd.  HoundDogDad built this shelter so their food stays dry and they can eat without getting in the rain or snow.

This is the newest kitten Sunshine (he still needs to get fixed)

Sunshine posing for a picture

This one is.......let me think......Sissy.  We have several that look exactly a like.

This is the stray that showed up over the summer.  You would have thought this cat lived with us for ever.  Super friendly, loving, talker and won't leave the house.  This is one of the new plastic houses we got for free to help build the cat condos for the winter.  This is Bright Eyes and she has found her spot.

Cleo, Winston and Amiee

Collar GiveAway

Pet Blogs United and Doggie Stylish - Collar Giveaway

We wanted to tell everyone about the great collar giveaway we found on Pet Blogs United.  Pet Blogs United teamed up with Doggie Stylish to give away a collar of your choice. 

They have beaded, leather, martingale, fabric, ribbon collars and lots more.  We browsed the website and these are the styles we think are really cool.

Winston thought this was really neat with the flames.  It would fit him to a tea, since he is always running around like a wild flame.


Cleo was pretty smitten about this pretty pink and black design,

Amiee was pretty smitten about having puppy paws wrapped around her neck.  She thought it would present some good hugs for her during the day.

So if you would like to join in the fun for the giveaway.  You will need to complete a few things to get you qualified.  You can find all the details here Collar Giveaway.  The contest ends at Midnight eastern time on Saturday, November 7th.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 8th.

So hurry up and get signed up today.

HoundDogMom and The HoundDogs

Our Park Walk On Friday

We normally just get to walk around our local pond for our walkies.  But last Friday since the weather has been so great here in Illinois HDM decided to take us to the park (not a dog park), just a park with lots of trees, mulch piles, water and good sniffs.

Here is a slide show we put together of us on our park walk.  Note:  HDM tried to do her best with Winston dragging her this way and that way.

Here is a video that I tired to capture of Winston has he got to the top of a mulch/dirt pile.  You have to look really close at the beginning of the video to see him at the top.  My first time adding music and notes so if it doesn't fit, sorry.  I just needed something to cover up the lens cover hitting the camera as I ran to try to capture his experience.

Up and Over Winston

Cleo, Winston and Amiee

Note from HDM:  I have been working this post for days trying to edit the video.  It was my first attempt at music and annotations, hopefully they will get better.

Wordless Wednesday 11/3/2010

Wordless Wednesday

Cleo

GABR Transport - Diesel (10/25/2010)

A week or so ago we were asked to do a transport for GABR, but at the last minute the little guy was diagnosed with Kennel Cough and had to spend some extra time at the Vet Hospital to get better.  Well we got the call last Thursday that Diesel was ready to go meet his Foster Mom.  So Monday afternoon HDM and HDD went to the Dwight Clinic to pick up Diesel, a 10 month old red/white petite basset boy.  Oh my gosh, this little guy was a delight to transport.  He was so social, loving, adored attention and loved loved to give kisses.  Here are a few of his pictures on his transport to his Foster Mom.  We so love it when HDD goes with us because it makes taking pictures so much easier in the car.

Diesel

Diesel was very amused at looking out the window and trying to stick his out and gets lots of new sniffs.

He would not sit still for nothing.  Back and forth, Back and forth in the backseat.

Lets see what is out this way

To the front floor board.  He was looking for the treat bag (which I picked up) so he found the bag of potato chips I had forgot about.  Such a good hound nose.

Serious ear scratching going on here.

Just being a silly boy

Okay a brief nap.  Ha Ha

Where did that guy driving go.  Not this way

Nor this way........

Out for walk while we waited for Diesel's Foster Mom to show up.

HDM and Diesel

This is one of my favorite pictures with his ears blowing in the wind

Give us a goofy smile Diesel

This one really cracks me up.  HDD took his picture and just has he snapped it Diesel blinked.

Diesel, you were an absolute joy to transport and I am sure it will not be long before you find your fur-ever home.  You will defiantely bring lots of joy to someone's house.

As always, you can watch for Diesel to be on the GABR website soon.  There are lots of great bassets looking for their fur-ever homes so won't you check out the adoption list today.

HoundDogMom