In Celebration of Our 2013 Adopted Foster Dogs!

It is that time again! Where we celebrate the foster dogs who have found their forever homes. We have learned a lot this year as many of our foster dogs this year have been under socialized. What a journey fostering for New Rattitude has been. When we think of what we thought we knew about dogs and what we have learned and are continuing to learn, it really has been an eye opener.

I want to thank my Northwest New Rattitude team for all the support this year, and let them know how we realize this is a collective effort. Fostering these rescued ratties is a lot of work and I know how all the foster parents have changed their lives to accommodate their foster dogs. We support each other in so many ways and for this we are thankful.

I also want to thank the wonderful adopters that have adopted our foster dogs. Letting them go can be hard but when we know they are going to be so loved and cared for in their forever homes where they can continue to blossom and become the dogs they long to be it truly makes this all worth while.

And a HUGE shout out goes to our personal dogs Birdie, Jenny, Skip, and Liza for being such great sports, well most of the time, lol,  with our fostering en-devour.

Happy New Year everyone! Here are pictures of this foster home's 2013 adopted dogs!

Landau

Sunbeam and Morgan

Isetta and Hudson

Moon

Pixie

Nash

Sierra

Cony

Sierra and Nash Got To Meet Some Old Friends of Ours!

What a wonderful day for a reunion. It wasn't the annual New Rattitude PNW Rattiefest, that is coming at the end of July (stay tuned for more details), but there was still a reunion nonetheless! We attended a Rat Terriers of Seattle Meetup today and a couple of our past foster dogs and their people met us there. What a treat! There were other WA foster parent's past foster dogs too and so it ended up being an impromptu rattie reunion. What could be better? Here are a few pictures from today's adventure.

Does this girl look familiar? No....it's not Sierra! But it is Sierra's real life sister! Her name was Sonya in foster care and now she is Toula.

Here is our past foster boy, Hudson, it took him a few minutes to recognize us as it has been 4 months since we have seen him, but once he realized we smelled familiar he was all about getting pets and giving kisses.

Here is another sweet picture of Toula

Sierra is meeting Will another foster dog who is available for adoption in Marysville, WA.

Hudson showing off how handsome he is.

Nash was having a blast and he was such a good boy. This is his first dog park experience I would guess and he had such a great time. Here he is exhibiting that ol' doggie handshake.

Turn about it fair play! LOL

Lots of ratties in attendance today. Did someone say cookies?????

Here is Coho (now Willow) she is sticking her tongue out at me with the silly camera.

Funny Will, he was having such a blast today.

On the left is Besoliel, she is available for adoption, and in the front is Landau (now Yoshi) another old friend and foster dog come to visit with his dad and human brother. What a wonderful life it is with ratties in it. Such a treat to know our foster dogs are healthy and happy in their forever homes.

Nash showing all the ratties how unique he is. Love this picture sent to me by another foster parent who attended the meet up!

Isetta Might Be Tiny But She is Still a Dog!

Isetta might be tiny but she is still a dog! It would be so easy to never let her little pawsies touch the ground but what fun would that be for her? Well she might not mind it so much but......getting out with the pack and sniffing and exploring out in nature is such a healthy thing for her to do. I believe this helps all dogs build confidence and also is such great exercise for mind, body, and soul. So no special treatment for Isetta when it comes to this. Now she can be timid with more stimulation like traffic noises, skateboards, people and dogs, so that sort of walking experience will be tempered with going slow and lots of yummy treats! But this day she didn't have anything to contend with but the sounds of the wind, birds, and the rest of the pack.

It is hard to see but here Isetta has her tail relaxed behind her. Sometimes she pulls it way up under her when she is not sure of her surroundings, but out here on the trail she was very comfortable.

Isetta with Hudson, Birdie and Skip, checking out this big hole in the ground.

She is just too cute for words!

Isetta and Hudson standing on a mound together. Again her tail is in a nice position.

Why is Hudson on Top Of The World?

Hudson is on top of the world because he has been adopted!!!!! He will be spending his life with his dad who plays hockey and is also a chef! His dad, who has always been a dog person, wanted a buddy to spend all his spare time with. Hudson will get to walk on the trails around his new dad's place and down to the water too. We didn't have this boy long and we are so happy for him. Hip Hip Hurray Hudson! Happy Tails to you sweet boy....

Hudson, (center), will be keeping his name too! Such a beautiful and loving boy.

Can I Have Your Attention Please?

What is it that has the dogs so interested? Can you guess?

Left front) clockwise...Jenny-Boo, Liza, Hudson and Birdie all are very interested in something.

Now Isetta gets in the act

Skip thinks maybe he can get "it" if he stands on the chair.

Jenny, Birdie and Isetta still hoping....

If it works for Skip to be in the chair it might work for Liza!

Me holding the bag....but what is inside????

Oh yuuuuuummmmmy, dried sardines Yeah!

Can we PLEEEEEEEEEZE have some now??????????

Side note: Notice the new area rug? That is to replace the rug that Morgan and Sunbeam the puppies ruined with their razor sharp teeth! This was 20 bucks at Lowes and is supposed to be indestructable...we'll see!

What is *Right* With These Pictures?

I wonder if you can guess what is different about Hudson in these pictures?

Is it that he is more handsome than ever?  no......

Is it that Birdie thinks he smells differently....maybe...

Birdie has to check this out from another angle.....

Could it be that all the girl doggies are swooning around him? Well that is just a bonus to the real answer.

Stretching out and feeling great! Freedom! No belly band in the house! That's it!

Hudson is doing so much better since his neuter surgery and the incessant marking he felt compelled to do is subsiding quite nicely. I wouldn't say we are at perfection but we can now work on the finishing touches of teaching him where it is appropriate to mark (outside) and not (inside). Belly bands are a great tool but it is so exciting when a dog graduates to not wearing one! Yay Hudson! What a good boy.

Bully Time

Hudson needed to rest the day after his surgery, and the dogs were all getting restless. So it was decided, by me, that it was time to pull out the bully sticks and have a bully stick marathon.

Birdie is an old paw at the bullys

We don't know if Hudson had chewed a bully before, but he took right to it!

Isetta, who is in a chewing stage really enjoyed something she could actually chew and it was legal!

Liza has her own place away from anyone else.

Sage slept through it all. He is not able to chew bully sticks with his poor teeth, but he gets other treats when he is awake.

Skip hides under the table to work on his.....Awwww it was a quite hour in the house!

Hudson Has a Good Friend in Isetta

Hudson was not altered when we got him and so the poor boy has been afflicted with the problems of an unaltered dog. In his case the main thing was the need for marking. We solved the initial stress of my furniture legs and upright flat surfaces with a simple tool, a belly band. Lucky for me I had quite a few on hand, and I even had to double up! Well today was the day for neuter surgery and Isetta has been a great comfort to Hudson before and after surgery. They really are good buddies.

Why do I have to wear these bands? It really messes with my image.

Hudson and Isetta play the night before the dreaded surgery.

Nice moves!

Isetta has moves of her own!

Hudson a few hours after the surgery. Foster mom I don't feel so good...

Don't worry,  I will keep Hudson company, I don't mind.

It's so nice to have a friend.