Out of Order!

My computer was electrified by a lightning bolt a couple of weeks ago....I will need to get a new one before I can continue my blog...photos and such. I have been walking wonderful dogs and we have had very successful adoptions at HSHV. I will update as soon as possible! Tanya

Beatin' the Heat! The Walk Goes On....

I missed walking the dogs on Tuesday, as I had some personal business to attend to and I realized that I really missed my babies!! It has been blistering hot and super duper muggy, but the walks must go on!

   Cinnamon really, really missed me...I could tell (wink~wink)....She went right into the yard without her "puppy" and never really wanted to hold it. She was very interested in walking "with" me and we had loose leash most of the walk. She has come SO FAR! I know that she is in the Head Start program at HSHV, where she gets special training and attention from the volunteers on a daily basis. Cinnamon is also the featured adoptable Dog of the Month!

Precious Emma

The Lovely Dog of the Month....Cinnamon!!

Emma is the sweet older Beagle lady that has been staying at the front desk. She also enjoys choosing her route on her walks....Basically it's Emma's way or the Highway! But, today it was so miserable outside that she took care of her doggy business and turned right back to the front door...took a quick break to allow the children waiting in the lobby to pet her and then went back behind the desk.

    I met a couple of new fellas today The first newbie is named Bubba! What a joyful fella he is! He is a Coonhound and has a mournful bay! He was fine when I first took him out and then he spotted a buddy of his and WOOOOOO...out it flowed. He was such a cutie though and walked so nice on his leash! He is a lovely fellow and I'm betting that he gets adopted quickly.

The Bub~ster!! Bubba rules!

Now, you that know me and for you that don't German Shepard's have a very very special place in my heart!! We have a handsome lad looking for a forever home, named "Elroy"....One of the other volunteers, Karen and I were discussing names that were little more GS approved...   (smile)...like perhaps Sarge or Major...we shall see. Unfortunately, there is no photo quite yet, but I will post one as soon as our wonderful photographer gets his mug shot! Anyhow, he is an absolute DOLL! So, attentive to EVERYTHING...every sight, sound, smell, texture and some "tastes" (I was sweating  so hard today that the kisses had to have been extremely salty tasting)!! He is a dream dog!

I

Bridgette sees you....

Then, I had time for one short one and Bridgette fit the bill. After last weeks leash grabbing episode, I was a little cautious getting her leashed up. She sensed my apprehension and it took me a few minutes and some help from one of the staff members to get her out and about, but it is because she is so darn excited to get her exercise...she was wiggling and play bowing and giving happy jumps and jig jags, but as long as we were moving she was fine. Poor baby, she still has a week or so of easy walks, as she is still on Heart worm meds. Bridgette is such a sweetie pie and very loving and smart!           

Here is the pretty Bridgette!

My buddy Yogi is now in foster, so he is getting lots of love from his new foster family. (I kinda miss his goofy lil self)!!
      So, until Saturday, please remember to keep your pets cool as possible in this heat wave! They will appreciate your efforts! Until next time, Tanya

Leaping, Licking and Laughing

I would like to start out today by sharing photos of Dingo (who is now at a foster home...and looking very comfortable, in that silly Dingo sorta way)! Also, a photo of Sassy (the pretty faced pitty mix that I walked on Tuesday) and Daisy Duke, the lovely black lab lady with the white markings that I 'd met last week.

Dingo (left) with his new bud!

....AND

Sassy, who is very, very sweet...can you tell?

                AND.......Daisy Duke......................................

Daisy Duke with lovely white summer slippers!

Now, for the walking news of the day. All the dogs were repeats as there were plenty of walkers and I focused on the Blue dot dogs today. I walked Yogi first and he is the ultimate little squirmy guy. He really contorts and is awkward and falls down...but that's Yogi! He is smiling and having a good time...so what to do?? He found a great smell (evidently...) and rolled in it...it was on gravel, so I am not sure what the attraction was, but he knew! (smiles)

Yogi is such a funny fellow!

Junior, the chocolate lab senior citizen is next. There are no issues with Junior...except he really really wishes that I would follow him off trail into the brush to discern the wonderful SMELLS that are off the trail (looks at me like SSSSCCESSSHHHH lady come on!)!!

Junior (wishing I had more adventure)!

AHHHH....lucky me Cinnamon needed her walk next! As always, we had a great time. She actually enjoyed herself so much today that she dropped her soft toy (aka her 'puppy'). I took her to the play yard as we haven't had that opportunity in quite some time. She had so much fun. She showed me how she could run through and back the cloth tunnel chased tennis balls and always came back to me to rest.

The one the ONLY Cinnamon!!

I will now move on to the last and "easiest" walk of the day....Bridgette......(clears throat). She is a heart worm survivor and still on meds, so ole' Bridgette should be going for nice easy 5 minute walks. She started out feisty, but normal, then something came over her when we got to the back...it's always at the far point from the kennels. She got super excited and jumpy and grinned and looked at me and grabbed the leash right by my hand. She was giving it the shakey shake...OH NO!!!! Bridgette, she wasn't letting go either. Usually you want to step on the leash when they are jumping to calm them down but there was no leash to step on....and she was just challenging me in a very playful way to play tugga war...which is obviously (to humans) a HUGE No~NO! We were taking a step trying to correct trying to bribe, trying to command our way back to the kennel...after two full minutes...snapped out of it like nothing happened and we went back to the kennel and had our normal finishing snuggle.  It was strange, but we made it back OK. I talked to one of the staff members and we think that she is gaining all her strength back and needs more exercise! What a Fireball she was today!

Bridgette asking..."Who ME"????

That's all for today folks! Tune in for more "As The Tail Wags"

Giggles, Wiggles and Wags

July 9, 2013
     Good gracious! What a hot muggy day! But,somehow, we came out of it with five happy pooches and one happy person! There were many dog walkers today, so everyone got mad love. As I was walking up to HSHV today, I saw Dixie on a walk down Cherry Hill with her Head Start walker, Amy. They looked happy and tired when they returned. Then I saw my girl Cinnamon. Her walker and I were chatting and I got to steal some hugs from her. Love that Cinnamon!

Cinnamon...everybody LOVES this girl!

OK on to the business of walking...My first guest was Junior. He is an older fella. Chocolate Lab. I believe that he is 9 years old. He was very nice and entirely gracious that he was chosen from his very competitive end of the kennel. (They are the loudest and right by the walkers room)! He has a little limp,so we took it slow and I massaged his shoulder on returning. He seemed to enjoy that.

Conner (sans cone)

  

Junior (is a senior citizen in doggy years)!

So, on to the next walk. Another little gentleman named Conner, He is a chubby wumba. A terrier mix with longer hair and what a doll! He was wearing a collar (of shame), so we couldn't make a lot of eye contact. It took a minute to clarify what exactly we were going to do once we got outside. At this time there were 4 others dogs walkers all in visual range and we were kind of blocking the walking!! Finally after all the business end of the outing was taken care of...(ahem)...off we went. Now he went right into action and I had to hustle to keep up with him!

The next little girl is a new one that unfortunately there is no photo of yet. Her name is Sassy and she is a mostly white Pit bull  mix. She has brown freckles on her ears and she is an absolute charmer!! Very quiet and polite, yet balanced perfectly with wiggles and tail wags and a look of happiness plastered all over her pretty face. We walked over to some tables and I invited her to climb up and when she got up there, she started kissing my EARS! I could "hear" how happy she was...it was pretty cute!

   Then, I finished my day walking one of my favorites MEECH!!!  He STILL is the champ of charm. His sweet face and docile mannerism, coupled with his adorable face...oh my goodness. I am amazed that he hasn't been snatched up yet. Hopefully that will happen soon!

Meech.....how can anyone resist this face??

There was a two special adoptions yesterday. Red (the N.C. dog that had the snakebite) and Keyla a foster that had been with HSHV for quite a while. We were all very very happy that they found their homes.

Red found her forever home yesterday!

Click here to go to link.

Please visit the HSHV website to get all the info on these beautiful dogs.

Hooray for Harley!!

YAY! HSHV is celebrating the adoption of one of the longer term dogs. Harley was adopted today. I am not sure, but kind of wonder, if he was from the same litter as Dixie? They both have the same age and have been at the shelter around the same length of time. He is one of the smartest handsomest fellows that I had the pleasure of meeting at HSHV. He had been at a foster home and today became a member of a forever family!
        ....and I looked through my pictures and SOMEHOW I am missing my Harley photo. Well he is a handsome brindle pit bull (mix) and very muscular and quite tall.....and he always has his pitbull smile plastered on his mug!
(I borrowed this photo from HSHV's Facebook page. All photos that are posted on this web of the dogs from HSHV are from their files).

Here's Harley, waiting for his family to pick him up!

   The other adoption of note, is Unique! She is also a beauty she is very quiet and almost shy...then once she cleared the kennel she sprang to life with happiness!
  Who will be next!! There were several more this week, but I am featuring the ones that I had knew best!

UNIQUE!

Adoption update

Since I started this DogBlog, Clarabelle (the female rotty), Charley the little boxer mix and Jack (the other half of ..."and Jill") were adopted. There were several others that have been placed as well, but I don't have pictures of them all. Here are these three. Good luck to all the new families! Congrats kids!

Clarabelle!

Jack!

Charley!

Three lovely dogs that deserve every kiss, hug walk and treat they ever receive!

Singing and Dancing in the Sunshine!

What a day filled with laughter! I had Yogi contorting into Yoga techniques and Tyler competing for Howler of the Year! Found a genuine spirit in a furry form with dear Sadie and was impressed with Bridgette's tenacity and humor!
   First of all...dearest Yogi!

Yogi is full of surprises!

Yogi has the "joie de vivre" that anyone would envy. Nothing can stop his tail from wagging! Oh, except at the end of our walk he sat for a quick scratch and without taking his eyes off of me, he rolled right out of his scratch and fell on his back..and posed for a second or two..."I MEANT to do that" after all! So, so funny.

  Next a little gentleman of a Beagle named Tyler. He shows his joy by letting out pure clear beautiful HOOOOWWWWLLLLLLssssss. The joy in his eyes told me this walk was going to be well appreciated. Nose to the ground in pure hound fashion! Handsome dog with lovely coat and ears. Walked very easily on a leash.

Tyler (current champion of "So you think you can Howl")!

Bridgette is our current Dog of the Month. She is a Pit mix and has a very stout compact body. She is very bright and social. She was having a good time doing quick four stroke digs when she found an especially good scent. She is a dear!

Bridgette

Last up was a new girl who really made my day. She is a Blue Heeler mix and I believe it may be mixed with Aussie Shephard. Sadie has a beautiful long coat with the blue heeler mottling. Very loving and interested in EVERYTHING! When we stopped for a break she would snuggle right up against me and give me her full attention. I really believe that she has tremendous potential for agility. It was super hot today , so we skipped the play yard, but I will keep updates on her activities.

Sadie...she is a cute little squirt!

 All for today, as I have to run off to work. Please feel free to comment on this blog page. Thank you. Tanya

Walking with the clouds and Rainy.

What a beautiful start to my day! I had two nice ladies that I hadn't walked yet. They were both adjective names....Rainy and Red! Rainy is a sweet, kinda shy, white and brown pit bull mix. She has a brown marking by her eye that almost looks like a tear....She enjoyed her walk and mingled with a butterfly. She was fascinated, but quickly moved on to something else when she realized that chasing it involved walker(that would be me) cooperation!

Rainy....see her teardrop?

Red is a very special girl. She was found in North Carolina with a snake bite on her nose. The couple that  found her were unable to keep her, so we are hoping that someone has a spot in there hearts and home for her. Red and ALL the adoptable dogs have information available at the HSHV website.

http://www.hshv.org/site/PageNavigator/index.html

"Red"

Red walks very patiently on her leash and never pulls!








                                              Next up, was Jack. Now Jack was a puppy that I walked two weeks ago with his sibling, Jill (Go figure =)  )

Jack and Jill

Jill was adopted and Jack seemed like he might still be looking for her at the start of our walk...BUT Jack has an adoption pending, so we had a little chat about what a "big day" he has ahead of him. This guy exhibits so much  pure JOY! I sure will miss his happy little attitude. I will update this post this evening.

Jack

Another female named Daisy. She is very new, thus no photo. She is still learning the sounds and ways of the shelter. She is a lovely jet black lab mix with some white markings. What a nice girl! She was a little skittish going out "in front" of the kennels (which is jokingly referred to as the "gauntlet". It's when you take a dog out of it's kennel and you pass the kenneled dogs that are just waiting to taunt the dog that gets to go out for a walk)....it's almost like a doggy ritual. Some dogs are more reactive than others. Poor Daisy wasn't sure what was going on, but once we cleared that, as quickly as possible, she was a dream!


    Last up, one of my favorites ...MEECH!!!

Who can resist this smoochy face??

Meech!

 So. Mr. Meech was a very patient guy. We walked we stopped and chatted with one of my fellow dog walkers, Amy (she is working with Dixie)! He was very good and we stopped a "talking" and got down to the business of "walking" Meech says "more walky walk and LESS talky, talk"!! Love his absolutely adorable snout!

As always, all the photos are from HSHV website...please, please tell your friends and family to visit the site. There are so many wonderful dogs, cats and other animals too, that are waiting to find forever homes!
         Tanya