Bear (the Magnificent) the foster dog

We're on foster number five, and so far it's been a wonderful experience for us! A lot of people ask how we can let them go... it's hard, but to be able to place a pup in a loving home is incredibly rewarding. I also facebook stalk the new family:)

So this is Bear, and he's awesome:) He's about a year old, up to date on shots, neutered, crate trained, house trained, excellent on a leash, and not a runner. I'm willing to bet he'll be amazing off leash as well. He's full of energy and very sociable. No issues come with this dog! Like most cattle dogs, he's very cuddly and will happily curl up next to you and rest his head on your shoulder.

Bear gets along great with other dogs and doesn't exert the need to dominate. We now have three permanent furry pals and Bear very quickly bonded with them. He LOVES to play. He's fine with kids, too... our four think he's quite fab!

The general consensus is Bear is part Border Collie, which has made him very soft and fluffy. He has the most beautiful brown eyes, doesn't he?

If you're thinking about adopting one of these wonderful creatures, please feel free to contact me at kelleyinco@gmail.com or peruse the many fabulous furry folk on the New Hope website www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com

Meet Lacey! Our newest foster dog!

Isn't she beautiful? She knows it, too:) Lacey is one heck of a terrific dog! She's roughly one and a half years old and is current on all shots and has been spayed. She's incredibly intelligent, super cuddly, most excellent on a leash and loves to play. She's all of the great things about a cattle dog, and BONUS, she's super mellow about you leaving her alone! No crate needed! Down side of this dog-- she won't hear the doorbell.
Lacey is completely deaf, but you certainly wouldn't know it if we didn't tell you. We were a bit concerned she'd be skittish or hard to work with when they asked us to foster her, but I'm so glad we said "yes", because she is truly incredible. I've done a lot of research on deaf dogs and have found out it's very common for them to be far more focused than most dogs. Makes sense since they can't rely on their hearing, right? Lacey is constantly looking at our face to read our reactions, and our hands to see what we'd like for her to do. Lacey knows several hand commands like 'come', 'sit', 'stay' and 'leave it'. A simple thumbs up and a smile from you and she knows she's a good dog:)
If you think about it, you probably use your hands when training a hearing dog, so it's no different at all when training a deaf dog. Lacey will frequently turn and look to see where we are at. I about fell over the first time I took her for a walk and noticed that not only was she looking up at me to make sure she stayed right at my heel, but she also watched our shadows and slowed down to stay where she was supposed to stay! Crazy!


Another bonus---she's quiet. Like, no crazy barking and whining. We have several small yapper dogs in the area and sometimes they get our Radar going a little bananas. Lacey just looks at him like, "What the heck, man?" She visits other dogs, but there's no freaking out at all. It is awesome!



The first day we tested her a lot to see if she would startle if you just came up and touched her. I think we were all thinking about how you never walk up behind a horse and touch them, because you will most likely get kicked right square in the chest. Lacey has yet to act startled, despite all of the random surprise touching and nudging we've done. I felt kind of silly even thinking this was a concern after I gave it some thought. This is what she knows, so why would it bother her?

If you're looking for a fabulous dog who will love curling up on the couch with you as much as taking a hike, consider Lacey.
You can find out more about her by contacting me personally at kelleyinco@gmail.com

Check out New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue of Colorado, too. There are so many wonderful dogs waiting for a forever home!
http://www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com/

Introducing Minnie! Our newest foster dog!

Meet Minnie! She's a whole lot of fun and cute rolled into one! The good folks of New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue saved her from being put down for having a rash in her armpits. Seriously.
Minnie has been with us for a few days now and is settling in nicely. She LOVES to play with our other pups, and is very sweet to the humans. She is most excellent at Tug-O-War.

Minnie's the one with the bright orange collar... she looks a lot like our Radar, but she's got some of the red heeler color mixed in there. She's a beautiful dog! Her coat is so soft:)

The New Hope folks figure she's about eleven months old, so she might have a bit of growing left to do. Right now she's right at what you'd call a medium sized dog... she's roughly 40lbs, spayed, chipped, healthy, up to date on all of her shots and her teeth are fabulous. She LOVES to play outside and run around the yard... actually, it's more like leaping and bounding around the yard. Perhaps she's part gazelle?

Minnie doesn't mind being in her crate as long as she has something to chew. I've never seen a dog unroll a rolled rawhide before, but she does and will demolish a large one of those pretty quick. Currently, she has hidden at least five around the house and yard.

Minnie is very cuddly and gentle and will gladly curl up with you (or on you) and let you scratch her ears or tummy until the sun rises.

She's quick to learn new commands and has mastered "sit" and "lay down". She knows "stay" but if you get too much distance she'll get up and move closer. This breed is made up of a mix of pretty smart dogs, and I have no doubt Minnie will quickly figure out new commands and games.

She's great in the car, but isn't obsessed with going for a ride every time you grab the keys. I've left her out of her crate a couple of times now when I ran a quick errand and happily have come back to no surprises or destroyed shoes.

If you'd like to know more about Minnie, or cattle dogs or the great and amazing people of New Hope, feel free to contact me at kelleyinco@gmail.com

Check out New Hope's website at http://www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com

You can also find them on facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/pages/New-Hope-Cattle-Dogs-Rescue-of-Colorado/176914999010640

We're Foster Parents!

Meet Hank! Or, "Hankadoodle, The Hankster, Hankaroni, Hankalicious..." don't judge me... I grew up being referred to as Beastfish:) And "Roo", and....

So let's chat about Hank, shall we? Hank is somewhere between a year and a year and a half old, so he's fully grown and I'd classify him as "a medium sized dog on the small end of the spectrum". He's 30lbsish. He's all muscle and cute.

Hank is a mix of Cattle Dog and something... that something I personally would swear is Jack Russell Terrier. His build, the shape of his head, his ears, his determination to catch the squirrels... So if I'm correct, this makes Hank a mix of two incredibly wonderful dogs! That's pretty awesome:) Being a mix of these two also puts Hank on the smart end of the spectrum. He is quick to learn new tricks and commands. He is also quite cunning and very much like the kid you see studying the playground equipment trying to figure out how to get on the roof at the top of the slide. Dogs are like kids in many ways (in my opinion), and Hank would be the one that takes apart the remote to see how it works.

Hank is very gentle and plays well with others. He is currently running amok with our two boneheads (the dogs, not the kids... we have four of those) in the back yard with one ginormous stick between them. It's an interesting game of tug-o-war going on. Hank even likes our cat. He's not sure what to do with her, but knows that she is soft and if he sits on her, she makes a soft seat.
Hank LOVES to just sit and cuddle with anyone who will pet him. He totally zens out; eyes closed as he leans into you. It is adorable:)

Hank will be an excellent hiking and camping dog as Cattle Dogs are bred to be on the move. He's great on a leash and loves to go for walks.

Hank is house-broken and crate-trained and only chews on things he's supposed to chew on. He does like to hide socks, though! He doesn't chew them... just moves them around.

If you'd like to know more about Hank or think he's the dog for you, contact me at kelleyinco@gmail.com

Hank is available for adoption through New Hope at http://www.nhcdrescuecolorado.com/
There is an easy application process to go through. Check out their site as they have a lot of really great dogs up for adoption! All of their dogs are in foster homes, which we think is great. No scary shelters, lots of love:)