Sunday, August 7, 2011

Chip





Chip’s Story
The day we met Chip he was a happy go lucky Aussie like most 9 month olds.
He was a little traumatized, well not a little more like he had the worst start in life tied up most of the time with little to no attention.


Driving home after picking him up he sat in Brigitte’s lap all the way home, she mentioned micro chipping and his ears went up and his head turned to the side so she named him Chip (much better than Motor)……..lol….I don’t think he seen so many cars before, with everyone passing he would follow it, if he kept it up he would of gotten whiplash……lol…… Our first night fostering Chip he spent on our bed (Another Aussie Blanket)….lol…. and he stayed on the bed the whole night.... A few days later in the van Chip seen a couple walking by and he went buzzurk going from front to back barking at them, it was like our very own car alarm but we were in the van, there not suppose to go off until you’re out of the van…lol….


Chip has this look and it’s like he has a smile on his face all the time. Over the next few days Chip came more and more out of his shell and started showing us what he loved to do most and that was play ball none stop, he even puts it in your lap. He’s even happy when you drop on the floor, whatever toy he places in your lap, it’s like all he cares about is that your giving him attention and he’s happy. He got our neighbor playing ball with him. Chip brings the ball over to the fence and stands up and drop the ball in his hands.


Chip was scared, like any rescue. He didn’t want you to touch his rear end, he’d lower his butt every time we tried to touch it, we kind of made it into a game thing when we would touch his back end and now Chip just looks at you with his smile and goes on.


Chip wakes me up every night around the same time by putting his head on the bed and sneezing to wake me up and let him out, and if the grass is wet forget about him going. He’s the only Aussie who doesn’t like to get his paws wet…..lol…
Like Razor, Chip just fit in with us so we just had to add him to the family.
So now we wake up with a Chipper smile.

By: Ed Eldridge (Foster and Forever Home)

Razor




Razor’s Journey

The day I met Razor at the shelter he was scared and didn’t know what was going on, all he knew was nobody wanted him. At first he didn’t want anything to do with me and well a few treats later and he was ready to go outside in the cold for a walk. The drive home was a long one, all I could think of was this scared and a little over weight Aussie who just wanted to be loved, a few days later it was time to pick him up and bring him home.



The first couple days fostering him was some of the funniest, we have one of those large floor pillows and Razor would walk up to it and knock it over so he could lay down, it didn’t matter where it was he would knock it over so he could lay down….lol…he would even push it around so he could see us and watch T.V…. Razor attached himself to our son Dillan for the first couple weeks; where ever he went Razor was following, night time Dillan had to sleep in a ball because Razor took the whole bottom of the bed. Razor even lets Dillan puts Basketball Shorts and Jerseys on him, Razor’s the first ARPH Basketball Player.
Over time Razor started following me and it didn’t matter where in the house if there was a door between us Razor was whining and if he couldn’t come with me he would go and pout in the corner or the screen door and watch for me and he’d stay there until I came home, treats would bring him out but as soon as he was done back in the corner or door to pout he’d go. So now all I have to do is look or touch him when he’s cuddling with the kids and he comes running. Razor is one of the most loving affectionate Aussie’s and is my shadow.
 Because Razor fitted in to our family we knew he had to stay.
To this day Razor whines, pouts, and gives the saddest looks if he can’t come with me.


By: Ed Eldridge (Foster and Forever Home)

Charlie ~ARPH 11036~


Charlie started his ARPH journey on May 20th 2010 he was a very scared and not a trusting aussie he laid down up against the wall growling and watching every move I made I couldn’t within 10ft of him without his hackles coming up and I had to toss treats to him. It took about an hour of this before he would even allow me to stand beside him and walk around outside, you could see he just wanted to bolt and there was no trust, but there was something in his eyes. My first report on him was not the greatest and from what everyone said he wasn’t a good candate for ARPH, but I kept thinking about what I seen in his eyes and I just had to go back and see him. The second visit went much better, it was like wait a minute this human came back to see me and his personality came flying out.

When he came home to foster he attached himself to Razor and the two became close friends they went out together they played together herding each other Charlie herded more than Razor but they did everything together.

Charlie showed his loyalty, intelligence, trainability and enthusiasm for everything he did. He laid beside me in my lap each night watching TV and playing with the kids. Charlie showed his resilience the first day and each day after the first visit all it took was showing him love and compation and each day he came more and more out of his untrusting shell. Charlie showed respect to my Aussie’s and didn’t try to dominate them he knew who was who in the pack.

It didn’t take long before his forever home came calling, he showed off playing with everyone. Charlie now loves herding the horses each morning and keeps them together. Charlie now is a complete gentleman and showing off for people at home, petting, cuddling and laying in his forever homes lap watching TV.
Charlie has done a complete 180 and has come from an Aussie who didn’t want anything to do with you to showing what a true loving Aussie he has become. 



By Ed Eldridge (Foster Home) and Louise Michener (Forever Home)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Tonka and Lilah




Tonka is currently 8,  he was adopted when he was 3 (2006).  Tonka came into ARPH after having been tied out for an extended period….. He emigrated to Canada from the United States (with ARPH)  and found his forever home here with us.  He likes to play the training game and has dabbled in obedience and rally, agility, skijoring and most recently is trying his hand at treiball.  He likes just hanging with his humans either on the couch or on a great hike in the scent filled forest.








Lilah is 5 years old, our first foster dog for ARPH and our  first failure as fosters.  She arrived  in our  home in July of 2007 at one and a half  after having been in rescue for an extended period of time.  She was found as a stray at around the age of 6 months.  Lilah is athletic, interested in the world and excitable.  As a double merle  both her sight and hearing are affected to some extent,  but both are functional for every day life. She doesn’t know she has different capabilities.  Her limited vision (greater difficulty with tracking movement, limited field of vision) mean that her best activities are RallyO, Skijoring, playing scent games and tracking.  Tracking is her favorite for sure,  it allows her to use her fantastic doggy nose which inevitably leads her to food, a person with food or the possibility of food … her favorite.