Miss Penny the wonder dog

dog blanket snuggies

2010-06-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

mellow yellows

2010-06-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

sun time

2010-06-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

Back for more!

2010-06-23T16:38:00.001-07:00

Baby boy (not anymore, he's huge!) Bruster is back! He is staying with us for a week while his globe trotting parents are in different countries... He came last night, armed with treats, food and excitement. Pty was so happy when he wiggled in the door, she couldn't contain herself. She was like "HEY! I know you!" Today has been a good day of treats, walks and looonngg naps together on the bed. Bru knows how it works here! More pictures to come...

Bruster and Orange Cat

2010-04-06T10:10:00.001-07:00

Bruster and Mom

2010-04-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Happy couch snuggler

2010-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Bruster has moved to his new home

2010-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Bruster went to his new home this morning. He had a big breakfast and lots of cuddles, and then when Lesley and Roger came to pick him up he fearlessly went with them (I was so proud!) I managed not to cry until they left (which I was also proud of). I am so happy for him, and for them. What a hard but great day.

last day

2010-03-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's Bruster's last day at our house, he is moving to his permanent digs with Lesley and Roger tomorrow morning. We took him and Pty down to Sand Dollar Beach today, and ran the stairs and then played ball for about an hour. It seems that Bru loves nothing more then playing fetch on the beach, and man what a great workout it is for a energetic puppy. He seriously konks out when we get home (as seen here, today, post beach and then bath). We gave him a long hot shower, got him all scrubby and clean for his departure. Last night we took him over to his new parents house and had dinner with them, he seems to be quite at ease there and I am really hoping he embraces his new living situation with confidence (which I know he will). I am so sad that the baby is leaving me, but we did our job- got him healthy and ready to take on the big old world with his forever family, and I am very very proud of the dog he has become.

Working so hard to listen to my new dad!!!

2010-03-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Roger, working with Bruster on the leave it command. Bruster loves to play fetch, but once you pick up the ball he is all over you to throw it- learning to "leave it" will be crucial. He loves to play ball so much he ignored the other dogs on the beach AND treats, just to have the ball thrown. Apparently we have found what to focus on with him! His new parents did a great job parenting him during the outing, he had a wonderful day! I love how hard he is working to please in this picture... (again, thanks to Lesley for the picture!)

Beach time!

2010-03-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning, Bruster and I met Lesley and Roger down at the beach on the westside to get some play time in with them before his transition this coming weekend. He loved it- they played ball for and hour and a half on the beach- needless to say he was pooped! (Photo thanks to Lesley!)

sleepy boy

2010-03-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

everyone's napping

2010-03-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

hiding

2010-03-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sunbathers...

2010-03-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it is with a happy heart that I tell you... Bruster is getting adopted! We are very happy and excited (and sad)... His new parents, Lesley and Roger, are wonderful people who fell in love with Bruster and have made the commitment to give him the wonderful life he deserves, and to continue teaching him to be an ambassador for his breed. He will be going to his new home next weekend, so we are going to cram as much beach/hiking/playing fun we can into this week with him. Its always hard to let a foster go, even though you know they are going to the best possible home, and each ending will always be bittersweet for me. Jared and I are going to take some time off from fostering (in my spare time-haha!- I am a full time grad student of Marine Biology at Moss Landing Marine Labs) as that I have a very full field season coming up very soon. I will update until he goes, everyone wish him well and send good vibes to his new parents for being so awesome to adopt him!

he'll give me a treat!!!

2010-03-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I sit here real nice...

2010-03-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I think Dad's making something...

2010-03-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

heater snuggles

2010-03-12T13:45:00.001-08:00

Mr. Handsome

2010-03-08T09:34:00.001-08:00

new bones!!!

2010-03-08T09:32:00.001-08:00

sometimes it's hard to work in our house...

2010-03-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

Cosmo, our kitty, is 10 years old. She is still feisty as all get out, but her favorite thing to do is to sit on Jared's lap. Mind you, she was my own cat before I met Jared 5 years ago, but I really can't blame her for loving him so much, I can relate. So as you can see, sometimes she just gets her way with him, and he just lets her do her thing. My favorite is Bruster in this picture, just lounging away on the couch like he owns the place!

we love to be lazy...

2010-03-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much Bruster and Pty's favorite pastime- maybe second to laying around chewing their bones. We fortify the bed with "dog blankets" and they get to lounge and watch the rain come down while mom gets her work done. They are actually really good at relaxing when I have work to do, which is surprising considering how much rain we have been getting and the lessened exercise they have been getting. Bruster won't even set foot outside in the rain- no amount of coaxing and treats will get him to walk in the rain, so we settle for playing in the house and getting out when its sunny as much as we can.

"even though I am getting big, my ears are still bigger then my head!"

2010-02-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Bruster is advancing every day, in his listening skills to putting on some really healthy muscle mass that he has needed for so long. He is really responding to voice commands, and does really well off leash (he likes to explore about 5-6 feet in front of where you are walking, and then will wait and check in with you when he gets much further then that). He is a major snuggler, and I think he secretly loves rainy days cause it means he can sleep on the bed with Pty all day. He has learned to wait as I open the front door to let him out, and understands that he can only go out once I say it's okay with the door wide open. He is getting big, about 45 lbs now, and seems to be finally filling in instead of just getting taller and longer every day. He is really looking forward to finding his adoptive family, so put your noses out for him!

look how big I am! (it's all that fresh lamb mom gives me!)

2010-02-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

"what's that I hear?"

2010-02-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

stoic pose

2010-02-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

squinty smiley

2010-02-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

some words from Bruster...

2010-01-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, Bruster here. I know my mom talks a lot about my life here, but I thought I should clue you in to what I think and what my days are like... I think its great here! I have a big cozy crate with a bed and 3 warm blankets in it, in my own room (!) that I get to cuddle up in every night. It gets really dark and quiet, and I know I am supposed to sleep all night, not like before when I was a baby and had to get up all the time. Then, it gets light out and my mom comes and wakes me up. Sometimes my dad is home (since he is a paramedic he is not here every night) but when he is here he lets me jump up and get in bed with him. I really like that. Usually I have to go out right away, and I am really good at letting my mom know that I have to go out by sitting patiently at the door. Then, its my favorite part of the day-Breakfast time!!! My mom gives me yummy high protein grain free food (how spoiled am I!) with something my mom likes to call "specials". That's usually cottage cheese these days, since dad says my bones need to grow big and strong. Mom usually sings me the breakfast song, and I do the breakfast dance to it. Then my sister Pty and I go outside and play, or if its raining mom gives us our bones and toys and we play inside. Sometimes mom and dad have to go out for a few hours, so I get to go in my crate and eat my favorite treat, mom and dad call it a kong. I love it. In the afternoon I usually walk around our town with my parents and my sister, which is really cool 'cause I get to see all my friends. Sometimes they even take me to the dog park, or my favorite place- the beach. At night, after dinner, Pty and I like to lay in front of our wood burning stove (its really yummy and warm), and sometimes I get so tired that I put myself to bed in my crate while mom and dad are working or watching a movie. One time my mom took me to this place called "the lab" where she goes to school, and I got to meet so many people! It was super fun, I hope I can do it again. Needless to say, I love it here, and I am working really hard to learn all the good manners I can so I can go to a new warm house with new people who will give me lots of "specials"! If you know anyone, let them know I am looking!

"I like to lay right in my mom's native garden and chew my stick"

2010-01-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

Rainy days...

2010-01-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Rainy days are hard on my babies. They don't get the outside time that they need and love to play and run off their steam, and while they are pretty good at being mellow in the house most of the day (as you can see from the above picture), after a while they start to look at me with the "moooommmm I'm ssoooooo bored!" faces. Kongs are crucial on these days, I pack them with peanut butter and stick yummy treats in the PB to make sure they don't get through it in a matter of minutes. Right now (I just took that picture) they are cuddling on the couch as quiet as can be, which is my opportunity to do the flurry of things that need to be done in the house with out 2 pitties between my feet. I really envy those pit owners who have enough money to buy their pitties treadmills, one of those would go over very well in our house on days like this. Bruster is doing great, he really seems to adore Pty, he follows her around like a little brother who idolizes his older sister. We have been working on the "down" command, and he has learned "out" (in reference to getting out of the kitchen when mom is cooking, but also comes in handy when the bathroom door gets pushed open by inquisitive pups). Luckily he is extremely food motivated, which makes training so much easier. Alright, must go do chores before dogs wake up! Happy rainy day!

My pibbles!

2010-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

Time to re-evaluate...

2010-01-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well, we hit a hitch in the road day before yesterday- Brusters adoption fell through, causing us quite a bit of emotional disappointment. It happened rather suddenly, and caught Jared and I both off guard, but we snuggled with Bru for the rest of the evening, got a good night sleep and vowed to move on the next day. In the morning Bru bounded out of his crate, with a puppy bounce that would make anyone feel good about life, and we headed out for a day of hiking with my mom (fondly referred to as Grammy when talking to the pups). We took Bruster and Pty to Pogonip State Park in Santa Cruz, and had a lovely hike through the redwoods and bay laurels. Bru stopped to explore every smell he could, and he was loving the seasonal creeks that are running through the main trail from all the rain. Needless to say, I had two happy, mud caked dogs on my hands that evening. They both got baths (and multiple tick checks) and relaxed into the evening, with the little guy putting himself to bed in his crate. The great thing about dogs, and Bruster in particular, is that they have such a great way of reminding us silly humans that, at the end of the day, everything is going to be alright, and life is a great, exciting, fun thing. Keep Bruster in your thoughts at we move on in looking for his perfect loving forever home!

They found the most comfy place in the house...

2010-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

livin' the life

2010-01-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

Good news, Bruster fans. Brusters first mommy, the wonderful Joanie at the Salinas shelter, has decided to take Bruster into her home for good. When Bruster came into the shelter, she fell in love with him (how could you not?!), made sure he was well taken care of and facilitated his fostering. She missed him so much and wanted him to be part of her family, and I am happy to say he will be going to her home with her and her husband and two other dogs at the end of this week. This is great for Bru, he spent time with them and her dogs at Carmel Beach last week, and had a great time with them all. It is bittersweet for us, since we LOVE him, but it solves our dilemma of "how do we decide if we want to keep him permanently or not?", because he was meant to be in their family. Yay for Baby Bru!!!

Penny update!

2009-12-30T20:57:00.001-08:00

A quick Penny update:

This is Penny's winter snow suit- she ventured to the snow with her moms for christmas, and they decked her out in this adorable suit to make sure she stays warm and toasty. They sent it to me, and here I am posting it for you, so you can laugh over the cuteness that is Miss Penny the wonder dog! (how mortified is she! look at that face...)

baby face

2009-12-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

sleepy sleeperson's

2009-12-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Silly boys

2009-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas time

2009-12-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Jared and I spent Christmas with Bruster and Ptilota at my grandparents house, with my mom, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin, and grandparents. It was Bruster's first time there, and boy did he love it. We stayed the night there, and decided to test him and see how he would do sleeping without his crate, in a new house. Regardless of me having "mom ear" all night (sleeping with one ear listening to make sure he was okay) I had a full nights sleep because he didn't budge once. We put a big warm blanket on the floor at the foot of the bed, and he and Pty snuggled up and slept the whole night through. He loved all the attention, and of course, all the turkey (We don't often give them human food, only on special occasions and in small doses).

Their favorite spot...

2009-12-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

couch cuddles

2009-12-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

every time I try to get some computer work done...

2009-12-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

The lights of my life...

2009-12-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

Tolerance

2009-12-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

Uncle Andy

2009-12-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

the family

2009-12-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

this nose is delectable!

2009-12-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

christmas time!

2009-12-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

The "Bru-ser Doo-ser"

2009-12-15T22:41:00.000-08:00

it's raining cats and dogs (inside and outside!)

2009-12-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

sorry for the delay...

2009-12-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry to all of you Bruster fans out there- I haven't posted in 15 days (15 days of no new Bruster pics!!! AGGHHH) I am currently a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Labs, getting my masters degree in Marine Geology and Wetland Biology- needless to say, sometimes its gets a little busy around here. Luckily I can do quite a bit of work from home (great for the puppies) but it does afford me little time to sit on the internet and blog while in the middle of finals and whatnot. That being said, sorry for the delay in new pics! Here are a few for you... Bruster is doing GREAT, he is turning into a sassy, smart little guy who has lots of energy and LOVES to play tug of war with Pty. They have been a little cooped up with the rain (and my work load) but we are looking forward to a weekend of outings. We did take Bru to his first "new house" outing, a friends birthday barbeque,where there were puppies that were 9 weeks old and 12 year old senior dogs. Bruster was great to everyone, loved the puppies, and played until he fell asleep in the middle of the kitchen floor. He is so easy to handle, he is going to make his permanent parents so happy...

smiley's

2009-12-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

this is what mornings here are made of

2009-12-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

the look of love

2009-12-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

How can you deny that this is one of the cutest faces on the planet...

cuddle time

2009-11-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

Pty and Bruster are bonding really well- last night they snuggled in front of the wood burning stove on a blankie all night. Bruster is adjusting to life at our home really well- I have been lucky enough to be home all day every day since we have gotten him, and really been able to introduce him to the good life. He already knows how to sit (thanks Joanie!) and he and Pty hang out and play with toys and play outside pretty much all day. I have been taking him for walks with Pty, and have noticed that he is a little hesitant when he sees cars and such, but if he is walking with Pty he is fine. I tried to take him for a walk on his own, and he was having none of it- he seemed very scared of birds in the brush, dogs barking, peoples voices- I think until he gains more confidence, we will keep walking him with Pty- he seems to feel a lot safer with her there (can you blame him? I do too). He is a dream with cat- he wanted to check her out the first few days, and she gave him a little cat warning (her gutteral meow) and he backed off and hasn't looked at her since. He doesn't chase her in the yard, and he doesn't seem all that interested in her in the house any more. I think he'll be fine in a house with cats. That all being said, we are loving having him- he is such an easy foster, and he is going to make the perfect family so happy.

2009-11-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

lovey face

2009-11-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Couch and blankie time for the baby! He is a huge cuddle bug...

the brussel sprout sleeps

2009-11-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Although Brusters loving mom's at the shelter got him a wonderful plush bed (which he sleeps on soundly every night in his crate) he opted today to sleep on my pile of doggy blanket laundry. No doubt it smelled yummy to him, and he curled right up on the pile while I graded papers...

right at home

2009-11-20T19:53:00.001-08:00

Time for a new baby...

2009-11-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is baby boy Bruster. He came to the Salinas shelter in Monterey county in the middle of October, and stole the hearts of the kind people that work so hard out there. He proved himself to be a little shining star from the get go, and had lots of angels working very hard to make sure this little ball of love made it out into the big world... We were contacted by a very caring and diligent shelter/AFRP staff member, who thought of us (so sweet) while trying to get him into a great foster home. Of course, we looked at Bruster's pictures, and it was all over- how could you say no to that?! So we picked him up today, and after a bittersweet farewell to his shelter mommies, he popped up into the car and cuddled up for the ride up to Santa Cruz. He bounded into the house (it was raining when we got home), and walked right through the living room, into our little guest room that is now his room. We put his big warm bed in his crate, and he jumped right into it. After a lot of eating, drinking and sniffing his new toys and new surroundings, he got to meet Pty. Needless to say, there was copious amounts of tail wagging, along with lots of snorffling (a technical term I have coined referring to a particular noise pits make when happy and sniffing one another). After about a hour or so of that, it was bath time, which went by without a hitch- no complaints about a massage in warm water from this little guy. Then, another hour of in the house time, exploring and hanging with just us, until his little eyes started to get droopy and we curled him up in his warm crate for the night. Its going to be hard to give this one up...

Charlie's new family

2009-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our short month and a half with Mr. Charlie Brown has flown by, and he has found his new family. They found him on the AFRP webpage, and fell in love with his adorable mug. We took him out to their house last week, and they fell in love with him even more. Tonight, he gets adopted by them and officially leaves our home. I am so happy for him, I think his new family will be great and he gets to have lots of growing up adventures with their 7 year old son, but I am sad to see him go. He has been so happy and goofy, and challenging at times- he has taught me a lot about what I like to call "puppy patience". Cheers to a great life for Charlie! Yay for people who are wonderful enough to adopt rescue dogs, and to the organizations who rescue them in the first place.

these kids really love sunbathing...

2009-08-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

Pty's favorite pass-time is sunbathing. Apparently, Charlie has caught on to this, and has taken it up as well. They run outside and plop down right in the nice sunny patch near the garden. They can stay laying there for hours if we don't disturb them, they love it so much. I like to see Charlie calm around Pty- he was so excited to play with her at all times for the first few weeks, and Pty, though being one of the most patient dogs in the world, was starting to show her frustration at his continual playing. She would just run inside when he wouldn't stop wanting her to play, and plop down on our bed to get away from him. Now, it seems like they worked it all out- I can just see Pty saying "okay, Charlie, see, sometimes we like to play and sometimes we lay out. But there is a time and place for each thing..." Don't underestimate the power of a great dog to be a great teacher to other dogs. Pty has probably taught Charlie (and Penny) more then Jared and I ever did.

chillin' with mom...

2009-07-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

CHARLIE FACE!

2009-07-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

Tanning...

2009-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

The kids have been spending a lot of time outside, the weather has been so nice (I call them my kids 'cause I don't actually have kids). They like to get up on our chairs when we aren't outside with them, and lay in the sun. It's pretty cute. Charlie is doing well, he finally gets the whole cat thing- he knows he can't go near her but he still likes to watch what she's doing. We keep a close eye on them when they are together. He has learned sit and lay down, and the next one (the most important in my mind) to learn is stay. He is lined up for his last treatment for mange next friday, and will be going up on the AFRP adoptions web page the first week of August!

I know this one isn't of Charlie but...

2009-07-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

It was too cute for me to not put it up! This is my best friends daughter, who was over at our house while her parents were busy for a couple of hours. She and Pty sat on the couch and watched Shrek... there's just something so sweet about the image of a "big scary pit bull" sitting on the couch cuddling with a little girl watching a movie. Tear!

after a long day of playing outside

2009-07-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

all the kids... and me...

2009-07-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

couch time

2009-07-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

sleeping puppies=good puppies

2009-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Charlie is doing great these days. He is very sassy though, and when you tell him "no" he gives you this little bark, like he saying "don't say no to me! I say no to you!" Its actually quite funny, which makes it harder to get him to stop doing it. He is doing alright with the cat, he has had a few run ins with her and is just so interested... Jared and I are thinking he will probably do best in a home with not cats or small dogs. That being said, he doing great with Pty, who is SOO mellow with him, and pretty much lets him run and jump all over her. We are working on the talking back, and he has learned to sit. His mange is getting better day by day, and he is definitely getting used to taking baths- he gets so dirty outside he looks more brown then white!

big sis little bro

2009-07-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Pty has been taking this new household change very well. She has never spent time around a puppy before- Penny was 6 months when we got her, but by the time her casts were off and Pty and Penny got to interact daily Penny was 9 months and nearly the same size a Pty. Right now, Charlie is 20 lbs and Pty is 55... Pty and Penny used to play hard, and I had faith that Pty would see that Charlie is just a baby and not play so hard with him. Well, I was right, and when they are outside together Charlie chases around Pty, and Pty lets him, and she looks at me with the classic "Moooommmm, make him go away he's buuuuggginnngg me" look while she lets Charlie climb all over her. Its pretty cute. Charlie is doing great, he's had a few accidents in the house but he is great about sleeping through the night. Today he went up to the cat and when I gave him a firm "NO" he backed away from her- which is GREAT! To be this young and understanding commands, especially about leaving the cat alone, I think, is wonderful. I think he may prove to be fine for a house with other dogs, cats and children. And, he's just so cute!

Charlie's big day

2009-07-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today Charlie spent the day with us at our best friends sons 2nd birthday party. We were hesitant to bring him, but didn't want to leave him at home alone in his crate just yet, so we brought him along. He played with around 20 1-10 years olds for about 6 hours, and he was WONDERFUL. All day long parents complimented us on how sweet and gentle he was with the children. Needless to say, after all that fun he was pooped! He and Jared snuggled up on the couch and slept for a few hours post party.

We think that Charlie might only be a small part pit bull- he looks to be American Bulldog/Lab /Shephard with a little Dalmation thrown in the mix. He is definitely cute though! He is doing well at home, sleeping through the night right off the bat, loving playing with Pty, and learning all about living with a Cat...

Charlies first toy!

2009-06-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Alright Penny lovers, it's now Charlie Browns turn in the spotlight! We went down to the Monterey County Animal Shelter today, to pick up Mr. Charlie Brown. He ran out to us in the shelter, and covered both Jared and I in kisses. He then slept in my arms from Salinas to Aptos, where we live. We picked him up a new stuffed hedgehog, and he immediately began running all over the house with it. He is pretty skinny, and his mange makes him look kinda scraggly at the moment, but a few weeks with us and with treatment and he is going to be brand new! He is so full of joy, he almost rivals Penny in the happy area! I will be posting about his adventures on this website, and we have decided not to change the name in tribute to Penny, so keep checking up on Charlie's adventures as we prepare him for the world. Yay for puppy time!!!

2009-06-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Charlie Brown!

2009-06-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

Time for the new PUPPY!!!

2009-06-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Alright Penny followers, its time to move on to the next foster pup. He is coming to us from the Monterey County shelter, where the wonderful people there didn't want to see him get lost in the shelter system and contacted AFRP to see what they could do. He has a mild case of demodex mange, and will be getting treated for it as we foster him. He is coming home with us on Monday, and Jared, Pty, Cosmo and I couldn't be more happy. He is still very young, so we are going to take the opportunity to get him temperament tested and start some really solid training (we took our rescued pit, Pty, to pit ed classes through BAD RAP and learned some really great stuff from them), and he will be a model pit bull when he is ready to go to his forever home. I am going to change the name of the blog to a easier id name for everyone, so keep yourself posted and thanks for all the great support. Can't wait to start reporting on this little cutie!

Penny and her new family

2009-06-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Penny in her new home last night. She is doing wonderfully! She was so happy and seems to be doing great with her new mom's, Katie and Cora. They have been taking her to the beach and out to eat with them (Santa Cruz is great about having dogs on outside patio's at eateries) and she is having a ball with them. It was so great to see her, and even better to see her so happy in her new home. Thanks to Katie and Cora for giving her the great life she deserves!!!

Time for a new blog!

2009-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Penny followers- now that Penny has successfully moved to her new home, and is doing wonderful, it is time for us to open our door to another pup who needs us just like she did. We are going to be fostering a 3 month old male pit, he is white with blue eyes. He is currently undergoing treatment for demodex mange (the curable kind, not the scary kind) and hopefully will be ready to come home soon. As I get more info I will let you know, so we can pass on this wonderful pup to a loving home in good time. We are going to go visit Penny tomorrow evening with her new family, so expect pictures of her in her great new place to pop up soon. I am going to just continue the blog, sort of as a "foster blog" so that all of our future foster babies have a place to be stars. Penny started the trend and we are going to keep it going! Tune in soon...

little sis, big sis

2009-06-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Penny's last day with us. She will be going to live with her new moms, Katie and Cora, tomorrow. We are so happy, and at the same time so sad. Luckily, we will get to see her, we are planning on having many Pty and Penny play dates because the girls are going to miss each other. Jared and I have spent the last 3 days at home with the girls, playing and cuddling as much as we can. Here's to happy endings !!!

cuddle time with Jared

2009-06-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

HUGE NEWS!!!! GET EXCITED!!!

2009-06-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well Penny followers, here it is, the moment you've been waiting for.... PENNY HAS FOUND A FOREVER HOME!!! We are happy to tell you the wonderful Katie and Cora have decided to adopt Penny, and will be doing the paperwork in the next week and bringing Penny to their new home on June 15th. They are a wonderful loving family who are so excited to bring Penny into the house they share with their two cats, Simon and Caleb. The are very pit bull informed, and will be come pit savvy owners in no time. Penny is already signed up for puppy class with them, and they come over to visit her here usually once or twice a week, and she seems to really love them. We are going to be sad to see our baby girl go, but Katie is a colleague of mine so we will be able to have Pty and Penny play dates and will get to see Penny grow up and become the perfect breed ambassador that we know she can be. We are so excited for her, it has been a wonderful journey for us and for Penny, and we are so excited to continue on being foster parents. We would encourage you to become a foster parent, it gives a whole new meaning to what is important in life. Thanks everyone for all the support and love for Penny and for us, all the wonderful comments, and especially the donations to AFRP that have made a great life for Penny possible. I will continue to post until she goes to her new home, and hopefully Katie and Cora will update it every once in awhile to let you all know how Penny is. Have a great weekend!

new video: digging!

2009-06-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Penny's latest obsession is digging. Good thing we have what we like to call "dog lawn"! (meaning- the yard is for dog enjoyment, not be be manicured and lovely). She loves getting in the dirt, so she perpetually has a brownish tint, even when we bathe her weekly. Hey, at least she's a happy camper, right?

KISSES!!!!

2009-05-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Pty doesn't mind sharing her bed with Penny...

2009-05-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

We live in a fairly drafty log cabin (that we love) with a very warm wood burning stove, but it can get cold at night, so a long while ago we bought Pty a heated bed (what a spoiled girl). Penny has taken quite a liking to Pty's bed, as you can see. Penny is doing wonderfully, we have been working really hard at her basic training- she is getting so good at the stay command! I can have her lay on her blanket in the living room, tell her to stay, walk outside around the cabin to our laundry, change the laundry, and walk back in and she hasn't moved a muscle! She is very eager to please, and as we all know stay can be a hard one to learn. She can sit and lie down, and we are working on stay and leave it. We have had no problems with her and our cat, all we have to say is a firm "no" and Penny looks away from the cat and leaves her alone. She will be a great candidate for CGC (canine good citizen) and further training- maybe hospital visit dog training or something along those lines. Her eagerness to please people overrides her natural instinct to do what she wants to, which is a great quality in a pit bull. She is just a dream girl!

time to chew bones on mom and dad's bed!!

2009-05-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

an elusive picture of me...

2009-05-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

the cat, the dogs and the husband

2009-05-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

call of the wild

2009-05-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Penny and her dad- don't they kinda look alike?

2009-05-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

the two keys to my heart...

2009-05-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

saturday morning bone time...

2009-05-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

the girls...

2009-05-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

Penny and Pty are becoming closer and closer as the days go by. Their favorite thing to do is lay on the blanket in the living room and chew on their bones, which after about 15 minutes of chewing on one they switch and chew on the other one for awhile- its pretty cute. Penny is doing great with the Cosmo our cat, seems to only have a passing interest in Cosmo when she comes in, but for the most part has been pretty uninterested in her. When we got Pty, she had to be trained to live with the cat, so we used a spray bottle of water and would spray her every time she got near the cat or showed interest in her. It took about 2 months, and that was 3 1/2 years ago, and Cosmo and Pty have lived happily ever after since. Penny seems like she will be even easier to cat train, and will do fine with a cat in her home if she has parents who are willing to continue her cat education. Happy saturday to everyone!

mornings with the girls...

2009-04-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday mornings could possibly be my favorite part of the week- coffee and puppy time go very well together! This picture is from last weekend, but illustrates pretty well our life here at casa de pit bull. Penny is doing wonderfully, spending more and more time out and about, walking every day and playing in the yard with Pty and hanging inside with her toys. She is a very passionate toy player, she loves whipping her rope and kong wubba toy around like a maniac. She is also a huge bone fan- chewing on her bones takes up a lot of her day, she has a few that she seems to pick out based on her mood at the moment. She is really starting to slip in to life here with us, which is wonderful but makes me a little apprehensive about her having to do it all over again with a new family- but she will do great, she loves everyone. She has been showing a little cringing towards moving cars when we walk, but who wouldn't after being hit by one and it breaking your legs! We very calmly soothe her when she does this, and she is doing it less and less as the days go by. She is learning voice commands, we work with her day in and day out (its hard to learn sit when you learned lay down first, kinda goes the other way but she couldn't sit when she had casts and we had to teach her something to make her calm down). We have had a little adoption interest in her, but nothing that ended up being right for Penny or the people interested in her (owning a pit can be more of a challenge then other breeds- Breed Specific Legislature and common human perception of pits can really hamper peoples opinions and subsequent adoption of the breed), and we are patiently waiting for a great family to come along, and happy to have her while we have her. Pty is so happy to have Penny here, it will probably break her little pitty heart when her sister (we like to call them that) goes to her new home. Happy spring to everyone, and remember to keep Penny in your thoughts.

2009-04-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since I have been able to post, as that I have been sick and taking care of all my girls (2 dogs and 1 cat) took a lot of energy when I had virtually none. But we are all doing well, Miss Penny especially. She is a full fledged normal happy pup these days, walking every day and exploring the whole big wide world. She does great on walks, no more limping and she just wants to sniff and play the whole time. She and Pty, our 4 year old female pit, like to walk with their shoulders touching, heads forward, matching each other step for step. Its pretty cute, they seem to really enjoy their time together. At home, Penny is still resting most of her day, with a few hours a day out in the house playing and then her daily walk, the rest of her time spent sleeping in her kennel. She has to say on "most of the day" rest until the beginning of may, and then she is really free to be a normal dog. We are trying to spread the word as much as possible that she is ready for her forever parents and home, so if any of you know anyone who is interested, please pass them along to AFRP. Have a great Easter!

penny's first venture outside sans leash!!!

2009-04-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Its Penny's first adventure outside without her leash! She is so excited, but her muscles are still getting used to all the new movements, so it doesn't take long for her to get tired... this girl is going to tear it up at the beach when she gets all better, though!!!

PENNY'S FIRST VIDEO!!!

2009-04-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Excuse my "mommy voice" in the video... we will post more as we film more... she is so happy!

look at that face!

2009-03-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

time to call in the troops!

2009-03-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

Alright Penny followers, we need your help! It is coming to the time that Penny can be adopted, and we need to get her into a wonderful forever home. Please let your friends and family know that she is available, and direct them to the AFRP website- she can be found under adoptable dogs. Please please please lets get her into a great home where she can live the happy life that she deserves forever! Forward my blog to your contacts, and any questions anyone has feel free to email me at nephele27@yahoo.com, I will be happy to answer questions about Penny and direct people to the right place for adoption information. Thanks to all that have followed, your support is greatly appreciated!

2009-03-27T13:45:00.002-07:00