Auction for the Calida Seniors
Our current fundraising auction is benefiting the three Calida senior greyhounds, who retired from racing at the age of 11 in August. All three dogs are happy and comfortable in foster homes. All money raised will pay for veterinary expenses incurred from spay/neuter/dental surgeries and future vet care costs.
I would also like to express my thanks to all the generous folks who donated their time and energy to help these dogs.
Heather who drove all the way from Vancouver to Sylan Lake to pick the dogs up.
Sue for the use of her SUV and help bathing
Especially For Pets on 16th Ave (Calgary)
Anette who drove Malling and Trouble to the island.
Brandi who drove Socks from Calgary to Edmonton
Teri for Socks' sleepover
Heather & Tom for Socks' ride to Grande Prairie
Maureen & Barb for the planning
Holly (Urban Dogfitters) for the collars
And of course the wonderful foster homes who stepped up without hesitation to give these dogs a comfortable home for the rest of their days.
Marti Jo & Wade, Brian & Shelley, and Anita & Lindy.
Bijou (Funny Trouble)
Many people shy away from the older dogs, anticipating problems, and dreading loosing a dog after a short period of time. I have been asked to document our experiences with the permanent foster Funny Trouble, who came to us at age 10 yrs 11 mo. This is not our first experience with a senior dog, as we adopted our princess, S.G. Fever at 10 yr 4mo, and learnt from her that seniors are a very worthwhile investment of time and love.
Beware of seniors - this is how they take over, they quietly move in, no fuss, no muss, and before you know it, become the perfect companion. |
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WEEK 1, DAY 1 Mon 18 Aug, 8.23pm
Annette arrives at Woodbridge Mall . She said to expect her between 8.15pm. & 8.30pm. – pretty good timing.
She is transporting two of the tiniest black seniors I have ever seen. They are blood brother and sister, Loose Socks, and our little girl Funny Trouble.
Trouble has large brown patches of sun-bleached fur from living outside. Socks jumps from the tailgate of Annette’s SUV, but Trouble thinks it is a little to high, so I wrap her in my arms and lift her down, she seems to weigh nothing. I maintain lots of physical contact, as I have been warned that she is likely man-shy. She steps away to rejuvenate the grass, and returns close to my side—instant breakthrough!!
Her size, and waif-like appearance have already brought out my protective instincts—I am lost.
We take her to our van, and she jumps up and goes into the traveling crate without hesitation. Things are really off to a good start.
By 11 pm. we are home in Black Creek, we have not heard a sound from her all the way home. Now to meet her new family, 13.5 yr. Fever at 70 lbs., And 4 yr. Maverick the canine bulldozer and slayer of subtlety, at 85 lb. Trouble, we determine later, is a diminutive 48 lb. After a short meeting period, during which Maverick bounces around saying “Hooray, someone to play with”, and Fever Says “Good Grief—not another one”, Trouble is crated in our bedroom for the night.
Tuesday she spends attached to me by her leash. Everywhere I go, she goes. Constant soft words, soft touches, and she is bonding and loosing tension.
Wednesday, finally we decide on a new name for her. Funny Trouble, in part, or in whole does not lend itself to a house name, we have struggled since the moment we saw her. The name must reflect her size and her personality. I suggest Misty Tinkerbelle, and I am shot down in flames – again!! Finally we settle on Bijou, a soft sounding name, truly descriptive of our little jewel.
Bath time, and I am expecting to end up wetter than Bijou, but she surprises me again, and stands quietly in the bathtub as I soap and rinse. She is far cleaner than I expected, for someone who has been living outside.
When dry, she is released into our quarter-acre paddock, off leash for the first time, and trots around investigating. Maverick the bulldozer bounces around, but is ignored. Fever the princess does not even bother to observe her presence.
Maverick invades her space and she tells him very firmly, to depart. Feeding times are closely monitored as she will push the others off their dishes, especially Maverick. Is our big alpha boy a marshmallow? ---I think we have a new alpha!
By Thursday we see Bijou’s tail wag in greeting, and she will approach for cuddles. Real animation appears at meal times, for she is permanently hungry, and we are trying so hard not to overfeed her. She raids the garbage and the recycling box. I caught her running around the house with an empty Milkbone box jammed on her head. She was not panicking – has she been in this situation before ?
Friday. We were told she is not cat-safe; on our walk today an animal (or bird) repeatedly gave an alarm or distress call. Bijou was dancing on her hind legs trying to investigate. She obviously has a very high prey-drive, and must be carefully watched. On the positive side, this will keep rats out of the woodpile.
Oh Dear ! She is a barker ! She and Maverick will do so well together, patrolling the fence line, and challenging anyone who passes.
Saturday. Having lived on road-kill at the track, it is no great surprise that she grabbed a flattened and desiccated snake from the side of the road on our walk today. It was quite a battle to pry her jaws open and make her drop it. I wonder what would have happened if Shelley was walking her. Shelley can outrun any greyhound when a snake (dead or alive) is sighted.
I have been busy this week, renovating our new store. Bijou has been with me all the time, sleeping on her soft bed in the middle of the floor, but if I go into another room, she jumps up and follows. It’s the same at home in the evenings, she keeps me in sight. Having her with me 24/7 has certainly produced a stronger bond than with Shelley, who sees less of her, but time will overcome this.
It’s now Saturday, and things are just getting better. Bijou will come when called (sometimes – after all, she is a greyhound), and will ask for cuddles. She has appointed herself dishwasher quality control manager, and all my actions are closely observed.
WEEK 2
A stuffie has appeared on her bed, Fever and Maverick have no interest in them, but she has found one and taken it to her bed. Later I see her playing with it, her tail waving with enjoyment; then she catches me watching her, and stops, almost as if embarrassed.
As the days pass, she shows more and more of her personality. She has bonded with Shelley, and appears as comfortable with her as with me. She has an adorable little bounce to her walk, as if she were on springs, and she is incurably inquisitive, not really surprising I suppose, everything is a new experience, so she bounces along, eyes and ears alert for every new experience.
Little seems to bother her, cars and trucks car roar by and she seems not to care, vacuum cleaners are just nuisances that invade her space, lawn mowers she is not sure about, and strange dogs walking by are to be barked at, but she is learning that is not acceptable.
She knows bedtime, and happily goes to her bed, beside ours, and sleeps the whole night through without problems, and in the morning, will not leave the house to go to the paddock until she has greeted everyone. She still follows us much of the time, but will sometimes remain behind in a room, secure in the knowledge that we will return.
We have had no accidents around the house, she is quiet and calm, comes for cuddles, but does not barge in the way maverick does, she has learnt she will get her share, she is eager to feed, but has calmed down, the crate door is always open, available if needed, but not mandatory. She still counter surfs if something smells really good, but otherwise behaves, recycling raids are becoming less frequent as she learns it is wrong
So ends week 2. Bijou is an established member of our household, she has quietly become benign leader, and behaves as if she has ruled over us for years.
Her integration has been far smoother than any other dog, with the possible exception of Fever, suggesting that the senior dog is far easier to adopt than the younger ones.
Week 3 is similar to week 2, only better. The crate is not needed, counter-surfing is further reduced, recycling is safe, all human members of the family are greeted individually when they arise, there have been no canine disputes, no accidents, no separation anxiety, no startle reflex, in fact no problems at all.
Our experience is that the senior dog is not a bouncing powerhouse, always eager to please and to love, full of energy and excitement, but rather a quiet, regal presence that displays elegance and class whilst dispensing her favors upon her loyal servants, I do not have the energy and brashness I had as a teenager, and nor does the senior dog. Like us, our senior dogs have matured, slowed down a little, and yet retained a love for life
You know you have a place in your heart for a senior dog. We know that every day spent with a senior is worthwhile, so why not try it, you will be very well rewarded.
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