That’s Nikki on the right. Some face, huh? She was 15 weeks old when she came into our lives as a foster puppy just before Christmas. That’s why we named her Nikki, after St. Nick. She’s an adorable, fuzzy, white ball of fur with all the accompanying antics you expect from a puppy. And she was so shy. She found a safe place under an end table in our family room, and she’d never come out, so we had to lure her out and catch her to give her some affection, to which she quickly responded.

Been Here Before

Nikki isn’t our first foster dog, nor is she our first foster puppy. My husband and I have been fostering German Shepherds for our local German Shepherd Dog rescue for about five years. We’ve had the joy of fostering around 27 German Shepherds, and we have managed to adopt only two of those 27 or so, because when they’re absolutely meant to be part of your family, you know it.

The Dilemma 

We typically foster only one dog at a time, because three’s as many as we can handle at one time. Here’s what’s going on for me. I know my husband wants to adopt this dog, but that would mean the end of our fostering days, which–as much as I’ve loved it–is something I’ve been thinking about for a while, especially since we spent the entire summer renovating our home to rectify 15 years’ worth of doggie wear-and-tear. It looks so wonderful now, and I want it to stay that way as long as possible. A steady stream of dogs, some which chew wood and aren’t housebroken, isn’t going to help me be successful in that quest.

But Wait! There’s More!

The question I’m asking myself now is–do we really want another dog (a real cutie who’s already become one of the pack, because our alpha female Zoey plays with her instead of going for her jugular)? Another dog means bigger vet bills, more dog hair everywhere, bigger pet-supply costs, higher kennel costs if we want to go somewhere, stuff like that. That said, I’ve bonded big time with this puppy, and so has my husband. Today we have a very rare four inches of snow on the ground, and just watching Nikki romp in the snow was a heartwarmer. And I’m pretty sure she likes it here. (Considering the way we treat our furkids, a dog would have to be nuts not to love it here.) My husband is leaving the decision to me.

Reason or Surrender?

Once I make the call to keep her, there’s no going back. I would never give her up. My concern is that I’ll decide to keep her–and live to regret it, and that it may be to much for me (and the house) 24/7. On the other hand, I may regret letting this sweetie go. So, my furkid-loving friends, do I go with my head–or my heart? Any input that would help move the needle for me one way or another will be greatly appreciated.

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Well, it’s no secret that us pets offer one of the best sources of unconditional love around.  Always ready with a wet kiss or a purr to help smooth out a rough day, I’ve come to discover that humans don’t behave like us when it comes to many relationships.  When you think about it, we can probably teach you a lot about marriage and the way relationships can work.

Puppy Love

When was the last time that your husband bowled you over at the door because he was soooo very excited to see you?  When have you shared a big mistake you made to your spouse and it was met with an non-judging lick across the face?  And, if your pet did something bad, like eat through your favorite pair of shoes, you don’t typically hold a grudge forever and go without speaking for weeks at a time, do you?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have your mate simply curl up next to you when you’ve had a bad day or just need quiet companionship? Well, pets already know how to do that.  Why don’t you?

How To Spread The Love

The fact is that pets know how to treat their “parents” and typically we get better treatment than some spouses, all for only a few dog treats.  Maybe if spouses began to act more like pets, things would be a bit different.  Dr. Phillips agrees.  In a recent article, clinical psychologist Suzanne B. Phillips of Long Island University discusses this very thing.  Here are her suggestions on improving interpersonal relationships:

Greetings: Sometimes when spouses return home from work, they barely receive a hello.  Not that there’s animosity, there’s just a nonchalant atmosphere.  But, even on bad days, we greet our pets with a happy, animated hello, and usually a pat on the head or a hug.

Holding grudges: When our pets annoy us by wrecking the furniture or soiling the floor, we don’t stay mad at them.  Granted, conversations/interactions between adults are much more complex than those with pets.  But, still there has to be a way to find forgiveness.

Assuming the best: When our pets make mistakes, we don’t take it personally. We give them the benefit of the doubt. Yet when our spouse does something wrong, we often react with anger and blame instead of assuming they had the best intentions even though they fell short.

While I in no way do I want to assert that pets have this whole relationship thing locked up, but making these few simple changes would be a good way to start building a happier, healthier relationship.

Talk about dogs being man’s best friends!  There for companionship and a steady supply of love, dogs have long been the preferred pet for many.  But, here’s one more reason to love dogs—as if you really needed one!

The good folks over at Canine Assistants in Milton, Georgia train and provide service animals to those with disabilities and health concerns, like seizures and diabetes among other things.  With over 2,200 people on the waiting list, they’ve got their work cut out for them.  Only able to provide roughly 100 service animals per year to waiting patrons, they do an excellent job with puppies (typically golden retrievers and labrador retrievers), preparing them for their new lives as human helpers.

How it all begins

When theses animals are but wee pups (they begin working with puppies at three days old), they are exposed to all sorts of surfaces and stimuli.  From sliding down slides to unlocking doors, their training obstacle course really takes them through the paces.  But by the end of eight weeks, they’re able to respond to about 30 different commands on cue.   These puppies are remarkably quick!  At 18 months when they graduate from the program, that number multiplies to 90 tasks in all.   Some of the tasks their dogs perform include turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, pulling wheelchairs, retrieving dropped objects, summoning help, and providing secure companionship.

What’s their motivation?

Peanut butter and praise!  Both are probably the best dog treats ever,  for these dogs.  Matched with their human partners, they then undergo two weeks of training together.  Changing lives and making such a huge difference, these dogs–and the good folks over at Canine Assistants–are to be commended.  One Canine Assistants recipient made the value of this gift quite clear when asked by a reporter what she liked most about her service dog. Immediately, she responded, “My dog makes my wheelchair disappear.”

To find out more about their program, visit http://www.canineassistants.org/

He was just a neighborhood cat with no collar, and we’ll probably never know where he came from–the orange tabby with the stubbed tail. Definitely not a house cat, he roamed the streets, stopping in various driveways for a snooze when he needed one. There were plenty of mice and other critters dwelling among the wooded areas to keep him well fed, and water wasn’t a problem, because there’s a rather large lake nearby.

I don’t know how long he spent his days cruising the area before my elderly neighbor Betty began making sure the cat had something substantial to eat and drink. She’s a cat and dog person with a big heart, so her caring enough to put food bowls on her front porch for the wandering cat didn’t surprise me.

Nor did it surprise me when the cat kept coming back to Betty’s porch, looking for food he didn’t have to work hard for. Eventually, she named him Percy, and after a while, he was comfortable enough to enter her home at night and let her stroke him while he slept in her lap.

Not being the stay-at-home type, Percy leaves Betty’s home every morning to do whatever it is he does during the day, and he usually returns to the porch in the evening, waiting for her to open the door and provide the comfort he’s now used to. From time to time, though, he apparently finds something to keep his interest overnight or for a couple of days.

In the summer, I can see him from my upstairs window, lying in the sun in Betty’s driveway. Betty thinks he’s probably 15 or 16 years old. When Betty takes a weekend trip, I get to take care of her animals (she has a dog, too.) Though he used to scoot away whenever I approached him, Percy now lets me pet him when I pass by. I love that. And I love that my neighbor Betty gave Percy a family to love that loves him back.

Percy is lucky to have Betty, and I’m lucky to have Betty as my neighbor.

I’d be a gazillionaire.

Seriously. Our home is dog-hair central, and we gave up being anal about it years ago or we’d surely be in the Chock Full o’ Nuts hotel by now. If we combined the shed hair on the floors, furniture and in the car with the hair we amass when we brush them, we could easily fill the Pentagon—annually.

Okay. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s sometimes how it appears to us. I’d need a vacuum with a canister the size of a beer barrel to get up all the dog hair in one shot. But, just like you, the love we have for our fur kids far outweighs the dog-hair hardship we endure.

That said, there actually is something we can do with dog hair. It probably won’t make us rich quick (or at any other rate of speed, for that matter), but this idea does give new meaning to “puttin’ on the dog.” Here’s a book entitled Knitting with Dog Hair: Better a Sweater from a Dog You Know and Love Than a Sheep You’ll Never Meet by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery. The authors tell you:

• How to make an afghan, beret and other knit items
• How to collect, clean and store your pooch’s fur
• How to modify your patterns to accommodate pet-spun yarn
• How to find experienced pet-hair spinners—a guide to resources and suppliers

How about some dog-hair designs and a video to inspire us? I should be able to open a department store by the end of the year…

We all know the comfort and joy that pets can bring in challenging times.   It’s amazing what a wet kiss or warm snuggle can do.  Their unconditional love has a way of seeing us through.  For our military serving in war zones, it’s even more important that they have this amazing support.

A bond beyond borders

It’s not uncommon for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to befriend local animals as a way to help cope with the emotional hardships they endure every day while deployed in a war zone–the anger, loss and anxiety that come with the “job.”  These amazing animals are there for our soldiers, and now it’s time to for us to be there for them.

When a soldier comes home, it’s difficult and sometimes impossible for that pet to join them in the States, and they are often forced to deny their friend.  It’s hard, because leaving that dog or cat is almost like leaving another soldier behind.  However, the complicated process of bringing a pet from Baghdad and providing veterinary care while overseas can be simplified with your support.

How You Can Help — Veterans Day Challenge 2010

This Veterans Day, Thursday November 11th, help bring these little “soldiers” home and reunite them with the men and women whom they have served overseas.  Join the SPCA International in their “Operation Baghdad Pups” initiative so that No Buddy Gets Left Behind.  The Operation Baghdad Pups program provides veterinary care and coordinates complicated logistics and transportation requirements in order to reunite these beloved dogs and cats with their service men and women back in the U.S.  These important animals not only help our heroes in the war zone, but they also help them readjust to life back home after combat.

Visit the SPCA website at http://www.spcai.org/baghdad-pups.html to find out more and make a donation.  It’s a wonderful way to celebrate Veterans Day!

Sometimes we forget that victims of domestic violence also have pets who become victims, too. In Atlanta, there’s a place that provides shelter for victims of abuse and their pets. Ahimsa House, meaning “nonviolence” in Sanskrit, was founded in 2004 by Emily Christie after she lost a pet to domestic violence. Ahimsa House became Georgia’s first and only organization dedicated to helping the human and animal victims of domestic violence reach safety together.

“Walk & Wag”  takes place every year near Halloween to help raise money for the organization, as well as for other pet rescue groups. I was there staffing the table for German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Georgia, and I ran into my dear friend, phenomenal pet photographer Pat Thomas of PhotoPhetish. Pat was there, as she always is, to support the organization, take candid shots and hang out with a park full of dogs and their people. (Pat’s as dog-obsessed as I am!) Events include a pet parade, a talent contest and a Halloween costume contest.  I thought you’d like to see some photos of the fur kids we were surrounded by on that beautiful, sunny, autumn day!

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Woof. Susan here. I’m Max & Mittens’ assistant, and they’ve given me the go-ahead to write something straight from my heart today, so here goes.

I’ve believed for a long time that I’m a dog in another existence. It’s the only theory I can think of that explains why I have such a strong connection to and love for dogs that I chose not to have children (and I’m married), because I have always liked dogs better than kids.

I grew up with dogs, and my husband and I have always had one or two dogs running our lives. As foster parents for our local German Shepherd Dog rescue group, from time to time we have three dogs to hug, cuddle with and love. When I pass someone walking a dog on the street, I greet the dog and stoop to see if I can pet the pooch’s head. Then I remember to say hello to the human. When I’m driving around and I see a dog on the street or sticking its head out of a car window, I say “Hi, Sweetie!” Out loud. When I’m in a pet-friendly pet store, I have a conversation with every dog I pass. Most of our charitable donations during the year go to pet organizations.

Anyone can make me smile simply by emailing me photos or videos of dogs. Bottom line—I wouldn’t want to live in a world without dogs. I read somewhere that dogs are the only animals that love and protect their owners. (I’m always amused by the idea that I’m considered my dogs’ owner. They own me, and they know it.)

Sometimes I think my love of dogs borders on insanity, and then I remember that my spiritual connection with dogs is a connection I wish everyone had. When you love something that much, you would never think of harming it, neglecting it or abandoning it—no matter what.

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Look into a dog’s eyes, and you’ll instantly recognize the depth of their love and the trust they have in us. My dogs are rescues, and for my life to come, all my dogs will be rescues. All they want is the chance to love and be loved. Want to do something that will make you feel better than you’ve ever felt before? Go to a pet shelter or contact some of your local pet rescue groups and rescue a dog. In a single moment, you’ll change two lives for the better. You know what dog spells backwards. It’s not a coincidence.

I’ve always been a dog person, though I have nothing against cats. My husband had a cat and a dog when he was a child, and we now have dogs. Early in our marriage, we didn’t have any pets, but a neighbor’s cat crept into our home and stayed, until the unthinkable drove him (or her) out of our lives forever.

Their names were Pixie and Dixie, one male and one female we couldn’t tell apart, and they belonged to our next-door neighbors. One afternoon, when I came home from work, I found Pixie (or Dixie) sitting on our back deck, so I went outside and cuddled with the cute kitty. This same scenario repeated for several days. One evening, I left the sliding-glass doors open, and in came the cat, who began curling up on the sofa with us and watching TV at night until we put him/her outside to go home. This happened every night for a couple of weeks; eventually we started buying cat food and feeding the little sweetie. We told the neighbors about it, and they were fine with it.

Within a month, our semi-adopted cat was sleeping in the bed with us at night. It was becoming a very close relationship, as we became used to having the cat in bed with us. Then, deep in the middle of one night, my husband tossed, turned and swept his leg across the bed, sending the cat flying and shrieking across the room until the wall stopped the poor thing. You’d think that would have been a deal-breaker, but no. The cat kept coming.

The Last Straw

We had been talking about getting a dog for a long time, and my husband had always wanted a German Shepherd, so we got ourselves an adorable GSD puppy and named him Zak. Truly, he wasn’t much bigger that the cat that had become our companion for months.

So there was Pixie (or Dixie) waiting for us on the back deck when we came home with Zak. We opened the sliding-glass doors and brought Zak outside to meet what we thought would be his new, little friend. The cat freaked, flew off the deck (voluntarily this time) and never came back to visit again. Pixie (or Dixie) would just sit in the neighbor’s yard (ours was fenced) staring at us with a look that said, “I can’t believe you replaced me with THAT. What were you THINKING?”

We were thinking we might have two pets for the price of one, but clearly, we were wrong. I guess the little guy didn’t want to wind up like this…