You’re Never Too Old......................By Kathryn A. Gainard

Ahhh, the sweet smell of puppy breath. The awkward pitter-patter of oversized tootsies on the floor—paws still a little too big to fit the body. The huge, innocent eyes looking up to you amidst a lake of happy accidents and drenched newspaper. The tenacious destruction of every cute pair of shoes in the house. The relentless, mournful whimpering during crate training that seems to pass from hour to ungodly hour. Ahhh, yes. Puppies. Not to say that the joys of puppy-dom aren’t immense. If you could bottle up the cuteness and sell it you’d be a millionaire. But why the fascination with baby animals? Especially at shelters and rescues. Dogs older than two years have an incredibly difficult time finding homes… and sadly, it gets harder with every year. But why?

 (From  http://www.office.microsoft.com/)

When you consider the day-to-day rush people go through between work and family and school and yada yada, it’s a wonder more older dogs aren’t adopted first. With an older pup, and I’m only talking two years old and up here, they’re more mellow. They’ve come into their own and have their personality figured out. Shelters will know if the dog likes children or other pets. If it’s a lap baby or an at-your-feet napper. These are lovely things to know for someone who wants to jump right into the loving, and bypass the puppy nuttiness.

Another big bonus is that nearly 100 percent of the older dogs are house trained. Ready to be left alone in your house… trusted with your new carpet and couch. A nice trait for someone who has a lack of patience or time to be able to properly train a wiggly-butt puppy.

They’ve sewn their wild oats and are ready for laid back lovin’…many of them have already had owners and have excellent manners. Some know tricks, if you’re into the Rin Tin Tin thing, and many are already crate and leash trained. Just add love and you’re set.

The simple fact of the matter is that we have pets for companionship and friendship. A loving face to start that day with. A friendly embrace to greet us home. A couch buddy to snuggle with. An unconditional friend that will always be there, ‘til the end. And because of this, I wonder how age makes a difference. I’ve never seen a dog in a shelter, of any age, that’s not hopefully searching for that glimmer of recognition on the face of the adopters. For the chance that they may have found a home of their own. The chance to know a warm bed and kind hand. The chance to give their heart and dedication to their human.

And I know that there isn’t an age that exists in any species where love isn’t something we’re all striving to give and receive.

Submitted by Kate of A Dying Art Co. on ArtFire where you can find many of her creative projects for people and pets, as well as her website: ADyingArtCompanyLtd.com. Kate is a very active volunteer with the Crafting for Animals Guild and uses her talents generously to help the guild in every way she possibly can.

She is one of many members participating in the coupon week from 10/23 through 10/29 to help raise funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group in Ohio/Pennsylvania, the spotlight charity for CFA Guild during October in honor of National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month. Read all about the promotion HERE, and get the coupon code so you can shop with Kate and the other guild artisans during that week.

Adopting the Best Dog for Your Family by Laura Whitehead, DVM



 (From  http://www.office.microsoft.com/)

 One of the happiest memories a family can have is picking out their new canine companion at the shelter. As a Veterinarian, I see people with new adopted dogs every day. Here are some tips I’ve found to help you make the right decision:

1) Puppy or adult?

Puppies are wonderful. They can grow with you and your family and be lifelong companions. Puppies can also be a big unknown, though. Just like people, dogs have many different personalities, and that sleepy, calm puppy that seems perfect may just turn into a wild thing that is difficult to train. Puppies are great for families with children, and those who are flexible. If you don’t think you can handle a dog that turns out to be extremely active and needs hours of exercise each day, or develops behavior problems that need training and potentially expensive behavior therapy, perhaps adopting an adult with a known personality is the right choice.

2) Breed?

Most people don’t go to the shelter looking for a specific breed. It is helpful to be familiar with the common breeds to get an idea of what to expect from their behavior. Some breeds, such as working dogs (herders, hunters, etc), need lots of exercise or they may develop behavior problems. These dogs do well in homes with lots of space outside to run, and tend to not do well in small apartments. Some dogs are naturally very vocal. You may fall in love with an adorable beagle, not knowing that they howl instead of bark, and like to talk a lot. This adoption might have a poor outcome if you live in an apartment with neighbors who will complain about excessive noise. If you are unsure about a particular breed, do your homework first. You can always bring a breed handbook with you for quick reference.

3) Don't let size fool you.

Smaller dogs and toy breeds can make great companions for indoor households and for people who cannot manage an active outdoor dog due to age or health problems. Sometimes small dogs have big personalities, however. "Terriers" are cute and compact, but they aren’t called terriers for nothing. They are extremely intelligent and can have big personalities, sometimes becoming aggressively dominant if they aren’t trained properly. They still need ample exercise and mental stimulation or they can become destructive. Once again, do your homework.

4) Think about the other 4-legged members of your family.

If you have other pets at home, consider how they will adapt to the new family member. A cat who has been around a calm, older dog all their lives may not adapt well to a new, energetic puppy. This can quickly lead to behavior problems from the cat, upsetting what was a happy household. If you have another dog at home, it is helpful to introduce him or her to the new prospective family member on neutral ground to see how they will interact.

5) Training and behavior.

(From http://www.dog-bones.com/)



Behavior problems are the number 1 reason that dogs and cats are surrendered to shelters. This is why it is so important to consider all of the above information before adopting a new pet. Once you have your new companion, it doesn’t stop there. Socialization and training are very important for puppies to try and stop behavior problems before the start. If you adopt an adult, you may see some problems that can be addressed with proper training. Most of these dogs weren’t given the chance to correct their behavior problems at their previous homes, or they simply weren’t in the proper environment for their personalities. Be patient, and consult with your Veterinarian or behavior therapist about proper training.

I wish you and your new companion a lifetime of wonderful memories!

Submitted by Laura Whitehead, DVM – Laura has a thriving veterinary practice and also loves to sew, which gives her a chance to combine her great love of animals with her creative aspirations, coming up with some really lovely designs for people who love animals like she does. You can find her creations in her ArtFire studio, Paws_and_Claws_Designs.

Also, Laura is one of many Crafting for Animals Guild members participating in a special coupon promotion week to help raise funds for the guild’s spotlight shelter during National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month. Please click here for more info and to get your coupon code or click on the box below.

My First Personal Pet Story.........by BJ

JOSHUA SHANE: 1979

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Dedicated to Joshua Shane: Wherever you are, our sweet boy!

For my wonderful daughter, Renee. Josh became her wolf, because they had a very special bond. She will always love & miss him. She has supported endangered wolves most of her life. Joshua was very special to her.
Renee grew up to be an animal lover & advocate. Besides their pets, she & her husband have rescued other animals & did what they thought best for them.
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This story is about my first experience with a pet of my own, as an adult. As a child, I had a couple of pets but, for some reason, they didn't stay long. My Dad liked dogs, but my Mom didn't care about having pets, especially in the house, so any type that my dad got, was an outdoor pet.

As I grew older & my children were 9,11 & 13, we made a decision to go to the humane society & at least look at the animals. I had no expectations & told them not to. As I was looking at the dogs in their cages, my eyes caught this beautiful big husky looking grey, white & tan dog with big yellow eyes. He looked menacing, but turned out to have a sweet pleasant attitude. His looks could intimidate you, but his personality was anything but.

He was so friendly & loving and if we weren't careful, he might have knocked us over, trying to lick us.
Although we may have been a little nervous about him, That was it. I fell in love & wanted to take him home with us. We called him Joshua Shane.

None of us had any idea what a wonderfully sweet animal he was. He devoted himself to us & just seemed excited every day to be with us. He was protective if he thought one of us threatened, like play wrestling, but his growl was worse than anything else.

I don't know how anyone lost track of this awesome wolf dog. No one had tried to claim him either. They told us he was "supposed" to be a hybrid cross between a husky like dog & a timber wolf. He had all of the features & markings of a true wolf, even the yellow eyes. He was beautiful.

My oldest daughter, Renee & Josh had a very special bond & they ended up being best buds, so he was deemed her pet eventually.
Whenever we left him alone for any amount of time though, we found out he was not happy about it. He ate the corner of a chair, shoes & knocked over the Christmas tree, which was in front of the big window & kept him from watching and waiting for us to come back.He never did anything like that, until we left him alone.
We loved him so much we laughed instead of getting angry.

One day, a couple of policemen were in our neighborhood for something & they stopped by to look at & comment on Josh who was outside with the kids, because he loved to watch them play. The police thought he was beautiful, but a little intimidating by his looks & asked about his personality. I told them that all they had to worry about was him licking them to death. (And he tried to).

I don't know anything about Josh's past, as he was approximately 1 & 1/2 when we got him. He moved with us on several acres in the Michigan. I got him a female malamute puppy for a playmate & partner. Her name was Brandy Shalamar. They had several of our cats to play with too & Josh was always very gentle with them.

Josh always stayed around the house & never wandered by himself, but Brandy, as pups sometimes do, led him off to visit elsewhere. Often we put adds in the paper for them & sometimes our neighbors even put adds in the paper for lost & found. We collected them from a couple of areas that were almost a mile our house. All of our neighbors got to know them after that. LOL! But they were animal lovers too.

A couple of years later, we decided to stop renting out our house in the city & move back in it. We had a high fence around the yard, but it was nothing like what they were use to in the country. Josh & Brandy had a litter of puppies before we left & we easily sold all of them for a small profit. We were more worried about who took them, so we didn't want to just give them away to anyone.
Brandy hated the city & she turned jealous over Josh & mean to other dogs, including her pups. We decided to sell her, because she was terribly unhappy there & needed more land to run. We also felt the same about Josh, but he also needed more room with someone to devote himself to, because he had so much love to give.

Finally we decided to let him go with a young man who seemed to have a great rapport with Josh. He said that Josh would have a great home & would travel all over with him. Josh seemed to like that idea, because when the guy opened up his truck door, Josh jumped in & sat right up like he belonged there. You could just tell that he would have a wonderful life. I knew that I would always miss this awesome animal, but I felt he had deserved a super life, he was so wonderful.
To this day, Joshua has been my daughter's all time favorite pet & she supports wolves in wildlife, as I do. It may not work for everyone, but it did for us.
Our loving time with Joshua was gift from 1978 to 1982.

This story was written & submitted by BJ of EXPRESSIONS and KRAFT KORNER on ARTFIRE
BJ loves quilting,crafting,making jewelry & her cats. She also donates to animal charities, including her local humane society, adopts her pets, helps rescue & care for abandoned & abused animals in her area & is a columnist for the bi-weekly column, "Our Personal Pet Stories".
As always we invite you to send us your pet or animal rescue story to share with the members & followers of Crafting for Animals.