FOSTER FAILURE...........by Rosamond of RJM Creations

I came to adopt my first two rescued Australian Shepherds through a very long and complicated process. The owner was a former friend who went from being a successful and productive member of the community to a man serving a prison sentence. During his decline he had two beautiful and sweet Australian Shepherds, near the end they were very neglected and I just happen to have been at his house when the police raided the place and left me alone in his house with his dogs. Panic set in, I have never been in trouble of any sort and found myself in a relative stranger’s house with his animals.

Long story very short, I took the dogs and after 3 court cases, prevailed and retained the dogs. They went from neglect to the loves of my life. When my daughter grew up and left home they were my “empty nest” dogs.

I had them for 14 years. They had seen me through thick and thin, good and bad times. It is truly like a rescued dog knows you save them.

Of course, saving an animal does not automatically make you an excellent adoptive parent. I studied up on the breed and quickly learned that this is a very active and intelligent breed. One that will do anything you ask of it except be ignored. We almost immediately began long runs in the early morning hours before I would leave for work. The dogs could rest at home after and I got in the best shape of my life.

We made it through Flyball lessons, Frisbee games and sheep herding, and many cross country road trips. My “boys” Jackson and Montana are remembered in the name of my shop: RJM Creations.



Jackson and Montana

Jackson passed first at 17; one day he was jumping at the end of his leash with great abandon as we headed for the park and the next morning had a massive stroke. He lived every day with me as a happy and fun boy. His brother, Montana, was the clown of the two and I worried about him after his brother passed. I debated all of 2 weeks before putting out a note to the local Aussie Rescue (SoCal Aussie Rescue) group. I had decided to go for a deaf Aussie. Jackson was always the super high energy one of the two and as he matured and calmed down (at 13 years of age he began to calm down) I found that as his hearing went, so did a lot of his anxiety.

I waited two months and no word from the rescue people. Through the website I saw a cute girl who was being given up by her owners. We went to visit and Montana and I came home with Schmna (formerly Pepper) a roly-poly little girl with a big attitude.

About a month after this I received a call that there was a pair of Aussies, deaf sisters, that needed a home. I apologized and said that I could not have 4 dogs. The rescue lady, Diana did not understand; she had just two days ago received my first note from two months prior asking for a deaf dog.  So technology had interfered with me getting a deaf dog. Well, Diana, being the devoted rescue lady that she is, called me when she had an emergency rescue of a deaf and mostly blind Aussie (Lethal White – due to poor breeding) dumped at a high kill shelter. She asked if I would be willing to do a temporary foster for Prancer (Once known as Spot).

I am sure there are many out there who have failed fostering too but this was my first and I went into it with every intention of giving Prancer a good temporary home.  He came to me scared, on medication for Giardia, very ill.  He had no idea what stairs were and ate his food like he was starving. Poor thing didn’t even know how to play or what toys were. He is one of the most beautiful dogs I have ever seen, and within one week of the calming influence of Montana (now 16 years old) and the strength of Schmna, he blossomed.

My precious Montana passed away this past year just 2 days before Christmas. I have never had overwhelming sadness for the loss of either of my two original Aussies because I knew they had the best life possible and did not suffer. Their love and devotion has left me with such wonderful memories.



Prancer and Schmna



So Prancer is now a permanent member of the family with Schmna. He is calm and the most loving dog ever. I encourage anyone considering a rescue to even go a little further and consider a deaf or blind dog. You will be amazed when it finally clicks that no one has told them they are handicapped and they are as happy if not more so than any other dog.

Want a reason to get up and smile when life hands you a difficult obstacle? It is as close as a cold nose and loving heart.

Written by Rosamond of RJM Creations on ArtFire where you will find many wonderful handmade products showing Rosamond’s love of sewing and a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out her studio and contact her with any questions.

Rosamond is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild which is celebrating National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month by raising funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group which you can read about HERE or click on the box below.

Australian Shepherds - The Right Dog for You?....by Rosamond of RJM Creations

This is the best article I have ever read on Australian Shepherds, my dogs of choice and the last 4 of my rescues. I have asked permission to reprint this article because of the great information:

Photo courtesy of www.dogbreedinfo.com

Is an Australian Shepherd the Right Dog for You? By Liz Palika Copyright 2000. Not to be reproduced without permission from the author.

Aussies are my breed of choice; I've had them for over twenty years now. However, I am the first to admit Australian Shepherds are NOT the right breed for everyone. In fact, when I talk (or email) to people about Aussies I try to talk more people out of buying an Aussie than I try to convince to get one. Why? Well, let's look at the breed.

First of all, Aussies have a very strong drive to work. As all around, versatile ranch dogs, they need to do something. Aussies were not designed or bred to be pets and as pets, with no job to do, they get into trouble. An Aussie with no sheep to herd, ducks to drive or cattle to round up will herd the kids instead. All Aussies need a job to do; maybe three or four jobs! He needs to bring in the morning newspaper, keep the kids out of the street, learn his obedience and agility training, and do therapy dog work. If you can't provide your Aussie with a sense of purpose, don't get an Aussie!

All dogs bred to work and control stock, Aussies can have a very high opinion of themselves and many have a more dominant, somewhat pushy personality. This trait, when combined with the breed's natural intelligence, makes it easy for Aussies to try to assume leadership of the family pack; a recipe for disaster. The owner of an Aussie must be assertive enough to make sure this doesn't happen. If you have a very soft personality, hate being assertive, are very soft spoken and want a dog who will naturally give in to you without any stress, then don't get an Aussie.

All Aussies need training. Not only does obedience training give your Aussie something to do and think about, it also teaches him self-control. Training also teaches him to accept discipline from you and that you are in charge. If you will not take the time to train your dog - not just for a five to six week class but for several years as he grows from puppyhood through adolescence and into adulthood - then do not get an Aussie.

What kind of training technique should you use? Well, the all-positive training techniques are very popular right now but aren't always the best for Aussies. Although all positive training (using no corrections) is wonderful in concept; many Aussies will take advantage of this type of training. In their world, a dog that gives no corrections is considered weak and at the bottom of the pack. The leader must be able to stand up for himself and give needed corrections. Since you must be your Aussie's leader, you must be able to give fair but firm, humane, and ethical yet effective corrections when needed.

As working herding dogs, Aussies need exercise. A walk is not exercise. A good, vigorous game of Frisbee is exercise, as is a run along side the bicycle. Aussies need exercise every single day without fail. A dog with too much energy and no outlet for it will get into trouble. If you are an active person who likes to walk, hike, jog and do other outdoor activities, then an Aussie might be great for you. If you're a couch potato, don't get an Aussie.

Aussies need to be with their people. An Aussie is not a backyard dog. Aussies want to be with you as much as possible and would prefer to crawl under your skin! If you don't want a real companion dog, don't get an Aussie. If you want a dog who will stay in the backyard all (or most) of the time, don't get an Aussie.

Aussies need socialization. As protective herding dogs who can be (and should be) reserved with strangers, Aussies need a lot of socialization during puppyhood. If you are very busy and can't take the time to get your puppy to different places and to meet different people while he's a puppy, then do not get an Aussie. An Aussie who isn't properly socialized can easily develop behavior problems, including fearfulness towards strangers, fear-biting, overly aggressive behavior and a host of other problems.

Personally, I enjoy the challenges of raising an Aussie. I like taking my puppy places. I enjoy dog training and love to keep their minds challenged and stimulated. In fact, right now Riker is learning his A, B and C's. He can recognize and touch the appropriate block when I tell him, "Riker, touch A" or B or C. He loves this game, too, because he's thinking and learning. Since I also have a dominant personality, I don't have to worry too much about my Aussies pushing me too far although they all try during adolescence. I don't even mind the fact that I have to vacuum the house daily because Aussies shed - and shed a lot! I like the breed's appearance, intelligence, wonderful personality and tremendous sense of fun.

If you are reading this web site because you're researching breeds, or are thinking about getting an Aussie, please think carefully about this awesome breed before you buy one. Aussie rescue programs are overloaded right now with dogs bought by people who didn't know enough about the breed. They fell in love with the dog's appearance, or intelligence, or another trait without seeing the whole picture. Then, once they had the dog, they realized that perhaps (for whatever reason) Aussies weren't the right dog for them.

To prevent that heartache, please think carefully about the realities of Aussie ownership before you bring home an Australian Shepherd.

----Submitted for reprint with permission by Rosamond of RJM Creations on ArtFire where you will find many wonderful handmade products showing Rosamond’s love of sewing and a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out her studio and contact her with any questions. Rosamond is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild which is celebrating National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog month by raising funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue group which you can read about HERE or click on the box below.