Autumnsblogspot’s Blog

Hi All!
I know I have had my share of ups and downs and put Ma through so much worry sometimes.
She took me to see Dr. Tom the Vet on Friday and he wants to put me on Paxil which is an anti-depressant. Ma said NO.

She did some diggin around and found a therapist in Madison, WI and she sounds like a nice, knowledgeable lady. I’m going to see her next week to work on some problem behavior modification and counseling.

In the meantime I’ve been quite busy.
Ma took me shopping and got me some new things.

My new flashy pink harness and doggles!

If I get scared indoors Ma puts the Doggles on me and I fall asleep!

Saturday we went to a pet store to protest against selling Puppy Mill dogs which as you know supports puppy mills and we DO NOT support them!

Ma got into a few “heated” arguments with some folks and the police were called but she eluded jail!
WHOOSH!
I don’t wanna go back to doggy jail. BEEN THERE DONE THAT!

That's me and and my friend Jasper at the protest. I wore my Puppy Mill Survivor T-shirt.

Sunday we went to Minooka Dog Park.
It’s an off-leash park and I played in the under 15lb area.
I don’t know why I can’t go hang out with the big dogs but Ma said it’s best I stay with the little guys. I had fun though!

I ran with all the others until I couldn’t run no more.
That’s a LIE BOL!!
I could keep going all day but Ma said I needed to rest. But on the way home we stopped for doggy snacks and I came home and fell right to sleep.

I certainly have an active life. But a girlie needs her beauty rest so until next time Lakie lovin to all my friends!

Lakie Smooches,
Autumn

I'm feeling a little betta...relaxing more tonight!

Autumn took one dose at the Vet’s office and it was a roller coaster ride.
She was up and down throughout the afternoon and I suspect it was just her way of dealing with medicine.

She’s still staring but not with all the panting and shaking that went with it the past few days.

She has slept off and on today which is much better than previous days.

I just had her outside for an evening walk when I ran into one of my facebook friends, who also happens to be a neighbor, April who came up up with an interesting thought. She said that it’s possible that my heating unit, which is hydronic radiant floor heating, has been on lately since the weather is cooler and perhaps that is making a sound that reminds Autumn of the puppymill where she spent almost 4 years.
Something in the pipes…a similar sound perhaps..something only she can hear?

Funny that the vet said something similar in passing earlier today.

Anyway, I haven’t given her a second dose since I don’t feel it’s needed yet. Many of her FB friends have suggested looking into herbal remedies, or something less harsh than the chemicals in these anti-anxiety meds.

I feel it is IMPORTANT to share these stories with others just so if anyone finds themselves in a similar situation they know they’re not alone and reading helps the owners deal with problems they might be experiencing with their little loved ones.

This blog is connected to Autumn’s Facebook pages plus our family and her previous rescuers come here to read her progress.

More to come,
Hugs from the 2 of us!

Hi all!
Autumn’s Ma here.

The past few weeks I’ve noticed some strange behavior in Autumn. She seems to look at the walls as if she sees something. Then she gets scared and shakes.
The past 3 days it’s gotten much worse.

It’s as though she thinks something is there but nothing is. Nothing new on the walls. No flashes from the TV or outdoor lights.

I’ve even put up darker drapes just to be sure it’s not a light from outdoors creating any flashes on the walls..

I’ve tried to relax her by laying with her in a dark place and a very bright place. I’ve tried putting her in a dark, open door closet with her beddie and toys.

Last night I couldn’t get her to sleep.

I ran her around the neighbor to get her good and tired.
She’s fine outside! But as soon as she came in she went back to cowering and shaking, panting really heavy. I tried putting her in the kitchen, the bathroom, on the sofa in the living area.

I tried leaving the porch door open, I tried playing music,  I tried the TV, I tried playing with her….doing anything to distract her. Nothing is working!!

This isn’t just at night but all day too. She just looks at the walls and ceiling and sees something that’s not there! I’ve been miserable for the past 3 days trying to help her and trying to make it right. But I don’t see anything. I don’t see what she sees.

Is it her eyes? Is it in her head?
Is this just a passing thing??
Does she need to see a doggie psychiatrist??
Should I buy some Doggles?

These are the same walls that she’s been accustomed to for months!

I finally put a blind fold on her. SHE FELL ASLEEP.

I don’t think I can do that every night. I don’t know what’s wrong and the vets says that I “need to find the source of her anxiety”.
But there isn’t anything!!

I’ll keep everyone apprised of this situation. In the meantime if anyone has any suggestions please let us know.

Many Thanks, Pamela

***the following videoclips show a bit of how she’s been acting. You can see her shake and look around.

I’m exhausted from today’s Halloween Pawty.

It was a great day and I had loads of fun. I didn’t win the costume contest and didn’t win any of the raffles but they gave me a big chew stick to eat-up later. I did drink a puptini, ate some snacks and took some pics that I hope you enjoy.

A lot of dogs and their pets showed up

They even had a DJ playing fun music

There I am

There were pumpkins

There were little devils

There was a superdog

Even a dragon was there!

A skeleton and I chatted

This Bumblebee kept kissing Ma

This poodle was so old he barely could see anymore but still came for a fun time

What's a Fairy Princess to do?

Ma made herself look like a Kat!

It was a purty day for a pawty

I hope the Packers fans didn't give this Bronco fan a hard time

There's my pal Glasier. He was tired and didn't go to the pawty

I think I was most certainly the purtiest!

Now that I’m all betta I’ve had loads of spunk in me and I run around the neighborhood sniffing all the eerie Halloween decorations.
Of course I go in style with my fancy pumpkin scarf!

One of my BFF’s who lives in Chicago, Scout is her name, really liked my kerchief so much that Ma sent her one thru the snailmail.

Autumn and Scout: Matching Girlie Wear

Ma and I carved some pumpkins and put them around outside with candles in them so they look sPoOky!!

We also put up some scary lights and decorations but my favorite are the pumpkins.

I have a Halloween pawty to attend this weekend and I’ll be posting pics of that event next week!

Bet you can’t guess my costume!

Ruv, Autumn

Permalink: http://autumnsblogspot.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/halloween-time/

Ma was so proud to get a decent shot of me that she just had to post it.

Yep, that’s me walking in the rain. I’ve become quite the fashionista with my boots and stylish,holiday kerchief!

This one’s for Rey!!!

Ma has been making me wear a coat in the evenings. She says it suppose to keep me warm. I guess she doesn’t notice this curly, furry coat I wear naturally. Duh!

I had my stitches taken out on Saturday and got a 100% OK from the doctors. So I’m back to my old tricks!

Ma made me a new kerchief. It’s black with orange pumpkins on it…real Halloweeny-style.
She tried really hard taking some pictures. I wasn’t haven’t it.  HA HA I know all her tricks by now…sneaking around corners, saying things that suppose to get my attention. BAH!
But I give her credit for the good try.

She managed to get one of me facing her. RATS!

I still haven’t gotten those picks from the Lure Course yet. Ma emailed the guy today. They should have been here by now since they mailed them last Wednesday.

I’ll post them as soon as we get them. In the meantime, enjoy this one of my friend Chloe and I ganging up on little Baby Bellas.

Chloe and I have captured the young baby Bellas.

Hi All!

Ma has been feeding me yucky plain rice and boiled hamburger every day and although I’m feeling much betta since my surgery, I could be feeling WAY much betta if Ma would give me some decent food.

She says it’s “Doctors orders”… blah blah blah.

She tried taken pictures of my Frankenstein Belly but of course I won’t ret her. Silly Ma!

I believe I have learned my resson and I promised Ma I would never pick up stuff off the ground and eat it ever again. I sure hope I can keep that promise. She was so upset and I dunt wanna see her so upset anymore.

She gave me a surprise to cheer me up today that I want to share with you. Last month Ma and I went to many events. One in particular was called Washington Park Bark Days.  There were many activities for us to do there. One was the Owner/Dog Look-a-like contest. Personalry I thought we’d win and I heard many people shouting our names. Even two of the judges were shouting our names. But we didn’t win. We lost to a woman who had a pointy nose rike her doggie. Oh well!

While at the Bark Days Ma asked if I wanted to try this thing called Lure Coursing. I didn’t think I wanted to do it so we left there and went to do some other fun stuff. Later on Ma asked me again.

I asked, “What do I have to do?”

She told me that they take an artificial lure and make it move across a field to simulate a bunny running.

“Well”, I told her, “I’ve never chased anything?”

She said that I should at reast try it.  So I did and it was soooo much fun. I couldn’t believe that I wanted to chase that rittle artificial bunny!!

LOOK AT ME GO!!

WEEEEHA!

I should prefaced those pics by telling you that I was also in the costume contest in which I was a hula girl hence the purty pink Hawaiian Lei.

Anyway, Ma ordered the pics the Lure Course guys took of me and as soon as we get them in the mail I’ll post them in larger size.

I wanted to say tank you all so very much for all the well-wishes I received since my surgery. It really helped me feel betta!

Ruv, Autumn

Hi Everyone,

Wednesday morning I woke up not feeling too well. I guess the day before while Ma and I were out walking I ate something I shouldn’t have. Ma never saw what I ate. I make her think I’m nibblin’ on grass. I don’t know what possessed me to eat this stuff ‘cuz it’s really not like me at all. I was just being a silly girl and Wednesday I felt kinda sick.

I woke Ma up by throwing up. She took me outside and then I went poo but Ma got scared ‘cuz it was a strange red color. Ma put me in the car and drove me over to the Vet’s office. On the way there I threw up again and Ma discovered a a foreign object coming out of my mouth. It was a hard piece of plastic.

These are some of the pieces they took out of my tummy

The Vet’s took me in right away and as I was being examined I poo’d again with all the red stuff. The vet took some tests and x-rays and found I had more of those a foreign objects in my tummy.

They gave me some medicine to make me throw up more but those plastic pieces didn’t come up.

Next they tried an Endoscope, a tube went down to my tummy through my mouth with a camera. Dr. Greta tried to lasso the pieces but that didn’t work either.

They told Ma they would have to open up my tummy to remove the plastic. Ma was really scared and so was I!

They took me in a special room with 5 other doctors and assistants and gave me some gas to put me to sleep. They tell me that they then opened up my belly to check out my stomach and intestines and removed 8 pieces of the plastic. All I remember is Ma coming in to visit me when I was waking up. I was happy she was there.

After the surgery I was still having bloody poos. Dr. Larson told Ma that he thought I had Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis and thought that maybe I would have to go to the emergency hospital for overnight care. Then later he said that maybe it was just “bad luck”. That the stress of that stuff being in my tummy was causing the red poos.

Doctor Greta said she found some ulcerations on my tummy walls that need to be treated so they finally sent me home with a bag full of medicine.

That's all the icky medicine I have to take. All because I was a silly girl!

Ma and I were both happy that I was home. I crawled onto my beddie and laid down. Later I got up and had Ma put me on her pillow and fell asleep next to her.

She’s been feeding me pills and I drank some water but I don’t want to eat yet. I went outside and did my business but wanted to come back in straight away and go back to sleep.

I think I’m going to be ok but for now I just want to rest.

Ruv Autumn

P.S. While Ma was helping me write this I ate some hamburger and rice. YAY!

My friend Uly sent this to me all the way from France!

I had a blast today at the 8th Annual ATRA Fall Aire Frolic. Ma drove me about 40 miles to the Western Waukesha Dog Training Club in Ixonia, WI so I could be an Airedale for a day. We got there at about 11:30am and I was so excited when I walked in all saw all those beautiful big ‘dales that I poo’d right in the middle of the event!

I was a little embarrassed but everyone was super nice to me and made me feel right at home.

They gave me a big goodie bag filled with fun stuff for Ma and some treats for me. YAY!

I got to meet tons of handsome and beautiful ‘dales and they all seemed to like me too!

Ma took some pictures and we tried some of the yummy food and snacks at the buffet tables. There were a lot of displays for Ma to look at. They had some silent auction stuff and later on in the day they had a live auction. Ma did some shopping at the vendor booths as well.

I met many nice folks with interesting stories. I learned that my Facebook friend Max (Versagi), who invited me to this great event, was rescued from a PM in Kansas. (See Max’s Facebook link and pic in my previous post).

Ma and I sat with 2 nice ladies, Loretta and Teressa from Cambridge,WI. Loretta brought along her Airedale who was really sweet.

There was another lady there who had a handsome “dale named Bosco. She was fostering Bosco and looking for a good home for him.
Ma’s new friend Teressa immediately fell in love with Bosco and GUESS WHAT??
YAY!!
Bosco found his new home with Teressa!! Teressa already has 2 girlie ‘dales at home and now they’ll have a baby brother to play with. YEEPEE!! Isn’t that a great story?

READ MORE ABOUT BOSCOE IN LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST!

So Ma was trying to bid on things up for auction and unfortunately she was outbid on most stuff. Then the live auction came up and, again, Ma was losing. One of the very last items was this beautiful Christmas Treeskirt. Handsewn with hundreds of pretty, shinning things. It looked really soft.

Ma tried bidding on that too. The price kept going up! Ma kept trying but then she stopped at 210. Next thing I know, the price was at 260.
Going once….Going twice….and then….MA bid 270. And she won!!! YAY!!

We both were really happy. Ma said she got a real bargain on a one-of-a-kind item plus the money goes to benefit Airedales!! YAY!

What a long day! I didn’t get home ’til 5pm. I had a super fun time. I had so many compliments on my purty face but oddly many folks thought I was a Wired Hair Terrier. ?Hmmm?

But they loved me either way and I was happy to be an Airedale for a Day!

—-pictures were taking until Ma’s camera went poof—

BOL! He was trying to swim in a bucket!

There was an outdoor area were we could run around

Rescued Mee Moo was so purty and sweet.

Everyone was having a good day

There I am with a good-looking 'dale

So much going on!

This purty quilt was up for auction!

They ruv me!

They all thought I smelled so purty!

The big boys didn't scare me.

Aren't they adorable?

Airedales EVERYWHERE!!

I ruv them all too!

That's my Goodie-Bag stuff

Other stuff Ma bought

This is the Auction that Ma won...WoW! so big!

Look at the purty details

Read about Bosco and his rescue..it’s got nice pics of Boscoe being transformed into a beautiful boydale! http://www.alldogssite.com/paradebosco1.html

Hiyas!!

My Facebook pal MAX invited me to a fun day of frolic not too far from where Ma and I live. Saturday 9/26/09 is the date and it’s to support the Airedale Terrier Rescue and Adoption organization.
YAY!!

I will be attending

Max said they’ll make me an honorary Airedale!! WooHoo!!

Now if only I can get Ma to buy me some “doggles” like Max’s.

Max

In this short video I see my buddy Pancho. Then I notice Ma has something in her hand that looks suspiciously like a camera …..so I dodge out of view!

A few times each week Ma takes me to a park not far from our home. This park has some wide open areas for me to run free for a mile. It also has a lagoon where frogs and tadpoles frolic.

Today I decided to take a swim in the lagoon.  While Ma was walking behind me I had the urge to just jump in.  Splish splash!

I could see the look on Ma’s face. She was shocked. I had never swam before. Oh sure I have stood in a kiddie pool while bobbing for hot dogs and even a big tub while getting bathed. But I’ve never done the dog-paddle.

After I did a few paddles through the scum-topped water I casually stepped out and shook off the filmy layer. Refreshed I continued my walk as Ma stood stunned.

When I got home I was immediately rushed to the tub where Ma bathed and rinsed me clean. She said that I must have slipped. Maybe it was an accident she said.  Didn’t she notice how calm and composed I was?

She doesn’t understand that it’s just the  “Lake” land terrier in me!

Have a fun Labor day weekend!

xoxo
Love Autumn

Hi all!

It’s been a while since I added to my blog. I’ve been so busy with summer stuff…but they say that summer is over. That’s not fair! It only just began!! Hmph!

I must tell you that I went to a Beach Pawty and had so much fun. I ran around like a …well, like a dog having fun! They had pools were I got my paws wet. There was a contest called bobbing for Hot dogs. I wasn’t very good at that.

All the dogs dressed in their finest beachwear and guess what? I won! YAY. I won a big giftbag with treats and doggie cake. I got a big pink flamingo toy. It’s head rattles and it’s body squeaks. How fun is that?

They gave us plenty to eat and even enjoyed doggie ice cream Yummy!

This was my first summer as a free dog and it was fantastic.

Did I tell you that I now walk with mom without a leash? Yup! She trusts me ‘cuz I walk beside her and stray too far away. Even when I see my friends in the neighborhood Ma knows that I’m going to go play with them and not run off. Everyone says that I’m such a good girl.

I like all this freedom. It’s so much fun. I’ve even learned some human words like CAR and OUTSIDE and GRANDMA, and of course, DINNER.  I know those words pretty darn good! I’m very proud of myself. You should see me when I hear those words. I know what they mean and I get excited!

September 8th will mark my 6th month with Ma and as a free dog. Freedom means a lot to me. I have learned so much in the past 6 months about what freedom is and I love it. It took me baby steps but I’ve come along way and I know in another 6 months…WOW who knows what I’ll learn!!

I am a very happy little girl and blessed to have so many wonderful friends who care.  I’m glad that the NPMR org. saved my life and super glad that Ma and I found each other.

Love Autumn

PS. I still don’t want my picture taken!

What does she have in her hand?

Is that a...

OMG a camera!!! NOOOO

That wasn’t the usual camera ma uses. She tricked me!!!

grrrrrrr

Please stop trying to take my picture

Hi Everybody!

I had a good 4th of July. There was a few times I got a little scared from strange noises but mom made it ok for me. She took me for long walkies outside during the big pops. She said it would help me get use to it.

Ma and I took a walk yesterday and there, in the middle of a field, was a squeeky toy! YAY! So I ran and pounced on it. Ma tossed it for me …it took me a while but I’m figuring out that I should run after it. It’s fun. We played in the middle of a field, running, jumping and playing.  I was soo happy. And so was ma.

So, it’s coming up on my 5th month of freedom. YAY! I’ve learned so many things in that time.

Here’s what I’ve done in 5 months:

• I can drink water from a bowl.
• I can walk up and down stairs all by myself!
• I no longer have itchy skin.
• I get along great with others like me but humans I still get a tad shy…but mostly I can take ‘um or leave ‘um.
• I do my business outside and don’t go in the house.
• I’m learning to play with squeeky toys.
• I can walk along side ma without a leash although if we come near a place with cars ma prefers me to wear the leash.
• I barked 4 times!!
• I gave ma a sorta, kinda kiss one day. It was on her hand. She keeps slobbering me on my mouth. She says I have stinky fish breath.
• I’m very good with being combed and washed.
• I have been to a professional groomer once and have to go again soon!
• I’ve been to 4 Vets for check-ups.
• I learned that I like cottage cheese, lamb and chicken.
• I don’t like hamburger, or canned foods.
• I only eat when I’m hungry and won’t take snacks.
• I still have problems with strange lights and noises but I’m getting better each day.
• I’ve gained a pound and that, the Vet says, is a good thing.
• I do NOT like to have my picture taken.

Otherwise I’m very happy. Ma buys me pretty pink collars and scarves. Grandma brings me toys. I have a super comfy bed next to ma’s and if I don’t wanna sleep alone I jump on the futon and sleep next to her. The vet says I need to work on my weight. Another pound and then I can get into super cute swimsuits this summer….. ….like Lacy here!

But she’s a professional model and I’ll never look that good in swimwear.

This is my good side!

I’m a very good girl and have so much love from people…. like you!

Thanks for all the great encouragement!

I ruv you all,

Autumn

I told ma that she could take a picture of my new 4th of July Day scarf. So she starting taking pictures and I told her just the scarf!

Not my face!!!

I said NO FACE!!!

Gezzz!! Ok here’s my scarf all red, white and blue with starts and stripes. YAY!

What part of NO FACE doesn’t ma understand?

Ma is sooo stubborn. Those crazy humans! Hmph!

Happy Independence Day!! (Coming this weekend) (I’m all ready now)

YAY!

Love Autumn

Hi everybody!

This week has been an epic week for me! Not only am I settled in to my new surroundings but I’ve learned to climb stairs!!! YAY!

It’s taken ma a few months, well since she got me back in March, to teach me but now I can go down and come back up …..all by myself!
I feel very proud.

I’m driving ma crazy since I won’t let her take a picture of me. She has to use the zoom feature and hide around corners. RATS!! She got me.

I’m happy to report I have been a good girl and haven’t tried to do any dumb things since my last post! LOL

NEW VET
I have met my new Vet friend. He’s Dr. Tom at Pewaukee Vet Clinic. He was real nice and gave me some new shampoo called Douxo Chlorhexidine PS Shampoo and some ear drops called Douxo Micellar Cleaner Solution. But otherwise he says I’m fine!

NEW DIET
Ma put me on a new diet. She now buys Taste of the Wild dry food and mixes it with EVO small bites.
She still mixes it with some fresh lamb meat and a few veggies like potatoes, carrots and green beans. I get some plain yogurt sometimes and she got a bag of Natural Balance treats.
Ma said she didn’t like the Pet Promise because she read a report that said it didn’t have enough protein and too many junky grains.

Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments about foods.

That’s it for now. I’ll see you all again soon!

Love Autumn

Mom and I finally got into our new home and we’re starting to settle in. I like it here. There’s lots of trees and it’s a quiet street and lots of new dogs to sniff!

So mom decided we needed some groceries and she took me to the store which is only 5 blocks away. Mom usually makes me sit in the back seat even though she knows how much I love to sit on her lap while she drives. Since the store was only a few blocks she gave me a special treat and let me sit on her lap! YAY! But then I did a very, VERY naughty thing.

While we were driving to the store, for no reason at all, I decided to jump out the window and start running. Mom was super scared and I stopped when she started frantically calling my name. The other cars stopped too and I was alright but I could tell mom was horrified. She picked me up and petted me but she told me that I would never drive in the front seat ever again.

I messed up real bad and made mom really sad. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. Mom said she’s just happy that I’m ok.

On the plus side I saw my first bunny rabbit this morning. Mom wouldn’t let me chase it but it looked like it would be fun to play with!!

Chat again soon.
Love Autumn

YAY ME! I was honored to receive this award. I don’t know why… LOL but I’m very happy.

There are some rules I must follow to be worthy of such an honor so here it goes….

The doggie blog who gave me this nice award is Sally,

a beautiful Fox Terrier and you can visit her at…..http://sallyfoxterrier.blogspot.com/

So go now and thank her…now… ruff ruff!

Now I have to list seven things that I love and firstly I love my human mommie for loving me to pieces!

I love driving in the car although I’d rather sit on mom’s lap she makes me drive in the back seat. Hmph!

I love our walks together in the park.

I love meeting new dogs and sniffing them.

I love exploring the new world around me.

I love chewing on mom’s blankets. Not my own of course…just the ones on mom’s bed.

And last but not least I love the people at the NPMR organization for saving my life and especially Kristie ( a volunteer at NPMR kennels) for personally driving me all the way across country to my new home here with mom!

The last thing I must do for this award is list 7 blogs I love.

Since I have so many blogs I love I’ll name 7 of the latest new friends I’ve found starting with

the Goober himself Stanley and lil’ sis Stella

http://republicofgooberstan.blogspot.com/

Jake and Fergi

http://twospecialwires.blogspot.com/

Maggie and Mitch

http://northfordmaggie.blogspot.com/

Asta

http://astasworld.blogspot.com/

Molly & Taffy

http://airedalemollyandwelshtaffy.blogspot.com/

Lacey, Scruff and Stan

http://holyterriers.blogspot.com/

Murph Dogg

http://www.punkrockdogg.com/wordpress/

I ruv them all!

I went up 3 stairs all by myself today. I am very proud and so is my ma. She gave me a treat! YAY ME!

I wanted to share a very cute photo with you. This is a facebook friend named Rei and he lives in Spain.

He is so cute and looks like a toy that I want to play with and drag around the house.

And one more photo I would like to share with you today.

This is Eric and I love this photo because Eric likes to wear Birthday hats with his picture on them!

LOL!

I think maybe someday I will be as fun as all my friends are.

YAY!

In the meanwhile, I learned that I received an award. It’s called the  Kreativ Blog Award

and I will tell you more about it next time.

For now it’s Lickin’ and Lovin’ from me,

Autumn

Guess what? Today is Memorial Day! Have a happy one everybody.
But that’s not what I wanted to tell you.
I was just out in the backyard walking around when all of the sudden I got this burst of energy and I started to run.
And then… out of no where… I BARKED!

It was my first bark ever! Ok, ok, it was only one bark that came out of me but it was a strong bark.

Mom never heard me bark before and when she did she went running with a burst of energy screaming all over the house.

We’re going to be with relatives today and I hear there is lots of eating involved. YAY!!

Cya Soon,
Autumn

This is Stanley…a self proclaimed “Goober” and a facebook friend.
I love this pic because, as you can see, Stanley sleeps with a picture of himself above him. I guess he dreams of how handsome he is!

Speaking of sleep, I am still tired after my beauty day at the spa. It’s hard work staying so cute and showing off to my friends.

Mom has found us a new home and we’ll be moving probably next month. This house has gone from clean and organized to out-of-control in just the past few days with mom stacking boxes and all around me. I can tell that I am a neat freak ‘cuz I don’t like all this clutter around me. I think I’ll just stay in bed!

Love y’ll,
Autumn

Hi everybody!

I had my first professional hair clipping and I wanted to show it off.
Mom and I talked about it and decided that we wouldn’t go with a traditional Lakeland style just yet.

We went with a teddy bear look and I like it a lot. It’s cool and soft and I feel pretty!

I just have another visit to the Vet office for a check up and then I should be ready for a stress-free summer! YAY!

I stopped by a friend named BEAR and he’s as big as a bear but really super friendly. Here we are playing together.

Anyway, mom says I’m horrible when it comes to getting my picture taken and it took her nearly 30 shots to get a fairly nice one. LOL I just love making her squirm!

Cya Next time!
ruv, Autumn

Mom got a response from one of the pet groomers she emailed. Poor ma has been worried about taking me into a groomer since I am 4 years old and have never done that sort of thing before. Of course, I haven’ done much of anything before!

But I have to learn sometime so mom had contacted this place called www.madrapetstyling.com

Here’s the reply email if you wanna read it:

Thank you for your inquiry. I have had quite a bit of experience grooming rescued dogs, and most recently puppy mill rescues since the closing of Puppy Haven. Most of these dogs come in the first few times terrified and we work with them slowly and patiently. In time we have seen many of these scared little ones come around.

While it is possible to be clipped without a bath, it is not something I generally offer, as the basis of grooming is the bath. That said, I may be able to do a “functional” haircut on a clean coat. If she is matted or overgrown, the bathing part of the grooming session is an important step. I would really need to see her coat to determine the best course of action.

I do not have owners stay or assist during the session, as I have found that it can cause more stress to the dog. The dogs generally spend the entire time trying to get to the owner and do not learn to focus on or trust the groomer. Owners are welcome to wait in the lobby to make sure the session is going well, provided the dog is not distracted.

If you like, I would be happy to meet with you and your dog prior to an appointment and get an idea of what our options are. There is no fee for a consultation and I am flexible on times to meet. Most consultations take less than 15 minutes.

Other options are mobile grooming as well as shops that allow owners to remain present. I would be happy to provide you with more information if we do not fit your needs.

I hope to hear from you, and thank you for contacting us!

Helena

Looks like we’re going to go for the consultation. I do need a bit of a clipping but I’m not that bad! Mom combs me every night and I’m quite fluffy. Plus I haven’t been scratching nearly as bad as I was!! YAY!
I think the combination of good foods, regular baths, nightly combing and my skin-coat supplements are working.

Oh and here’s the brand of supplements I use….

PETNATURALS Skin+Coat.
The ingredients are:
Cellulose, fish oil powder, pork flavor, steric acid, flax seed oil, virgin olive oil, vegetable shearate,  vitamin E (10iu)

Speaking of scratching ….
Helen Julia Ashe of West Midlands, UK wrote:

Hi Pam,
Had another thought; liquidize either fresh or frozen spinach; keep in fridge and feed 2 teaspoons in her food a day; also garlic is very good; a small amount in food per day; at least it wont have any side effects.

As Always, everyone’s comments are welcome!!

Lickity Licks for now,
Luv Autumn

P.S. I have to laugh ‘cuz, to be honest, I have never licked anyone before either! But I give lickity licks anyway!

Mom has been so busy with work and running around southeastern WI looking for a new home. I was lucky she took me along many times. I like being in the car and sitting on mom’s lap but she always makes me go to the backseat.

We’ve been so busy we havn’t had time to blog. We’ll get a chance later this week!

I’ll catch you up on everything then!

Bye 4 now,

Autumn

As of today, I have 77 Facebook friends! They all are so cute and their human companions are super nice too.

And then I log on to my blog and find lots more friends!! I feel so lucky and just want to thank everyone for the love and support.

For almost 4 years I lived an isolated life and had no idea that there was a whole big world out there filled with love. I am lucky to have found it.

It makes me think of all my little furry friends I left behind in the shelter. I sure hope they get to experience this big and wonderful world we all live in.

Love and waggin tails,
Autumn

Am I getting too shaggy?

My human mama says she thinks it’s about time I have a professional beauty day. She thinks that I’m ready but I’m not so sure. I don’t know what I would do being around strangers washing and clipping me. Mama said she’ll stay near by if she can.  She found a place that looks very nice, like a doggy day spa where I’ll be pampered. But I am a bit scared although I am getting a bit shaggy.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

For now, mom got some advice from one of my Facebook pals who said that my blood  should be checked for any hormone conditions.  We’ll have to check with the vets to see if this is something they missed when doing all those tests on me.

I’ve been feeling lots better since I’ve been on the natural food diet plus mom  bathed me with the special antimicrobial shampoo for a month.  But I still get a little itchy now and then.

So I have the weekend to rest up before all the attention I’ll be getting next week.

Right now I am playing with a big bone. It’s lots of fun.

Love Autumn

P.S. >>I have learned to go up steps….not really well but mama says I’m like a little puppy that needs to learn everything. So it’s baby err…umm.. puppy steps but I can manage the top three steps on my own!

YAY!

Mom calls me Beauty

I woke mom up earlier this morning so she got up and fixed me a nice breakfast. Yum Yum… a bowl of lamb meat, potatoes, mixed veggies and some Pet Promise nuggets!

Afterwards I went outside to do my business and boy did I have the energy! The weather was warmer and it felt good to feel the warm breeze and fresh air. I ran around in circles and scratched the ground and jumped and ran some more. I was feeling great.

Later me and our house cat Junie played around in the kitchen and had fun.

Mom said that she’s taking me to the park later this afternoon. YAY!! I can’t wait!

Just looking for some fun!

Junie the Cat and Me

For now I think I’ll nap for awhile to regain some energy so I can run around the park! Weeeee!

I’ll write again soon,

Love Autumn

On Saturday Milwaukee got hit with a big snow storm from the west. So Mom decided that we would weather the storm in a great place. We got ready early before the storm came and drove 40 miles out of town to this place called Olympia Resort and Spa.

They allowed dogs so it was great for me! There were a few other dogs I saw but they didn’t scare me at all.

There were lots of areas on the complex for mom and me to walk around and explore. I ran along a river and saw ducks!! They scared me at first but then I became really interested in them although they were too far in the river for me to chase. Later when it started to snow mom and I walked through the woods.  I really liked the snow.

We had a room on the lower level and it had a sliding door were I could walk outside on the patio. Mom hooked me up on a 16 foot leash and let me wander around outside. Even when she complained about the cold coming in the room I wanted to stay outside and explore.  Finally she made me come in and I found a comfy spot on a lounge chair to nap while she went to the spa for a wrap and massage. We had this huge bed to sleep on. It was great.  We watched the storm from the patio and had a really nice weekend. Even though I slept like a puppy at the resort when I got home I was exhausted and went right to bed. I can’t wait to go back and see those ducks again!

I am off the Prednisone since 3/23 but still get bathed every other day.  My itching seems to be getting less. Mom called the vet’s office to ask some questions that the nurse couldn’t answer. They said the Vet would return our call but it’s been 4 days now and no one has called back.  Mom has been doing a lot of research on the web and found an interesting read from William D. Cusick. He’s written some books and has some good advice on what to feed dogs. His research goes into breed specific canine nutrition and what individual breeds should be fed.

Mom went to the health food store and brought home some yummy stuff for me to eat. Although I have been eating mostly Newman’s Own dry and wet foods mom decided to try Dr. Weil’s suggestion of Pet Promise dry food. Along with the dry food mom prepared some lamb meat and chicken breast with potatoes and carrots. It was good!

So we’re going to keep trying some natural foods and see if this helps my itchy skin.

Well mom has been bathing me every couple days with my antibiotic shampoo and today is my last day on the steroids.  The shampooing is ok but it’s afterwards when I get to roll around on the towels that’s the best time!

The treatments have been helping a little bit but I’m still itchy so mom’s thinking of taking me back to the specialist.

In the meanwhile I have discovered so many cool toys. Toys like mom’s eye glass case which was really fun to chew up! And I find all kinds of other things I call toys that I’m not suppose to chew on but they’re so fun I can’t help myself.

It’s been rainy here lately so I haven’t gotten to the park for my walks. Mom put down tons of straw in the yard so I can walk around outside without getting my paws muddy. Mom does take me with her in the car to different places and I meet a lot of new friends both human and my kind. That’s always fun too.

I can’t wait until the warm weather get here. I like walking in the park!

Bye4now,
love Autumn

I have met so many new human friends and they are all so nice. They like to give me new and different foods that I have never eaten before. My new mom says it’s bad for me to eat that stuff but I’m starting to think that this human food is some really good stuff!

One of my new friends brought me a new toy to chew up and I loved it. I chewed it up into tiny pieces and left them spread out all over the floor. That was FUN!

I’m getting really good at going outside to do my business plus mom likes to take me to the park for long walks.

Mom has been given me regular baths with the doctor prescribed shampoo and I’m still on the steroids. I received my first treatment of Frontline Plus medication which is suppose to protect me from pests.

My itchiness is down considerably and I’m feeling pretty good.

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my birthday

I went to see a skin specialist vet today. They did many tests on me to make sure I didn’t have this or that. They ruled out Fleas, airborne allergens, parasites, Ticks and lice, food allergies, Fungal infections, and contact allergies.

Yay!

But they think it’s some kind of bacteria which lies just beneath the skin and put me on steriods.

The vet assured me that the steriods were very mild and would not interfere with my immune system.

They aslo put me on a special antibiotic shampoo. And as soon as I got home my new mom gave me a bath. I look so pretty!

My new grandma brought me a Elmo doll for a companion. I didn’t like it at first but then I started to chew it’s arms. That was fun!

Mom has me wearing a T-shirt so I wouldn’t scratch myself. It’s ok…i don’t really mind it.

Now I’m sleeping from my very busy day!

Tonight was beauty night! Pam soaked fresh Lavender in warm water and soothing oils and bathed me. I didn’t mind it at all! Afterwards I got to play in all the towels which was really fun. I don’t remember wagging my tail this much ever!

I’ve been on some antibotics since I came back from the dentist last week and I think they’ve been making me itchy. But I feel so much better now and I’m getting really sleepy so I think I’ll sleep like a log tonight.

Nite Nite,
Autumn

Today I had a pillow fight. The pillows just keep on winning but I keep on trying!

I had my first bite of hamburger today and a piece of chicken breast. I liked the chicken but I’m not a fan of burger yet.

I do like my dog food I think because I’m so use to eating nothing but regular dog food for the past 4 years. Well almost 4 years….my official birthday is on the 15th of March (a few days) and I will then be 4 years!

I’ve been on some antibotics since I left Colorado and I finished taking the last one today. But I’m itchy and Pam thinks it might be because of the meds. She’s going to take me to see a doctor in a few days.

Otherwise I’ve been eating good and sleeping good. I go outside in the yard and roam around but all the noises still make me a little scared.

I did enjoy my pillow fight though!

Today has been a good day! I ate lots of good foods and I’m getting better with drinking out of the bowl. Pam gave me a toy that I really like! It’s my first toy ever and I enjoyed playing with it. It even squeeks when I play with it.

I wagged my tail…that’s how much fun I had!

After many hours on the road from Colorado, Kristie and I made it to Wisconsin and my new friends were waiting for me. My new “mama” Pam and she was super nice. She let me wander through the house and sniff everything. Pam even gave me a new big bed that was very comfortable. But I got onto her bed and I seem to like hers much better. After I sniffed around a bit I ate some yummy food.

I really have to learn how to drink out of a bowl. That was a totally new experience. I’m relaxing now and taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of my new home but I think I’m going to like it here.

Here I am a few moments ago:

Thursday I spend at Kristie’s house which is 45 minutes away from the kennels. She was super nice. She took me for my FIRST EVER WALK!! I did very well on a leash.

She fed me some dry food but I wanted to be finicky so she gave me some canned food. I ate that up!

Kristie called my new mom-to-be, Pam and said we were leaving in a little while for the big trip to Milwaukee. She told Pam that I may actually be in Milwaukee before Sunday.

Kristie also said that she loved me very much even though she had only spent 1 day with me so far. She said I was very sweet, a bit timid and very pretty! She said I was a little underweight but I will add weight in time.

Anyway, I’m all set for my car trip to Wisconsin. We may have to spend a night in a doggy-friendly motel before we get there.

Wish me luck!
ruv Autumn

Today is a bittersweet day because I am leaving the place I’ve called home for sometime now. The kennels here at the Mill rescue center have been my home since my rescue and the volunteers that come through each day have been so nice to me and all the other dogs here.