Cody & Duchess

It always amazes me how patience, routine, dog speak and love can turn the most damaged dog around. Thank you for all your time and effort....as the starfish saying goes, you cannot save them all but you can certainly make a difference for this dog.

I am so sorry, this stress you do not need now....with a baby on the way. Do you think Charlie would have stayed calm if he had been on a very short leash? I know you have a plan of action when you can step aside.....but I wonder if you went to a really short leash with a mantra of Easy if he would have been okay. Another option, step on the leash with him right next to you keeping from the harness or collar clip, under your foot to the leash in your hand taut. This limits his movement and you can achieve this restriction quickly ( great to practice). Also, it would not help in this instant....but a service vest that says in training, no touch, no talk may give you extra space.

I know your pain. I try to figure out where they consider their safe space....for one dog it is the tub, another the closet. For those scary planned fireworks times, I set them up in their spot with toys, put classical music on, pile stuff like pillows around them. A random backfire on a walk, I try to be upbeat and encourage courage. Patience is your best tool. Good luck.

No advise, just wanted to tell you I am so so sorry.

You have gotten really good advice. Sometimes the improvement are baby steps. I took in an eight year old border collie mix in January that needed a home, one month after losing my heart dog (BC) to cancer. I repeatly remind myself they are two different dogs and to not put my expectations on this dog by comparing him to a dog I had for seven years ( who spent 24/7 with me) and lived to please me. My new dog has so many traits that I am really grateful for...but the leave it command when he is hunting chipmunks, and rabbits totally non existent. If a rabbit goes running by and I am not being vigilant he will try to chase at full speed. I feel pretty confident with my dog training skills, but I look like an idiot when I have to go lift him away from a hole he has his nose buried in sniffing for the chipmunks. I try to remember we are only together eight months and prior to me he got very few walks in his life. So few, that originally he would only venture a very short distance from the house and insist on returning home. Now, his walks are the favorite part of his day. He will go all day exploring. Just wanted you to know to give yourself a break....it takes time. I understand the safety and snow issues. Maybe you can identify areas of danger ( snowy stairs) and start training that as soon as your dog makes it to the bottom of the stairs he sits and waits for a treat. One rescue of mine that had awful recall got all his treats on a mat inside the front door. That dog could not wait to get into the house for his treat. Good luck.

So, so sorry. I had a pit attack my BC/Pyrenees while I was kneeling next to her. I thankfully avoided getting bit, and had help right away....but I shook for a good five minutes afterward and suffered a hip injury for about a month. Now there are very few dogs she is friendly with. I wish I had good advice, I don't...so, so sorry this happened.

Had our 11 yr old teeth cleaning done with no anesthesia, they evaluated her first to make sure her teeth were not to bad and her temperament good. The work is done by a team that travels around to different vet offices. She is really not a easy dog, but the team raved about her and her teeth now look great.

I have had fearful dogs, adopting them because I feel I can make a difference for them. My heart breaks for you, you did everything possible to speak on your dog's behalf...everything in the best interest of Star. They failed you and some how did not understand what you communicated. I have no medical expertise so I cannot help there...but I just wanted you to know it was not your fault. Sometimes inside games help to entertain. One I use is hide go seek in the house, I hide they find. My pups think it is great. Frozen peanut butter in kong. Another, I hide a treat under one of three cups...they put their paw on the cup with treat. Hope Star is getting back to her old self. Good luck.

Thanks for the update, shows there is goodness in this world.

Cute,cute,cute....love the pics.

Sending good thoughts, prayers, toes and paws crossed for good luck. Hate, hate, hate cancer......wishing you both good luck.

Hope she continues to do better, you are both in our thoughts and prayers.

Good thoughts, prayers and mojo coming your way. I am glad you spotted the mass....hopefully the news will be okay

They never stay long enough with us, although she seemed to have great last days. I especially enjoyed reading of your partnership together....you understanding her quirks and she giving you her all. It is amazing when they do something for us, against their better judgement, just because they want to please. She was lucky to have found you, as you were lucky to have found her. So sorry for your loss.

Sending good mojo, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery. Keeping fingers, toes and paws crossed for good news.

I love the pics where she is gazing directly into your eyes, it is like she is talking to your soil. So sorry for your loss.

What a cutie!

I used to follow the Kelso updates closely, this report makes me really happy. Congrats to all.

I also recommend harness, snugly fitted to each dog with name,phone numbers on harness. Lots of leashes in the vehicle, so when you are doing a rest stop they are easy to find. Dogs trained to wait until release command to jump out of the car. Water containers filled with water from "home". Water containers that can be re-sealed...or at the minimum pouring water back into container. Toys, bones, or items of interest to keep them happy. Train them to do their business on command.....makes stops more manageable. Feed only in evening, limits car sickness issue.

What an intelligent thread, thank you all for taking the time. I really liked how many identified the BC's individual unique personalities and shaping the response to each dog's needs, strengths and limitations.

Thank you for the kind words. To lose two dogs in one year - two different types of cancer...incredible. We were a four dog family...Duchess, 11 yrs old, who has my husband wrapped around her paw. My Cody and Gracie- my heart dogs. And Boots, the everyone dog. A border, Great Pyrenees mix...she loved playing with Cody...she thought Gracie was strange. Hoping to get Miss Boots more connected with me, she is pretty independent though. All the dogs are second hand dogs. My DH would love if we would be a normal family with two dogs......I just really miss that loyal connection. I am really lucky that I can have my dogs with me 24/7...but it doubly makes it hard when they are gone.

Pic of them Playing frisbee, the silence is deafening now.

Cody, my border, got date 5/17/08 died 12/09/15. Gracie, my fearful one, got date 2/10/10 died 3/27/15. Cancer has made 2015 hard. My beautiful BC Cody has passedthe rescue I got him from seems to be shut down. This is an open letter to SEBCRL and all amazing rescues. A Thank you to SEBCRL from Deland Florida: When we met with you in 2008....you said this was our dog, this dog would work well with the dog we already had....this was the first dog you showed us. Many hours later, after looking at other dogs, this is the dog that came home with us. He passed this week from inoperable lung cancer, with the tumor wrapped around his trachea. He was diagnosed in March, they guessed around two months to live. He made it nine months. You saved an Alabama stray that traveled the USA and hiked the Rockies. He was Mr Diplomat...loved all dogs and people. He became the protector of a fear based reactive dog (a dog I brought home from the shelter I volunteered at, they were putting Gracie down) - a dog basically afraid of other dogs. Cody kept dogs away from her, engaging them before they got to her. She learned to walk calmly on the leash because of him, she became an incredibly happy dog. They became best friends. Gracie and I spent hours playing Frisbee, with Cody always insisting that he help her carry back the Frisbee to me. How odd that she would die seventeen days after he got his cancer diagnosis. It was like she knew he had his own battles now. He became my bullet proof dog, give him a command and he always listened. His whole goal was to please. He would run the southern Rockies with me....knew the command...wait for me, I am old. He would stop, look over his shoulder with the kindest face....saying I will wait. He was intense, but calm around me. He could so quietly curl up behind my desk chair, that I started sitting on a exercise ball because I had to stop running over him when I stood up. When I suffered an awful injury, I would wake in the morning with his head draped across my kneesjust quietly waiting. He was my buddy, friend, constant companion for seven and a half years. He wasnt a perfect dog (ate palm trees when I first got him) but he was a perfect dog for me. I hope to someday get another dog from rescue, but I dont know if it is possible. How to you find another who almost read your mind? Just wanted you to know that with the great work you have done, you gave a dog a great life. He was loved, cherished and will be sorely missed. Thank you so much.

Never, never enough time with them. So sorry for your loss.

Where are these dogs located?