I love my Momma....

It is my belief that a dear departed friend brought Momma into my life, along with Momma's guardian angel (B.J.) who gave up her day to drive to Delano and save Momma and her daughter from the shelter there...  I'm not a fan of big dogs... I like all dogs, but the older I got, the smaller size of dog I started liking... Think it must have something to do with my ability to hold onto the bigger dogs now... 

Somehow, some way Momma managed to adopt me long before I adopted her... I did an outstanding job of keeping her at an arm's length from my heart and my love... Worried that she would be adopted and/or fall into the wrong kind of hands because of her size, look and appearance, I did not waste time once her puppies were weaning though - we started that same day on training...

But I do LOVE smart female dogs... There is some kind of justification in my warped way of thinking that appreciates any smart female - be it human or canine... Maybe it is because we of this gender still butt up against discrimination each and every day of our lives in some form or another...

Because Momma's puppies were born at my house, it was a very delicate and nerve-wracking experience... Not really because of Momma, but more so because I have a small, blind Chihuahua at home that could not get adopted... We also have a 2.5 pounder that has luxating patellas on all four legs --- walking about for him is like Ichabod Crane or some disjointed scarecrow...  Just the 65 pounds plus of Momma's frame could easily cause a safety issue, so from the very start I kept Momma on a lead whenever she was around the little ones...

The more I trained Momma, the more she sucked it up like a kitchen sink sponge you wash dishes with... She'd quickly learn a new command with just a few attempts... And some she has learned so fast she now does them without a command (like 'pass through' which tells her to come from behind and pass through your legs... she does it unexpectedly to those folks she likes!)... If you are not prepared for her to do it, you end up riding her without a saddle!  (smile)...

The things I value most in my life are the things I grow to love more each and every day... The first one being my husband, Paul, who continues to love me regardless of what I throw at him... And continues to support me in my battle to go No-Kill in Ventura County in this generation (or at least before I die)...

I can honestly say I love him ten times more now than I did when I married him almost 16 years ago...

Momma also falls into this very elite and small category in my life... Just like my Paul, I respected her first and then began to love her... Initially very little because I knew we could not adopt her and she (in my mind) would find a much better home if adopted... After all, I spend far too much time each week at the rescue shop, and any dog close to me would have to come into the shop every day, troop back home at the end of the night with me, etc... Not the way I would want any dog to live...

But as a trusted TLC volunteer told me during the tough deciding process that Momma would get 100 times more love with me and all of the TLC volunteers at the rescue shop than another place on Earth... Slowly, most of the TLC volunteers 'worked' on me, trying to convince me that adopting Momma would be a good thing for me, my family and also for the rescue...

As Momma started going up to the gate that separates the back from the front of the rescue shop and interacting with folks coming through, I watched her 'lick-lick-lick' kids' hands showing them that big dogs like her (and who look like her) aren't something they always need to be afraid of... And I began to question if she could not have an actual job - being an ambassador of these breeds with the general public...

Not to say that I don't spoil Momma... I do and I won't lie about it... But just as much as I spoil her, I demand even more of her every day... We train in some form or fashion every day without fail... It might be something very small (as in how to walk and move around small 3-4 pounders) or to test new rescued dogs for aggression...

A hard thing for Momma to learn was "UP"... And because she is so big, I refuse to lift her into my truck... I can't tell you the number of times I stood outside the truck, resetting her over and over again as folks watched me trying to convince Momma to jump up into the cab...

Most people get embarrassed when their dogs don't listen to them... Not me (well, most times)... I just keep at it until the dog gets it... After all, I'm 55 years old now and there are still many things I STILL don't get (i.e. why young men wear their britches down on their thighs and their under-drawers are sticking out above)...

But along with all the teaching and learning, Momma gives me some hearty belly laughs, grins and giggles just about every day I spend with her...

Every morning I am one of those odd folks that watch my dogs poop... It is the quickest way I know to make sure everyone is on schedule and healthy, ya know?... Once business is taken care of, the Chihuahuas tend to immediately go to the loungers and climb up, content to bask in the warm morning sun...

We have a big ole June bug that got his calendar screwed up somehow... And it never fails... As soon as he sees everyone is sunbathing, that old June bug (who should be gone now as it the end of August) makes a direct line to buzz Momma... She's not quick enough on her feet to catch him, but she always springs up into action... "NO bug is gonna come into MY yard and head buzz me!" is what she seems to say... Momma's not fast, but more like a tractor trailer - once she slowly switches up through the various gears, she is a power to be reconciled with!... (LOL)....

Up she jumps and goes into her 'Momma dance'... It is as awkward as a new colt's first steps... Sometimes she makes it up gracefully - most times she does not... And by the time she's up and going?  Junie, the June Bug is LONG gone...

But she's on the hunt, searching for him all throughout the back yard... Finally she gives up, goes back to her place in the sun, lays down and continues to enjoy her day... Within seconds of this?  Out comes Junie again, dive-bombing Momma's head - and the process starts ALL over again!... It can go on for 30-45 minutes some mornings!

And if I actually laugh aloud?  Momma gives me this quizzically look - "Mom, what are you laughing at?" kind of thing - which just makes me laugh even harder at her!... I truly don't see Momma ever catching Junie and I'd be sorry if she did, for it guarantees to give me one belly laugh every time I get the joy of experiencing it all!

Yes, I love my Momma and all the joy she has brought into my life... She taught me many things already about life and love that I hadn't thought about... And the true meaning of unconditional love, loyalty and devotion... How many of us are blessed with that in their lives?

We can't do this without you!

We are in great need of volunteers - it takes over 300 volunteer hours to keep the rescue shop open 7 days a week for a total of 56 hours.  We specifically need shopkeepers and dog bathers.

Interested?  Fill out the volunteer application online HERE. 

SHOPKEEPERS

Shopkeeper duties include:

• Feeding and caring for the rescue dogs
• Cleaning up after them
• Rotating them out several times a day so they can exercise, eat and play with each other
• Doing laundry - washing, drying and folding (we do a LOT of laundry each day!)
• Observing them and/or entry level veterinary care (we will train you in this area)
• Greeting the general public and/or showing them dogs they are interested in meeting and potentially adopting.

We ask our volunteers to be polite and respectful with those folks who come into the rescue shop, but because we are a storefront location in a highly traveled mall, we have our fair share of ignorant and/or rude people - if dealing with the general public is not something you feel comfortable doing, please let us know during orientation.  This is a physical and demanding job - you have to be highly committed to No-Kill.  TLC is a tightly knit small group of VERY dedicated volunteers.

While our volunteers have flexible hours and days, all volunteers are scheduled one week in advance.  We ask all volunteers to come in on time on the day and times they have signed up for.  Because of our set up, space and needs, we can't do 'I'll drop in when I have a few hours to spare' kind of volunteering.  The days and times can change and are flexible, but they need to be scheduled to provide for adequate coverage.

You will be trained and have an orientation prior to volunteering.  Wear old clothes and shoes - we have smocks to wear to protect yourself.

DOG BATHERS (aka "The Bathing Brigade")

The Bathing Brigadiers as they are known at TLC come in usually the same day each week after 1PM and bathe dogs for as long that day as your schedule allows.  We do not expect you to know how to bathe a dog - we will teach you.  We have professional groomers that come in specifically to groom.  All dogs are bathed at least once every 10 days.

The Brigadiers do extra cuddles with the rescue dogs and it is a great way to get your 'doggie fix' every week!

Lana and Nala

Found in a foreclosed home 3 weeks later when the cleaners arrived, Lana and Nala had been surviving on a large bag of kibble and a dirty tub of water left behind by the previous owners.


They are Peke-A-Poos and we would like to get this bonded pair adopted together.  Lana and Nala are 3 years old, up to date on their shots including rabies, microchipped, spayed and will be licensed prior to adoption if you are a Ventura County resident.

See them during their Fox11 showing this morning!

"Name Your Adoption Donation"

We have more members added to the "Name Your Adoption Donation" (NYAD) program... dogs we really want to find their own furever home faster because they have been with us for 6 months.  The rescue shop does save their lives, but it really is not the best way for a dog to live out the rest of their lives. 

The new additions to the NYAD are the Yucca Valley hoarder dogs:

• Fifi
• Granite (currently in foster - aka "Buster")
• Houdini 
• Marvin
• Pumice
• Tomas
• Bilbo
• Carlos
• Dr. McCoy
• Gus
• Nestle
• RocketMan
• Sinatra
• Spock

In addition, we have Mr. Bill (who would a GREAT and FABULOUS addition to a senior citizen's life or someone living in assisted living) and Janelle.

For more information on the NYAD program, click HERE (or http://tinylovingcanines.blogspot.com/search/label/NYAD)

Aging a Chihuahua

Aging a Chihuahua is always a difficult thing to do if they are a rescue simply because you don't know when they were born exactly, what kind of care they received prior to coming to the rescue and because of their small size, they live longer.  The general public still believes in that "1 year equals 7 in human years" which is more accurate in medium sized dogs.

To more accurately calculate your Chihuahua's age, this is a pretty good guideline unless your Chi is grossly overweight and/or still intact.  Both situations decrease their life spans.  Intact males and females develop cancers much quicker in life, shortening their overall life spans.

As you can see, by the time a Chihuahua is actually a year old, he is a teenager by human standards!

Chihuahua Age	Human Age
3 months	3.75 months
6 months	7.5 years
9 months	11.75 years
1 year	15 years
1.5 years	19 years
2 years	24 years
3 years	28 years
4 years	32 years
5 years	36 years
6 years	40 years
7 years	44 years
8 years	48 years
9 years	52 years
10 years	56 years
11 years	60 years
12 years	64 years
13 years	68 years
14 years	72 years
15 years	76 years
16 years	80 years
17 years	84 years
18 years	88 years
19 years	92 years
20 years	96 years

 

Why is harder to rescue a dog?

Question:

Why does it seem harder to get a dog from a shelter or rescue group than from a breeder?

answered by Jamie Wolf
Answer:

It's true, adopting from a shelter or rescue group can seem more rigorous than filling out a college application. Breeders are less picky--they generally look for the basics when evaluating a potential dog guardian: Are you able to pay for the dog and any future medical care? Do you have a roof over your head? Usually, that's where the breeder's involvement ends.

But rescue groups and shelters are all too familiar with stories of dogs who have been abandoned or surrendered. Many of the dogs that end up in their care were once purchased from a breeder or pet store. In fact, some experts say there are more bred and pet-store dogs left at shelters each year than stray mutts.

So, foster parents and rescue groups are careful to go that extra step (or two or three) to ensure a safe and permanent family for the dogs in their care. Many spend great amounts of time and money on their dogs, working to train and rehabilitate them. Some even take care of costly medical issues. For those reasons, it's much more common for shelters and rescue groups to carry out comprehensive assessments of potential adopters; they simply want to increase the number of dogs who wind up happy and healthy in "forever" homes.

Jamie Wolf, a lifelong animal advocate, is the founder of PetLover Central, a high-end, dog day care center in Boca Raton, Florida.

Sunshine dogs

As a general rule, dogs over 5 years old are considered 'too old' to be adopted by the general public and are usually passed over for adoption.  At TLC, we've saved enough dogs to know just how wrong this notion is.  Generally these small dog breeds between 5 and 10 years old are the best dogs to adopt because they are past the chewing puppy stage, the potty training issues and have blown out all of that high energy that drives most of us crazy!  They are settled into good canine manners and seek out human companionship... and make great dogs to adopt.  We call them our 'sunshine dogs' because of the warmth and sunshine they bring into your life without the stress of puppyhood, training, potty training, barking issues, etc.

Small dog breeds over 10 years are settled into being more of a couch potato than a "high energy, gotta go, let's stay busy" kind of dog who gets bored easily and becomes destructive more rapidly.  These seniors make better adoptable dogs for folks that work during the day and will tend to hang around on a couch and sleep while they wait for their human BFFs to come and love up on them.

However, because you are older and/or retired, that is no reason to die.  Older dogs do not necessarily have higher vet bills - in fact, the most expensive years in any dog's life is the first two.  If you are interested in adopting an older or more mellower dog because of your lifestyle, you will find we 'discount' sunshine dogs at 10 years and older to a $200 tax deductible adoption donation.  Your new BFF will still be up to date on their shots (including rabies), spayed or neutered, microchipped and licensed for the County of Ventura.

BTW, 'dog years' are a representation of of how old a dog would be if he lived as long as a human.  On average, dogs age seven times as quickly as humans. Because of this factor, it is inaccurately assumed that 1 equals 7 human years and therefore a 10-year old dog is really 70 years old. This is probably the most popular technique for estimating a dog's physical age compared to his actual age, but probably the most inaccurate.

Dogs mature much more quickly than humans do. Dogs have shorter childhoods and much longer adulthood periods than humans do. Dogs start walking at three weeks and small dog breeds reach sexual maturity at 6 months. If we use the seven-for-one rule, that would be the same as a human toddler walking at two months or a human child having babies at 4 years old!!

Also, while a 15-year-old dog would be considered the equivalent of a 105-year-old person, many more dogs live to be 15 than humans live to be 105.

A more accurate formula would be: 10 and 1/2 dog years for the first two years, then four dog years per year thereafter. However, this formula does not take the dog's size into consideration. We know that most small dogs tend to live longer than large dogs - in fact, twice as long on the average.  It is almost impossible to find a Great Dane 15 years old, but most Chihuahuas live 15-20 years.

One way to handle the influence of size on a dog's aging is to change the multiplication factor used once a dog is past two years old.  Other factors that come into play as to how long your rescue dog will live cannot be accurately calculated on any chart: how overweight they are and if they have had decent dental care (poor dental care affects the heart and blood stream).

There are numerous calculators on the Internet that take into account weight.  Add that age to the one above and divide in half - you'll come up with a close enough guess.