WANTED: My very own Home and Person to call Mine FURever!

"Huey"

Huey is a smaller, Pyr-mix.  We aren't sure what he is mixed with, we just say "cute".  He has big floppy ears, and the softest fur you have ever felt!

Huey came to the rescue as a puppy in July of 2009 with his brothers, Duey and Luey, when they were just 8 weeks old!  This sweet boy has been in and out of rescue for literally his entire 2 year life.  He first went to a home where he kept escaping.  He ended up in the pound and eventually made his way back to the rescue when his new "family" didn't want him anymore.  Huey has tried to go and live with a couple of different families who have small children, but they make him really nervous being so close to his face and cause him to nip, so it really wasn't the best environment for either him or the children.

Initially, Huey didn't like some doggies, and really didn't love going to adoption events.  After some adjustment time and proper introductions, he LOVED playing with dogs at the rescue, and now he is almost PYRfect at adoption events!  He has a bit more energy than the typical Pyr and likes to play with toys, and with the right match he may even enjoy a home with a doggie friend he could play with!

Huey's current foster mom says he is quite the angel!  She has a 6 foot fence and he has never tried to escape at all!  He doesn't have any destructive behavior and walks well on a leash with a harness and a halti.


Huey's Ideal Home:
Someone who is looking for a buddy to take on walks, cuddle on the couch, and play with him in the back yard for a little bit!  Huey loves treats and belly rubs and will give you the love you give him ten-fold.  He really needs to go to a home with a fenced back yard so he has somewhere to run and play OR to a more active family.  Since children make him nervous and insecure, he would do best in a home without them.

Baby Huey at 8 weeks old

PetSmart adoption event

Sweet boy!

If you are interested in making Huey part of your family FURever, please email us and let us know!  He would love to meet you!

Join team "PYRfect Paws" TOMORROW for the MaxFund's Lucky Mutt Strut!

We are at it again!  Rallying together for a cause!  If you missed us at the Furry Scurry, no worries, we will be doing a few similar events this summer!

This time it is for the MaxFund's 15th Annual Lucky Mutt Strut!  This is like a smaller scale version of the Furry Scurry!

About the Event:

• 2 mile walk for animal owners and lovers alike
• Celebrates MaxFund - Denver's NO KILL Shelter
• Raises money for the fur-kids of MaxFund
• A fun afternoon picnicking and meeting friends, old and new!
• Rock Bottom Brewery is one of the sponsors, which means BEER + BURGERS (yumm!)

Registration:

• If you didn't get to pre-register, DAY-OF REGISTRATION starts at 7:30AM

"PYRfect Paws" Meeting Time and Location:

• 8:30 AM (the walk starts at 9AM--this will give us time to socialize and get some good pics of you and your pup)
• At the HUGE white registration tent located just west of Franklin and Mississippi near the southern lake at Wash Park!

If you are planing on coming and walking with us, email us at coloradopyr@gmail.com so we can be looking out for you and don't leave you behind!

Invite anyone you'd like to join us...they don't have to have a Pyr (or even a dog)!  We hope to see you there!

WANTED: A Snuggle Buddy

"MYA"

Mya at a PetSmart Adoption Event

Such a sweet girl!

Mya is a 2 year old, big, fluffy bundle of LOVE!

This sweet girl came to us from the Western slope! A nice man saw that she wasn't being cared for, took her from there, and brought her to us at the rescue.

You couldn't ask for a happier, more beautiful girl! Mya is wonderful with people and is slowly warming up to other dogs too. When she first came to us she didn't like a single dog and did not do well at adoption events at all. She has been with us in the rescue since November of last year (2010), and has made tremendous progress! She is now able to go to adoption events without a problem, which is AWESOME considering the crazy environment and the number of dogs that come in and out of PetSmart in a 5 hour span! She now plays well with some dogs at the rescue too! We originally thought Mya needed to be an only dog, but her huge improvements lead us to believe she might do okay in a home with another dog as long as they get along. She is super playful with her buddy, Sam, at the rescue! See their video below!! They would like to go home together, but can be separated if they find wonderful homes apart!

We recently "cat-tested" Mya and she seems to kitties they are more fun to chase than to snuggle with, so she would do best in a home without them (for the kitty's sake).


Mya's Ideal Home:
Mya needs someone willing to continue working with her on her doggie issues; while she has made lots of progress, she still isn't 100% PYRfect around ALL dogs ALL the time, and whoever adopts her needs to understand this. Mya just wants someone to cuddle with her, rub her belly, and give her good scratches behind the ears! She is good around children, and may even enjoy having her own "flock" to look after.

Mya will start wagging her tail the minute she sees you and will want to lean against you for love! If you are looking for a companion, this girl won't disappoint!

If you are interested in adopting her, please contact Big Dogs Huge Paws to fill out an adoption application!! 

WANTED: Someone to Love me FURever!

Sam

ADOPTED!

Sam came to us in March of 2009--He has been in and out of rescue for over 2 years, which is the majority of his life (he will turn 3 in August). He and his brother were originally found on a river in Oklahoma, they were both terribly underweight and covered with ticks and fleas.

He thought that he was a lucky boy when he found a family, but after almost a year with his new family, they got a divorce and no one wanted him anymore (sadly the case with a lot of our babies), so he was returned to us. He was adopted for a second time in December of last year (2010) but growled at a kitty and they returned him the next day without giving him a second chance.

A combination of his being in and out of homes along and him being in the rescue for so long has made him a bit insecure, especially in different or over-stimulating situations. But we can definitely say that he has come leaps and bounds this past year. For example, when we used to hold adoption events at PetSmart he would growl at some dogs (due to his insecurity), but was always very responsive to correction...the past few months he has been almost PYRfect at events.

At home, he is SUCH a lovebug!—wants to follow you around, snuggle, and give kisses (not a typical Pyr trait). He can sometimes get jealous if you stop petting him to pet another dog, but again is very responsive to correction. He is a smart boy and looks to you for guidance.

At the rescue, he plays with a few different dogs, but sometimes he meets some that he doesn't like. His best friend at the rescue is Mya, and they would like to go home together, but can be adopted separately if they find wonderful homes apart! See him and Mya playing in their video below.

Sam is a really great boy, is good on a leash, and doesn't have any destructive traits.


Sam's Ideal Home:
A place where he gets along with the other animals (if you have any, we can do a meet and greet) and he gets the attention he so deserves. He would love nothing more than to be by your side and snuggle with you. He would be a fabulous movie watching partner and may even share the couch with you! Sam gets a little nervous around babies or toddlers (so a home with them wouldn't be the best), but he is fine with older children! Sam needs someone with patience who can spend time helping him build confidence so he doesn't feel so insecure.

At this point, he is truly just looking for a soft place to lay his head at night, somewhere to call home FURever, and someone to love him and give him pets and cookie

Sam also needs a foster home, so if you are interested in either fostering or adopting Sam, please email us and let us know!

Sam and Mya playing!

Sam LOVES to give snuggles and kisses!

More nose nuzzles from Sam!

Guard Barking vs. Nuisance Barking...and suggestions for curbing undesirable barking!

Guard Barking vs. Nuisance Barking
...defining what's normal and what isn't

Guard Barking is a standard Pyr trait:

• Great Pyrenees are guardian dogs...all guard dogs bark, especially at night.  That's what they are bred to do!
• Guard barking occurs in response to noises or things that don't belong in the dog's realm.  Strangers, animals, bikes, anything "out of the ordinary" really!

If you and the neighbors don't mind the barking, varmints, stray dogs and other undesirable critters will stay far away. 

If the barking is not acceptable...move the dog to a place where the dog feels secure.  This might be on the porch, in the basement, in the garage, in a crate or kennel...whatever works for you and your dog.

Nuisance Barking:

Mostly, problem barkers bark because they are bored.  Accustomed to a lot of attention, they don't know how to behave when alone.  More often than not, we have set this up ourselves.  We want our dogs to be happy, so we spoil them:  our dogs get treats and petting whenever they wish.  It is entirely normal for owners to act this way and entirely normal for dogs to complain when they feel neglected

Identify the Proper Cause of their Barking:

Has something in your dog's environment changed?  A dog's behavior can change quickly when things around them change, and often we as humans are challenged to sense what it is that they are "seeing" that we are not.

• "One of my Pyrs has recently started barking more, because the new neighbors behind us installed a motion light, and every time it switches on, he "switches on".  Have you tried crating the dog during times when you are not home, and also crating him perhaps when he starts barking excessively?  During the night, I close my drapes to diminish the outside stimuli which may cause him to bark more at night.  Sometimes "blocking" their visual can help." - Shannon (previous adopter)

OR...is the barking due to boredom?

Suggestions for curbing undesirable barking behavior:

• First of all, your dog must learn that barking for your attention doesn't work. If he is unhappy outdoors and barking eventually makes you bring him in, he learns that barking gets results. If barking makes you yell at him, well, that's better than nothing. "I'm bored. Maybe I can get them to yell at me again." Although yelling doesn't work, negative reinforcement can still be useful. Perhaps a little story will help explain:
  
  

  "As a veterinary student, I lived in the basement of an animal hospital. We did a lot of boarding, and there were occasionally dogs that barked at night. These dogs were warm and well-fed, with plenty of water.  Their kennels were clean and dry. All they lacked was entertainment. I quickly learned that hollering "quiet" was useless. Here is what worked: I'd put a little water in a Dixie Cup and quietly stand in front of the barker, not saying a word. Within a minute or two the dog would bark again, whereupon I'd immediately dash the water in his face, turn around and go back to bed, all without saying a word. I'd usually have to do this two or three times the first night, once or twice the second night and maybe even once the night after that. Nearly always after the second or third night, peace and quiet."

  
  
  "Quiet" repeated calmly and clearly once or twice in a normal voice will teach your dog to associate the word with water in the face and with not barking. Later, in situations where he would ordinarily bark but stays quiet instead, calmly praise him. 
• A change in environment may help. You could put him at a friend's house for an afternoon or two to vary his routine, often relieving their boredom.
• Some find that using a squirt gun/water bottle can help.  Never squirt them in the face, but often a squirt to their hindquarters when they bark undesirably. 
• When owners feel like they have tried/done everything, then a trainer is often a great suggestion.

Articles of Interest/Suggested Reading:
http://www.milkandhoneyfarm.com/dogs/training.html#Barking
http://www.gpcgc.org/pyrforme.htm
http://dogs.about.com/od/dogtraining/qt/barkingdogs.htm

Purchasing Pet Drugs Online: BUYER BEWARE

READ THESE ARTICLES: 

• FDA Consumer Health Information Article - March 2010
• Online Pharmacies May Not Be Selling Valid Pet Medication - June 2011

When ordering online:

1. Order from a website that belongs to a Vet-VIPPS accredited pharmacy.
2. Mail the prescription provided by your veterinarian to the pharmacy after your pet receives a physical examination.
3. Order from an outsourced prescription management service that your veterinarian uses.