And?

It was an anxious drive out to the lake after work! I had no idea what to expect when I got home - would I find destruction or a happy household?

Well, the bad news is that I found destruction...

...but the good - no, GREAT - news is that it had nothing to do with Boone! The house was exactly as I left it this morning! Whew, what a relief! (He had dug a small hole near the bottom of the ramp, but that is small beans!)

I am very proud of him - he really is a GOOD boy!

My new fence did not fare as well as the house. A dead tree from the neighbors yard fell and took out a section of the fence. Still, I have to look on the bright side - it is better for it to fall on the fence than on the house!

Home Alone!

I almost changed my mind. I almost brought Boone to stay with my son at our house in town today.

It had to happen sooner or later, so I decided not to put off the inevitable - Boone is staying at the cabin with the other dogs today. No human present...just the dogs - Flip, Frank, and Polly...and the cat, Fluffy.

Am I nervous? Absolutely! I don't want to come home to a house that has been torn up, but I have to have faith that Boone is comfortable and secure enough not to freak out. I also hope that the other dogs will provide enough of a distraction that Boone won't get bored and go looking for mischief.

Guess I'll find out later today...

Good dog, Boone!

Good Dog!

It is hard to believe that this dog was within hours of being euthanized because of his behavior!  He is such a happy, well-behaved dog and seems to be 180˚ from his previous self!

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop...  ;-)

Of course, he really hasn't been fairly tested yet. I got him Friday evening and was with him through Monday. Tuesday he went to day care; Wednesday he stayed with my son Matt; and Thursday he was back at daycare. I will be home through Monday of next week, and he will go to day care on Tuesday. We'll see whether I am brave enough to leave him here at the house with the other three dogs on Wednesday!

He did pass a small test today. I went into town to pick up a few items and was gone about an hour. All was in order when I returned, so that was a good first step!

We also got past the lawn mower hurdle this morning. I was unable to finish mowing last weekend because Boone was bound and determined to eat the lawn mower! Today I took a broom handle out with me and used it as a barrier between Boone and the mower. I pushed the mower around for a few minutes without being turned on and let him know that I wanted him to stay away. I spoke sternly if he got too close but didn't touch him with the handle. Eventually I started the mower and continued to keep him away from the mower. After about 20 minutes, he was on the porch watching and I was mowing!

Good dog!

He is even willing to share when necessary...

I know there is a home for him out there somewhere! He needs a calm, patient person or family that is willing to  take the time to work with him and make him feel safe and secure. He will reward you with love and loyalty! I think he will do best in a home with other dogs that are comfortable and well-adjusted but willing to play.

First Day

Boone spent his first day at day care today! He was very happy to be there, and his tail was wagging his whole body as he pushed his way through the door to get in.

I called the day care about halfway through the day to see how he was doing and was told, "He is the perfect candidate for day care because he has a universal play style!" My interpretation of that statement was that he played well with everyone, and the caretakers confirmed that when I picked him. They stated, "He played with everyone and played WELL with everyone."

He was definitely dragging when he left!

It won't be a surprise to anyone who has read other postings in this blog to see where he is at while I write this post...

Ready for Day Care!

Boone went for his temperament test to see if he can attend doggie day care and passed with flying colors! It was interesting to watch him as they introduced the gang to him one by one. At first he kept his teenaged, tough guy attitude but as the room began to fill with many dogs (and most larger than him), he had to let some of that go! He really had a good sense of how to behave with new dogs entering the room every few minutes, and I think day care will be a good experience for him.

He starts tomorrow.

I hope he behaves. I hope he has fun. I hope it wears him out. I hope day care is ready for him!

I wish for him a feeling of comfort and security. He is such a good boy and deserves to be loved forever.

Jekyll and Hyde

So...about those "issues."

Boone is a Jekyll and Hyde dog. When he is around people, he is a wonderful, loving, well-behaved dog. In the two days he has been with me, he has been perfectly calm and gentle.

What, then, is the problem?

I remember when we had Boone as a puppy. I attempted to crate him at night, but he barked for hours. During the day when I went to work, I left him in his crate until my son got up. Too much crate time? Probably so, but it may have also been the beginning stages of separation anxiety. He tore at the bars of metal crate, breaking the welds and bending the wire.

His history in other foster homes and in his second adoptive home also indicates difficulty in being in his crate and destructive behavior when left alone.

No family can be with their animals ALL the time - even when one has an issue with separation. Neither can any family run the risk of having their home destroyed! My feeling is that he needs an experienced owner who is in a situation to have Boone in proximity for the majority of the time and can work with him to help ease his stress.

I am not a dog trainer and have no confidence that I have either the time or skill to be effective in helping him. When I picked him up on Friday, he looked sad and defeated. I want for him to find a family situation where he can go with his owner most of the time or have a family member home with him. A person who works outdoors and needs a companion/helper might be the ideal situation. He is eager to please, seems to be very intelligent, and would be happy to be up and moving.

Tomorrow I will explore one option that may provide him an alternative for the expectation of constant companionship from his owner  that he seems to crave. A day care situation may help give him the human and animal contact to keep him upbeat and on a positive track.

Anyone who can provide the home that this boy deserves? Boone needs you!

The Bed

When I am in the bedroom, Boone is in the dog bed there. When I move to the living area, he moves to the bed there.

He is exploring all the possible ways to lay in his bed!

Needless to say, he likes to be around his people. (Yes, this is one of his "issues.")

Boone's First Year

While Boone's first few weeks of life are a mystery, he made his way to the middle of a Robertson County Farm to Market road at about 8 weeks of age. It is from that vantage point his story begins. In a nutshell, this has been his path over the last year.

It was a June Sunday in 2010 when my neighbors were coming back from their lake home on that very road and saw him sitting there. Of course, they knew this was a dangerous spot for a little guy like him, so they picked him up and took him home. They took him to their vet who examined him, treated him for some scratches, provided necessary vaccinations, and pronounced him healthy.

They considered keeping him, but their two other dogs were quite elderly and were not at all happy with a rambunctious puppy who wanted to play all the time. So they considered their options, which were slim - the animal shelter or finding a home for him.

After exhausting all the leads they had, I received a call. They knew that I had done some fostering and volunteer work for a local animal rescue group. I was able to get him into the rescue group by offering to foster him. He was a happy boy who got along well with my other dogs and cat.

He went to adoptions every Saturday and finally was adopted. A short time later, he was returned because his new owner had lost her job and was no longer in a position to keep him. He spent several months in various foster homes.

Being a rescue organization in a college town is a blessing and a curse! Having students available to foster animals is a great blessing! The fact that many of them are also vet and pre-vet students is an additional bonus. However, students have many obligations and are a mobile population. This makes it difficult to provide consistency for those animals who most need it!

After several months, he was adopted again.

Sadly, this adoption did not work out either, so Boone was back to the rescue group. Summer is a difficult time to find foster homes because so many students are not here. A boarding kennel with large runs and a homey environment became the only place for him to go. After a few weeks, his "issues" proved to be his undoing there.

That is how I now find him back with me, sleeping peacefully in the same bed that he slept in a year ago. My heart breaks for him, and he deserves a better life than this last year has provided him.

An Introduction

Boone is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met. 

Granted, he does have some issues. These issues, in fact, that have put him in a very precarious position. 


He desperately needs a home.


He has been adopted twice and has come back both times. Foster homes have been numerous and well meaning, but they, too, have been unable to meet his needs.  


Now, it seems he has run out of options.