Our "Agressive" Foster Dog Playing With Lola May

Here is Dexter, wrestling with our barely 4lb Chihuahua, Lola May. This went on for nearly thirty minutes and as always, she came out victorious!

Our Latest (Super) Fluffy: Dexter!

Originally named Doodle, our latest Fluffy was a Waggytail return. He had shown some fear aggression issues with his new adopter and we decided that this was something that we wanted to take on. Sure, the easy dogs are wonderful. There is nothing like having a perfect little companion to join your gang, but we like a challenge. Plus, we know that these dogs are harder to adopt out and find foster homes for, so we are happy to work with them until they are ready to go to their new homes. To be able to see these dogs grow and transform is one of the most worthwhile things in the whole world.

Aren't I handsome?

We figured he needed a new moniker to go along with his new start at life, so we came up with Dexter because he is so handsome that he gets away with murder!  He did come with some serious fear aggression issues, particularly towards women, that we believe were a product of his past. His original owner had dropped him at ACC off at just 8 months old to be euthanized! One can only imagine how she had attempted to "train" the poor little guy. Our best guess is with a lot of abusive, negative punishment for him to lash out the way that he does. It is no wonder he was terrified and felt the need to defend himself.

I'm such a mean doggy. Now give me belly rubs.

He does wonderfully with Ross and while I'm gotten my fair share of scrapes, you'd think that Ross had been his best pal for years. The two of them just seem to be soul mates and he listens to his every word. He also absolutely loves playing with Maximus and Rhea and though he is very good with tiny Lola, she is not to fond of his puppy antics. He is wonderful about sharing his toys, has no food aggression issues and while he can get a little growly if you try to take away his rawhide, he will happily trade it for a tasty treat. He sleeps happily in his crate at night and does his business outside, rarely having an accident inside and he is also getting used to the idea of the wee-wee pads in case of a potty emergency.

Patiently waiting for my turn with the toy.

He is a wonderful little dog who just need to go to the right owner who will continue with lots of positive reinforcement, while not allowing him to exhibit aggressive behavior. Chances are that he will be with us for quite some time as he works out some of his issues but we have already seen so much improvement in just one short week! I think with just some TLC, lots of positive reinforcement and some consistency, he will be an amazing pet. That said, he does seem to do better with confident men and is more likely to lash out at women, especially if they seem nervous or tense around him.

We look forward to watching him grow and help him get over his fears and learn that no one is going to hurt him!

Success Stories: From Casper to Jasper

Casper didn't even make it to our Petfinder.com page before we were contacted by good friends of Waggytail Rescue. A lovely family, who had lost their own chi mix earlier in the summer due to a tragic accident, had been looking for a a replacement friend for their remaining Chihuahua who was lost without her companion. Casper had proven himself to be quite loving with his tiny foster sister, so we thought this might just be the perfect match.

Casper, napping with his foster sister Lola May

Well, it didn't take more than a few minutes after meeting Casper for them to decide that this was going to be a good fit for their family. Casper, who now goes by Jasper, is living the life and splitting his time between the Brooklyn waterfront and his new family's home upstate. In addition to a breakfast of high-quality kibble, both he and his Chihuahua sister enjoy home cooked dog-friendly dinners, so he is being spoiled rotten and loving every minute of his new life.

To go from a hoarder in Tennessee with 41 dogs to living the New York high life in a matter of weeks, Jasper really hit the jackpot and we have saved another dog from needlessly being euthanized.

Success Stories: Spanky!

Sailor Spanky of the USS Waggytail has found a loving forever home with a wonderful couple in Brooklyn who has just lost their beloved Chihuahua to kidney failure. We have no doubt that in no time at all, he will be a devout Yankees fan, as he has taken to their family as if he had been there all along.

As usually, he enjoys lounging with his and would like to let everyone know that he is getting lots of and lots of scratches, which keep him incredibly happy He also gets to enjoy outdoor BBQs and knowing him, I'm sure he'll sneak a hot dog or three every now and again.

As you can see, he is one pampered pooch and while he may have had a rough go of it, he is now living in the lap of luxury! Thank you to everyone who sent their well wishes and donated to his medical care. Spanky sends you many, many puppy kisses in return.

Casper the Southern Gentleman

Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of Casper at this time, though we are working on that. Casper appears to be about a 1-2 year old 7 pound Chihuhua/Italian Greyhound mix who came from a hoarder in Tennessee and has been with us for about a week so far. He is the sweetest little thing, with a smile that will warm your heart and while he can be initially shy (though not the least bit fear aggressive and doesn't have a mean, grompy bone in his body), he warms up to people quickly and it is the most magical thing in the world. All he wants is snuggles and scratches!

Safe and happy after his long trip up from TN. Look at that smile!

Coming from a hoarding situation, he still has some housebreaking issues that he needs to work on though he is getting the hang of it with regular walks and will go potty as soon as he goes outside. He needs some work on his confidence as he gets frightened easily, but I think this is something that will easily resolve itself with some consistency and positive human interaction. He gets on great with dogs of all sizes and is wonderful with children. Because of his extremely timid nature, it will be very important that he receives lots of positive reinforcement for good behavior and is given a chance to become more confident.

Taking a happy nap. I love kids and kids love me!

He is still getting over a touch of a cold and we are working on showing the little guy that humans are his friends and that he is not going to get in trouble for eating a meal or taking a treat, so he will probably be up for adoption in about a week or two. He is crate trained - we had him share a crate with our pug mix the first few nights since he was used to be surrounded by so many dogs, but the past few nights he has done just fine on his own and he will let you know in the morning when he needs to go out for his walk.

Overall, I have to say that he is one of the sweetest, most loving and adorable dogs that I have ever come across and he will make a wonderful companion though would probably do best somewhere without too much commotion so that he can feel safe and secure.

[UPDATE] August 21st, 2011: Waggytail Birthday BBQ!

Waggytail is celebrating their birthday and there is nothing more than we would love for you (and your furry friends) to attend! The event is dog-friendly and there will be great food, live music, as well as games, raffles, prizes and drink specials. It is pretty much an event not to be missed and we hope to see you there!

In the unfortunate case that you are unable to attend but would still like to send a birthday gift along to Waggytail, you can always make a monetary donation through our website at Waggytail Rescue but we are also in need of other things for our little pups.

Here are some donation suggestions:

• Gift cards to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's (both have great all-natural dog treats and food and WF even has doggie harnesses)
• Online gift certificates to Petco.com, PetSmart.com, Wag.com, FetchDog.com, Amazon and eBay. (Please send the online certificates to waggytailrescue@gmail.com)
• MetroCards for dog transport
• Postage stamps
• Harnesses for dogs 5-15 lbs

Please send all items to:

Waggytail Rescue

60 East 9th Street, #214

New York, NY 10003

Short-Term Foster Fluffy: Sophia

I've been feeling a little down lately, so one of my foster friends provided me with none other than the most adorable of Pom/Chi mixes to foster for the week. This was a non-Waggy dog who I re-named Sophia (she had originally come with the moniker of Foxy, but that just seemed too LA to me.) Well, after all, she was from LA. She came from a foster group that primarily focuses on saving small dogs from LA's overcrowded shelters and she was a beaut!

Sophia is a young pup - probably just a year old, so having her around was like doggy daycare at my house everyday. Maximus and Rhea were always exhausted at the end of the day and her Royal Highness Lola May was having none of this rambunctious pup, though she always did her best to be civil.

This particular rescue group does adoption events every weekend at various Canine Styles locations around the city, so this pretty little girl was snatched up in no time! Not even one week after coming in to our home, she was already off to her forever home. Even though her visit was brief, we couldn't not include her as she was one of our fluffies and such a lovely and fun loving one at that!