Happy Merry Christmas from MEEEE!

Merry Christmas to everyone! I am so excited to be a member of a family at Christmas for the first time. This morning, mom brought me a little purple baby that smelled just like mom (her sister said it was gross that she slept with it for a week!). She wanted me to carry it around but I know I am not supposed to put my mouth on mom! It took some convincing to tell me otherwise.

Give all your furfriends a hug and a kiss - they have homes for Christmas!

Callie

At Christmas Time

Hello everyone!

My mom wants me to talk about something very important today. Old, homeless dogs.

I was an old, homeless dog when mom took me from that man. I don't think he was going to take me home with him. I don't know what I would have done if mom hadn't "bought" me from him! I am not sure where I would be today, but mom says it could have been at the shelter, a place she visited yesterday with her sister.

I knew mom was upset because she showed me articles in a big paper book about a dog named "Hopper". I could see that he had age on his face around his mouth like I do. Mom told me he was even older than I am (14) and that he didn't have a home for Christmas like I do. He was at the Ess Pee Cee Eh, and he couldn't find a home because sometimes he couldn't hold his pee. Mom and her sister were pretty sad and said they wanted to bring him "home for the holidays" but the old man and woman said "absolutely not!". They decided that even if they couldn't bring Hopper home, they would go visit him at the Ess Pee Cee Eh Shelter.



So mom and her sister bought some toys and treats and went to the shelter to visit Hopper. They were really happy when they got there because the girl working there said Hopper had just found his new home! The best part is that he went home with a veterinarian (just like the nice lady who looked me all over a few months ago) who will be able to look after his problems. Mom said it might be Hopper's last Christmas, then she said she hoped it was not MY last Christmas! I hope it's not mine either, because I love mom and I want to spend more time with her.

Also, while they were at the shelter, mom and her sister met a dog named Cyrus. Mom said he had kind eyes and sat close to the wire in his pen so she could scratch his back and shoulders. He was quiet and didn't bark a lot. He is 6 years old. Mom said sometimes dogs that aren't puppies anymore (no matter how much like a puppy they feel!) sometimes have a hard time finding homes because they aren't as cute as puppies (I don't know what she's talking about, she tells me I am "soooooo cute!" every single day, so I don't know...). Mom especially loves old dogs because she says they are really "appreciative" - I am not sure what that means but mom tells me it is like how I love all of the things she does for me, even though she doesn't have to.

Mom really wanted to bring Cyrus "home for the holidays" but she said that she thought that the old man and old lady that live here might "tear her head off" if she did that! I say the more the merrier, but apparantly the old man and old lady haven't gotten that memo yet!

If anyone in New Brunswick would like to meet Cyrus, he is at the Fredericton Ess Pee Cee Eh, and he is still waiting for a new home. He has "kind eyes" and mom loved him!



Mom said there is also another dog there that reminds her and her sister of Bella-the-bad-dog, but he is not on the Ess Pee Cee Eh website yet. He barked a lot and then looked at them and mom said it was just like looking at the REAL Bella. She thinks that someday Bella could have ended up at the same place, too, because she can be hard to get along with - for dogs AND for people.

Mom also said she would probably never buy a puppy again. She loves old dogs like me, and she told me about her other old dog, Sarah, that left the house about a year before I came - she was 13 years old and a great dane like Sasha. She says puppies are cute but old dogs are "the best".

So everyone, if you are thinking about getting a dog for the holidays, please consider an old dog at a shelter or rescue. They can sometimes be a challenge (ask mom about the trouble she had getting me to take my medicine at first!), but they usually come around and there is nothing better than making sure an old folk like me is loved in their last days.

Merry Christmas and Happy Howlidays,

Callie-dog.

A Sad Day

I never got to meet Tara but I know she and her family are very special to my mom and her sister because I heard her talking about them all the time. Mom gave me an extra hug tonight and I knew she was sad. I heard her say something about a dog named Tara passing away.

Mom said that Tara and I were a lot alike. We both love our moms (her mom's name is Amy) and we both like soft toys that squish. We both had gray around our muzzles and we're both around the same age. I know my mom would be really sad if I left her unexpectedly like Tara had to leave her mom, but I know my mom knows I would wait for her at Rainbow Bridge and I hope that Tara's mom knows the same thing.




Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Sad hugs and licks for Amy and her family tonight,
Callie

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hi guys!

I am so excited that there has been snow the last few days! It's starting to go away with the warm, wet weather, but for a few days there, I had a lot of fun sliding through the snow, running and pouncing on the other dogs!

I feel better and better every day, and mom is glad to see it. Who cares if I have to eat pills? I have the energy and feel good enough to play with the other dogs. I especially like harrassing Sasha, even though she is twice my size. I don't even remember why but we got into a little scuffle last week. Mom didn't believe her sister when she told her that I was picking on Sasha... I don't know why I did, I love Sasha!

Mom took some pictures of all of us playing in the snow last week so I thought I would share:



What is this stuff?



Bella really seems to like the snow!



She is an amazing jumper!



Dashing through the snow...

Speaking of Christmas, at Aunt Sarah's prompting, mom wanted me to put together a Christmas list...

- A soft, cuddly toy that will fit in my mouth so I can carry it around.
- A new, girly collar and leash
- Soft, chewy treats (hard ones don't work because my teeth don't chew good!)

That's all I can think of. I don't want much, because I have way more than I ever imagined I could have before I came to live with mom - my own nice crate, a soft pillow, water and food dishes, and someone to pat me and play with me! I think my new home is the best Christmas gift of all!

Happy Howlidays!
Callie-dog

My new game

Hey everyone!

Nothing very exciting has happened over the last couple of weeks, except that I discovered that I love soft, furry toys. Mom and her sister keep talking about Christmas and what I might want, and I think I would like a soft, fluffy toy to sleep in my crate with me, especially if mom makes it smell like her!

Speaking of my crate and mom, I have started a new game. She goes to this thing called "work" at night now, and gets home pretty late. While she is gone, I take her orange shoes and hide them in my crate. She wears them when she is home, walking around in the house. I like to keep them in there because they smell like mom and also because it means she has to climb inside of my crate to get them when she gets home, and I always make sure to give her a big sloppy kiss when she does!

The weather lately has been really wet and so I have been really sore. I still play even though it hurts a little bit. Mom even told me some bad news - she has been making sure my pills get into me in that wet dog food. I saw her smashing something up the other day and she told me that the reason I am starting to feel better is because she has been making sure my pills get in my food one way or the other. Oh well, at least I get the yummy dog food that it comes with!

Mom finally got the pictures from my bath onto her computer so she wants me to share. She says my coat has gotten shinier and smells a lot better since I had my bath, and it might also be the good food I am finally getting. She wants me to remind everyone how well behaved I was in the bath tub, she was very proud! After the bath, she wrapped me up in some soft cloth and I got to sit on the couch!




"Mom - why do you do this to me? I thought you loved me!"



"Does this robe make my nose look big?"



Mom says: "Babushka! You came to visit us from the old country!"


Licks and tail wags!
Callie

PS: Mom says to keep a watch out for a "cute" video of my eyebrows in a couple of days!

It's been a while...

Well, my mom went away for three days and just got back. Her sister and the old lady also went with her and took Zoey and Stinky. I wish they would have taken me but at the same time, I don't think it would have been very nice because I don't really like travelling and Stinky told me it was a very long ride and they stayed in their crates a lot - I would not have minded that part so much.

Anyways, it was just me and Morrie, Gypsy, Bella, Sasha and the old man. The old man put a fence around the front yard so we wouldn't run away. This means that I got a lot more playtime than I usually do, and I spent a lot of time running around and playing with the other dogs. I really do like playing and I feel better and better everyday. It must be because mom stopped making me swallow those icky pills in peanut butter. She did leave some of that wet food with the old man for me, in specially labelled containers in the big dog food box that is cold and he put some on my food every day like a good servant.

I really did miss mom when she was gone, though, and I have not left her side since she got back. I don't want her to go away again! She told me she has another day off work before she has to go back again so I can be with her some more.

Now I need to go lay on mom's lap for a while and do normal stuff like watch Oprah and Dr Phil.

Love and kisses,
Callie

I love kids!

So last night, mom had some kids over to visit. I had to stay in the house most of the time because they were in the barn and I love to go eat giant dog poop... mom gets worried because sometimes I get too close to the big dogs in the barn and she tells me if I get any more lame, I won't be able to walk at all!

Anyways, after they were finished with the really big dogs, mom came and got me and Sasha, Morrie and Stinky. She let us outside and the two little kids were standing there. I was so excited to see little people that wanted to meet me that I ran right up to them, wiggling my bum like crazy. The littlest one was a girl and I heard her mom telling my mom that she doesn't like german shepherds, but she seemed to LOVE me! She leaned right down and patted me and kissed me, and so did the other one.

I loved visiting with them and I hope mom brings kids to visit more often. They are the perfect size for patting me!

Also, I've been pretty happy because mom stopped trying to sneak giant pills into weeners or a wad of sticky peanut butter (she stopped trying because I can pick the pills out of both the weeners and the peanut butter and spit them out in my bed). Now she gives me a soft food on top of my regular food, just a little bit. It has little white flecks in it and smells really fishy, but I know mom is not hiding anything in there! She can't be, because I can't feel the pills! (But I did hear her complaining to the old man that the "pill crusher" (whatever that is, it sounds good because it destroys icky pills!) hurts her hand.

I'm so smart, figuring out how to get her to stop giving me pills!

Hahaha,
Callie

What's that smell?

Well, I can tell you that smell is not me anymore!

A couple of days ago, the old lady (with no pants on sometimes) took me into a small room that had a lot of white in it. My mom was looking for me and looking for me - inside and out. The old lady helped me into a big bowl and then turned on some water. She put the water all over me and scrubbed me before mom finally found us in there! Mom said I was being a really good girl in the bathtub and she even took some pictures, but her interwebz is working funny again so she can't put them on the computer yet. I didn't mind the bath so much but I hated it after mom and the old lady used some cloth to lift me out and then I was just wet and waiting to dry.

It took a long time for me to dry and it was kind of cold out so I was doing my pee and poo really quickly so I could come back into the warm house! I think I like this bath thing because I smell good and mom pats me more. She says my breath still smells but it's not so bad now that my fur smells good and is all shiny. Now the big problem is that a lot of my hair is coming out - mom calls it "shedding" - and my hair is all over the place. Actually, this isn't so much a problem for me but mom has trouble finding hair-free hands to eat food with and do other things!

I have been feeling better these days - mom keeps telling me it's the big white pills that she is giving me but I don't believe that anything that icky to swallow can be good for me! Anyways, the other day, I made mom laugh and almost cry because I peed and then ran back to her and slapped my paws on the ground, trying to get her to play. She was really excited that I was "instigating play" and she told everyone a million times and she looked really proud. Everytime I run around like a puppy, it makes her laugh and smile.

Speaking of pills, mom got me some new ones today. They are big and clear and the fluid inside smells fishy to me. She tried to trick me by crushing up the glucosamine and then squeezing out the fishy ones and mixing it all in peanut butter... but I was not fooled. It was gross, but she pushed it in my mouth and made me eat it. I am not tricked when she tries to put the pills in weeners, either. I am just way too smart for her!

Tonight, I went out for my pee with mom and ran around and played all silly like and then we came back inside. Zoey and Morrie were bad dogs and went to visit the neighbor so the old man went to get them and when they came back, someone (and I am not pointing paws, but he is brown and his name starts with an "M" and ends with an "orrie") smelled terrible. Mom and her sister made awful faces and hid their noses and mouths and screaming "SKUNK! SKUNK!". I don't know what a skunk is but if that's what it smells like, I never want to meet one! Right now, Morrie is in the bathtub, taking a bath. He doesn't like them as much as I do (well, I don't like them, but I don't hate them). He whines and claws and tries to get out. Mom says he deserves it for being too friendly with the skunk... I'm just glad I'm not the stinky one anymore!!

Holding my nose,
Callie

Happy Howl-oween, everyone!

Happy Howl-oween, everyone!

Guess what I am this year?

A lapdog!!!

This is a picture of me sitting on the old lady's lap - I got up all by myself, without any help. She was surprised and I was happy!

Mom uploaded a video of my sore leg. We are not sure how many x-rays it will take to find out what is wrong up there, but hopefully not too many. She just wanted to show everyone how much of a 'hitch' in my 'getalong' I have. She also says to ignore the junk in the background, that was right around fall cleanup time!

I don't have to go outside on a leash anymore - when it is mom I am with, I usually stay quite handy and I have learned really well that when my mom says "Callie!" in a high voice, I am supposed to come back to her.

It took mom six pieces of weener to get me to eat my medicine this morning. She said she might try and change me over to a new food that has some of that good stuff already in it so I don't have to keep eating all those pills.

Back from the vet!

So today, mom took me to the vet and it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. I didn't really like travelling in the car, but I didn't get sick - I just drooled a lot. Mom sure must have been glad that she brought something to cover the seat!

The lady at the desk was very nice and talked sweet to me. She told me that I was beautiful and she told me I had very nice toenails - mom was extra proud of that because we trimmed my toenails a few days ago and I never put up a single ounce of fuss! She put me on the scales and I weighed 76lbs - that is only four pounds less than Bella, mom tells me, and Bella is about four inches taller than me!

Then the lady at the desk took us in a room and we waited. I sat on the floor, even though it was pretty hard and cold. Mom said she should have brought me a blanket, but I made myself comfortable eventually. I have a lot of extra padding and extra fur, so it worked out alright.

The vet lady was very nice and she crouched down and made friends with me, talking nicely and stroking my face. She tried to feed me some treats but I was way too jazzed up to even take weeners from mom.

She looked in my ears and in my mouth, she stuck something cold in my bum (Mom was really proud that I never even looked sideways when this happened), felt my hips and my shoulders, listened to my heart, then she got down and patted me again. We went outside and mom walked me back and forth so she could look at how I walk. I really liked her, and eventually, I even took a treat from her... I spit it right out and mom picked it up and I ate it from her hand.

The vet lady and mom talked a lot about the different things that mom can do to make it hurt less when I move around. She thought it was a "terrible shame" that the man who kept me let me get this way, and mom agreed. I think that this means more icky pills, but I'm not sure. Mom also said she might change my food to something that has stuff in it so I might not have to eat as many yucky pills... but mom knows all about that stuff. I'll let her have the keyboard now!

Love yous!
Callie

Hi readers;

To be clear, my main goals in vetting Callie were to address the issues of her worn down teeth, her loose hips, and her stiffness in her front right shoulder. I also sought the advice of the vet on spaying and other procedures I felt Callie may require.

To start, and make Callie more comfortable, Dr MacArthur prescribed 2000mg of Omega 3 fatty acids daily, 2000mg glucosamine daily (I had already started her on this), and 1600mg chondroitin sulfate daily, as well as a prescription of Meloxicam for the pain. I knew about the Meloxicam prior to this visit as I spoke directly to the pharmacist where I had acquired the glucosamine and he mentioned that he mixed it for another canine patient and it ended up being substantially less expensive than Medicam, which is the animal grade option. I mentioned this to Dr MacArthur as we were talking about markup on meds and she wrote out a prescription - I'm not sure she would have thought of it had I not mentioned it, glad I remembered!

She recommended select blood tests to check for heartworm and lyme disease, which could be affecting her mobility, as well as the state of her kidneys in relation to the proposed long term use of painkillers. The hips, she more or less said there was little that could be done for them (aside from a full hip replacement!) and thus prescribed the meds. She would like to have an x-ray of the front shoulder done to see exactly what we're dealing with and what sort of physical rehabilitation could be done as she has completely wasted away the muscle on that front shoulder (the other is fairly scarce of muscle as well). I have also noticed Callie tucking that paw under from the first joint when she lays down or stands, as though she has no feeling in it at all.

I was pleased that Dr MacArthur was realistic about this treatment, the expense, and the options that truly exist for a dog of her age that aren't invasive enough to affect quality of life. She also recommended not spaying her at this age. I tend to agree.

Overall, the estimation for the work that Callie presently needs is between $305 and $429 and include:

Prep panel & PCV - $55
4dx snap test (HW/lyme/ehr/anaplasma) - $43
Pre-Anesthetic Medication - $15
Anesthesia (IV) - $47
Radiograph 14 x 17 (2) - $110

Tax - $35.10

Total - $305.10 - which can go up, depending on how many radiographs they need to truly see what is in there.

They require the anesthetic for the x-rays because the position in which they have to place her to acquire the correct photos are unnatural and probably painful. I plan to have the blood tests done on a visit prior to x-rays so we can be certain that anesthetic will not be harmful to her.

Dr MacArthur was not concerned about Callie's teeth or infection. A veterinary dentist would likely order them removed immediately, but she has no trouble eating and is at no risk for infection, so we believe that she will be fine. Should they trouble her, they will be something we will address.

I have been in contact with the local GSD rescue and they are on "backup" should Callie's medical bills become too much of a burden for me financially - I am a waitress - I have to be realistic about what my options are. Should the GSD rescue take Callie, they would foster her and raise the money for her to have the treatments required, and then adopt her out to a new home. Callie has been shy (if it were not apparant from her blog) and has slowly but surely, every day, come out of her shell little by little. I feel it would set her back to be moved not once, but twice, and to different vets. I very much want to keep her, but I hope that I am not being selfish - this is my biggest concern over everything. I have fallen completely head over heels in love with this dog, but I want the best for her in all cases. I do not believe that "the best" for her necessarily means invasive orthopedic surgeries, but even just the most comfort possible until she is ready to cross rainbow bridge.

There is something about old dogs - how gracious and appreciative they are, that really makes me stop and think. We could all learn a lesson from the capacity for love and forgiveness that Callie has shown coming into our home and, in her typical, quiet, noble way, settling in and just enjoying loving and being loved.

I thank you all for your well wishes and good thoughts!

Amanda

I hate glycasa.. gluconti... glucoglomee!

Well, lots of things have been happening over the last few days. Yesterday was a pretty big day for me.

First, in the morning, I was sitting in my crate and mom was sitting on the couch near my crate. Morrie got up on her lap and he was wiggling all over and giving her a lot of kisses and I got pretty excited - he is awfully big to be a lap dog, maybe I wasn't too big afterall! And she didn't seem to be getting mad... so I went over and before mom noticed me, I got my paws up on the couch and I was pushing against her with my chest, trying to get up. My back legs aren't as strong as they used to be so she had to give me a little lift, but I gave her kisses all over her face and settled in. I spent about an hour just sitting on her lap and laying on her while she watched Dr. Phil and Ellen. She kept patting me and patting me... she's soft and comfortable, and I love her so much!

Then, she and her sister went away for a little while. When they came back, mom called me into the kitchen... she had my FAVOURITE treat... she calls them 'weeners' and they are delicious! Anyways, she gave me the weener and it felt a little funny in the middle, but I swallowed it up and two more pieces. Mom looked all pleased with herself, like a dog that ate a cat for dinner, and then she told her sister that I didn't even notice the glucica... glucosa... 'glucosamine'! Today when she tried to give me those pills again, I ate two pieces and left about half of the third. She was kind of disappointed with me and she told me that I need to take these pills to make my shoulder feel better and my back legs stronger. She says I will move a lot easier if I just take the pills like a good dog.

She told me she has a doctor's appointment for me on Thursday. It has been a long time since I have seen a doctor, so I don't remember when the last time was or even if I really like a doctor or not! Mom said if I am really good, she'll give me lots of weeners and she told her sister she hopes that I don't bite the doctor. I don't like biting, but I have discovered I like licking quite a lot!

Lately, mom has been calling me out of my crate and then closing the door behind me so I have to stay out. I am even coming out of my crate when Bella is sniffing around. Mom always makes sure she stays away from it while I'm not right there to protect it - she says "Bella, that's rude! You would never tolerate her doing the same thing to you!" I really don't want to make mom mad so I am trying not to get so worried everytime Bella comes near my crate.

Mom also changed things a little bit so I have a bowl of water in my crate with me at night. She is really happy that I haven't made any messes in the house and it helps me to eat my kibble more easily to have some water to swallow it down with. I have one tooth that is a little broken off and a few more on the bottom that are kind of short so it helps me to have something to wash down the good food mom gives me with. I was having a hard time eating everything she gave me before, but now that she gave me the water, I eat it all up like a good girl!

I miss mom a lot when she goes away to what she calls 'work' (I don't know where it is but she leaves the house sometimes for a few hours at a time), so today, I got her orange plastic shoe that she wears around the house and kept it in my crate with me so I would have something to help me think of her while she was gone. When she got home, she crawled right inside my crate (did I tell you already that my crate is big enough that mom can get in it with me?!) and took it out, but I think when she leaves tomorrow, I will take it again.

Mom told me one of her friends (Hi, Sarah!) told her that I need to have a Christmas wish list. Right now, I like weeners and squishy squeaky balls. Mom says that by Christmas time, she is sure I will know some other things that I like (she tells me there is a whole world of toys out there that I haven't met yet!), and if I need some more help from the doctor that mom can't afford, we can maybe add some of that stuff to my Christmas list. Mom doesn't want to ask people for help if she can help it though... so I will have to start thinking about my Christmas list, then. Thanks a lot, Sarah, I didn't even know that dogs can get gifts for Christmas!

Lick, lick, lick, AND LOVE!

Callie

Good news!!

Hi!

I am settling in really well and getting along with all the other dogs, even Bella! Today when mom and her sister were watching the tv, mom locked me out of my crate (she says I have to be social!) and made up a little bed by the couch where she was sitting. She called me over (I am learning my name really well!) and I sat down on the little bed and she patted me for a long time. I laid down, and then I sat up, I slept a little bit, I licked mom's face and put my paw on her leg - all the other dogs get up on the couch, I don't know why I can't! Mom and her sister told me I could get up and tried to talk me into coming on there, but I still can't get over the rules - dogs aren't supposed to be on furniture or in laps! Someday, I might try it, but right now I don't want to do anything to make mom mad. After we watched the tv for a while, Bella came over and we shared the bed that mom made. It's fine to share beds with Bella when it's not in my crate. Even though there is lots of room in my new crate, I don't want her in there with me, and mom says she doesn't blame me. That dog is bony and too big!

I'm very excited today because mom told me that I can stay. Well, there are some conditions. She said we are going to see the vet this week to see what kinds of things I might need done. She really wants to make my sore leg comfortable. We will talk to the vet and see what they think about what we can do to make my pain go away. I don't even remember how I hurt it, it was so long ago, so mom says it might take some medicine or it might take a surgery. If the surgery is too expensive, mom was talking to a nice lady named Leah with the East Coast German Shepherd Rescue today and mom said that if it is too much for her to handle, she will find me a new home that can afford to give me the care I need.

I really love my mom and even though I knew all along this was temporary, I would really like to stay. I am beginning to love my new family, and I like going outside and I've even started to try and play with Morrie and Stinky a little bit! I can get along in pretty much any home now, I think, that I have met all these new dogs and proved that I don't react to very much.

Mom says that it seems like every day, my tail wagging gets stronger and stronger, and my smile gets bigger. Farm life really suits me. The old lady and old man who live here are getting ready to build a really good, dog proof fence, so mom doesn't have to come and watch me pee all the time - it's embarrassing!

My mom says she will make sure to let everyone know about all the technical stuff with my visit to the vet this week that I don't understand, and she also wants me to pass on another thank you message for all the kind words and thoughts we have gotten over the last week over the interwebz. She told me that my Facebook fan club had 18 members before and now it has 45 members, so people are hearing my story and learning about dogs like me!

Licks!

Callie

Interwebz

Hi!

I haven't been able to write an entry for a few days because mom said the 'interwebz' is down. Now we're back in action and she says I can write as much as I want!

Things are getting really comfortable here. Bella doesn't give me the evil eye as much and the other day, mom caught me playing with Morrie! She said she's never seen me play, and I can't really recall ever playing, either. She also says that I am getting really good at wagging my tail and smiling - mostly when I see her.

My leg doesn't hurt as bad as usual, either, because mom and her sister take me outside a lot and when I move around more, it doesn't feel as bad. Plus, they got me a new crate, it's HUGE! I could have puppies in it if I wanted to - but I don't. I bet I could even share it with Bella if I wanted to - but I definitely don't want to do that!

Mom says she has been getting lots of comments about me and has been talking to a lot of people about me. The old lady got a call from a lady involved with a rescue last night. They would want me to go live there, away from my mom. I don't know... I guess things are comfortable and complicated!

Love and tail wags,
Callie

Coming Out Of My Shell

Hi everyone!

This morning, we all woke up and there was snow on the ground. Mom and her sister don't seem to like it very much - they say it is too early - but I like it just fine! I haven't seen a lot of snow before, just from inside of a chain link run, so I had to explore in it a little bit.

I have discovered that Bella wants to steal my crate. I love my crate, even though mom says it is too small for me and she will get me a new one in a few days. Everytime Bella walks by me when I am sleeping in there, she gives me the evil eye. She can give me the evil eye all she wants when I am not in my crate, but when I am in my house, that's not allowed! Mom usually says something like "Bella, mind your own business!" or "You only want it because someone else has it, Bella!" and she leaves me alone. Sometimes I have to let her know that it's not okay to covet my crate, though. Sometimes mom yells at me for it!

Mom keeps saying she wishes I would come out of my crate more, but I just love to sleep - I can't help it - and sometimes I don't realize that my door is open. It also makes me nervous to leave my crate when Bella is poking around, because she might just steal it when I am not watching! Mom put Bella in her crate last night so I could be comfortable and waited to see if I would come out by myself.

Well, mom and her sister were doing something funny with sharp knives and big round orange things, so I had no choice but to investigate. I came into the place where all the treats live (mom says I have to call it the 'kitchen' and start learning the right words for things!) and watched mom for a while. I smiled at her and wagged my tail, and she told me she loves it when I do that, so I think I will try to do it some more! Then she got down on the floor and snuggled me and snuggled me. I really like it when she does that - no one has snuggled me that much in a really long time! When she was done snuggling me, I laid down on the floor beside her to watch her work. Mom's sister let Bella come out of her crate, but I stayed with mom because she doesn't let anything happen to me.

Mom keeps talking about that operation to make my girl parts stop making puppies. She says she wants me to have one because I don't ever have to have puppies again. Don't get me wrong, I love puppies - but in the place with the man before, I had puppies all the time - and if I didn't have puppies beside me, they were inside me! The man who kept me always took my puppies away too soon, too, and I heard mom say something about a 'pet shop' where puppies go. There were lots of other girl dogs at my old home, and they all always had puppies too. My belly is all stretched out and swingy because I have had so many puppies. Mom says that the place I came from was called a 'puppy mill' and that I am lucky I got to her because some other people said, when she got me, that she should make me have more puppies and make some money, but mom told me that my puppy making days are over. I can be friends with puppies and babysit puppies but I don't have to be responsible for any more.

Anyways, my mom says she can't really afford for me to have that operation yet, but soon. I heard her and her sister saying something about a day called "Christmas" and how they aren't going to give each other gifts, but look after me instead. I hope there is some money left over so they can give each other gifts, too, because I would feel bad if all they got were licks and tail wags!

Mom wanted to say thank you to all the people who joined my Facebook group so they can learn about me!

SMILES and tail wags,
Callie!

My new family

Hi!

Mom says it is important for me to talk about the new family that I have and how much I like them.

There are six other dogs already living at mom's house. They are all pretty nice, and I get along with most of them.

I already talked about Bella - my mom says she is also a German Shepherd Dog, but something seems to have gone terribly wrong with her. She is very tall (much taller than I am, more like my boyfriends were, but she is a girl) and her ears don't stand up good like mine do. Mom says she had a not-always-good life before she came to live with us. She really loves mom's sister and doesn't want me to even look at her. Little does she know that mom's sister pats me in secret! She is a little bit overbearing and sometimes when I am sleeping in my kennel, she stares at me and I think she is telling me she would like to steal my little home. I don't like that very much, but when the home is not in the picture, I don't mind her. She plays really hard with all the other dogs, jumping around and rolling them on the ground.

I also talked about Morrie. He is very friendly and seems to be my best friend here so far. He doesn't care that I am strange, he walks up to me with his bum wiggling. I don't know what happened to his tail but he told me he has to shake his bum so I know he is friendly. He plays with me but not too hard, and he keeps me company when my mom is looking after the really big dogs in the barn. He is pretty small - just a little bit shorter than me and a pretty brown colour with white and tan on him.

Then there are Zoey and Gypsy - they are sisters and very, very cute, if not a little bit weird. Mom says they are the same 'breed' as Morrie, whatever breed means. Gypsy is all black with a little bit of white and long hair, and Zoey is white and black and gray and tan. She has one funny eye that is blue. She is really neurotic about a lot of things. She loves my mom's sister best as well. Gypsy loves the old man and the old woman who live here the most.

Sasha is much bigger than me, and fatter too (I didn't know that was possible!). She is all black and tan all over and her 'breed' is something like german shepherd.. or german dane... or great shepherd... oh! GREAT DANE! She is older and wiser than even me (at least I am not the oldest lady here) and she plays sometimes, and she's pretty friendly. She loves everyone equally, but I think mom's sister loves her best.

The last dog, I don't know her name. Everyone calls her something different and sometimes the same person calls her something different. Sometimes she is called Tinky, sometimes she is called Stinky, sometimes mom's sister calls her Tinkerbelle - I just don't know what to think! She is little and cute but she barks at me. She is always sitting on the old lady's lap, I don't know why! Dogs aren't supposed to get on furniture or in people's laps but the dogs who live here at mom's house obviously don't know the rules the right way!

There are also some little things that go 'meow' around here. I am not sure if I like them or not. One of them got too close to my kennel last night right before mom went to bed so I barked at her - mom told me to be quiet, even though it was the first time she had ever heard me bark!

Love and tail wags,
Callie

P.S. My mom wanted me to share this picture of myself. I don't know why. She said I looked really pretty in it with the grass all dead behind me. I was just waiting for my mom and then I saw her and she took this picture of me with her big funny camera!

Introductions, Introductions!

Hi, my name is Callie.

I don't think I'll be very good at this, but my mom wants me to share my story.

You see, she tells me I came from a very bad place. I try not to remember much of it if I can help it, but she keeps telling me that people will realize how special I am if I tell the story as best as I can.

I just met my new mom three days ago. She is tall and loud and sometimes she trips when she is taking me out to pee, but I like her okay.

Three days ago, I woke up like normal, in my run. The man who kept me in my run got me out of my bed and put me in a big crate on the back of his truck. I didn't know where we were going, and he had never taken me anywhere before, so I didn't know what was happening. It was pretty cold on the ride, but I got to snuggle up with Blackie, my friend, the cocker spaniel on the way there. I really like other dogs and Blackie was nice to me.

When we got where we were going, the man who kept me made me stay on the back of my truck. I didn't know it then, but my new mom and her sister walked by me a couple of times. Mom's sister thought I was really cute and was really impressed that I didn't make a noise when they walked by. She said something about someone named "Bella" not being very good like I was.

I waited and waited a long time for the man who kept me to come back and when he finally did, he left Blackie in the crate and let me get down. My leg that bothers me was really sore after staying cooped up in that crate for so long, but he wanted me to walk, so I walked. We went up a hill through some leaves and I noticed there were a lot of kids screaming and running around, but it didn't bother me... nope, not at all.

The man who kept me stopped to talk to some other men and while we were standing there, my new mom's sister came over to visit me. The man who kept me wanted her to take me for a walk but she said no thank you, she just wanted to pet me. She was very soft and gentle and she looked like she wanted to cry. She left, talked to my mom (even though I didn't know that she was my new mom yet!), and then came back and her eyes were red. She asked the man who kept me if I was for sale (what does 'for sale' mean?) and what he 'wanted' for me. He said 'Fifty dollars.' (whatever that means!) and then my mom's sister got upset again and went away. I saw her talking to my mom again, but then the man who kept me made me move... boy was my leg sore. I really needed to run around a little bit but he kept me on a short rope by his side. I didn't want to make him mad, so I did what he told me to do.

The man who kept me leaned up against a car and all of a sudden, there were at least eleventy one thousand people surrounding me, but they weren't looking at me. A man was talking fast into a thing that made his voice louder and he kept saying numbers. Finally, the man talking into the thing that made his voice louder stopped and talked to the man who kept me. He said, into the thing that made his voice louder, that I was a 'purebred german shepherd dog', and that I was eight years old (at least he got that part right!), he said I had been 'lame' for five years, but I can't count really well so I don't know if it was that long or not. My mom told me later that I would go and see someone called "The Good Doctor" as soon as she gets her paycheck, whatever that is. I have lived with this sore leg for a long time so I think I can hold out until whenever that is.

Anyways... the man talking into the thing that made his voice louder said 'Let's start the bidding at twenty-five dollars.' No one said anything. I could see that my-soon-to-be-new-mom was looking at me like she might throw up. The man said 'How about ten dollars?'. I saw my new mom raise an orange card she had in her hand and then the man said 'Going once, going twice, SOLD to number twenty seven!'. Then my new mom cut through the big group of people and took the rope the man who kept me was holding. I didn't really want to leave the man who kept me because I thought he might get mad if I went away. My new mom was shaking really hard and she looked like she might throw up and cry all at the same time. She talked really nice to me in a very good sounding voice and I finally walked away from the man who kept me.

Then my new mom's sister walked up to us and she said 'Is she ours?'. She talked to my new mom for a little while but I was a little bit distracted by the delicious smelling sandwich she had in her hand. Finally my mom said something about something called 'treats'. Pretty soon, she shared her sandwich with me and it tasted SO good! I think that is what treats are. Since I got home, she started taking something out of a big white box full of good smelling things and telling me that THAT was 'treats' too... so I guess treats is whatever I get to eat out of mom's hand! My new mom and her sister talked to me really nicely and fed me some treats, and then we walked around. I met some funny looking little animals that made weird noises like 'baaa' and 'gobble gobble' and one that went 'eeee - oooooonnnn! eeee - ooooonnn!'. I think my new mom and her sister thought I would be scared but I wasn't, I wanted to find out what was making those funny noises!

Soon, it was time to go back to what my mom called 'the farm'. We walked by the man who kept me's truck, and I thought I should get in so he wouldn't be mad, but my mom and her sister took me to another car and I got to ride in the back seat! My mom's sister and me and another old lady went for a drive and went where my mom's sister called 'home'.

My mom wasn't there, but my mom's sister set up a little bed in a nice crate that didn't have walls, just bars, so I could see everything around me. She put it in what she called a 'barn'. Get this, they had other great big dogs in the 'barn', too! They're funny colours and they're way bigger than me, and they don't bark, but I am positive that these are dogs. Mom and her sister and the old man that lives here all lead them around on ropes, just like dogs, and they stay in big kennels at night and in the day, they get to go out in runs.

Anyways, my new mom came to visit me and played with me a little. She said that my old name was 'Senta' (news to me!) and that because I got a new beginning, I got a new name, too. Mom's sister picked out 'Calypso' and they call me 'Callie' for short. We played in the 'barn' for a little while, then my mom and her sister left.

It was pretty dark, and it was pretty cold, and all the big dogs were outside, so I started to howl, because I wanted my new mom to come back and play with me for a while. The old man that lives at the farm came to the barn and told me to stop making such a rukus! Then his eyes got really soft and he got out my rope and took me to the big house. He kind of walked around and got the attention of my mom who was inside. He told her I was 'crying' and she needed to do something, so she came outside, and oh my goodness!

MORE DOGS! I can't believe how many dogs mom and her sister already have. They have big dogs and little dogs - I am an 'in between' sized dog here. There was one that looked a lot like me, except bigger, and skinnier. My mom's sister tried to put her on a rope and bring her over to meet me except she pulled my mom's sister and almost knocked her over. Finally, my mom took her (she is bigger than her sister, I think she is older, but I could be wrong!), and she kept saying 'Bella, be nice!' - I think this is the bad dog I heard mom and her sister talking about before.

Bella was okay, but she was really interested in me. I like to take the time to get to know someone before they smell me in my private parts! It was a little bit overwhelming but I played nice because I knew my mom wanted me to. Finally, mom took Bella off her rope and took my rope. They stayed close to me in case Bella got too friendly again. I think mom was worried because I am old and Bella is young and I heard her say she 'plays too rough' with the boy dog that my mom also has.

His name is Morrie and I really like him! He's friendly and he's a little playful, and he's not too much to handle, like Bella and the other big, black dog are. He's smaller than me, but he's not afraid. He really likes mom and he keeps me company when mom takes me to the barn while she takes care of the really big dogs.

My mom says she doesn't think I can stay here. She has too many dogs and not enough money to get an operation she says I need so that my girl parts won't make more puppies. She told me she really likes me and she wants to make sure that I find the right 'forever home', but sometimes when she doesn't think I (or the old man and lady that live here) are listening, she and her sister talk about letting me stay here forever. I understand if I have to live somewhere else, and I think mom will help me find the best home, ever. I bet she will even visit me... she'll really miss me, and I know it's true, because she already starts to cry a little when she talks about me going to live at a new home, and I've only been here three days!

Okay, okay... mom says I have to get my rest tonight. She is going to be home tomorrow and she wants me to tell you all about my brothers and sisters!

Peace and Tail Wags,
Callie