Archive for category: News

After a few weeks Sienna is fitting well, what I mean is she is spoiled rotten! She is a great dog and we love her to death. She gets to sleep with the kids at night, they have to take turns with her. Sienna and the kids have destroyed the tug rope you made, we’ll have to figure out how to get another one. Here are a few pics for you and as you can see she sure has it rough. When we are outside playing bball she wants to play along, she takes the kids to school in the morning, chases the sunlight around the living room to lay in it and in the evening she loves to relax. Thanks for the opportunity to adopt her.

Cliff and Angela Stein

Hello,

I apologize for sending more than one email. Yahoo seems to be picky when it comes to sending both pictures, and videos. Pffft!

Last night, while playing on my husband’s laptop, I found where he saved Brent’s story about how we adopted Boomer in his web browser. He saves it, because he loves to tell people Boomer’s story Forever Home.

And with every story, especially Boomer’s, I thought a few more pages needed to be “written” for the Boomer fans out there.

It’s been a year and a half since Boomer went on his 12 day “camping trip” last year. He disappeared last June when something startled him and he bolted out our front door while my husband was trying to get our Bassetts leashed to go outside. Let me tell you, those were the worst 12 days ever. He and I both felt horrible, because we had just adopted Boomer in April, and now he gets away from us in June. Add to that, as you know, Boomer is very “special” in the sense of his PTSD…so not only was he lost in a foreign area to himself, but having no sense of being able to defend himself, scared of every noise, every leaf that blow in the wind, and every tree branch that moves – we were beside ourselves.

Long story short, we were able to find him, and if it wasn’t for the determination and help of yourselves, and a bunch of Boomer family, friends, and fans, we may never have found him. Since he’s been home, I have seen some really great changes in him.

We’ve had to make a few changes ourselves.

I have to be cautious of our flag that hangs on our porch. Not because Boomer is un-patriotic, but because it hangs higher than the level of his head, and the slightest breeze makes it move. This makes him very, very nervous. BUT – After introducing it to him, and putting it down on his level where he can sniff and investigate, and us humans walking outside ahead of him (on a leash, of course) – he is now used to it and doesn’t duck for cover as soon as he sees it when the front door opens.

The dog leashes hang on a shelf against our wall. As long as we “talk” to him and tell him that he is ok, and he knows they aren’t going to fall off the wall and get him somehow…he sleeps more comfortably in his kennel. He is now aware that the ceiling fan in the living room isn’t going to jump out and get him, either.

Along the way, we have discovered that Boomer eats best if he can eat in his kennel, with the door closed. This eases his “flight” fear (I don’t think he has the “fight” mechanism in him at all) and he doesn’t worry about my two Bassetts stealing his dinner. They’ve done it before, ever so politely, and he just let them have it.

So we had to make an alternate plan. My Bassetts are hogs. ;-)

He has become more adventerous around the house as well. Primarily, Boomer never leaves our front room or dining area. We have a 3 bedroom house, but he won’t go in any of those rooms unless the Bassetts, and the humans are in there. And that takes some serious coaxing. In the living room, he can park himself up against a wall, and see everyone coming from any angle. Or, he likes to loaf in the recliner with my husband and either watch football or NASCAR. (“Man time.”)

He still does not like going outside, because of being “open and exposed.” BUT – I am sooooo glad to say that over the last few weeks, he has proactively gone up to the front door with the Bassetts to go outside. This is stunning and I am so excited about this! He only does it when he really, really needs to go outside, and still stands there and shakes, but he swallows his fear and stands at the door.

In fact, over the past three months or so, Boomer has started to actually GREET PEOPLE who come to visit at our front door! But it’s only a select few, such as myself, my husband, and my mother…who is a huge Boomer fan and loves hearing about his adaptations and “improvements” in her grand-dog. (Plus, it never hurts that “Nana” brings cookies when she comes to visit…Ha ha ha.)

Boomer has also grown when it comes to going for walks outside. In one video, he has actually started to ease up in his defensiveness…and will actually wag his tail a bit when we’re outside.

He has even proactively approached a few fenced-in neighbor dogs on a few occasions when we’re out, too. And wags his tail when he does it.

My husband has been gone since June for school with the Air Force, and just got back two weeks ago. I was so worried and afraid that Boomer was going to go in reverse in acclimating to him being home again. Instead, he has surprised me, and warmed back up to my husband. I am so thankful that my husband is a patient, understanding man with Boomer and his PTSD.

Boomer is exceptionally special to us with his condition. I say this because several of our close friends are Air Force and Marine Vets who have PTSD as well. Whenever THEY come over to visit, they ALWAYS ask how Boomer is doing. They have shared with me things about their conditions, which in turn helps Gordon and I work with Boomer through his.

Humans and animals with PTSD usually have very similiar symptoms…which is why Vets usually do so much better with PTSD service dogs. So, I got to thinking one night…why not figure out how to become Boomer’s “Service Humans?” We’re trying our best.

Anyone who comes to my house knows Boomer before they even walk in our door. They know about his personality, and are heartbroke by his startings in life. They know that they need to get down on his level and let him proactively approach them. They know that when he comes outside to join us on the front porch in the summer evenings, that when Gordon or I open the front door, everyone needs to be still and give him a chance to acclimate and get comfortable on a lap somewhere.

If we need to have someone come by and let our dogs out for us, we give them a complete run down on how to approach him and keep his leash tight when letting him back in the house…otherwise, he panics and will try to go crashing through it. They’re given a complete lesson in the ‘World of Boomer.’

Oh! And I’ve been working on getting him to “speak” for meal time. I wanted him to learn to bark to communicate. He has learned exceptionally fast, and can *almost* do it entirely without being asked to. Sometimes, he’d just prefer to “sing” for it instead. ;-) And I’m ok with that…cause it’s one of the most awesome songs in the world.

Dear Nicole,

I don’t know if you remember me or not, but you dropped me off at boot camp a little more than a month ago (ok, well only 6 days if you’re a human)! My time here has been eventful to say the least……I’m so glad to be out of that kennel! Since you never came back for me, I decided to stick around to see what this new place had to offer.

Sunday evening I had my first full night’s sleep in a comfy bed that I don’t have to share with any other dogs.

The next afternoon, dad was home, and we were playing. He said he and mommy worked only half a day all week so I wouldn’t be scared in my new place…..but just between you and me, I wasn’t scared one bit!
I got to help mommy again, by carrying some of her Tupperware up to the kitchen……her hands were full and I knew it would be worth some awesome brownie points.

That night dad said if I was going to stay, I had to get on a program. A WHAT? I don’t even know what a program is…….next thing I know my dad has me on a scale. I’m like…..who cares what kind of shape I’m in……ROUND is a shape! Dad told mom, “he weighs 65lbs”……like I couldn’t hear him, how embarrassing! From that point on I have been taking walks twice a day. I even tried running with mom, but I’m so fat it’s really more of a wobble. The good news is, I’ve already lost a pound…..so I won’t be pudgy for long!
Oh did I mention we had a Christmas the other day…..? I know, I know Christmas isn’t until December, but I got gifts galore the other day! Check me out with my first rawhide and rope toy. Mommy & Daddy love me, huh?

Lately I have been working on some basic obedience along with my fitness goals…..mainly its comprised of chasing sticks, but I do well at “Heel”, “Sit”, and am currently trying my paw at “Shake” & “Stay”.
Yesterday, I met Izzy, a hound dog/lab next door. You won’t believe it, she’s a rescue too! After our greeting she started barking, mommy says she does that a lot. We get along fine I guess, but I think she’s as annoying as my Humans said she was. I also got to meet Buster. He’s a Jack Russell….. I asked him to come over, but mommy says absolutely no dogs under the fence. Oh well, I still have a nice yard, huh?

Last night I had an accident……..Dad was disappointed in me, he says I’ve been doing so well all week. I suppose I wasn’t thinking about it, and it just slipped. So after being scolded and put outside, I played cute……I think it worked in my favor!

Nicole……you’re not gonna believe what happened today! I was invited to go on the yacht! Ok, ok…..so its not a yacht……but I’ve never been on a boat before. I told my dad, and he assured me I had nothing to worry about. We would have had an awesome time on the high seas…….I even practiced my Gilligan impression, but that darn boat had some trouble starting. Dad worked on it at the lake for a whole hour with no success…..he said it was the something switch, no… no, the transfer relay, no that’s not it either….oh yea, it’s the starter solenoid! I don’t even know what that is, but he says we’ll sail the high seas next weekend!

Anyway….I’ve barked in your ear enough……tell all the pups at INCREDIBULLS that all the neighbors say that I’m the best looking dog in the subdivision……..but we already knew that huh!

God Bless You.
Piglet 2nd “Chance” Pierce