One Month Later

(clicking on pics will enlarge)

Two days from now will mark Month One since we adopted Kaleb. I'll return to blogging more about our plants and plans, but just wanted to get a few more shots (twist my arm!) to chart our constant canine companion's entry into our household.

We hoped for a companion dog that would be bonded to us. I can say, gladly, that one month later our fellow seems to have settled in well.


Because he is a dog formerly owned by others, he came to us understanding simple commands (sit, stay, down, outside, go home) and is not destructive to furniture and furnishings inside when we leave. It is also obvious that he has never been struck/hit, so he is not afraid of hands petting him or signaling him, and we only use positive training ourselves...treats and praise and "uh-oh" instead of a lot of "no" responses. Very happily, he also came to us fully potty trained. The only accidents he's had were unavoidable...parents away too long from home. (Can I just sing the praises of tile floors? :)) He also is very used to being brushed and lying on his side for grooming. Wow, are we thankful!

I think he had a big shedding just prior to our knowing him. Add to that a homemade haircut of most of his fringes and skirt, and we haven't been too sure how they'll grow out. It's looking a little less choppy now. He's had a couple of baths since first arriving, but doesn't seem to need them since. His smell is more "doggy" rather than sour and dirty-smelling...boy did he smell at first.

His "puffs" (rear leg skirts) are fluffing out...maybe they're growing out...let's see how long they get.

Some unpleasant discoveries at the first vet visit (besides the bill, ha) were some broken teeth and too high a parasite load of worms. The good news was that he was heartworm negative and the bloodwork they ran was clear in all other areas. He has the MDR1 genetic mutation that makes him vulnerable to certain common heartworm and worming meds, not to mention other things taken internally, and had had a near-death reaction to one prior to our ever knowing him. One third of all Australian Shepherds and certain other breeds carry the MDR1, and the kindest thing to do is to have yours tested if there's a chance he/she is one of the at-risk breeds. A reaction can kill or permanently damage the dog (it affects the brain), and isn't worth the gamble of taking chances with.

The left side of Kaleb's muzzle/eye area is the "scar side"...he came with a healing bite mark and soon after scratched a gouge under that eye that took a couple weeks to heal. The gouge is now fully healed and returning to its normal hair color and pattern, but the bite can still be seen somewhat.

I'm not sure about coat quality, but the noticeable thing so far is that it's seeming softer.

His feed is now 1 cup AvoDerm kibble + 1 cup cooked mash (my own ingredients) + either 1 cup raw or cooked veg...or a good drizzle of active culture plain yogurt. Twice a day.

Of course there are toys in the equation. I've been educated to the fact that there are few, if any, guarantees when it comes to rawhide chews due to the chemical nature of their processing. A bone-shaped Kong chew with hollow ends is fun for Kaleb when the cavities are filled with a dab of peanut butter and a couple of training treats. I'd forgotten just how inflated pet store prices are on just about everything, and when we needed a leash, we just found a 20' training lead at a discount store, and initially used a choke chain for walking him. But I prefer a regular collar, and after a nasty spill involving my own carelessness and the longer lead wrapped around my ankle (last memory...throwing the tennis ball...then staring at concrete up close and personal, ouch!), we needed a short lead. I found a matching collar and lead online on a military supply site (who knew?) for less than what the pet store prices were, and liked the aesthetics a lot better...here's the lead...

So far, Kaleb will bark when someone enters the house, but won't bark at anyone outside...we're actually hoping he'll bark more. So Jack wants us to give him treats whenever he barks. I'm of the "hmmmm" opinion on that, but it's quite entertaining watching Jack tryinig to talk "dog" and encouraging him by going "woof WOOF" anytime he sees something he wants Kaleb to bark at. I told Jack I think the dog is training him...ha.

Ok, am I just weird or what, but I've always been attracted to beautiful natural fibers. There are so many variations of color and texture on my dog, he's a four-legged Fiber Art.

I don't intend for the blog to become an unending series of doggy portraits while I drone on and on about My Baby. I'm just SO excited that this part of our homestead happened...finally, after so long a wait! Paired with the relief of having paid down a considerable chunk of our debt, it may be boring to others but it's huge for us.

Upcoming posts will be updates, with pics, of some of the plants we planted earlier in the year. We're pleasantly surprised at how they've survived periods of extreme heat, drought, monsoon, and....um....benign neglect :)

If you have updates of your furry (or other animal) homestead residents, feel free to post links in comments...I'd love to see them!

I'm Lovin' My Aussie!

You are one sweet, good-natured, loyal and gorgeous furball, Kaleb...I'm so glad you're part of our family!

Trying to get a picture of Kaleb is an adventure in motion photography. We go for frequent romps outside. He's usually wearing this happy grin.



unless some fascinating smell has to be checked out...

...or he patiently poses for about 2.67 seconds for the camera lady. "Hey lady, the sun's in my eyes"

But the pic makes me laugh...he looks like someone about to deliver a cheesy pick-up line

"Ok, enough of the pictures...let's get this show on the road"

I love my dog!!!!!

Meet Kaleb

We've adopted!!

Despite the blurry pic (my fault, I'm not yet worthy of my camera), this fellow's personality and beauty shine through! Meet Kaleb, our first official farmstead-to-be resident...besides our tenacious goldfish...

He's a five year old Australian shepherd we just adopted yesterday, much to our elation. What a great experience so far, and what a great dog...hooray!! I've been wanting an Aussie for such a long time, but we needed to wait till the right time. For many reasons, the primary one being God's blessing and timing, the day finally came. I'm sooooo happy!

I'm particularly happy because Kaleb is so good-natured and has dealt with the transitions of the past couple days so well. He's good on the lead, enjoys rides in the car/truck, endured a very long trip, and seems to be in good spirits and good health. We'll get things all checked by the vet to be sure on that score. He sleeps right beside our bed and prefers being indoors unless we're outdoors, in which case he wants to be wherever we are. And he's house-trained...double yay!

Here he is all curled up on the cool tile floor. Little does he know a bath is in his future today...

We were fortunate enough to find him via our Petfinder search...there's a story behind that...after having looked and dreamed for several months (maybe longer).

For anyone needing a dog, I can't say enough about all the exceptional dogs needing rescue from shelters. Every region in the US has rescue organizations, usually by breed, and supported by private donation and dedicated foster homes. Every person we've been in contact with through these has been great to work with. When it comes down to it, there are so many dogs to choose from it becomes more of a matter of how to choose rather than availability. We had several different breed mixes in consideration, though we preferred Australian Shepherd. Some of the best dogs I've known are of mixed breeding. We were looking for breeds that met our criteria for farm dog instinct and behavior foremost.

I'm not paid for this plug, but please please consider a rescued dog, even if you're needing a purebred for whatever reason. It ends up that Kaleb is purebred, though we didn't know that initially when we began inquiring about adopting him. Many MANY purebred dogs are turned into shelters ...Googling a breed you love and the word "rescue" and your State will bring up great resources for finding a dog near you who's likely as pedigreed as any breeder's, and many who are not but have the best qualities of the breed and the advantages of hardiness due to being mixed breed.

I could tell you all the individual Aussies listed on our state Rescue pages and in the Petfinder listings, that's how often I looked and bookmarked listings. And I can tell you when most of them no longer appeared because they'd been adopted (more sweet than bitter...it's always a happy thing to see them find a great home). It seems that the individual dogs I was enthusiastic about were quickly adopted out. We weren't yet ready to adopt at that point because of the priority of needing to pay off debt. But you can be sure I had a wish list going for when that day came!More details later (I'm short on time just yet) but Kaleb has been in foster care for several months, which makes it even more amazing to us that he was still available...saved just for us, we like to think :) Again, we thank God!

Our "homestead" is currently one in transition and limbo, and eventually will be in a different location and setting. There are many reasons we want to take on the acquisition and care of animals slowly and deliberately, and with a lot of forethought. A lot of thought and preparation went into this decision because we want a breed and individual dog that would be good with a variety of (future) livestock both big and small, with a protective but not bullying nature towards people, a strong bond to his people and territory, and ability to bark and warn against things that threaten the peace. Because we're in a limiting location at present, we want a dog that can be indoors a lot, but that likes activity and exercise daily. I wanted a companion dog for the times Jack and I can't be together, a dog good with either of us. I like most dogs, but I am really drawn to medium to large sized dogs.

And I particularly love intelligent goofballs ;-) Kaleb definately qualifies...his sense of humor is already coming out and he LOVES to play. He gives romping, running, playing, chasing things I throw, eating...and sleeping...his all, and whatever my genetic programming, I am SO HAPPY seeing him "smiling," hearing him "talk" to me (seriously!), and getting those big wet dog kisses.

(though we'll see if he pouts for a while after today's upcoming bath)

He's our first farmstead animal...and essential to all the rest to come. There's no puppy stage to go through since he'll be turning 6 in November, and I hope he has a long lifetime in dog years with us. Kalev is the Hebrew for "dog" and also the name of the biblical hero (a favorite of mine) who was one of those "majority of one" men who demonstrated courage and confidence in God's instructions at a time when nearly everyone else refused to...and later he earned a great reward. The name Caleb is the anglicized spelling, so we split the difference since it's all transliteration anyway, and that's how Kaleb came about.

He very well could have been given any other name, not with a Hebrew connection (you know how we love our Hebrew things), but it worked out to be a great fit for him, so yay again :)

Ultimately, we envision our farmstead including another Aussie, chickens, bees, a milk cow, a few sheep or small goats, and a few head of beef cattle. I'm not sure which of these will be in our future...maybe some and not others, and maybe a donkey or a horse. We feel that a farm dog is vital to the success of any and all of these, and we believe Kaleb is evidence that we're progressing that direction steadily.

In all these things, we thank God. Again, there are specifics for a future post.

It boils down to this: We were able to pay debts off...again, thanks to God! There is a wonderful momentum that builds as those awful debts are being wiped out. That in itself is a story I don't want to skimp on.

But I wanted you to see dog pics, and couldn't stand to wait!

More to come...thanks for being happy for us! Yayyyyyy!!!! :)

I Want This...

http://www.cailleachaussies.com/blog/dog-blog/one-puppy-left/

or this... http://aussierescue.leepfrog.com/s/w/sw-7MsW0P.html


Sometimes our goal of getting out of debt first seems to be taking sooooooo loooooooong...

Hope there's another Samuel or William out there when that day comes!

(sigh...)

Dreaming of dog days to come...