Mayflower Celebrates 2 years at Home!

Contributed by her Forever Mom

Beautiful May fka CP Mayflower celebrates her 2^nd Gotcha Day!

May Day!  May Day!

Yes, I know it's only April 30^th but it is Two Years since I traveled down to meet Mayflower's amazing Foster Mom, Chris, and adopted this little ray of sunshine!

May still has a lot of "rough edges", but she is Home now, and we all love her very much - well, maybe Nana not so much, LOL  (vying for Mom's attention is NOT a good thing).

All May really needs, now, is someone to play with her -- Hazel will sometimes, very sporadically though :-(

It's very weird, adopting a dog that is not your own Foster ;-) but very worth it!

Happy Gotcha, Little May!

Happy May Day!

Love, Mom, Tim, Nana & Foster Sister Hazel

Minnow Makes Work!

Contributed by her Forever Mom

I’m ready!!!  Got some work for me to do???!!!

I read in “Dog Whisperer” that every dog should have a job.  Minnow thinks that one of her jobs is to dig holes so Dad can keep in shape filling them in…   Hmmmmmmm…

Minnow’s Song

(To the tune of I've been working on the railroad.)

I've been digging in the back yard!

All the live long day!

I've been digging in the back yard!

Just to pass the time away...

Can you hear my Daddy coming?

Grumbling all the way…

Can you hear my Mama calling?

Try to distract me today!

Mama is a singin'....

Minnow, don't you dig!

Minnow, don't you dig!

Minnow, don't you dig those ho-o-oles!

(repeat)

Come here really quick!

Have a carrot stick!

Minnow, don't you dig those holes!

CP Minnow busy helping the economy!

Have no fear!  If we ever get her to stop digging holes, she has another career carved out:  One of her other jobs seems to doing what she can to help the economy!  She works hard to chew up all of the "tough chew" toys that she can so they have to be replaced, thus creating more business for Pet Smart!

Minnow really Loves her Mom & Dad!

Juris Prudence now a Dixie Chick!

Contributed by her Adoring Forever Mom

CP Juris Prudence nka Dixie getting settled in Forever!

Yes, Miss Juris Prudence has finally settled on a Forever name:  Dixie!

Dixie aka “Little Miss Bossy Boots” arrived on March 3 and life will never be the same in our household!  She had a long journey from Wisconsin to Illinois to Maryland before she finally reached Virginia, but she wasted no time making herself right at home.  She tested all the chairs, found a perch from which to survey her kingdom, and soon thereafter let the chipmunks know there was a new sheriff in town.  In the backyard, she bounded joyfully from corner to corner, announcing her splendid self to the world at large, and she was equally at home tearing around inside the house with her toys.  

Dixie tries out the first look-out perch…

…Well, maybe this perch is better?...

What?  I need to see what’s going on out there!

The poor critters that lived in the crawl space have now been forced to find a new home, since Dixie kept her Mom up all night long, whining and scratching the air vents in protest of the subterranean land claim.  There will be NO INTERLOPERS allowed on her watch!  Needless to say, this is at odds with Mom's “live and let live” policy - and with her pocketbook!!  Even shopping around, exterminators tend to be pricey when you really NEED to clear out whatever it is under the house! 

I just KNOW there is something down this vent!

Training has been interesting…  Displaying a propensity to pull like a sled dog, we tried using the gentle leader to improve her walking skills.  Dixie HATED it, and did a very funny little dance each time she finished a walk and was released from THAT HORRID THING!  Indeed, the gentle leader was the only thing that made her very big personality shrink a bit.  We swapped it for a gentle leader harness, and Dixie seems much calmer with this new arrangement (“calm” being a relative term).  She is still, of course, very energetic and loves to run and run and run at the dog park.  Sometimes I put her on a regular harness and leash and we have a good run.  She loves that!  

Come on, Mom!  I’m ready to go!

Dixie is truly adorable, but “Selective Compliance” is her middle name!  We've had several training sessions (LONG uphill battle...), and we've been to daycare a couple of times.   Dixie has proven herself to be a skilled hunter, very nearly trotting her prize rodent into the house one time!  The only way I could convince her to drop it was to make a swap for ham! 

Did I mention we are working on training?!!!   

Maybe this will make a good bed?...

When Dixie doesn't feel she's getting enough attention, she'll steal something and wag her entire back end until I chase her!  When she becomes bored with that, she'll bring whatever she's stolen to her "safe place" (a particular rug in the dining room) and demand belly rubs and scritches. 

Well, maybe a little Yoga move will do the trick?...

A good hard bed, maybe that’s the ticket?...

Back to the blankie pile – what can I say!

Did I mention we are working on training?!!!   

Dixie is also an escape artist, and Mom is now having to put up a new fence...  Oh well!!!  Never a dull moment with this girl!   

CP Rammer nka Mick Celebrates his 1st Year!

Contributed by his Happy Forever Mom & Dad

Mick fka CP Rammer loves the dog park, but keeps an eye on his Family!

April 18, 2013 was a Very special day for CP Rammer, nka Mick!

April 18th was a very special day in our lives as 1 year ago a beautiful CP boy arrived at our door.  Mick is the most gentle, smartest, most loving boy!   He  spent 5 years in a puppy mill before being rescued by Col. Potter, and his great Foster parents, Jordan and Scott.  Then he came to us in to join his "bro" MR Spock, an 8 year old cairn who had been with me since he was 12 weeks old.

Mick has come into his own this past year, and it has been wonderful to see him grow as a dog and experience all the good things a dog should have!

How well I recall his first day at the dog park!  He still shies away from a lot of dogs, but enjoys the freedom of being off leash.  We keep a close eye on him, but he also keeps close on us or Spock!  Mick doesn't like big adventures.  He's a home body who love's love and people.

Mick knows what he likes!

One of the first things he did last year was get trained using a belly  band, and then timed outdoor visits, and then he said to me, “Dump the crate!  I want my bed only, and it has to be beside you - and with my CP blankey!”  This is still how Mick sleeps and naps.  A HAPPY DOG!

Mick and brother, Mr. Spock, have supplanted CATS in Dad’s heart and mind!

Mick takes every opportunity to snuggle with Dad and Spock while watching TV.  Dad used to be a cat person, but now he would not give up his proud "Cairn Terrier Dad" status for anything - a true conversion!  No more cats here!

Mick officiated as Best Dog at Mom & Dad’s wedding!

Mick was also a proud BEST DOG at our wedding!  He stole the show with his beautiful face and wonderful behavior!  He loved everyone and everyone loved him!

So, we celebrated our First Year with a Long walk and Frosty Paws!!!!!  We are certainly proud parents of two wonderful Cairn sons, and we tell everyone about Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network -  the greatest resource for a Great Cairn Companion!

Happy 1^st Gotcha Day, Mick!

Riley's (CP's Tramp) 2nd Gotcha Day!

Contributed by her Forever Mom

Riley fka CP's Tramp loves her Forever Yard!

Today is Riley's 2^nd Gotcha Day!  She was CP's Tramp, part of the "Working Class No More" group.  She is a very sweet girl and we love her very much.

We drove to meet her Foster Mom in Nag's Head to pick her up.  Riley was partial to women and bonded right away with me.  Dad has worked hard to win her over, and she now runs to the door when he comes home.  Treats helped greatly in this effort!  Maybe one day her fur sister, Mollie, will warm up to her too.  It seems that Mollie preferred to be an only dog!

Riley loves to be outside, and she will chase anything - squirrels, birds, rabbits, leaves, and bits of trash blowing in the wind.  She even chased a fox which was luckily on the other side of the fence!  She often forgets what she is really outside for!

Princess Riley models her New Pi Quilt - Thanks Susan M.!

We adopted Riley when one daughter was planning her wedding and the other was getting ready to go off to college.  She has filled a big empty spot in our home and we can't imagine life without her.  She and Mollie make us laugh at least once a day!  She came to us as a timid girl who had just had her last litter, and she has turned into a true Cairn Princess.  

She loves to play with balls, but not if anyone is watching.  While I am making dinner, I will hear her growling at the ball, thump as she pushes it off the sofa and jumps after it, and then back onto the sofa.  If she sees me peeking, she stops right away!

Thank you to everyone at Col. Potter who helped to save this little girl, especially Sharon J., her Foster Mom, Barbara, and especially our Matchmaker, Lisa B.  You have all made our lives much fuller by bringing Riley into our home!

CP Tayana nka Ana is Happily Home!

Contributed by her Happy Forever Mom

CP Tayana nka Ana getting a first look at her Forever home.

Last July, two days after Independence Day, four little puppy mill Cairns sailed into Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network, including Tayana, a little Black Brindle girl.  Her left ear had been vertically ripped in 2 or 3 places, and the remaining part of her ear was folded backwards, still her Foster Mom found her to be very sweet and loving, though afraid to be picked up or approached by humans.  

Ana can move mountains with her look!

While Tayana learned to trust her Foster Mom, many miles away, her Forever Mom and Dad were moving slowly toward adopting a Rescue Cairn from CPCRN.  A Recreational Therapist at a local nursing home, Forever Mom had turned to Col. Potter on the recommendation of the son of a patient of hers, thanks to CP’s Tadpole, adopted by him in 2006, and a frequent visitor to the nursing home. 

Ana and big sister Ella enjoying some sunshine!

After lots of careful consideration, this young couple fell in love with a little Foster boy that was heartworm positive, waiting for him to complete his treatment and become available, but it turned out that this little boy was not meant for them.  Some things are just not meant to be.  They were greatly disappointed, but after more thoughtful consideration, Tayana seemed to be the perfect match, and so it was that this little Foster Cairn flew from sunny Texas to snowy Philadelphia in early January to start her Forever life.

Ana getting comfortable in her new home!

“After a walk around the block with lots of scary noises and exciting smells, we came back in just hung out in the living room -- specifically Ana was on my lap while her new Dad watched football!” laughs Forever Mom.

”She clearly had a long day and was a bit out of sorts,” remembers Mom.  “At first she didn't really want to come to me as I sat on the floor across from her -- not even to sniff my outstretched hand -- but then, as I talked to her and asked her all about her crazy day, she came closer and closer until I could start petting her, and then she plopped her head down on my leg, and remained in my lap after that! We were thrilled and so happy to at last have Ana here with us!  She already felt like a part of our family!!”

CP Tadpole and Ana (on Mom’s lap) take a brake from therapy work!

Forever Mom hopes to be able to certify Ana as a Therapy Dog, and is already taking steps in that direction.  “We haven't started any official training as of yet, but Ana did come to work with me last week, and she had a grand old time!  She sat in residents’ laps and cuddled all of my coworkers!  She is definitely a mellow but playful girl!  She even got to meet Tadpole, the Cairn that inspired us to get in touch with Col. Potter!  They were so cute together!”

“The best thing is that Tayana loves to rest her head on whatever body part she can find of me or her Dad, and then she proceeds to stare into our eyes!  I have been told that Cairns are probably the best con artists on the planet, and I can see that in our Ana!”

Ana snuggling with a happy New Mom!

“We truly belong to Ana and she is doing wonderfully!  Thank you Col. Potter and keep up the great work!”

Sneakers on the Road to Forever!

Contributed by his Happy Foster Mom

Sneakers, a charming 9 year old with lots of spunk!

Thanks to Caroline C., a fantastic Matchmaker, Sneakers has left the house with his new family.  They are wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a better home for this little boy! 

Sneakers shows off his special CP Blankie with Forever Mom

His new Mom wanted to take a video of Sneakers from the moment I opened the door so she could have a record of his first day with them.  That right there told me he was going to be OK and I could relax.   His new Mom told me she had been showing his pictures to everyone at work and they all wanted her to bring him up there so they could meet him.  She also told her friends they couldn't come meet him until he got settled in his new home.

WOW!  He's landed in high cotton. 

I also FINALLY got a picture of Sneakers on his blanket!  It's beautiful!! 

Sneakers gets acquainted with Forever Mom & Dad

P.S.  His new Mom has already texted me twice to let me know he's doing great in the car!!