Pippin's Process

Pippin, the deliciously difficult dappled beauty in Oregon, is continuing to get a taste of life as a passenger in the vee-hickle o' life.Her foster mom sent us an update recently, with the news that while Pippin is doing very well in many areas, she continues to be ornery and recalcitrant in others. Rather than flood Pippin with the stimuli that set her off, our behaviorist suggested that Pippin's foster parents work to avoid presenting her with triggers, thereby providing a more positive training experience and setting up a positive relationship with people that does not involve punishment or corrections that could cause Pippin to fail. I've you've ever tried to diet or quit smoking, you may understand this concept: not keeping cigarettes or Haagen Daz around makes it easier to succeed, lessens temptation and makes the whole process less difficult.
So Pippin is progressing, but she has occasional setbacks, just as people do when they change their behavior. But she's still a little gem, and she's moving in the right direction!
Who could ask for anything more?
The Frog Princess

New beds for Gumpie and Kayla!

Gumpie is in Colorado, awaiting an appointment at CSU to have an MRI on his spine. As you may recall, Gumpie was diagnosed with a case of spina bifida earlier this year, and we are working with specialists to see if damage can be mitigated or further damage avoided. As you can imagine, keeping a dog comfortable while his spinal issues are assessed is a key part of his treatment plan! Fortunately, FBRN has wonderful friends and supporters who always come through for our needy fosters. This very comfy pillow is for the floor, and Gumpie likes to snuggle up with the other dogs on it when the cold winds are blowing, as it happens they are this week.


The comfy bed you see here was ordered for FBRN graduate Maisy. Tragically, Maisy passed away before the bed arrived. Her mom chose to donate this ultra soft, ultra cozy bed to Gumpie. Gumpie likes to crawl into this bed to rest. He sleeps very soundly in it. We are so grateful to Maisy's mom for thinking of another FBRN foster, and we join her in grieving Maisy's loss, while celebrating their happy days together.


Kayla was the lucky recipient of one of 4 beds a generous SoCal donor made available to our fosters! Seems our benefactor received a gift certificate to a local mall and decided she'd spend it on dogbeds for our disadvantaged fosters. Kayla is camera-shy, which explains the helping hands in this photo, but we knew you would want to see her pretty face! Kayla is getting along very well, and with her beautiful, soft new bed she feels quite special. Nothing like having a comfortable place of your own to give a girl a little boost in self-confidence.

Thank you to our generous donors, volunteers, and adopters for your kind and thoughtful gifts.
We know Gumpie and Kayla and the others who will receive beds soon are thrilled and sleeping warm and well in them.
The Frog Princess

Sugar Sweetens Texas

Here is 8 year-old Sugar, our latest Texas addition to the FBRN foster roster!







She was surrendered after an ugly incident in her first home. Her family reports that she has dog aggression issues, and we are watching her carefully in her foster home to find out what her triggers may be.







So far, her foster dad reports that Sugar is simply a crotchety old gal, so far appearing more fearful and shy around the other dogs in her foster home than aggressive toward them.







Like most Frenchies, though she may be unhappy to share the earth with other dogs, she is happy as a worm in warm mud when she gets to be with people! Also, she does love her car rides!

So she's a little crotchety. As the marvelous Joe E. Brown famously exclaimed in the classic Some Like It Hot: Nobody's perfect!

The Frog Princess

Eva Has a Message

Our Missouri foster, Eva, wanted to do a public service message for FBRN's supporters and friends!


She climbed on the chair all by herself and booted up the ol' PC to remind folks that the fabulous FBRN Easter Basket fundraiser, featuring 18 baskets from every region of the US and Canada is currently underway!






Eva tells us that if a seven year old gal without opposable thumbs can figure out how to participate, she has faith that others more richly gifted in the digit department can easily go online and pony up for a couple of tickets!







Eva's got her eye on the "Queen for a Day" basket, and bought tickets for the "Champagne Wishes" basket, too!




It's not too late to place your order and support our generous volunteers' efforts and to give our frogdog fosters a second chance at a loving home and a happy future.


But don't delay too long! The raffle ends Mar 29th at 9pm EST.
We think we will buy tickets every day between now and the end of the raffle. Perhaps spreading out the tickets will increase our chance of winning. Our perhaps it's better to buy one enormous block of tickets?
Off to find the royal statistician for some advice! The lovely bathrobe in the Canada basket is calling our name, says
The Frog Princess

Reba on Wheels!

Doggone Carts has sent us a special cart for Reba. It was donated to Doggone Carts anonymously for distribution to a dog that could use it, and it just happened to be a perfect fit for Reba! Most dogs who require a cart have the use of their front legs, but have gone down in the rear. In Reba's case, her front legs lost power, so a more complicated contraption was necessary.

Reba has put on muscle, and she has exercise sessions 3 times a day. In addition, she gets to go see a physical therapist who has designed a program for her. Recently, she went to her first hydrotherapy session, and now she gets to swim in the tub every night.

Here's part of a note her foster mom sent: "She has become very close to my Frenchie, Gigi. They clean each other's ears, doze together in front of the fireplace and share sunbeams. When I take Gigi out for a walk one of the cats will come and sit with Reba u ntil we come back. Sometimes she has a cat on each side of her. They must know she gets worried. It has been fun, inspiring, educational, and very rewarding to help her get better. I can't wait to take her for a walk."

Recently, a reporter in Reba's neighborhood wrote a story on her. You can read it here.
We are looking forward to the day that Reba will be a fixture in her new family's neighborhood, rocking and wheeling down the avenues and stopping for a brioche and a latte at the local coffeeshop and passing the time of day with new friends.
It's a day not too far off, believes
The Frog Princess

Petey is Piped Aboard!

Positively perfect young Petey came to us from a Pittsburgh area humane society through the efforts of a shelter worker.Dog rescue is a small world, it turns out. One of our volunteers and the shelter worker both belong to a Bull Mastiff rescue group, and when the shelter worker posted on the email mailing list that she was looking for a Frenchie rescue group, our volunteer piped up and directed her to our Northeast Regional coordinator, who got in touch with a Pittsburgh area volunteer, who was in possession of this pluperfect pup within 24 hours! Our thanks go out to the shelter worker for seeking us out.
Petey was surrendered because the older American bulldog in the family took exception to the presence of a young whippersnapper in the household. Poor Petey got the worst of a couple of encounters and his family decided it would be best to rehome him.
He came to us with a little rash on his legs and a bump on one foot, but the rash is gone now, and the bump is nothing to be concerned about. This little guy is going to be turning heads, and we know he'll be getting plenty of applications. He's full of pep and vinegar, and loves to play with other dogs and people. If you'd like to sponsor him or apply for him, check out his biography and see if your family would be a good fit.
We know Petey's family is out there somewhere, and we'll be keeping an eye out for the perfect application to come across our desk.
The Frog Princess

Delilah

Delilah has had a tough few weeks. She developed an infection and one of the symptoms was cluster seizures. We were able to get Delilah in to see a specialist, a neurologist, and he immediately designed a treatment plan for her.

The vet was able to attribute the seizures to an infection, and Delilah has been undergoing treatment for the last two weeks. It's now been more than a week since Delilah's last seizure, and she has reverted to normal puppyhood. She is a wonderfully friendly girl, very hungry and food motivated, and a sweet little snugglebug. She loves to explore the wilderness of the backyard, and all the interesting springtime smells are a source of fascination.
Delilah will be on clyndamycin and phenobarbitol for another month as she overcomes her infection and we try to help her outgrow the seizures. Seizures are very frightening to see, and to see them in such a tiny puppy is even terrifying. We are so grateful to our foster mom for hanging in there and following through with meds and doctor visits and testing. If you'd like to help sponsor some of Delilah's medical costs, you can do that on her page at the FBRN site.
Delilah is living up to her name! We know many people who have been enchanted by her charms and her eyebrow. She is a temptress, that's for sure, and if you are wise you will keep a close watch on your heart, warns
The Frog Princess

Detective Tuggie to the Rescue!

In earlier posts about Tuggie, our New Jersey girl from the great Southwest, we learned that this hard of hearing Frenchie is a great pal to her boy, Ian.
She stays with him in his room until he falls asleep, then goes to sleep on the big bed in the master bedroom until morning, when Ian gets up to let Bandit and Tuggie out in the backyard. Recently, Tuggie gave her mom a bit of a scareInstead of settling down to a session of wrasslin' with Bandit, Tuggie insisted on going out on the deck, twice, three, four times in quick succession.
As a vet tech, her mom wondered what all this going out was signifying. She put on her boots and went out in the snow to see what Tuggie was up to. As soon as her mom put on her boots, Tuggie became very excited, running to the door and back and finally out on to the deck and down to the side of the pool, where she stood grinning and waggling her tail nubbin.
As Tuggie's foster mom came closer to see what she was doing, Tuggie leaned down to sniff at a narrow opening near the foundation of the pool. And what should be discovered down there all alone and crying and fearful, but a tiny wee baby raccoon!
As Tuggie's mom said, she may be hard of hearing, but there's nothing wrong with her brains! She is smart enough to sniff out a problem and get her mom's attention. Tuggie had found a baby raccoon in need and helped to save its life. We couldn't be prouder of her than if we ourselves had pulled that tiny morsel of raccoonity out of its snowy sepulchre and delivered it back into the cold bright winter day and another chance at life. Yea, verily! Let us sing the praises of sweet Tuggie, a dog for all seasons and no chauvinist when it comes to saving life: domestic or wild; pup or kit; indoors or outdoors makes no difference to young Tuggie.

Tuggie's mom got the baby out of its little predicament (she says she was safe to do it, as she has worked with wildlife in the past and had rabies vaccine)*, then called the Wildlife Rehabilitation people to come and fetch the baby. The raccoon will be properly fed and cared for and released when the time comes.
Tuggie is a hero! Just think--if Tuggie hadn't been rescued and rehabilitated, and her mom hadn't applied for her, and Tuggie hadn't moved to New Jersey to live with a dog-savvy family who knew enough to read her distress signals and follow her out to the deck, a wee baby raccoon might not have survived.
It's awfully nice when even the animal kingdom starts paying it forward, philosophizes
The Frog Princess

*Readers should be aware that raccoons can carry parvovirus and rabies and it is a good idea to let animal control handle any injured or orphaned animals.

Monty

Monty is one of the Pennsylvania 8, a group of Frenchies FBRN liberated from a commercial breeder who was ready to get out of the French Bulldog puppy business.



Monty is a great boy. His temperament is wonderful, his physique is impressive now that he's gained some weight and been eating good food, and he's a pleasure to have around. He still wears a belly band around the house to prevent him from marking things, but his housebreaking is coming along.


Here, Monty and Pia, the resident Frenchie girl, enjoy the delightful contrasts of warm sun, cool breeze, and frozen snow. What is it like to experience sunlight for the first time as a grown dog? How does snow feel to paws raised on wire and concrete? For a dog, whose sense of smell is so keen, what were the first moments of clean air outside the fetid barn like? Imponderable questions, we know, but we hope that Monty is enjoying each warming sunbeam and each freshet of new fragrances the coming spring delivers.

We are so proud to have helped make it possible for him take his first steps in clean, white, soft snow. We are very grateful to the sponsors and donors who have contributed and continue to contribute to the care and costs of springing the Pennsylvania 8.
Thank you!
The Frog Princess

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here are Bumble and Smeagol to wish you a very happy St. Patrick's Day!







Smeagol is particularly delighted to have the opportunity to consume green food and to have a tiny sip of green beer. We aren't sure, but it appears to us that he may have already been imbibing a bit too freely down in the leprechaun brewing chambers! Or maybe he just knows how absolutely smashing he looks in his fabulous hat!









No slouch herself in the cuteness pools, young Bumble of the two black eyes look positively fetchin' in her wee bonnet.


Enjoy yourselves today, whether you are born Irish or merely content to celebrate all the gifts that the Irish have bestowed upon us, in whatever way seems fit to you. Perhaps a bit of a jig or an afternoon spent on a newly emerging lawn, searching for a shamrock? Perhaps you know someone who'd be the better for a beaning with a nice knobby shillelagh? Amuse yourselves as you like, but we hope your weekend will include at least one stop at the FBRN site to see the Easter baskets our tireless and incredibly generous volunteers have put together to benefit the French Bulldog Rescue Network. Raffle tickets are only 1 for $5, or 5 for $20!

Off to raid the royal exchequer for more PayPal funds,
The Frog Princess

Hope and Faith Settle In!

Hope and Faith, the two breeder retirees, are well-settled in their new home with their new brother, CJ.
As you can see, Faith is a girl who likes to be photographed. She's quite a little star, and she is curious about all kinds of things.





We'd like to point out that Hope is doing very well. We have a couple of dogs now waiting for adoption who wear diapers. Her foster mom assures us it is not a big deal, and Hope is a very happy, healthy girl.







CJ is growing accustomed to having a couple of lively, funny girls around. The girls double team him sometimes, but he doesn't seem to mind a bit.








Hope and Faith are a great success story for us, and we are so happy that we could be there for them and help give them a future where they will be loved and cherished.









Look at those reckless girls, darting in and out, so near to CJ's massive jaws and fearsome teeth. Ooo, they are brave and daring frogs!
A couple of Frenchies after our own heart, says
The Frog Princess

Rajah Makes a Friend

One of the most pleasant chores a foster family of a puppy has to do is provide socialization with people and other dogs. Rajah is a favorite of MacKenzie, who stops by to visit with him as often as she can. He's still gaining weight, he's still a fierce protector of his toys and he's still a tiny armful of sweet puppy breath and round, tight little tummy!
We don't blame Miss MacKenzie one little bit for making her grandma's house a regular stop on the way home from school!
The Frog Princess

Little Man Rue Chills Out

Little Man Rue, formerly Odja, is seen here in a quiet moment of reflection. He gets to go to work with his mom at a Portland theater company. He plays with a variety of other stagedoor doggies backstage. Life upon the wicked stage ain't nothin' for a girl, but it can't be beat for a small white baggage of a Frog and all his friends!
Stagestruck,
The Frog Princess

Rajah Returns!

Here's another photo of the adorable Rajah! This time, he's exploring his massive new bed and some toys sent by a generous FBRN volunteer. He has now gained more than a pound since first coming to us, and though he is a tiny mite, he is feisty! He refuses to share any of his toys with any of those grown up foster siblings, or even his own mamma!
Such a little tiny adorable brat!
The very thought of his 4 pound self defending his new things from dogs 4 or 5 times bigger brings a big grin to the face of
The Frog Princess

Rajah Rules the Roost

Well, as much as a 3.3 lb. baby frog can rule, he does. Here we think he was startled by one of his feet and had to take a moment to put those tootsies in their place! Sneak up on a vicious puppy, will you? Take that!
Rajah is busy putting on weight now that his tummyfull of tapeworms is a thing of the past. His mom Jasmine is happy that he's weaned and she is getting out and about herself, enjoying some exercise and getting her girlish figure back.
Rajah and Jasmine are two more of the 8 dogs we recently acquired from a Pennsylvania commercial breeding operation.
If you'd like to contribute to the cost of their veterinary care and spay and neuter, you can visit the foster page and check them out, along with the other dogs from the mill.
He's a brave and a handsome young Rajah, don't you think? asks
The Frog Princess

PS The Frog Princess is out of the kingdom, attending to family affairs of State. Look for a resumption of regular posts to the blog on Monday.

My, My, My Delilah

Here is the adorable Delilah, a puppy we recently liberated from a puppy mill. She has gained 10 ounces in just a few days, but she had to go to the vet last week, due to a cough. After xrays, she was found to have a case of bronchitis and she has been put on a course of antibiotics.
Tiny Delilah is seen in these photos trying to decide which of the new toys sent by a generous volunteer should be the first to get a chewing. We feel sure she has made her selection by now.
Puppies that cute must come with a warning label, in the opinion of
The Frog Princess

Punky at Home

Punky, our adorable woodchuck/Frenchie mix, has found a lovely home in Pennsylvania. She'll have people on call virtually round the clock and a canine sibling to hang out with. She's already grown accustomed to making the day's errands in the family auto, and she turns heads everywhere she goes.Punky's new family is absolutely thrilled with her, and we couldn't be happier for Punky, who will be dining from a bowl with the word "Princess" printed on it, and resting on a big, pink bed between trips to the bank and post office. Nice life, Punky!
The Frog Princess

St. Valentine's Day Gift for Chibi

2004 FBRN graduate Chibi got a special gift this St. Valentine's Day.

Take good care of that precious present, Chibi!
The Frog Princess

Cowboy Chet Rides Again!

Cowboy Chet came to us a year or two ago when his family broke up and he was left alone too long to be happy during the day. And when Cowboy Chet isn't happy, ain't nobody in the whole apartment building happy! Let's just say he was quite vocal about his dissatisfaction, and with an eviction notice looming over his head, Chet's dad had to make a sad decision. When Chet came to us, we learned that the eleven year-old boy had the kind of personality the word "crotchety" had to be invented to describe. He was crochety. Yes, he was, he had a bad case of the wild crochets, and he didn't care who knew it. And yet, he was also very funny! Think Walter Brennan in a dog suit.

We got these photos from Cowboy Chet's mom recently. You can see him modeling his Hallowe'en collar, looking crotchety and annoyed, and you can see him wearing his old, comfortable red cowboy hat and bandana, looking less irritated and a little more at home in his skin. The hat came from an admirer, an FBRN volunteer who lives in Texas, and Cowboy Chet wears his real Texas cowboy hat with unmistakable pride and remarkable elan. It's not every dog who can carry off a red cowboy hat. It's a shame, but Cowboy Chet takes the whole Marlboro Man mystique a little too far with the candy cigarette. Oh, well. The old boy's better than eleven years old. If it hasn't kilt him by now, he might just as well indulge himself in his little vices. But I'm sure Chet would be the first to tell the young Frenchies out there to stay in school and leave the coffin nail confections to old dogs too stubborn to give 'em up.

The note that came with the photos said Chester and his mom had recently gone to a toy and pet warehouse store and Chet was so perturbed by the presence of other dogs that he insisted on being carried. Later that week, an old friend stopped by and was marveling that a dog as, well, crochety as Chester could ever have found a home. Up piped his mom to say that the two rescued Frenchies in her life brought her so much joy she couldn't imagine life without them. To which her friend replied, with a gentle pat on the old boy's head, "Chester, you don't know how lucky you are to have found this family!" Predictably, in the besotted way of Frenchie owners everywhere, his mom corrected her: "We are the lucky ones," she said.

Now, if that doesn't give us all incentive to keep taking in and training even the crabbiest old apples! It sure provides evidence that there really is a lid to every pot. Some pots are just harder to fit than others.

Belly up to the bar, Chet! The Frog Princess wants to buy you a sarsparilla!

The Frog Princess

Pippin's Progress

We thought you might enjoy an update on Pippin's progress. She is now enrolled in what is half-jokingly called Boot Camp. With a bite history, a girl like Pippin requires serious reprogramming in order to be placed in a home. Next week, Pippin goes to see the veterinary behaviorist, the only board certified one in the whole state of Oregon, and we are hoping and praying that something can be done for her.


Meanwhile, her foster family has adopted a very strict and unswerving set of expectations for Pippin. She gets 3 power walks a day to keep her energy levels under control. She always wears a lead if she is outside her exercise pen and the lead is always attached to either her foster mom or dad. She is not permitted to get up on the furniture, to assert her dominance (even in cute ways), or to take liberties of any kind without permission.

Pippin is an odd little bird. She seems to relish the limits set on her behavior, particularly on walks, when she consistently watches for cues and is very well-behaved as long as her walker is clear about what is expected. She maintains her zero-tolerance policy towards footwear on strangers, particulary men, however, and may fly into a tiny Pippin-fit when shoe-wearing unknowns come to call. Her foster family has been working on desensitizing her to strangers, though. Here, her foster mom describes a recent weekend and some work they have been doing with Pippin, with the indulgence and assistance of some friends. We can only hope they came wearing steel-toed workboots!

"In the last 48 hrs we have concentrated the most on the aggressive
lunging/barking and had some great results. We've had friends arrive
at designated times and been ready to show her what is acceptable.


We took her to a painting party and let her stay in the main room in
the crate (which she is protective of) and it really helped to
desensitize with all the knocking and different people entering; we only
had to correct her twice. We also randomly ring our doorbell or go
knock on the door.

[Pippin] goes absolutely ballistic after any dogs out on walks,
so far that has been considerably better, as long as we can catch any
of these behaviors before they kick off, it's a good change. We will
keep you posted on this adventure, and really hope we can turn this
cutie pie around. When she is cuddly or playful she is the most
adorable little thing, there is a great dog inside that little wiener
body waiting to get out and show us all. She is very, very quick to
learn and please, we just need to remove the negative triggers and
replace them with better options."


We are keeping our fingers crossed that Pippin can be turned around and that, at only a year or so, it's not too late for her. Please keep a good thought for Pippin's progress. We'll let you know what the behaviorist has to say.

The Frog Princess