Saturday, January 31

Linus

Observe Linus in his glorious self.
Look at this handsome, smiling gentleman of wit and charm who is looking for a family that
is looking for a frog with his delightful attributes.

A comical genius, Linus can offer you the classic Frenchie humor frog enthusiasts have come to love in the breed and the brains that are sought in--let's face it--some other breeds. 

Linus has a few requirements for a healthy life, allergy-free.

1.  His requirements include twice weekly baths. 
It's for my allergies, and not at all because bubble baffs are nice.























2.  All his treats and foods must be scrutinized--SCRUTINIZED--for any flake or tiny bit of allergy-inducing gunk.
Observe my natural stack, comme des champions.






3. He is allergic to grass, so he must have a wardrobe of shirts to wear outside.
Also, please observe the way I endure this nonsense.



4. No kitties.  Kitties are itch-inducing in a dog such as Linus.
He can't help it.
But these are the merest bagatelles to the right family.  A family who knows nobility and intelligence and wit and maturity when they see it, a family to whom these small concessions and loving gestures will be as nothing in the face of what they will receive in return.

Linus.  A frog for all* seasons.  Available now to the perfect home.

Go Linus!  Go Linus! shouts

The Frog Princess

*Except, possibly, allergy season.

Thursday, January 15

Lakota Is So Pretty

in the collar Collar Addict donated to her!  We sent a photo to Collar Addict's facebook page and someone bought a discounted collar made just for Lakota!  She looks so pretty in it.

Her skin still looks a bit red and her hair looks a little patchy, but the skin is healing nicely and the hair's coming back in.  If you click over to Lakota's foster page, you will see the progress she has made!  Here's a little update on Lakota from her foster mom:

"Lakota is doing really well. Even though her skin still looks pretty bad, it is better. She is growing more hair all the time. It is possible that she might have some permanent bald spots. Only time will tell. She went to the vet to have her Cushings test to make sure she is doing good in her meds and she is. She is doing so well that she won't have to go back for a recheck for three months!!  She continues to heal and her sweet spirit is flourishing :)"



A new collar to enhance her pulchritude should perk up her morale.

Thanks so much to the kind person who donated to the Collar Addict's holiday event!  She looks perfectly pretty in pink perceives

The Frog Princess

Wednesday, January 14

Sirius and Slow Intros

We ask our foster homes to practice slow introductions for all our new fosters.  A slow introduction is when you keep dogs separate for a period of time while the foster dog grows accustomed to the smells and the rhythms and the sounds of the new home.  Sometimes a well-balanced and friendly dog can be ready to join the household in as little as 3 days.  Sometimes dogs need a little more time, maybe a week or two.  Very occasionally we get a dog who is so distrustful or lacking in confidence that they take months to join the family.  

Sometimes dogs just never do reach the stage when they are comfortable around the dogs in the foster home, and those foster homes must "crate and rotate," which means the foster is in a private room or in a crate while the resident dogs are in the house for a while, then the resident dogs are crated and the foster gets to spend time with the family.  At some point, dogs may be allowed to be loose in a bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, or guest room, but the door is babygated off, and then the babygate is covered with a blanket to keep the dogs from seeing each other.

Recently, one of our foster dogs had a breakthrough.  This is what her foster mom wrote about the experience:  

Both a little tentative about what to do next.
Sirius has been here since right around Thanksgiving. She really is silly, funny, cute and all the things that make us love Frenchies. She's also reactive, unsocialized, hyper and ill-mannered. I always do slow intros and as I explain to folks, sometimes that can mean as little as a week and sometimes, it can mean much longer.





I know you're thinking Cleo has Sirius pinned at the leg. Not true.
 It took three weeks before we allowed Cleo and Sirius to meet on leash and the first few times it was a brief passing each other on the street. Crate and rotate was the routine, along with baby gates with blankets (after doors could be opened).

The positive thing about Sirius is that I've learned her cues and she's pretty consistent. So she's graduated to being out of the crate at the same time Cleo is out of hers for at least part of the day. They play bowed to each other about two weeks ago and did have a couple of play sessions. One ended on a not-so-great note but we were able to stop anything before a big escalation.

This morning, I walked the two of them by myself. I live on the edge that way. They're good together on walks now and Cleo has taken the role of teacher, for the most part, when it comes to Sirius. When we got home, the three of us went into my office. I was watching them closely and was stunned when they both got in Sirius' dog bed. Not only because they both got in it but because Sirius had no clue that dog beds were fun and comfy until about a week ago.


It makes my heart happy to see them do this. Do I trust them now? Absolutely not. But Cleo is a snuggler more than a player, and she's loving this. Sirius is learning that she can be calm and safe with another dog around and with people moving around.

I love slow intros. They work wonders.

***

Our foster families are the ne plus ultra of foster families.  Patient, skillful, generous almost to a fault.  It's not easy to be this careful and consistent.

They got up for water and went right back to it.
Sirius is a good example of a dog who will be made available with a request that she be an only dog, just because it is so difficult to do a 2 month slow intro.  Applicants sometimes see photos of available dogs with other dogs in the photo and they get confused because the blurb makes it clear that the dog must be an only.  It's understandable that they should be confused, but after many years, we've found it's better to allow a dog who is really not comfortable around other dogs to just have her own home as an only dog.  A foster who can live in an uneasy truce with a resident dog is not the same thing as a dog who enjoys and really needs the companionship of another dog.

But it is nice to see a dog grow more comfortable in the company of her own kind, thinks

The Frog Princess


Friday, January 2

Sven Needs Mojo

Sven had to go to the hospital on Monday night so they could try to get his terrible diarrhea under control.  Here's what his foster mom said last night:

"Wednesday, Sven had an endoscopy and colonoscopy, tissue samples are being tested so a diagnosis can be made. He is on his previous meds plus 2 new meds were added. (Carafate and Famotidine)

"This morning I picked Sven up, he looks so thin. He has rested most of the day. His appetite is good, he pushes his bowl into a corner so it can't get away from him.

Did I tell you how they STARVED me at the hospital?
"He really is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever met... He has the cutest under-bite that has multiple uses besides adding to his good looks (he has used those bottom teef as a 'shredder' on his plush toys and as a 'scraper', when I've given him something off my finger he scrapes those teef over my finger to make sure he gets it all!"
Sven shreds his duck!


When you donate to FBRN you help find answers for dogs like Sven, so they can be successfully treated, and/or we can find out how to manage their conditions.  Thank you so much for supporting our foster dogs in need, monetarily if you can, and taking the time to send some loving mojo to our sick and injured dogs.

Horrible collywobbles are no fun at all.  Get well soon vibes are pulsing through the atmosphere from

The  Frog Princess

UPDATE 1/4/15
Poor, poor Sven is no better.  Please keep him and his foster mom in your thoughts.

UPDATE
Dear Sven was diagnosed with lymphoma and ulcerative colitis.  He was released from his suffering in the company of his entire foster family.  His foster mom said, "Despite the pain that his digestive system had to be causing him, Sven was nothing but sweet and wonderful and just an amazing soul. Rest in peace, little man."

Thursday, January 1

Here's Some Happy News to Ring in the New Year!

Our FBRN grad, Joffrey, has made the big time!  Among those who consume the bubbly brew, the cognoscenti recognize Puppy Breath Porter as a variety of note.  We recognize Cigar Town as a brand with very fine taste!  This is what their Instagram had to say about the winners of their contest to appear on the label.  And here's the photo of Joffrey's winning photo and how it will look on the bottle!

Joffrey is having a high old time as an only pet with an adopter who had Frenchie experience and was willing to work with Joffrey's need for exercise to get his yayas out.





Here they are on Joffrey's "gotcha" day!

However you choose to celebrate, whether teatotal or champagne-sipping, we wish you a safe and happy New Year!

No alcohol for the pups, pipes up the party-pooping

Frog Princess