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Birth Day for Mama Annie
Another outside day for Annie, this time helping Mike burn the brush pile. He said she was chasing the embers, leaping into the sky. Then she settled down with a stick and chewed and chewed. At around 6pm he went down to let her out and came back up saying, “I’ll try again later, she didn’t want to go out” and I knew without a doubt that she was going to whelp her pups tonight. She has NEVER EVER not wanted to get out of the room that we’ve reserved for her. Ever. So, I was right and when I checked her at 7pm one little white and tan pup had been born.
Annie was clearly not thrilled with my presence so I’ve left her alone for most of the night. I check in and actually got to see one of the pups born, but it isn’t like the first time with Bella who clearly wanted me involved and actually waited until I was free, after putting the baby down for the afternoon nap, to find me and tell me she was whelping. That was fun. But this is fine too. Much less work for me!
I just now went in and gave her some water and food. She seemed thankful. My current concern is: How am I going to get those wet towels into the wash?? She decided to have the pups in the small crate and I am not going to put my hand in there to fish her and the pups out. She and I are not that close. I figure, she’ll have to get up eventually, then I’ll do it.
Behold Kong
![](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQPAM?ie=UTF8&tag=caninefostering-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002AQPAM"><img border="0" src="31Lq6hWqhRL._SL160_.jpg"></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=caninefostering-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002AQPAM" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" "31x2b71h-d3l__sl160_")
Today Annie and I spent the day outside – me hauling mulch (I am sick of hauling mulch) and her chewing obsessively on her Kong. Long Live the Beloved Kong. This dog chewed the top of the red Kong but the black Kong seems to be working for her. She chews that thing for hours a day.
She has showed me that she knows how to fetch. It is clear that someone loved her and played with her. I take her with me to get my son off the bus and she wriggles with joy when she sees him, but then sniffs him and looks back toward the other kids getting off…looking for someone else? These are the stories you make up to fill in the gaps of the dog’s life: Annie had a boy who loved her and played with her and road a bus and she would wait for him to get off and they would go home and play fetch together and she would wag her tail until she thought it would fall off…
Let’s Call a Pit a Pit
Annie had her second bath today. Her coat was covered in scabs and dandruff. I wonder when she had her last bath. I’m calling her Annie. Martha was the name the shelter gave. Martha?? Who names their dog Martha? She looks like an Annie. She is clearly a pit mix. The shelter called her a Boxer mix. Why do shelters do that? Let’s call it what it is and educate people about how to keep a pit happy, healthy, and safe. She is happy to be here. She wags her tail so hard it is bleeding at the end where it hits the wall.
The Story of Annie
photo of Annie
We agreed to take on our third maternity foster. Usually we like to foster the litters in the summer because at 4 weeks we can put the pups in the yard for the majority of the day. This past summer my son sat out with them for 6 hours a day, playing with them, socializing them and giving me a chance to clean up the room. This time around we are headed into winter. I do wonder what I’ve gotten myself into this time!
So, the mama arrived today. Extremely skinny. You can see every rib, every vertebra, and her back hip bones. Poor thing. She was a stray, picked up by The Humane Society of Fulton County in Canton Illinois on November 4th, 2008.
I like getting the mamas before they deliver. It makes it much easier on me that way. I can bathe the dog, flea treat her, worm her, and treat any illnesses she may have BEFORE the pups are born. This summer our mama came to us with her pups whelped and we had a flea and parasite ridden dog who was nursing. No fun. Much better to have the mama first and the pups after you find out what you’re in for.
A Dedication
Sadie in 2004
I had a dog as a child who taught me to love. Her name is Ginger and she was a “teacup” poodle. She was
my best friend growing up. I believe that she was an angel sent to keep my heart and soul intact. As an adult, I adopted a dog from the Minnesota Humane Society. Her name is Sadie. She died of lymphoma on Jan. 15, 2005. She was my adult version of Ginger, my angel sent to keep me whole. I was with her when she died and as her body let go of her spirit I felt literally surrounded by her love. I have dedicated my work with foster dogs to her, as one small way I can give back for all the love she gave to me.
