Heartwarming Dog Stories

October was All About the Dogs! Our favorite topic. If you love them too, here are some heartwarming stories that we’ve been excited to tell you about…

This is Honor’s Noble

Charley, the Greats, and I are fostering a young Dalmatian we named Honor’s Noble. Not much is known about his past, but when we looked into his soulful eyes and read that he was dropped off at a kill shelter, we knew we had to spring him. This is his freedom ride, leaving the shelter.

Since being with us, he has mastered “sit”, “lie down”, “leave it”, “shake”, and “shake right”. He is learning to heel and to respect cats and livestock. He loves his ball (like his namesake) and his foster brothers and sisters. Noble is a pro at snuggling and is learning to jog with foster dad, Charley.

At 39lbs, Noble is petite for a dalmatian. He was surrendered to the shelter by either his family or his breeder. Hard to know which since they were not forthcoming about his story.

BEST THING about adopting an adult dog who’s been in foster care is that his personality is already known. Fosters work on getting to know the dogs and training them, so that adopters can confidently choose the right dog to take home. And there’s just something about the heart of a rescued dog, as if he’s grateful for his second chance.

Noble is safe today because of Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado (DRC). This non-profit works tirelessly to home dalmatians from Texas to Colorado who have ended up on the street or in shelters.

DRC is currently caring for forty-four Dalmatians. Eleven are in the process of being adopted! Sixteen of the forty-four have already been evaluated and are in foster homes. They stand ready and hopeful to meet their forever families soon.

If you love spots like we love spots, you can make a huge impact by sponsoring just one vet visit, a bag of food or a whole dog. Here’s their site to learn more:  https://dalmatianrescueco.org/

Meet Bruno and Gracie

I met Gracie and Bruno’s owner, Michele, in our race to get certified so that we could foster Noble.

This cool dude has his own collection of eye-wear. He was born with a degenerative eye condition believed to have been caused by inbreeding, common with backyard breeders. Lack of veterinary care led to his blindness in one eye and his permanently dilated pupils.

Bruno wears shades or a hat now to protect his remaining eye sight from further sun damage. Bruno’s mom, Michele, found him in a shelter.

Bruno’s sister, Gracie came from Tiajuana, Mexico. After her first family abandoned her, she lived on the streets. A kind neighbor took pity on her and tried to find someone who could help. Gracie was emaciated, tick-infested and injured from a hit-and-run-driver by the time a volunteer captured her.

Getting Gracie from Mexico to America required a team of volunteers, transporters, veterinarians, donators and a foster mom. Her story is one of survival, hope and teamwork. Her story is also a book! You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/300-Angels-Authorized-Biography-Gracie-ebook/dp/B018DXLOJQ

Gracie now lives with her brother, Bruno in sunny California, where she works as a therapy dog, bringing smiles to seniors. Here she is with her therapy co-workers, dressed up for Halloween. Good job Gracie and friends.

This is Bru, the much-loved, over-achieving Basset Hound

October 21, 2023, Bru graduated to the place all good dogs go.

The average life span of a Basset Hound is 12-13 years according to the American Kennel Club.

At 16.5 years old, Bru certainly exceeded the average life span. Which is not surprising considering he also exceeded the amount of love his best friend, Brant, ever anticipated receiving from “just a dog”. And like all of the goodest dogs, Bru showed his family and friends that their hearts could hold more love for him than they thought possible too. So much love that they rallied together to celebrate Bru’s life by throwing him a graduation party.

Bru, Brant and their friends enjoyed a beautiful sunny day together at the park. It was Bru’s last day on earth, but I think the start of one breathtakingly perfect day as he patiently waits for Brant to finish his assignment and rejoin him. The way this man and dog look at each other is magical.

We love seeing people celebrating their dog’s life and we’re honored when they share those celebrations with us. A dog’s unconditional love is good for a human’s soul.

7 Fail-proof Steps to Selecting the Puppy Meant for You

We didn’t plan for Wynley Park’s October Newsletter to focus on selecting a puppy, but here it is. This is not an easy topic – I have been re-writing these few paragraphs for weeks, trying to type as inoffensively yet honestly as possible. I almost gave up, but we have taken in one too many dogs (and cats) this year to say nothing for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. If you’re looking for a new puppy now, or you EVER plan to get a puppy in the future, the rest of the newsletter is for you…

Do You Need Help Choosing a Dog?

Getting a dog is like dancing. We can all dance. Most of us aren’t all that good at it. Until we take a lesson. Or practice. We don’t have to be good at dancing to have fun. Sometimes, we get lucky and find a dance partner who compliments our style. If not, we move on to a new partner. Getting a dog probably isn’t a thing you do regularly either.

It’s possible no one’s told you how to choose a dog, or how to figure out if you’re getting one from a reputable individual or organization, for that matter. At Peace Pet Services can help you know who’s reputable. Like dancing, you get better at choosing puppies the more you do it. We have chosen a lot of puppies.

What if You Choose the Wrong One?

Sometimes you get lucky with a puppy the way you get lucky with a decent dance partner. Sometimes the partnering is a mess though. Then what? Do you keep that dog who isn’t right for you? Knowing in your heart that you’re not right for him either? Does he end up spending most of his time crated or alone in the backyard because he just won’t stop digging? Stop jumping? Stop pulling? Stop destroying? Stop biting?

Some people get a wrong puppy and simply decide to move on to another puppy. This is why shelters are full. Rescues are full. 1000 County Road Everywhere is full of dogs that people don’t want and didn’t know what to do with. Wouldn’t it be better to make an intelligent choice?

There are so many mismatched human-puppy couples these days for two reasons:

1. Puppies are not created equally. Some puppies have behavior issues because of how they lived the first two months of their lives. Some have health issues resulting from parents who should never have mated, and some puppies are just harder to train than others.
2. People don’t know what to look for when choosing a puppy. If you don’t know any better, you choose your puppy based on his looks or because he “chooses” you.

Most people feel horrible when they realize the relationship with their new puppy isn’t working. I’m going to tell you exactly how to choose the right puppy. First though, you have to know if you’re looking in the right place.

State of Puppies Since the Pandemic

Did you know that 1 in 5 families got a new dog or cat in 2020? This means that 23 million animals found homes during the 2020 pandemic! 2020 was a good year for animal shelters! Was it a good year for the animals leaving those shelters to move into homes though? For most of them, the answer is YES. The fate of puppies going from breeders to homes during the pandemic is a bit more complicated though…

An unpredicted side effect of the pandemic was a puppy shortage. As a puppy trainer, I had more people asking for help finding them a puppy than in previous years. I was on a personal mission to find a puppy too since my mom’s senior Dalmatian had died in 2019. In addition to the isolation everyone was feeling, mom missed having a dog.

My parents are particularly fond of Dalmatians, who tend to be high energy. With dad’s recent surgery and just plain ole “getting older”, my parents were afraid they might not be able to handle a dalmatian puppy. If they could even find one. When I found out they were searching online for a puppy, I knew I needed to help. So, for months, I spent hours researching and reaching out to reputable dalmatian breeders while also helping two clients with their own puppy searches. While more people were in the market to buy, fewer quality puppies were being born and raised.

The Puppy Shortage

Here’s why we experienced a shortage in quality puppies in 2020. Reputable puppy breeders intentionally mate two dogs for only one reason: to create the breed standard. This means that they choose a dam and sire who complement each other and have both been genetically tested to best exhibit the physical structure, temperament, health and movement to perform the job for which that particular breed was intended. Responsible breeders slowed or halted their planned breeding schedule to adapt to the pandemic, and this delay opened the market for irresponsible breeders. The dogs born during this high demand for purebred and designer-bred puppies in 2020 were even labeled “pandemic puppies”.

Unfortunately, shelters did not stay empty for long. Many of the pandemic puppies have ended up in shelters and rescues across America. Most common reasons folks give for relinquishing their dog are: not being able to afford the dog and not knowing what to do with the dog when they’re away from home.

Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado is having to turn away more dogs than in previous years due to the unprecedented number of people wanting to rehome their Dalmatians. Foster homes are full and adoptions have dramatically slowed. Dogs of all ages are being relinquished, but those who are most likely to be relinquished, abandoned, even euthanized, are dogs between the age of 1 and 3 years old. And the Dalmatian breed isn’t the only one suffering. Shelters are full of young Huskies, Great Pyrenees, German Shepherds, Pit Bulls and Labrador Retrievers.

Irresponsible people are breeding inferior puppies and good-intentioned people are buying them. Then what?

Most people feel horrible when they realize the relationship with their new puppy isn’t working out. I’m going to tell you exactly how to choose the right puppy so this doesn’t happen to you. Step 1 of 7 Steps to Selecting the perfect puppy is to be sure you’re looking in the right place.

Step 1: Learn to Recognize a Backyard Breeder 

Let’s talk about people who have puppies for sale (or even puppies they’re giving away for free). We’ve all heard the term “backyard breeder”. We’ve seen them in news stories; these people who have dogs who are odd-shaped, ungroomed, underfed, overcrowded and unhappy. Horror stories are easily recognized. Their puppies don’t look like they should. They don’t want you to see where their dogs live so they sell puppies in the Walmart parking lot or on the side of the road.

The less recognizable backyard breeders are people who are ignorant or insidious. They decide to have a litter when they aren’t physically and financially prepared to care for puppies. Pregnant dams don’t go to the vet when they should. They are not health-tested; they get pregnant too young or they have too many litters. Puppies aren’t wormed or given vaccines, and they are not properly socialized. Additionally, anyone who separates a puppy from his littermates or his mother before he’s at least 8 weeks old is an irresponsible breeder.

If they let you pick your puppy based on the puppy’s looks (big in the Dalmatian breeding world) without taking into consideration his (and your) personality, they are irresponsibly placing a puppy. If they don’t ask you questions about your lifestyle in effort to match puppy to person, they won’t be around later when you and your puppy need help.

And here’s the unpopular truth: someone who mates one breed with another breed and guarantees you that their offspring will have a desired trait, hypoallergenic fur, for instance is an irresponsible breeder. An ethical person cannot make such a promise because a dog that is ½ of one breed and ½ of another breed is not guaranteed to get the best of both breeds. They could actually inherit the lease desirable qualities of both breeds. The offspring of a purebred Poodle and a purebred Labrador, for example, has at most a 50-50 chance of being hypoallergenic. Most likely, their hair type will fall somewhere in between the two breed norms.

While We’re Talking About Designer Breeds…

Be forewarned that getting a designer breed that crosses dog groups is risky in more ways than one. Remember how we talked about dogs being bred to enhance certain characteristics?  Mixing herding breeds with retrievers or livestock guardians, for example, can result in puppies who have conflicting instincts, and this confusion is frustrating for puppy and human alike. In my experience, doodle puppies are more difficult to train. My veterinarian performs more intestinal blockage surgeries per year on doodles than on any other breed. According to groomers, doodles are some of the most difficult dogs to groom because their coats vary so much and because breeders have lied to owners by advertising doodles as low-maintenance. Doodles need educated owners indeed.

Puppies Are NOT All Created Equally Because Humans Are Imperfect

Puppies are not all created equally because people who breed them are not always knowledgeable. Maybe the people who breed F1 or F2 doodles don’t fully understand genetics when they sell puppies as hypoallergenic. Maybe they’re unethical.

Breeder could be ignorant in temperament testing. Some puppies will exhibit behaviors that foretell undesirable problems to come if not matched with an experienced trainer. Some puppies will be perfectly lovely as they are, and they still won’t be right for you.

You Can’t Just Love Your Puppy’s Problems Away

If your definition of puppy love is that warm, gooey feeling you get when a puppy falls asleep on your chest, please STOP and think about how you met your husband. Or wife. Did you kiss your share of frogs before meeting the one? Because I know I did. Not only did I kiss frogs. I rearranged frogs’ hair, bought them better jeans, introduced them to my friends and encouraged them to read books. All that and they were still frogs.

I started meeting fewer frogs and more people of character once I got to know myself better. Making a list of traits that were most important to me; non-negotiable traits like being capable, behaving courteously toward servers, opening my car door and of course, loving dogs and desirable-but-not-imperative traits like knowing how to golf (for my dad) led me to Charley.

Finding someone who will enhance your life requires discernment. The average marriage lasts 7.8 years before ending in divorce, about half as long as a dog’s life. Shouldn’t you be cautious when choosing your puppy too? Just as you are happier being with some people more than others. Certain puppy personalities will be more comfortable for you too.

List-making can help you land the perfect job, buy the right house, and yes, even lead you to the dog-love of your life. Before you set out to look, have your list ready…

Responsible Breeder Checklist

• They know more than you do about the breed and they tell you the truth, both pros and cons.
• They want you to know every little thing about your prospective puppy, his parents and the breed, including where they’ve been living.
• They have a contract that includes a 72-hour pre-purchase clause to allow you time to take the puppy to your veterinarian and a first right of refusal agreement that they will take back the puppy and/or help you find a suitable home if you are not able to care for him at any point during the dog’s life.
• They ask for vet references and home/life-related questions.
• They let you observe puppies with each other and mom more than once to be sure.
• They partner with you to choose the perfect puppy who compliments your personality and lifestyle.
• They don’t let puppies leave until they are at least 8 weeks old, and they don’t try to sell you two puppies at once.

If you use the Breeder Checklist and the breeder passes, you are ready to meet mom and her puppies…

Step 2: Meet Mom, the Puppy’s Mom 

Mom (dam) should be relaxed around her puppies and humans. She should be clean and comfortable; well-fed and clear-eyed. It is normal for mom to get tired of caring for her puppies around week 5, because motherhood is a hard job and puppy teeth are sharp. Knowledgeable breeders sympathize with mom, but also understand that the puppies need her now maybe more than ever because mom’s continued parenting while puppy temperaments develop is crucial to puppy mental health. Mom can be given short respites to recharge in peace. She can wear a t-shirt to protect sore teats. Knowledgeable breeders have ways to support mom while helping her socialize the puppies.

Mom should be at least two years old and not older than six. She should not have had more than one pregnancy per year and no more than 3 or 4 litters total. She must be up-to-date on all vaccines and checked regularly for parasites, which could be passed to her young. Both parents should have been genetically tested for breed-specific health concerns prior to breeding. If you’re happy with what you know about mom (and dad), move on to the puppies…

Step 3: Observe Puppies Together for the First Time

The best puppy for you will not be the shyest or the most assertive one of the litter. You are looking for the puppies in the middle who play well together. Occasionally puppies will play too roughly as they’re just figuring out how to puppy. When a puppy gets hurt, it will yelp or show displeasure. You are looking for the siblings who respond appropriately. Some puppies can be bullies. If the roughness continues, and mom is present, she will scold the bully, teaching him how to behave. If she’s not present, the aggressive puppy will learn to intimidate others, and the more reserved puppy may become fearful.

Puppies who have not spent enough time with mom and litter mates often lack bite inhibition, lack self-confidence and are mistrustful of people and other dogs. Assuming the puppies are clear-eyed, healthy and play well together, you’re ready to get to know them one-on-one…

Step 4: Separate and Handle Each Puppy Individually

Your goal in handling each puppy is to begin to figure out each one’s temperament: dominant, submissive or balanced.

Have someone make notes while you handle each puppy. Gently place puppy on his back, while in your arms or lap. It is normal for the puppy to resist for a moment, then he should relax while you rub his belly. Puppies who continue to struggle against this position are more independent, which may hint to being harder to train later on. The puppies who relax in this position are typically easygoing. Do not force any of the puppies into any position as you don’t want to unduly stress them. Just note which, if any, may be right for you.

You will also get an idea as to whether puppies have been sufficiently handled by humans. If none of the puppies seem interested in humans or they yelp in fear when touched, walk away.

Step 5: Narrow Your Choices and Schedule a Second Time to Revisit Your Favorites

Basically, puppies tend to have 3 types of temperament: dominant, submissive or balanced. For the majority of us, the perfect puppy for us will be one of the balanced puppies in the middle of the litter.

The litter’s most confident, outgoing puppy is a dominant puppy. He’ll be the first to reach you, climb all over you and convince you he’s been waiting all day to meet you. Don’t let him flatter you though; he’s likely the same puppy who mounts his siblings, plays too roughly and steals toys from them. He may even nip to get his way. Socialization is very important and may be more time-intensive for the dominant puppy. He needs a full 8-10 weeks with mama dog and sibs, as mom is best equipped to put him in his place when he gets too rough. Also, he’s just as excited to meet everybody else as he was you. He’s a charmer and a potential heartbreaker, this one.

The puppy sitting over in the corner or sticking to mom is probably a submissive puppy. She will not be the first to greet you, but she could be perfect for you, depending on your own personality and your puppy knowledge. The submissive puppy who hangs back, may lose out on treats and attention to the more dominant sibs. She could become anxious or fearful if bullied. Both breeder and mom should be watching to make sure that doesn’t happen. She will do best in a calm home, with a patient human who knows how to properly socialize a shy puppy, building confidence slowly and incrementally. Most dogs who end up with a bite history were submissive puppies who became anxious or fearful because they were improperly socialized. If you’re unsure how or too busy to spend lots of time socializing this wallflower, you will do better with a more relaxed easy-going puppy.

The puppies drawing less attention to themselves tend to be easier to raise. I call them balanced. The balanced puppy (or puppies) is happy to play with her sibs. She may wander off to explore, then return to the group. She is good at sharing toys and is happy to be redirected. The balanced puppy relaxes in your arms. They are usually in the middle of the puppy pile, but don’t be surprised to find one of the balanced puppies sitting on the sideline occasionally. It won’t be out of shyness. He’s simply learning through observation.

Like people, puppies are sentient beings. How they experience and respond to stimuli, and you in particular, is determined by a combination of their personality and past experience, but sometimes they’re just tired or overstimulated. Or they need a bit more time to mature, which is why Step 6 is critical…

Step 6: Leave the Puppies Exactly Where You Found Them

Go home without a puppy. Unless you already decided before arriving that you would not be leaving with a puppy, you may have trouble with this step. Leaving the puppies is an important step because you need time to think objectively, away from the intoxicating influence of puppy breath, grunts and wiggles. You need to make sure you’re not feeling inclined to take a puppy simply because you feel sorry for one or all of them. Also use the time to reconfirm that you are absolutely ready to commit to a puppy!

If you realize in your first visit that you’ve come upon a situation of puppies who are in need of rescue, it is imperative (and super hard) to leave them. Buying a puppy who’s been born into a bad situation will simply fund a future litter from the irresponsible breeder. Mom and future puppies will suffer. Instead, report your observations to the humane society, and if registered, report the breeder to the AKC (American Kennel Club).

Step 7: Revisit the Puppies

By the time of your second visit, puppies should be at least 7 weeks old. This is when their personalities are more distinguishable. The first thing I do on a second visit is count the puppies. If the litter is smaller, I ask the breeder what happened to the missing puppies. If a puppy got sick or was injured, I need to contact the veterinarian to learn what happened and make sure remaining puppies are healthy. If one or more puppies has already gone to their new homes, I know I need to return to Step 1.

If puppies and mom are all present and healthy, you’re ready to redo Steps 3 and 5, remembering that balanced puppies have learned how to puppy. If they communicate well with each other, then they’ll do the same with you. This, my friend, will ensure that you take home the puppy that was meant for you.

To Recap: Responsible vs. Irresponsible Breeders

A responsible breeder is a professional. Responsible breeders prioritize a lifetime of health and happiness for every puppy they produce because puppies matter more than sales. They give their puppies the best possible start by breeding dogs in prime physical and mental health, and by properly socializing puppies before letting them leave. They keep mom and litter together for a minimum of eight weeks. The best breeders will keep mom and litter together for ten weeks.

Responsible breeders are honest about their puppies because they want them to land in forever homes. And they know that if the home does not work out, they share in the responsibility of finding an appropriate home for the dog they brought into this world.

A backyard breeder is an amateur. His knowledge, actions, standards, environment, and business practices are not in the best interests of 1. An individual puppy, 2. The breed as a whole, and 3. The person/family who buys the pup. At best, he is irresponsible, at worst, he is unethical and a danger to dogs and families. If that statement offends you, you just might be part of the problem of homeless dogs…

⁷ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
⁸ or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.
⁹ Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?
¹⁰ In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.      – Job 12:7-10