Reality TV Show Pitch......

There's "Dog Town", the show out of Utah that takes the very troubled cases from around the world; "The Dog Whisper", the show out of California that trains people and rehabilitates dogs; "Rescue Ink", ten or so tattooed biker looking tuff guys with gentle hearts saving dogs, cats, snakes in New York; nothing from middle America.

Quick background note:

Some of you that read this crazy blog know that this thing got started because of Fluffy Dog Rescue out of Hartland WI. Lori our fearless leader started a rescue 3 years ago to save Fluffy Dogs! Early this fall, through Lori's amazing network of dog savers, learned about 6 Bearded Collies that where the stock animals of a miller in Missouri. She was able to negotiate getting all six dogs out of their dilemma and get them into foster homes in Wisconsin and Illinois.

OK here the pitch

We combine dog saving with dancing...."Dancing with the Dogs" man this could be big, like huge!

All of the fosters that have or have had one of the six Beardies know the dance very well....Shelly, one of my counterpart fosters, gave the dance it's name The Beardie Shuffle, the steps are very well known to all of us, one step forward, two steps back, spin the foster parent and dosey doe.....it's time to introduce it to America.

We have it all...the evil puppy mill....the group of fosters with their individual blossoming Beardies..keep in mind these dogs are all really cute, just look at some of the pictures on blogs, the longer their coats get the better they look....new thought we could also work-in the grooming thing and invite that Tabitha chick that does hair to stop by....Heidi Klum and her group could cover a runway episode....Lori goes on Martha to promote the show and discuss Fluffy Dog Wellness.....Man this is getting bigger and better all of the time.

An up close and personal look at this rag tag group of fosters and their leader saving not one dog at a time, but here is the kicker, six dogs at one time....we show the before and afters...Extreme Dog Makeover.....Each week we dance at a selected PARK OF THE DOGS we get judges and the Beardies are Stars.....No one gets eliminated they find a HOME! What do you think, come on we can do this, it will be fun....who do we pitch first...Animal Plant, TLC, Lifetime, National Geographic??????

I can't believe it

Hold the presses, you will not believe this. I don't believe it she did something really bad! She actually did something other then lie on the sofa, eat, go out....she got in the garbage! Gypsy has never done anything like this!

Here's the picture, close your eyes, no don't close them you will not be able to read with them closed......

I just feed everyone dinner, I forgot to thaw the hamburger so I decide to be creative, they had kibble last night....I forgot to thaw it yesterday too....they had kibble for breakfast, normal! So I have Liver Sausage in the refrigerator, I never eat the stuff, I got it for Easton. New package never opened, but it has been in the lunch-meat drawer forever.

It looks good, smells just a strange as it always has so whatever, I will give it to them. They will each get a slice, I'll mix it with some pumpkin and mix it with some kibble they'll think it is some kind of very special treat. Right, right!~

So after I mix up this amazing concoction and all three are really happy with the super treat of weird food mixture. I remove that paper on outside of the liver sausage and I put the remainder in a food storage bag and I toss it back in the refrigerator to use for training or something else really clever when I forget to thaw raw hamburger or whatever. I then toss the orange paper stuff in the trash can, go into the office, jump on the computer to look-up dog food....someone told me about Natures Select at the dog park. Anyway I am reading and I keep hearing some strange noises, lap lap, lick lick, tear tear.....What is that....after about the third....What is that, I get up to investigate.

I notice Mollie is in her crate, she is not lying down, she is looking out of the crate down the hall, as I walk out of the office I see Jake standing in the bathroom, looking out the door, down the hall....
Then I see it.......
The crime of the century.......
It's Gypsy and she is tearing up pieces of the orange paper and licking and tearing and licking and tearing. What was once a large piece is now twenty five small, very small pieces.....
"What are you doing????"
Totally busted.....she runs to the sofa...."Nothing, I know nothing about it"
Mollie has followed me down the hall cowering and she had nothing to do with it.......
Jake has booked to his crate "Dudes this is bad, you like never get in that garage can, the Lady is totally going to freak"
I am dazed and amazed, my perfect little Beardie is in the garbage, I see it, I don't believe it.
And now she is doing her very best dog, sit on the sofa, don't look at the crime move!
After about five "Bad dog, very bad dog, you don't get in the garbage" in the deepest voice I can muster it was over.
She never did the shy slink move, try to run and hide, she just sat there and looked sheepishly guilty.......
I ran back in here to tell all of you..............................
She is a DOG!

Photo Fun

Indian Summer Day!

Happy girl at the dog park!

This is Gypsy in her most favorite place, but man just look at the waves and her beautiful coat coming in!

Gyps in Sepia

Black & White Mollie

Jake in Sepia

Delilah the Gypsy 6 Weeks In

Wow I can't believe I have lived with the Lady, Mollie, Jake and all the cats for 6 whole weeks now!

I have worked really hard at turning into a good dog and every day I get better and better at it. I have finally got it that I should not put my feet up on the counter! Yeah, that's right I remember not to do it, cause I'm a really smart dog. It has been a week since I did that bad trick. I will sit each morning and night for my breakfast and dinner and when the Lady says "Gypsy, Look!" I look right into her eyes, just like I am supposed too, I even do it on our walks!

The Lady and I are working on a real cool trick, now that I will sit, she is teaching me sit-up! I sit and bring my front feet up and I look so cute when I do it the Lady laughs each time. The Lady is trying to get a picture of this, as soon as she does we will show you how cool I really am! When Mollie tries to do it she stands all the way up, and Jake does the same thing, he is as tall as the Lady when he does and he falls forward and knocks into her. He is such a klutz! They don't know how to sit on their bottoms and bring up their front feet, silly kids!

We are also working on down, that is when the Lady wants me to lie down on my belly. She holds the treat in her hand where I can't see it, but I can smell it. She then takes the treat all the way to the floor. I have gotten this a couple of times, but it is still a little confusing to me. The Lady is certain I will get it, she knows how intelligent I am.

I am so great on the leash I prance down the street doing the Beardie bounce, the Lady thinks I look very fancy. She hardly ever has to tug the leash to get me back on heal, I walk right next to her 99.9% of the time. When we meet dogs or people on our walk, Jake always tries to go and greet them, but the Lady wants us to wait and stay until she tells us it is OK. I am very good at this, better then Mollie or Jake. I still freak out a little when we hear loud noises, each time this happens the Lady says "Gpys Look" and as soon as I do all the bad scary stuff just seams to magically disappear and I move forward with her and my pack just fine.

I also really really love to herd all the small dogs at the PARK OF THE DOGS. When I am in herd mode I forget to "Look", I forget my name, I forget my pack. If anyone out there has any hints that might help the Lady get me through this we would really appreciate hearing about it.

I love the Lady and I love all of the pride/pack I live with, but I would sure like to find my very own forever home!

A Hiking Dinner Party

Yesterday the pack and I went to the PARK OF THE DOGS, again......
The place was so crowed they where parked on Fairfield and coming in by leash. The good news is there is such a turnaround that you wait in the parking lot for just a few minutes someone is always leaving.
We got our parking place and made our way to the gate, there where about 30 dogs waiting in the play area to greet new arrivals. Jake took off right out the gate with his best jumps and spins that are his official way of saying "Dudes, what a beautiful day, lets run and play" Mollie was streaking across the play area with her favorite game of Chase & Race. While Gypsy found every little dog more then interesting to follow and herd.
I really need to find her cue, her command that will get her attention when she is in herd mode. Now I have to follow, calling and calling; get right up to her and once I get eye contact she will come to me, begrudgingly. I can then snap on a leash and lead her away. She is continually turning to see where her little friend is going. Once we are away I can unhook the lead and she will stay with us until her attention is diverted again by a small dog.....we start again. When we are hiking for the most part she stays with us, but I need to be ever vigilant when small dogs come up on us to keep her with her pack. We will get this figured out sooner or later!
After the PARK OF THE DOGS we drove home and I called a friend that lives near Bristrol WI. We decided that I would drive up with my pack and she would load up her two dog pack and we would go to Bong Recreation Area for a hike. Bong is beautiful, but it is an On Leash Only areas and with 5 dogs on leash it was a bit of a trip. We did get in about a 1 hour walk and it was a great time. We then went back to Jule's and the dogs where really great in the house together. Gyps was a little hesitant of the wood floor, sliding around when she would jump off the sofas. All and all it was a great time we had a wonderful dinner and the dogs where exposed to yet one more adventure!