November 21, 2009

Hi, I'm Zach!
Now pay close attention. Someday, you could be on the cover of a magazine.
I'm listening.
You mean like this one? I could be a Hunt'n dog? I feel like I fit right in. Don't I look like it?
Cassie and I run around the backyard for the tennis ball.


I have fun playing with Abe. He was an IBR dog that was adopted too.

I like tennis balls, stuffies, and anything else my mouth can fit around.
How many more pictures are you going to take? I'm getting tired.
I've learned to sit pretty.
Is this the pose you want?
Do I look like I'm interested in something?
A little tongue action.
I can pose like that too. See!
Nothing that a good meal won't fix. I'll be fit and trim in no time.

20 Day update

Great progress has been made in such a short period of time. Zach is an amazing, loving young boy. What a difference from the day I picked him up. You could see the pain and despair in his eyes. There was a special volunteer that stepped in at the shelter and took Zach under her angel wing. He was emaciated and throwing up even with nothing in his stomach. His skin appeared to be stretched across the frame of a skeleton while he wore a very scared look on his face that broke my heart. Just to look into his deepened eyes, made you cry.

He didn't seem to know anything other than a kennel so he quickly made that his safe place. I had a dog bed for him but he didn't know what to do with it so he would lay on the floor next to the bed. It didn't take long for him to figure out that a soft bed was better for his bony body than the hard floor.

His stomach was unable to handle very much food at once, so he ate many small meals during his first week with us. He is finally putting on some much needed weight but it will take some time for him to get up to his ideal weight. I am so grateful to the vulunteer that took such special care of him, for without her brining him extra food and her love, his health would have been much worse.

Zach now plays with our 2 dogs and even will initiate it. He also has been very respectful of the cats but we are still cautious. If they are just walking by or laying around he is fine, but if they run, his prey drive kicks in. Something that we are working on. He loves to play fetch and chew on stuffies and pig ears. Zach also likes to hold my hand in his mouth ever so gently and his new family will never need to bathe again with all of his puppy kisses. He's such a special boy and with lots of love, he will make your family and his complete.

Here Kitty Kitty.
Follow the leader.
Smile for the camera.
My room.

November 18, 2009

6 day update

Zach is doing excellent! Mr. Zach is finally eating like a truck-driver!! Yea! He loves yogurt in his food.

No signs of aggression w/ toys or his kennel (he lets Cassie and Abe wander in and he wags his tail). He has limited dog bed time and I completely ignore him unless he comes to me and asks for attention (and he does come over for lots of scratching and tummy rubs). He also gets treats for obeying commands (sitting and “kennel”) and is just starting to want to please us….progress!!

He may be ready to get on birds soon. He found our training dummy w/ pheasant feathers taped to it and was SUPER EXCITED! I can’t wait till he improves enough to get him on birds…he may have potential for someone willing to train a puppy.