#138, Bree, 4 year old female

23-Mar-07

Hi Folks,

I want to thank all you nice folks for rescuing me from that bad place last
weekend and sending me to Edmonton with my friend Desi Diva #136. My foster
Mom and Linda were at the airport to meet us. We had a pretty good trip.
After a short walk, we got back in our kennels for the drive home. We
dropped Desi off at Joe and Jenn's and then Mom took me home. (Desi is only
a couple of blocks away so Mom says when I am ready, I can go visit her).
I got out of my kennel in the front yard and got to look around a bit before
my new friend Raffy came out. Boy do I like him. He is going to teach me
all kinds of stuff. Mom said she was really proud of me because I know how
to do steps.

When we went in the house I sat in the kitchen beside Mom while she was
making treats. I didn't get any of those treats but she put a couple of
soft treats in my food bowl - who wants dog food when they can have treats.
Mom even saw me wag my tail just a little tiny bit. Then that Kristie girl
came in - I just don't like her. She went right in my kennel when I was
exploring and she stole one of my treats. I want to beat her up but Mom
says we have to learn to get along.

There is another dog there. His name is Nardo. He is so BIG. I'm a little
afraid of him but I think we will get along okay. We will get to meet this
afternoon.

In the evening I stayed in my kennel beside Mom - she left the door open so
I could see her. After Mom went to bed, I found some treats in my kennel.
They are really good.

Love Bree, Mom Lynn Carrier
Raffy, Nardo, and that bad Kristie

24-Mar-07

Hi all you kerry blues out there,

Guess what I had for breakfast. I had prime rib on my dog food - Dad couldn't eat all his food at supper last night so he brought the meat home for me and Nardo. Those other kerries had to settle for bison - who wants bison when you can have prime rib.

I was out in the yard yesterday and some sea gulls flew over - I'm going to get me one of those before the summer is over.

I was going to show that Kristie who is boss but Mom wouldn't let me - she pushed me away and I didn't like that so I guess I'll try to get around with her. Might not be that bad.

Dad sits in a room watching TV all the time and he always has treats so I go visit him. He has dog toys in there too, he had one that made a noise and I wanted a better look so I stood and put my paws on his knee to have a better look.

Nardo and I get along good - we have had a couple of tug-a-wars over stuffed toys. If he would quit wagging his tail in my face, it would really help he see what's going on.

Mom says my whole name is Brianne and Bree is just my nickname. She also said my last name is Braveheart because even though I am scared, I still am curious and want to go exploring. I have the run on the house now when Mom is home although she watches pretty close if Kristie is in the house. I even got to run around a little in the back yard but not for very long. (the back yard has a really high fence so I am safe - Raffy was an escape artist so the yard has been fixed to hold him - so what's the point in trying to escape.
Bree(anne)

Bree is making a good start. She isn't all that cuddly right now but she did fall asleep on my stomach yesterday after she had her bath. She hasn't had any accidents in the house other than when she first arrived. She comes when called and is getting fairly close to taking food from my hand. Haven't heard anything from her yet and her tail wags but only in a down position. Found a small mark on her throat - it's about the size of the end of my pinky finger and there is no hair growing there - could be she was bitten by another dog at sometime?

Lynn with co-fosterers, Raffy, Nardo and Kristie

27-Mar-2007

Report from Rescue Coordinator, Linda Grisley at lgrisley@shaw.ca

Bree is #138 from the St. Patrick’s Day rescue and arrived in Edmonton, on March 22nd. Her foster mum and I picked her up from the airport and she shyly came out of her crate, accepted a leash and calmly explored her new domain. Bree is small in stature and very sweet in nature. At only 26 lbs. she has a bit of weight to gain and once she was given the right bowl, she showed a healthy appetite. (The first bowl was too small, said Goldilocks).
At first introduction to the other dogs at her foster home, Bree was curious, but she was shaking and her tail was low. Once the dogs had a chance to calm and sniff through the fence, we allowed the calmest male to come in to greet her. Bree’s tail went straight up and even wagged, and she ran around the yard with glee. She is happiest with the dog companion but will still snuggle with humans, male and female alike. She startles to loud sounds and does not like television at all. However, she has never been exposed to so many things that we take for granted, and her indomitable Kerry spirit will help her to adapt.

Bree quickly acclimated to her foster home and was exploring comfortably the first day. She has a slight dislike for another female in the house, but they are easily managed. Bree’s potty training is going well with only one accident upon arrival. She comes when called and is very quiet. She’s only given a small bark once, and is mostly silent.
Bree has a dozen or so spicules on her body and what looks to be a small scar on her throat. Otherwise, she is in good body condition except for the filthy teeth from the puppy mill diet.

At this early point in her assessment, Bria would do best in a home with a securely fenced yard and someone who can be home during the day to work with her. More information and pictures will be forthcoming

27-Mar-2007

Report from Lynn Carrier, foster mom.

Someone e-mailed that they were pleased to see that Bree's kerriness was coming out - well you would be amazed at just how quickly this little girl is going to the heights of kerriness.

In the past few days, Bree has bonded quite well with Kristie who is a rescue from a couple of years ago. Kristie still tends to be quite shy of some people and of noises - Bree seems to be giving her a little of her own courage and it is so great to see. It's also something to watch the two of them - I can almost hear Kristie saying "you just follow me and I'll show you the ropes" as she took Bree into the kitchen to search for pieces of dog food that have fallen just a little out of reach or she takes her on tour of the yard. They have become my little kerry pack.

Bree isn't trying to be alpha dog to the other kerries but all three of them have picked Nardo as their target - Bree wouldn't let him on the bed last night to get his treats. Then Nardo brought his toy gorilla which whistles and then says "I love you, I love you". When he wasn't looking Kristie stole it from him - Bree was sitting on the bed and from her superior position she intimidated Kristie into letting her have it - and the discussion was on. I finally grabbed it to make sure a fight didn't break out - Bree wasn't sure she "had" to give it to me. Anyways, I stuffed it under the covers with me hoping the dogs would forget about it. They all did a lot of sniffing and all of a sudden Bree stuck her head under the blankets and was almost down to my feet sniffing for the toy - thank heavens it was on the other side of me and she couldn't find. I was absolutely floored that she would be confident enought to do that.

Bree's treat last night was her first taste of ice cream and she even licked some off my fingers. She is taking most treats now from my hand although she isn't overly thrilled about taking Milk Bones - I don't think they measure up to her standards. She also has absolutely no concept of taking turns - she keeps trying to get her mouth in between me and the other dogs when it is treat time. At least she isn't nipping at me for the treats now.

And by the way, this nice quiet little girl has found her voice. I knew she could bark but it seems the other dogs have shown her that this is the thing to do. When I get home, the three kerries are usually on the chair by the window at the front door and they are all going nuts. Bree is getting closer and closer to being at the front of the pack.
Although Bree is still easily startled by noises or movements, she stayed within three feet of me last night when I clicked the clicker. Raffy has always headed for the hills when I clicked it so I think it is a pretty good measurement of her growing confidence.

Update on Bree, March 17-2008

by Jen Shelley

In 2007, Bree was one of the dogs saved in the St. Patrick's Day rescue - a perfect day for an Irish dog!!! At that time, she was 5 1⁄2 years old – fearful and skittish, yet curious. I had lost Kerwin, my first Kerry, in December of 2005. Bree was being considered by my friend, Jane, and I asked if I could tag along when she went for a visit. Well, it turned out that Jane was unable to go through with the adoption and I fell in love with Bree, so I adopted her. The formal papers were signed on May 1st but due to employment circumstances, I didn't obtain full custody of her until mid-June. From March to June, Bree resided with her rescue mom, Lynn, where she was well cared for and loved. ? Lynn's three dogs (2 Kerries, Kristie & Raffy, and a Golden Retriever, Nardo) helped to teach Bree the ropes. They were protective of her and somehow knew that she needed help. Raffy, for example, would stand aside to let Bree finish his food. For Lynn, Bree will always have a special place in her heart. It wasn't long after her arrival that Bree was sleeping most of the night in Lynn's arms. Housetraining was a relatively easy affair and for this Lynn feels terribly lucky.

Bree is such a beautiful lady. She is a small Kerry, ~26 lbs. with a lovely silver blue coat of thick, curly hair. She has a sway-back and is bowlegged from all the puppies she carried. She is very quiet and has a sweet disposition. Her barking has never been a problem because it is intermittent and does not last long. (Kerwin was just the opposite!)
In the past year, Bree has experienced quite a few health issues. In June, she was spayed. In July, she had her teeth cleaned and 15 teeth removed. In November, she had entropic surgery. She had very goopy eyes when she was rescued and was later diagnosed with dry eyes or KCS. In January, she was taken off of her medication just to ascertain if the dry eye condition would return. It did, so she is back on the medication. Then, if this wasn't enough, she developed urinary incontinence at the end of January. She went through a number of tests and is now on medication.

Although Bree is still timid and anxious at times, she has made great progress. When Bree first came to me, it was difficult to take her on walks. She was frightened of the open spaces and would flatten herself often. When I let her outside in the backyard, she would cower behind a chair or cower on the deck next to the house. She didn't even know that she should do her business when she was let out. As the weeks passed, Bree's confidence level rose and one day I found her sitting by the door watching her surroundings. My property backs onto an unleashed area and Bree was interested in what was happening on the other side of the fence. Then one day, she was on guard at the edge of the deck and finally I saw her go right up to the fence. Now she often runs back and forth and occasionally barks. She cherishes her long walks in the mornings and evenings and is impatient to be off. She will approach people more and even enthusiastically greet some. Her issues come and go. It could be just the way I move my body that scares her. I have had to learn not to pull on her leash, to approach her gently and to use no swift motions. Last fall when the cold weather came, she didn't like the swishing of my nylon warming pants and she would pull away as far as she could when sitting or heeling. On a few occasions, hardwood floors have caused her grief but so far she has been able to overcome this. Feeding has been another big problem for her. At Lynn's, the other dogs taught her that it was safe to eat there. Since she is the only dog at my place, she has had quite a time adapting to the food and the bowl from which she eats. It helped when my son and daughter's dog, Jessie, came over. Bree ate a little better then. I changed the dry food several times and I tried stainless steel and deep ceramic dishes but it didn't seem to help Bree to eat consistently or well. Finally I found a shallow ceramic dish that Bree will use. Then at Christmas, Lynn gave me the book, The Whole Pet Diet by Andi Brown and I am now making all of Bree's food. Bree still dances and ducks when she eats but she eventually finishes everything.

Bree will briefly play with toys but tends to leave them alone. For short periods of time, she will run after a squeaky toy or play tug of war but the latter is difficult with no front teeth! Outside Bree loves to fetch a squeaky ball that I have tossed. Sometimes she brings it back to me and sometimes not, but it gives me such a thrill to see her bounding here and there.
Bree's vet calls her a "fragile flower" yet I know she has such inner strength. She has had to be strong to survive all those years in the puppy mill. I see her as being a gentle soul with much resilience and courage. She loves to be cuddled and even gives me kisses on occasion. Her Kerry naughtiness shows through periodically and it makes me laugh. She is so intelligent and if I am observant, she points the way that I should go. I truly feel blessed that she has come into my life.