Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Another Corbin Update

Corbin's momma here again... Corbin refuses to drink, so we've been back to the vet yesterday afternoon and this morning to get some fluids, he won't even let them take him in the back to do it, so he sits in my lap and the tech comes into the exam room for him. He's still in a lot of pain, so we have some pain killers to try.  He's eating very well, and I've been adding tons of water to his food, but it just doesn't seem to be enough.  His gums are very pale.

He's a sure hit at the vets, everyone loves him and he's actually being a really good patient - as long as I'm with him.  He won't let me out of his site, even at home.

Very strange... the typical symptoms for this are vomiting, diarrhea and fever.  He doesn't have any of those symptoms.  Hopefully today is the day he turns around and starts feeling better.  I'd be much more relieved if he'd drink on his own.  I'm going to pick up some meat baby food and try to add that to the water to see if it will interest him.  I keep telling his dad we need to move closer to the vet... it's a 40 minute drive, but well worth it for great vets.

Oh, Corbin...

We're so very thankful for everyones love and support.  Sorry we haven't gotten around to visit... hopefully tomorrow will bring some good news!

Corbin's momma, Jenn

PS.  I'd also like to thank Emily from Our Waldo Bungie for Corbin's sweater.  Corbin has been wearing it to help him keep warm in the house and on his trips to the vet... when he's so dehydrated, he shivers and shakes, and the sweater helps to calm and warm him.  Everyone at our vet office loved it too, we're very thankful for it!

Monday, January 30, 2012

I'm home

Hi everyone. Before I give you my update, I'd just like to thank EVERYONE for all their concern and well wishes. It was so nice and comforting. My mom read me every single one.

Now, shortly after my mom updated that I was in the hospital, she got a call from the vet and had to come pick me up. I was super unhappy that mom and dad left... so I ripped out my IV, flipped my ecollar and busted out of my crate. So Ms. Nice Vet Lady told mom I was too stressed and I'd be better at home bc she was afraid I would get worse if I was stressed. Finally, people start listening to the Corbin!

But, I'm not going to sugar coat it, friends... I'm still in quite a bit of pain. I've been drinking water with some chicken broth bc mom said I'll have to go back to the vet if I don't. I tried eating a bit of chicken and rice this morning, so as long as that stays down, I can have some more later.

Thanks again for caring so much about me... I'm going to go take a nap on the couch.

-Corbin


And, PS... please go vote for me to be Mayzie's date for the. Valentine's dance! What could make a guy feel better than knowing he had a dance with a beautiful brindle gal to look forward too?!

http://mayziegal.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/time-to-vote-for-my-date/

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Update: Corbin's in the hospital

Not the greatest news, but not the worst. Corbin woke up very lethargic this morning with white gums and a dry nose. So at 8am when our vet opened for emergency hours, I called and took him in. She did flex tests on his legs, checked his spine and neck. And although Corb was much more energetic, she listened to me. Once she ruled out all the external physical stuff, she decided to test for pancreatitis, even though he wasn't really tender in his abdomen. Came back positive and his red blood cell count was very high... he's staying there on fluids and antibiotics. He's not throwing up, so hopefully we're in the early stages.

Thank God I didn't listen to the emergency vet... I'm so thankful to have a wonderful crew of vets that trust me and how well I know my dog.

Thanks for all the prayers and support... I'm beside myself, but very thankful I listened to Corbin and trusted my gut. Please keep the prayers coming... the next 24 hours are pretty important for my big guy.

I'll update when I have news.

Corbin's momma, Jenn

Prayers needed for Corbin

Corbin and I just got back from our 2am emergency vet trip. Corbin is yelping in pain when he tries to jump on the bed or couch, or when he gets up from laying down... there was a slight possibility that he might have swallowed a dull razor (from an electric face shaver). My God, I feel like a horrible pet mom just saying that!!! So when he started yelping, I took him in. Xrays were negative, no razor, thank God, but he's still in quite a bit of pain and we're not sure where it's coming from. He's not limping, nothing is swollen, no abdominal tenderness... but it's such a heart wrenching yelp :-( I know he's not feeling well. We'll be following up with our vet later today and will keep everyone updated.

I honestly hope I'm overreacting... but extra prayers can't hurt.

Thanks,
Corbin's momma, Jenn.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Answers, Part 2

NOW! Now it's time to answer the FUN stuff!  The questions everyone asked about ME.
Whatcha wanna know?

Q) Our Waldo Bungie asks: I do wonder how you became so studly... because it seems like too much studly for one dog.
Q) Cooking with Dogs asks: How did you become such a studly piece of eye candy?

A) You're totally correct, Emily.  I am much too studly for one dog, and here's how I did it.  You see, when I was still an unborn pup, I put the bitey on all of my siblings in the womb until they gave ME their studly and their beautiful (for my sisters).  So, when I was born, I had ALL the Studly and Beauty of my litter and I spent the first week of my life putting it all in the correct places.  Ya know, because it all has to be balanced so I don't look too beautiful or too manly.  I made sure my studly ended up at just the right degree.  I think I did a good job, don't you?  Easy on the eyes?


Q) Remington asks: How do you stay in such great shape? Do you go to the gym?

A) Between me and you, Remington... some dogs like us are just born with it.  However, I do keep in shape with lots of fetching, zoomies, and holding the couch down (very important for the upper body strength).  Don't ya know, the gyms around here won't allow me to enter?!  Whatever is up with that.  But Dad did try me on the treadmill... I just looked at him with the "Are you really that lazy that you're going to turn on a treadmill instead of taking me for a walk" look and sat on it until my short ride to the ground was over.
Check out those glutes!!!


Q) Puddles asks: I wanna know how you gots so handsome.

A) Now, I'm answering this separately because handsome and studly are two different things.  You see, as I explained previously, I was born with the studly.  The handsome is something that I have carefully sculpted throughout my life.  Now, to be handsome, it's all in the eyes.  It involves a perfect combination of confidence and sexy.  Something that takes a lot of practice and control.  You really need to deliver that message.  And when you combine the handsome with the studly... you get me.
This face is one of a kind.


Q) The OP Pack asks: What DO you have for breakfast, Corbin?

A) I get 1.5 cups of Natural Balance: Sweet Potato and Fish and 1 Glycoflex tablet.  After that I get my daily morning snuggles and scratches from Momma (part of breakfast).  Most important meal of the day... I never miss it!
I do NOT get ice cream for breakfast.


And, now what you've all been waiting for.

Q) Boxers or Briefs?
Boxers, of course!

My research shows this is a Brief... not my kind of thing.

Any more questions?  Go ahead and ask!  I got a few more yesterday, so I'll answer again next week!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! 
Hey, I think that's Mr. Chewy out there!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Answers, Part 1

So, I told everyone on Friday, if they had any questions, feel free to ask them! I got a lot... so, I'm going to break this down into two blog posts.
Post 1, today Mom and I will be answering the foster questions. Here goes!

Q) Our Waldo Bungie asks: I want to know if you have always been so welcoming to other fosters or if there was ever a time where you didn't like having canine guests.

A) I'll take this one mom. Mom tried bringing home a foster dog shortly after I was adopted. His name was Reese and he was a 20lb parsons terrier mix. He was a cute little thing, but I was NOT happy that my new furever momma brought home another dog. I bullied him a bit and refused to sleep (or let mom sleep) while he was in my house. After a few days, mom realized this wasn't going to work and Reese went to another foster home. He was real happy because I think I scared him a bit. We all learned something from that experience and mom hired a behaviorist trainer to work with us. He taught mom and dad a whole lot about dogs, dog/dog interactions and how to respond to certain situations. Mom and dad practiced their new skills on me for a while before we tried fostering again. After that, our introductions were done after side-by-side walks, face to fanny introductions (avoiding face to face), and leashes were left on until mom trusted we got along okay. Sometimes mom has to bring a dog home and doesn't have a second body to help with intros... these situations depend on the foster dog. Sometimes mom will put the foster dog in the crate until someone can come over to help if she thinks there might be an introduction issue. Other times, after watching the foster dog interact with the other dogs at clinic, mom will tie their leash to the kitchen door, get me out of my crate, put a leash on me, walk me into the kitchen and let the new foster sniff me, then I get to sniff the new foster... If all of that goes smoothly without any indication the foster is scared, intimidated or showing signs of aggression, mom unties the leash and lets them explore, keeping me on the leash so I don't knock them over or upset them with my excitement. Sometimes I can get a little rambunctious and fosters don't react well to that, so it's all on a case by case basis, but I'll touch on the rambunctious next.
Who the heck are you and what are you doing in my house?

Q) Daisy, Bella & Roxy asks: Have you ever had a fight with your fosters?

A) I'll also answer this one, mom. There have been quite a few occasions where meet and greets could have definitely turned into a blood bath. I was supposed to have one foster sister named Tessa... Mom fell in love with her and was super excited to take her in, but when she arrived... she was not happy with my high energy level and went after me... thankfully, we had leashes on and mom and Heather we able to control the situation... but if we had just let Tessa walk into the house, no leashes or proper introductions, it could have been really bad. That was a time when Heather didn't have a foster dog and she took Tessa home to Emmett, who is much calmer and less playful and intimidating than I am to some dogs. Mom can usually judge which dogs will work best in our home and thankfully she works with a rescue that has many great foster homes and resources in case things don't work out at any foster home. However, sometimes we can recognize that a new dog just needs time to adjust, which is why we let Brookie stick around after she scratched my nose. But we try to avoid any instances for aggression as much as possible.
Do you think someone would want to beat me up?

Q) Kitty & Coco asks: We would like to know if you have ever gotten SUPER duper attached to one of your fosters. We know you love the ladies and all, but we are just curious if you ever asked your mom to keep one as your sister.

A) Corbin answering, again! Mom will get her turn. The short answer? YES! The long answer? YESSSSS! I did ask Santa if I could keep Bethany last year for my Christmas gift. But, just as my luck would have it, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Nancy decided that they were going to adopt her... so what's better than me getting to keep her as a sister? Me getting to see her just about EVERY weekend AND still being able to have foster sisters! I also fell in love with Brookie last month and was very sad when she left for her new home. I usually don't have much time to be sad though, because a new foster sibling is always right around the corner!
Can't I keep her?

Q) Benny & Lily asks: How do you not want to keep all those fosters?

A) Corbin again, well... do you know how crazy my house would be with 19 brothers and sisters?! BOL! There's also this other issue... I have a 2 week period for foster siblings. 2 weeks is okay for them to stay, but after that I tend to get bored with them and itching for a new furiend. So, depending on the foster, I can get a little bullyish and bossy after that 2 week marker. I didn't mind that Brookie stayed longer than her 2 weeks though, she was super fun to nap with.
ZzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Q) Puddles askes: When is ya'll gonna be foster failures?

A) Oh, Puddles... don't you know I'M their foster failure?! Mom has already hinted around that Lexie just might be a failure of fostering... but shhhhhh, don't tell her I over heard that.
Bwaaaahahaha, me... a foster dog!


Q) Pip asks: How do you not break down and keep one of your fosters? Have you been tempted to adopt any of them?

A) I'll let mom take this one... Mom? Hi Mr. Pip! We have wanted to keep a few of them, but we have to take a lot of things into consideration before making the decision to adopt another. We live in a semi small house, so two dogs all the time would be a lot, and 3 dogs when we have a foster would be a bit hectic. Also, the money for 2 bags of dog food, 2 bags of treats, 2 sets of toys, 2 special collars, two life jackets and 2 vet bills. And more importantly... when we decide to adopt a second dog, we need to be considerate of them and how they would feel about our lifestyle. Boating is something we do just about every weekend, and although our boat isn't huge, a smaller dog might work. But we have to make sure the boat will be something our second dog would like. This was a big impact on our decision to not adopt Oreo. She has anxiety in the car, and we knew that the boat would put her over the edge. And it wouldn't be fair for her to leave her with a friend every weekend. The boat was also a reason we didn't adopt Brookie... a second big dog is out of the question for our home and boat. Now Donnie... I sure did fall in love with him, he would have loved the boat and he would have fit perfectly! But I know Corbin wasn't fond of having a full time brother. The perfect dog hasn't come around yet, which is fine with us, because as much as we love these dogs, we know they're going to make another family even happier!
She has made her family VERY happy and is changing so many
views on pit bulls in her new life... Go Hannah! -Now known as Ruby!

Q) Brandon asks: would love to know how you feel about all the new foster siblings that come in

A) Truth is... I love it! It's always fun to have someone else in the house. And if we're fosterless for a while, I get pretty sad and depressed. But if some of them overstay their welcome, I can get a little clingy over mom and dad... but that only happens sometimes.
I have to foster TWO of them, Mom? Do I get a raise?

Q) KB asks: Have you ever had a foster who you didn't get along with?

A) YES! Mom brought home a beagle girl named Morgan. She hated me and I was scared to death of her. She stayed under the kithen table, and anytime I was in eye site - even on the couch! -she would growl and bark and bite at me. So she had to find another foster home. I think my size and rambunctious attitude put her off a bit... but man, was she scary!
Who could be afraid of this face?
Q) 24 Paws of Love asks: Do you get along better with the lady fosters or would you rather hang out with the dudes??

A) GIVE ME THE LADIES!!!!!!! Now, truth be told, I do get along with dudes too... but I'm always a little more on edge when the dudes are over... I have to keep my eye on them all the time, just to make sure they're not doing anything naughty. I relax a lot more with the ladies.... which makes mom relax a bit more. I've been much more accepting of the dudes lately though... mom thinks it's because I'm getting older and wiser... I think she's crazy.
Ladies like to kiss the Corbin.

Q) Sprinkles asks: 1) How do you not fall in love with all of the fosters and keep them? 2) Do you get along with all of the fosters? Do you ever get jealous of them?

A) 1) We do fall in love with each and every one of them, and we'll love them for the rest of our lives. We know we can't keep them and that there are so many wonderful souls just like them waiting for their second chance, so that helps a bit. Plus, mom keeps in touch with all of our previous fosters. 2) Eventually... sometimes the first day or two is a little hard because I get pretty excited to have a new furiend, but after we get used to each other, things go pretty smoothly. I'm not usually a jealous guy, I let them play with my toys and chew my bones and snuggle with my parents... but all bets are off when their 2 weeks are off. Sometimes I get jealous of their time with my humans then... or I'll take all my toys back.
This is my car, Oreo... You sit down.

Q) Two grad students and a Pitty: I feel as though you very quickly adopt out your fosters. Can Corbin do a post on how he feels he succeeds at this?

A) Indeed, we're going to do a WHOLE post on this because my response got pretty long. There are a lot of factors that go into that. Look for this post sometime next week!
This is Ashton... I didn't even get to meet her bc she got adopted an hour
after she was turned in.

Q) Molly (A beautiful follower with beautiful chocolate furs without a blog!) asks: Have you always been confident and happy with other dogs?

A) Molly wrote this question in an email, and we answered her with a super long answer... I'll shorten it bc this blog post has gotten pretty long! In all honestly, no... I haven't always been great with other dogs. I was taken away from my litter at 6 weeks, so I didn't get a lot of play time and learning time with my siblings and my mom. At 8 wks I had my leg broken by my owners other dog. Once my leg healed, I was at the shelter and then to rescue. Mom made sure to keep me in a separate corner of the adoption clinics so I wasn't crowded with dogs... I would get so excited to see other dogs, I'd jump towards them and they wouldn't like that, so they'd growl and snap at me, and I'd get defensive and snap back. After 2 months, mom and dad adopted me without really correcting this issue... then it became that if any dog came up to me face to face, I'd growl and be a meanie. Mom and dad hired a behaviorist who came in and taught a lot of things to mom and dad, like how to communicate with me, proper introductions and warning signs. Without this, I doubt I'd have been a foster brother. When new foster siblings come in, we do a no introduction, side by side walk around our block. Then we do a "face to fanny" introduction, still outside, leashes on. If the fur on my back or the other dogs back goes up, we walk again until we're both comfortable. Once intros are done, we go inside and leashes stay on until mom is confident we're both calmed down and used to each other. Sometimes, new fosters are so exhausted from clinic or their transport, they don't want to be bothered with me, so mom lets them sleep it off in the crate, and we try intros again after everyone has calmed down and gotten used to scents. That's how we corrected my issues with other dogs.
Now I play in big groups, daycare, big dudes, small dudes, and all the ladies.


WOW! Who's still reading this???

Tomorrow I'll answer all the personal questions some of you asked ;-) You don't want to miss that!

Does anyone have any new questions? If anyone missed last weeks opportunity, feel free to ask now!




Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Introducing... Hint #3?

Corbin wanted to give you another hint before I could have my own blog post to say hello, but I told him it would be pretty mean to make you wait even longer to meet me.  There is no hint number 3, so without further a-do...
Hi, my name is Lexie and I'm Corbin's new foster sister. 

I know some of you were hoping all 5 of my adorable puppies in hint #1 were Corbin's new fosters, but they were all adopted last weekend!  I'm so happy all of my beautiful puppies found wonderful new homes.  You see... when I was pregnant, some mean people chained me to a tree in Kentucky, I had my 8 puppies and did my best to take care of them... by the time rescue came for us, 3 of my puppies had suffocated in the mud that we were surrounded in.  They had ventured away from the length of my chain and I was beside myself that couldn't reach them.  I was very sad, but happy to know the rest of my puppies and I were safe.  They were about 3 weeks old when we were rescued.
5 weeks after our rescue, I was told my puppies were going to New York to find some great homes.  I still have milk left from feeding my babies, so I couldn't get spayed in time to go.  If I stayed at the shelter, there were more chances for me to get sick... or even worse, not make it out alive.
Momma lady couldn't stand the thought of that... so Friday afternoon the nice shelter lady told me how great I did keeping my puppies alive and raising them and that she was very proud of me and that I'd find a great place to live in New York.  I was very excited and I loved hearing what a great job I did with my puppies.  I jumped in the van and was ready for my journey to a new life for me and my puppies.
It was a long ride and I wondered if I we were ever going to make it.  But we did and I was greeted by some wonderful volunteers at Homeward Bound.  I watched my puppies get microchips so they would always find their way home if they ever got lost.  I saw super nice people come back to meet them, and then I said goodbye as they went on to their furever homes.  I wished them luck and told them I'd always love them and to enjoy every snuggly second they got with their humans.
I wondered where I would go... was nice shelter lady right?  Would I have a home?  Or would I go back in a cage?  Or tied to another tree?  Well... I knew the answer as soon as I saw Momma Lady.  She was busy doing stuff at the front of the rescue, but I kept my eye on her, because I knew she was mine.  She finally came over and introduced herself... I snuggled right up to her, I knew I was safe.  She told me I would be going to her home and that she would love me forever and eventually, I'd find my perfect home.  So I went home with her when the adoption clinic was over. 
Not to rain on my parade, but they had 13 dogs adopted on Saturday!  Including Corbin's last foster furiend, James.

Anyway, back to me.  So I got into Momma Lady's car and off we went.  She told me that Daddy Dude wasn't home, so she'd have to leave me in the kitchen while she got Corbin.  I thought to myself... what the heck is a Corbin?
That picture pretty much says it all.... I sure found out what a Corbin was!  It was a big, paw flailing, brown Moose. 
So, this is a Corbin, huh?  Momma lady swore he was a dog, but I'm telling YOU... he's a Moose.  And, if any of you were wondering... Yes, Corbin is a boob man.
"Ok, Moose Corbin... I think you've starred at them enough."
The first day was a little scary for me... I didn't want to let Momma Lady out of my sight because I was afraid she wouldn't come back.  But she gave me some wonderful snuggles on the couch and kept Corbin away from my TaTas.  She would often turn to look at me just to find out I had been staring at her... I couldn't help it, I was just so thankful I had a couch to lay on.  And when it came time for bed... I made it pretty clear that I was not going to sleep a wink, or let her or Daddy Dude sleep a wink if I had to stay in my crate.  So finally Momma Lady brought me in the bed room and tried to make me sleep on a bed on the floor... It took about 3 hours, but I finally wore her down by 4am and she let me sleep in the bed right next to her. 
Corbin let me in on his favorite pass time... the window!  I don't find it as interesting as he does, but it's a cool way to see the going ons of my new home.
He's also helping me learn a few things... like Momma Lady doesn't need to be in view 24/7, she's not going anywhere. I even spent part of Sunday and Monday night sleeping on the couch with him. He is also helping me learn that food comes every day twice a day with treats in between. At first, he came over to check out what Momma Lady gave me to eat and I told him to GO AWAY! But, he was right... and this morning I let him take a little piece of my food that fell out of my bowl.
He gives me kisses and keeps telling me that life only gets better from here. I sure do hope he's right.

Thanks for listening to my story.  I'll be hanging out with Corbin, Momma Lady and Daddy Dude for a while because they need to make sure I can't have any more babies before I can get adopted.  Maybe by the time I'm ready to go to a new home, I'll have convinced Momma Lady that this should be my home... it sure is nice and cozy here.

Oh and Corbin would like me to say:
"OMDDDDDDDD THE GIANTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!"

Bye!
Lexie.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hint #2

Now, if you missed hint number 1, check it out here.  This is hint number two. 
Can you guess what my news is???

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Jamesy: Adopted!

Jamesy left today for his new family. He sure was silly and fun to play with. Not sure if mom will miss his "relocation" of her slippers, but I know she'll miss his floppy tail and upside down "look." He was a great guy, even if he was a foster brother! Hope he enjoys his new life!!! C-ya later James!!!


AND!!!

Guess what!

Here's a little hint and something to make you squeeeeeeeeeel over.

  

Cute, huh? 
Just wait until you hear my news!


PS.  If you have a question about our fostering or a question about me... or you'd like to tell me how handsome I am, please ask or tell on our post from Friday!  We'll answer them next week!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Whatcha Thinkin' About?

You've got questions?  Well... I've got answers.

I know some of you have asked questions about us fostering and I probably haven't answered them, so please, ask again!  I will answer them next week.  You can ask my mom questions too, and I'll even let her answer for herself.

Or do you have questions about me?  How do I stay so studly 24/7/365?  How do I feel about having new foster siblings?  What do I eat for breakfast?  Boxers or briefs?  Anything... ask away!

You can comment here with your question or email me at
OhCuteCorbin(at)Gmail(dot)com.

Well, now that I pawed all of this, I'm wondering if anyone will ask anything... 
I guess if you don't have a question to ask, you can just leave a comment about how good looking I am. 
Or you can do both.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Meet Jamesy

So... I've been super excited and super waiting for my new foster.  I knew one was coming, but I sure didn't know what I was in for.
Mom brought home a DUDE.
Here he is giving you a glimpse of his dude parts to prove he's a dude.
So anyway... this here, is Mr. Jamesy.
He's a pretty cool guy and already won over the hearts of a potential family.  You see... Mr. Jamesy came in on Saturday all the way from Kentucky and he wasn't feeling so hot after the long car ride, so he slept through the WHOLE adoption clinic.  Mom wanted to take him home to make sure he wasn't sick and was just tired from his long ride.
Mom.... can you bring him back and get me a foster SISTER please?
James slept most of Saturday and wouldn't eat anything - even cheese!!!  But around 10pm he was interested in treats, so mom gave him a little bit of food, which he kept down over night.  Then, all bets were off... this guy just needed a good nights sleep!  So we played.
Hey dude... can you handle playing with me?
This is about .87 seconds before I jumped over him.
Bwaaaaaa I jump over your headddddd
We had quite a bit of fun
What is with your Southern dogs and rolling in the snow???
I'll never understand...
He really liked playing in the snow.
INCOMING!!!!
So, I guess he's a pretty cool guy...
I just hope he gets adopted super quick so I can get a new lady furiend.  Until then, we'll play.