Snow Boy!

The snow, ice and power outage delayed Boy's neuter and cat testing. As you can see, Boy did not mind that one bit! He enjoyed many good romps in the snow!

Happy New Beginning for the Darling Miss Dugan!

Not 9 inches of snow, nor a power outage, could stop all of us from making Dugan's adoption day a reality. The Keough family has adopted Teala and named her Dugan. She joins her big Brother, Huck-a former ABARS rescue dog as beloved members of this wonderful family. I am fortunate in that they go to the same vet as I do and they board their dogs with me when they travel. I will always know this darling girl.

Huck is elated to have a new Sister!

The many faces of BOY

He is so sweet and expressive!

Loveabull Snow Girl!

Dugan is having so much fun in what I believe is her first snow. What a perfect little snow angel she is!

Boy's First WA Snow!

Well, we were supposed to visit my vet today and have a "CAT" scan done on Boy to see if he is reactive to cats. This needs to be ruled out before he is adopted into a home with them.
 Instead it snowed. The vet clinic closed early and we stayed put thanks to several steep hills separating us from the clinic.
 Boy had such a good time frolicking in the snow that every picture I took except this one was a brindle blur! LOL!

HAPPY SNOW DAY BIG BOY!

Teala is Doing Well!

We all sure miss the petite little flower. Her spay went well, uneventful-thankfully. I will pick her up tomorrow and start the pampering when we get home. She is one step closer to her forever loving home!

Big Needy Boy

It is obvious, that being 4 years old, Boy endured much more in the neglectful surroundings he came from. Far more than Teala did, and it is really showing. Teala is an 18 month old puppy. She has that lovely short attention span which I believe has allowed her to adapt quicker than Boy.
 Boy is a velcro dog. He is clingy and is happiest when touching you. He is intelligent and learns fast. He stays on task, where Teala will flit around and inject play into every activity.He tries very hard to please and watches my every inflection for approval
 When outside, she plays, she rips around, she is carefree. He trots around almost playing, but is cautious. He is more relaxed and plays with his toys in the comfort of their room.
 In a situation like this, the clingy behavior must not be encouraged. If he is coddled when acting like this, he will manifest into one heck of a separation anxiety nightmare.
 Each night before bed, we have designated "cuddle time." Outside of that time, so as not to worsen his negative behavior, I make him do something to earn the praise so I can "pay" him for being good. During the day, as he makes attempts to climb on me, lick constantly, paw at me, lean on me, sit on my feet, etc, I tell him a firm "No" then I ask him to sit, heel, shake, etc, so I can reward him.
 Boy has been through a lot. He is not broken, he just has a few small dents that need smoothing out. I do not pity him. That part of his life is over. He is safe. It is so important not to nurture his dented areas. It is my goal to build him up with positive reinforcement so he will eventually have a the self esteem a Bullmastiff should. 
 Each day he makes me proud. It is going to be a bit of a journey with him, but I know he can do it. I love him and I believe in him.

Great Things to Come for the Darling Miss Teala!

 Teala is being spayed Friday! It is the last necessary step before she can continue with her new life. I will be glad when the day is over for her and she is back here resting and healing.
 Once healed, she will be going to a wonderful new home with previous ABARS adopters, The Keoughs. She will have a big Brother Bullmastiff named Huck who will show her the way a Bullmastiff should be. Huck was a challenge for the Keoughs when he arrived at their home. They worked with him and today he is a fantastic example of the breed. They will be the perfect family to continue building Teala's confidence and at their house she will be surrounded by love.
 Teala has blossomed like a flower since arriving here. I am so proud of her and am thrilled she will not only live close, but will be in my care (along with Huck) when her family travels.

Bullmastiff Crisis Nevada-Dec 2011

http://abarescueservices.chipin.com/bullmastiff-crisis-nevada

The Ongoing Story of the Other Beautiful Dogs Saved:

Bullmastiff Crisis Nevada Dec 2011

Blurry, Playful, Action Shots!

These are action shots with a camera that was not up to par, but they are heartwarming when you see Teala ripping around, as carefree as can be!

She is as CUTE AS SHE CAN BE!!!

Smart & Well Behaved

Both dogs are doing so well with manners. Here is Teala being escorted to the side yard by Bloodhound Cindy.

Teala just met Cindy a few minutes prior to this and watched her play with Loverboy. She was very excited when it was her turn!

Teala is gaining an appropriate amount of weight and her poop is looking good. She is eating well and sleeping through the night. She really is a living DOLL!

I'm a Big Tough Boy, and Big Tough Boys Don't Need Soft Blankets!

What do I do with this?!?

I don't think I need this!

It is kinda soft...

Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but I really like my blanket.

Thanks Aunt Kristine!

I LOVE mine too!!!

Loverboy's Patience Pays Off!

Loverboy wonders if it's his turn yet..

Aunt Kristine says, "Tell me all about it, Sweetheart."

"Thanks Aunt Kristine, You're a good listener!"

Now watch me play with my toy!

The New Adventures with Aunt Kristine

My dear friend, Kristine, who is a talented seamstress among MANY other things, dropped by to deliver soft blankets for Teala and Loverboy.

 Teala approached Kristine with no fear. She gently placed her paw on her to make sure it was okay. Teala's politeness was rewarded by a nice long massage and lots of cuddles. Teala was about as happy as she could be!