RIZZO
Pictures
Rizzo's Foster Journey - Adopted 5/26/05
Post Adoption
1/16/05
12/1/04
2/24/05
Pertinent Information
9 mos. old Fawn Female Boxer
46 lb. Owner Surrender
Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Not Spayed or UTD
Being Fostered near Honesdale, PA
Adoption Donation $300 + $50 spaying deposit
8/14/07 -
Well its been a while but wanted
everyone to know that my baby girl is doing great. Rizzo weights 68 lbs
and is as strong as an OX. She had a few bumps on her that we had looked
at and found one that was a cancer cell. We had them all removed. we
still have her checked and any other spots we find. She loves to play
with me and loves to travel in the car. She know when we tell her back
of the bus she goes into the back of the truck. She still has a few
things to learn like she has to share the bed with us and not kick me
out all the time. I have found that she is very attached to me
and we share alot together. I tried to feed her doggie Ice Cream,
but she will only eat if it she can eat it off the floor or
from my hand. She is truely a little princess. I will send more pics so
you can she the young lady..Thank You for a wonderful
gift.
10/13/06 - Wow its been over a year now and she is doing great. She runs the house here and knows it. She has now begun to bark at strangers something she has never done before. She lets us know when someone has come into the yard. She love to take rides to the beach (we watch the deer) and love to play keep the tennis ball from her daddy. She recently went to the vet due to some small bumps on her legs. Turn out not to be a problem we caught a possible problem before it started thank god. can not be without the Wiggles. yes we nick named her Wiggles for the dance she does when I get home. She means the world to us all and we could never let anything happen to her. She loves being chased in the yard and loves to cuddle late at night when its bed time. Just wish she would share the blankets once in a while. We spend a great deal of time spoiling her she has a lot of toys, only a few survive with this one. She found out she can get to the squeaker fast, so nothing lasts to long with her. Well she's trying to get me to play with her so I need to get going. Will let you all know how she is in a few months. Thank you greatly for a wonderful pup and a great family member.
2/25/06 -
Wow almost a year
and she is gotten bigger and stronger. She finally got spayed and since
then she has gotten stronger. She finally topped off at 70lbs. She is a
not the average Boxer she gets smarter and wiser than I had expected and
she is just as playfully now than ever. She loves the snow and when it
snows you can't get her in the house without chasing her in. She loves
to play, but mostly she chooses to play with me and my feet. Fortunately
when she does sleep she sleeps with me or should I say on me. She has
finally reached her Princess status and that is food must be heated or
forget it. You still have to love this dog and all that she is. Well
till next moth and hopefully I can get some pictures for you
12/28/05 - Rizzo's dad reports that she has been spayed without any problems and recovered very quickly. She's always by his side, especially when he's sick. She still pulls a bit on the leash, but other than that, she's fantastic. He has lots of cute names for her, depending on how she's behaving or what look she's giving him. She's a favorite among his friends and she's loved by everyone. He's truly thrilled with her and was happy to share about their lives together during our phone call. They truly are a perfect match.
11/22/05 - Well time to update on my little lady. She is finally getting fixed in a few days. It’s been a long time waiting. She has finally weighting in at 60 lbs. She is a true loving pup. She travels with me to Massachusetts and love to go for the ride, especially if it’s to Petco. We got her a coat to wear for the winter with little boots to keep her feet warm. She is a great pup and she is very attached to me, that is a good thing except when I sleep and she feels the need to sleep on me, but I am used to it now. She still has a thing with shoes, mostly laces so we try to hide them. All in all she has been a joy and a God send from you to me for all the fun.
10/1/05 -
Well its time to tell you a bit about Rizzo. She is a great pup; she is
very attached to me at this point as I am with her. She has taken to
chewing only my shoe laces and running around with my clothes when I am
at work. She loves to play at night before bed time, we play boxing and
then she gets bored and it’s off to sleep. Shame I can’t get a bigger
bed, she takes the blankets and all my pillows. It’s ok though I have
learned to try to get some blanked late at night once she is
asleep. She has learned to use her nails to get my attention. She will
nail you on the neck when you ignore her; we have learned to not turn
our backs to long. She is a very bright, and very loving. I miss her
when I am at work, and look forward to being with my little bed and
blanket thief.
She has learned a few things like she prefers to sleep on you when
you’re not looking and then you can’t get her to move, (its ok I like to
know where she is at all times). She loves the car and when I say “go
for a drive” she is at the door before I get there. We are going to go
to Massachusetts this weekend and she is going with me. I look forward
to going with her.
She is going to be a handful when it snows, but I intend to get some
winter clothes for her to keep her warm and dry. I hope she likes the
snow, ‘because she hates the rain. We are still waiting
on the doctor’s ok for her to get spayed. We need to wait till the end
of the month for the doctors
ok on that. Well that’s all for the moment. Will tell you more about her
and the ride next time.
8/18/05 - Well its time for the
monthly update. Rizzo is a perfect pup. She had her first heat and we
all survived. She was to get spayed, but now they need to wait for 2
months for all the vessels to close down and for her to return to
normal. Thank God.
We took a long 5hr drive to Massachusetts for a visit and took Rizzo.
She was a great pup all the way there. We made several stops to give her
water and stretch her out, she loved the drive but it tired her out.
When we got to the in-laws house she made herself at home and then
barked to protect us from my father-in-law. Everyone there loved her and
tried to give her treats.
We did the same on the way home and let her play in the yards for a bit.
She has been a great addition to the family and we all lover her.
She will not allow anyone to go without her going in the car too. If you
grab your keys you better run or she comes running for the door to go
too. We all take turns with her driving around. I know from the start it
was a perfect match.
I will send some pictures this week of the Princess so you can all see
how well she is doing. Well that’s all for now………
7/15/05 - Well Rizzo is doing great.
Got her second scrapping and it was negative. She is in her first heat
and looks sad, well it will be her last. She loves to play with the
Parson's Russels upstairs, just keeping them apart until her heat is
done. She is truly a Princess. She sleeps on the bed and pretty
much owns it. Glad I am allowed to sleep there. She has been eating well
and we found a few treats that she really loves and she eats it all. She
still pulls a bit on the lease, but is getting better. She has a set
schedule and we try to stay to it. She is a great pup and we love her.
To the right are some new pictures of her and her cute look.
From her former foster home: Rizzo's forever home reports her to be
doing very well. She has two negative skin scrapings, so we are now
mange free!! She is now approaching her first birthday, Happy Birthday,
Rizzo! Her daddy says that he couldn't have asked for a better puppy.
Clearly, by the pictures, she couldn't have asked for a better forever
family.
6/3/05 - Well it’s been a week and
Rizzo is doing great. We drive around a lot together. She is loved at
Petco and the vet’s office. We walk the neighborhood daily and play a lot.
She is adjusting well and having fun.
We went to the vets today and got a clean scrapping, keeping an eye on
everything but she is doing very well. Looking forward to next week want
to try row boating with her. She is very attached to me and follows me
everywhere, even in the bathroom. She is wonderful and I could not have
chosen a better baby girl. I am so glad to have Rizzo around. Today we
are hoping to get those nails clipped; she has learned how to use them.
Well for now that’s it but I will let you know how she does in a boat…….
5/3/05 - Well it’s a week now and
she is doing great. Went to the vets and they all loved her. So far the
scrapping showed neg. and the doctor was great with her. The poor puppy
was not very happy with the scrapping, They listened to her heart and
she is ok, and all looks good. She loves to play with her treats and she
has to sleep with a snoopy doll I have. She is a great deal of fun, and
we have been playing a lot and chasing each other. She is my little
love. I will take pics of her this week and send them to you. She is now
officially 51 lbs. and now thinks she is a lap dog, (you should see it).
Well its time to get ready to feed my baby and start out our day. I have
to use Gravy now to get her to eat 2x a day. This is ok with me as long
as she eats.
She finally meet the cat and she wants to play with her but the cat
won’t have that. So Rizzo just bounces around and cries till the cat
hides from her. They will work it out. She is a very funny girl and I
love her for it all.
Well I will keep in touch and let you know what she’s up to.
Thank You Allyson for everything and you too Gary
Daniel and Rizzo
5/28/05 - Got an email from Daniel. Rizzo is doing wonderfully. She's been around the neighborhood, Petco and doing very well. She's not eating so great, but he's hand feeding her and he knows not to be overly concerned about that right now. They love and adore her, like I knew they would!
5/26/05 - I never thought the day would come. Rizzo has gone home with her Daddy. I anxiously awaited his arrival and when he finally got here, it was met with both joy and sadness. Rizzo is now 10 months and she was just a wee 9 week old pup, sicker than sick, when she came to us. I was thrilled to see him and his friend interact so well with her. She took an instant liking to them and I don't doubt for one moment she will be a very happy and spoiled girl. I love this girl and I knew I had to let her go. I cried, of course, I cried. I've cried many a tear over Rizzo and I sobbed when she left. I sobbed because she was going home and I sobbed because I was relieved that this moment had finally come. I wish Rizzo and Daniel many, many years of happiness. They are a perfect match. He is anticipating all the wonderful things they will do together and I anticipate reading all about it. Thank you to everyone in this rescue for all the support throughout this foster. It has been a long journey and I'm glad to have shared it with all of you.
5/20/05 - I thought I'd send a
little update on Dizzy Lizzy. Don't get your hopes up now, she is most
definitely being adopted. She has a very anxious gentleman awaiting her
arrival. We have had to get her medical affairs in order. Now, it's a
very long drive from where she's going home to, so we have had to wait
to get things set up. But, she is definitely going to be adopted. So,
don't think you'll get another chance at this little peach.
Rizzo is just great in the house. She hasn't had any accidents,
recently, aside from a bout of diarrhea in her crate, but that's it. She
is still chewing a bit, although, markedly improved. She has a
particular liking to pencils, so my daughter has to keep a close eye on
them when doing her homework. One minute they're there, the next minute,
RIZZO!!!! She has an occasional pick at the bathroom trash can, but
tissues are about all she gets into. They're just a pain to clean up.
Rizzo is a great pal. We have a new foster here and she would so love to
play with her, but this girl isn't interested in playing with anybody,
so Rizzo tried the first few days and now realizes that when the other
one growls and lunges at the crate, that is a definite no, not an "I'll
think about it", but get the heck away from me, before I make you my
midday snack. So, she doesn't bother her anymore. Darlah and she play
nonstop. They are always playing and fortunately for Rizzo, her forever
home is prepared to exhaust that energy. She does have down time. Time
when she puts her front paws up on your lap and rests her head in your
arms. That's the most lovely three minutes of my day!!
Rizz is getting to be a big girl, but what I love most about her is that
she still has that baby face. She still has that silly little puppy
look. I will miss this girl, no doubt. But, I would be a liar if I said,
that I didn't want her to go. It's time for her to move on. I have given
her
everything she's needed, until now. Now, she needs that fenced in yard,
with someone that has only her to devote their time to. I can't offer
her that. She needs to be exercised, religiously. I've nursed her back
to health. I've tried my best to make her a good "canine citizen" and
now it's time for her to share her wonderful personality with her
forever home. There's a few bugs to work out, i.e. walking on the leash,
as opposed to doing a mad dash around the yard!! My hope for Rizzo is to
be a pampered little girl and for happiness, always. Somehow, I think
her forever home is more than happy to oblige.
4/17/05 - Just a quick note on Dizzy
Rizz. She, of course, continues to do extremely well here. Since the
weather has warmed up so nicely, I've had the front door open. Darlah
and Rizzo spend lots of time, sniffing the fresh air through the screen
and keeping watch over the birds in the yard and the leaves and anything
else making movement that might peak their interest.
Rizzo's chewing has been getting better. She still chews and must be
watched, but she's gotten better about dropping it the moment you see
her with it, as opposed to her running around like a lunatic till you
catch her.
Unfortunately, she still pulls on the leash. I haven't figured out how
to correct that behavior yet, so in the meantime, my husband usually
takes her out, kind of hard for her to pull him around. I'm no
light-weight, but she is strong and I go for quite the sprint when I
take her out.
Rizzo has free run of the house, for the most part. The bedrooms are off
limits, too many toys and small things for her to chew, so for her own
safety, no bedrooms. Other than that, she is permitted everywhere else
in the house, even the carpeted living room. She is completely
trustworthy in regards to the potty. Provided she is taken out every few
hours, she's fine. Yesterday, she was only out three times all day and
not one accident.
That's about it for now, on my little love bug. Rizzo's turned into
quite the charmer and I'm sure her forever home will just love her to
bits. I'm going to take her to my mom's to investigate the cats. We
don't have one, but I suspect she'll be fine. I'm sure at first she'll
be all too
interested, but I don't forsee her being aggressive in any way. I don't
think she has an aggressive bone in her body. Not unless she's dealing
with some stuffed toy or a tennis ball, then look out.
4/16/05 - Rizzo is pending adoption just as soon as she has a clean bill of health from the vet!
4/2/05 - Well, Miss Rizz is still
doing just great here. She's still into chewing everything, but I got
some new pressed rawhides and hopefully that will distract her for a
while. She is such a good girl. It's just pouring rain out right now and
she went out for her morning walk and came in running like crazy. She
pounces on the kids and she's getting quite big, so this hurts, alot.
When she came running over to me, I just kept rubbing her back and under
her neck and telling her what a good girl she was and held onto her and
kept her down until she settled. She did fine after that. She just needs
the proper training and she'll do wonderful. I'm really falling in love
with this dog, as much as she drives me crazy, she is coming into her
own now.
Rizzo is always such a happy dog and always excited to see any visitors.
She is a big goof ball. My only complaint with Rizzo is that she pulls
terribly on the leash. You can't enjoy a walk with her because you're
constantly being dragged around. Otherwise, what a little sweetie pie.
Rizzo has been here since she was a nine week old puppy. She's now nine
months! I don't know where the time has gone. I'll have to find out when
the next vet visit is and we'll see what happens this time? Hmm... Any
guesses? Maybe this time she'll surprise us with the results:)
3/26/05 - Well, still positive for mites. But, you're not surprised, are you? We'll try some other things, in addition to what we're already doing and see what happens. I would have to say that Rizzo is housebroken. On occasion she must be crated for extended periods of time and she never goes in her crate. The only time she ever goes in the house, is when she's home during the day with the sitter and she's gated off in the kitchen/dining area. I think that's just punishment, on her part. Otherwise, it's about two hours after she eats and then every three to four, whenever she starts her pacing and then you know. She's really done well. The only thing she does is chew, everything. The other days the kids were doing some arts and crafts. My daughter left the drawer to her desk open and Rizzo was doing arts and crafts too. She was eating a marker, pencil, colored pencil, eraser, boy she's quick. Thank goodness Crayola's non-toxic. Rizzo gets quite rambunctious. Darlah has been under the weather since she was spayed a week ago. So, now that she's feeling better, Rizzo has to make up for lost time. She jumps like an, I don't know what. She slept over the couch while the kids were winding up. She's got lots of energy. I keep training her with new things. We keep reinforcing down because she is a jumper. So, we place a lot of stress on that. She has other commands down pat, stay, come, shake. She responds very well to praise, so we try to always remember that she seems to be sensitive and we really must be patient. She does very well when getting hooked up to be walked. She knows to sit, even if you do need to tell her, and she waits, or you command stay, until you get the leash on her. She's still not very good about being walked. She just wants to run and unfortunately, I don't have a fence, although we have lots and lots of yard. Rizzo is such a love. She thoroughly enjoys a little down time. She really has to be told how muched she's loved and what a good girl she is and how pretty she is. She loves kisses and to be touched. Rizz is like anyone else, she craves that affection. And this family is happy to oblige. I would really like to see Rizzo go to a home with a fence, so she can work out some of her energy. She also needs a home where someone is either home all day or most of the day. She's still so young and this is what she's been used to. She's crated at night and a couple hours two days a week while I run errands, but that's it. Otherwise, she has someone home with her. Rizzo is now nearly nine months and weighs 46lbs. She is a very lean and muscular girl. She is SUPER STRONG. She gets four cups of food a day and some treats in between. The vet said she is really looking good. Well, that's it for now. I'm not sure when we'll be taking her back to the vet. You can be sure when we do, we'll let you know if she's clear. Until then, we will continue to love her and get her free of mange.
3/11/05 -I don't have a whole lot to
report on Rizzo, but I do have a funny story. My mother has renamed
Rizzo. You know how your kids act up and you say they're being real
stinkers or they get some name when they behave a certain way? Well....
Rizzo, being the ever-energetic puppy that she is, will bounce around
nonstop and pretend not to hear a word anyone is saying to her. So, my
mom has taken to calling her, Francine. It's just hysterical when this
little pooper is disobeying and my mother bellows, "Francine" and she
stops and looks, as if to say, "Who the heck is she talking to?"
Anyway, Rizz has had a couple of Francine moments lately and she's gone
in the house. We're still working on the housebreaking and really
trying, but she's hard to catch, let alone predict. We do our best to
monitor her very closely, but sometimes we get distracted. We are taking
her to the vet next week and hope that she will come back free and clear
of any signs of mange. We love this girl and are anxious to get her to
her forever home.
3/5/05 - I am beginning to run out
of things to say about this little girl. I can only continue to tell you
how well she is doing with reference to her housebreaking. She MUST go
out every two hours or else. Or else, you'll be mopping more than you'd
like. If you stick to this, she'll do very well. The only time we stray
from this plan is right after she eats, she has to go out an hour later,
but other than that she is doing exceptionally well.
Rizzo has some issues that I don't know how to deal with. First off, she
has a problem with my Hoover, yup, my bagless has done nothing to her
and she feels that she must attack when it is just going about it's
business. I find it most amusing when she tries to jump on it, as if
she's going to stop it. I find it even funnier when she runs away and
comes right back to where I'm vacuuming. You'd think she would hide, but
I think she enjoys the chase.
The other issue Rizzo has is with the school bus. The radio controlled
school bus that wails "Wheels on the bus" as it scoots across the floor.
Quite honestly, if my son wouldn't get so upset, I'd love for her to
bite it and break it. (one of those annoying gifts from his uncle) But,
she stares at it and waits for it to move and then she bites it five or
six times real fast and jumps around like a mexican jumping bean,
barking her fool head off. And, of course, I just love to tease her with
it. She's our comedy relief. She has to pay her way somehow!!
Well, I have to go chase her around the house now, she's on the
furniture and she thinks it's a game when I tell her down and get up to
chase her and she runs away and then rushes right back up on the couch.
I can't believe I let a puppy get the better of me;o)
2/24/05 - Miss Dizzy Rizz is doing
fantastic. We've started a new routine on the days I am home. Rizzo goes
out first thing in the am, around 6:30. Then she eats and is out again
in an hour. Then again in an hour and a half and in two hour increments,
thereafter. It seems to work really really well and there's something
else. I've taken down the gate and allowed her to come into the living
room. Before, she was so unpredictable, I just couldn't trust her. Now,
she knows that she can come in, if she's good. As a matter of fact, the
other day, we gated her in the kitchen/dining room area, where she's
always been, because it was bath time and we were going to have the
bedroom doors open and couldn't keep an eye on her. Now, keep in mind
she had only been out an hour before this and sure enough she tinkled on
the floor in the dining room. Larry discovered it right away, said no no
and took her out immediately and she finished her business outside. So,
she got lots of praise for not doing it all in the house. Obviously, she
was just punishing us because she only peed a little and then peed more
outside and pooped. So, it was like a warning pee. She is getting better
on the leash. She still pulls terribly, but a firm easy or an "ah, ah"
and she's back at your side. That is going to need work, indefinately.
But, she has learned something new. When we hook her up to her leash,
someone usually gets hurt. And it's usually our toes or fingers. So,
with Rizzo, we have her sit and tell her stay, while we get her leash.
We keep repeating stay while we get her hooked up and praise her for
doing so. That way, she's not jumping around like mad while you try to
chase her down and get the leash on her. It makes it so much easier if
she's calm and you're not running around ready to hang yourself with her
leash, while she's dancing all over waiting to get hooked up.
She likes to jump on the furniture, but only when she's playing.
Otherwise, she knows that's a no no and she stays off. Speaking of
playing, ugh! Darlah and Rizzo get at it and heaven help you if your in
the line of fire. They "box" for hours and sometimes it's hard to
distract them. If they get really crazy, I will get some treats and have
them sit, etc. to calm them down and bring the play, down a level.
They're both so young, that they just want to play, constantly.
Rizzo is very trainable. She learns new things almost every day and I
keep reinforcing things she's already learned. Rizzo is a great dog and
a real beauty too. We've worked so much with her, so that her forever
home can get a really great girl. Her dry patch is starting to grow hair
now, so it's quite possible that the mange there, is clearing up. The
vet originally said six months on the ivermectin, which she is still
getting and it's been about five, so that fits into the time frame she
originally projected. Hopefully, next time will be the charm, but as
I've come to learn with this foster, NEVER count your chickens before
they're hatched. So, keep her in your thoughts and lets hope for a clean
scraping, so Rizzo can go onto her forever home. She's really so much a
part of our family, we'll be lost when she is adopted.
2/17/05 - Well, unfortunately, Rizzo didn't get a second clean skin scraping. I had just made mention to her dry spot on the top of her head and that was the first place the vet scraped. Sure enough, there was a mite. Darn that little buggar. Anyway, back to the vet in a month for another scraping and we'll go from there. She's getting to be such a big girl. She's very, very strong. Rizzo has gotten much better at walking on the leash, at least down the porch, but the second she hits the grass, "And we're off to the races". She runs so fast that I can't always keep up and she nearly hangs herself trying to run. Very funny because she never learns and does it time after time. Rizzo had a bout of a very disgusting habit. She began to snack on, hmm,mmm, her "waste". Yah, evidently she realized that was not such a great treat and after about a week or so, she's stopped doing it. But, eeeewwwww, it's just so gross!! Ick. Anyway, she's back on track. Snacking on my kitchen towels and pot holders. I'm thinking she's bored with the 812 toys she has, so I think I may just have to replenish and store these toys for a while. Then I can switch off and it will be like a whole new bunch of toys!! She's not always the brightest bulb in the pack, so she'll easily be fooled. Remember, I said she keeps hanging herself?!! I've begun to let her in the rest of the house, right after she's gone potty. I shut the bedroom doors, so she can't chew any Bratz shoes or matchboxes. She tears into my room, jumps on the bed, runs back to the living room runs up and down the couches, then back down the hall, in the bathroom, in the kitchen and back to my room, to start all over, the whole time being egged on by the children while I'm pulling out my hair trying to keep her off the couch. Darlah just stands back in amazement. I think she's saying, that's not my kid. You know, like when you're in the store and your kids say something embarassing, you look around like, where's your mommy? I guess that's it for now. Dizzy Rizz has to go out now. It's been about an hour and a half and no pee pee, so I want to get her out before, you know what.
2/9/05 - Just a few notes on my
Dizzy Rizz. I'll be taking her to the vet next week for her second skin
scraping and if all goes well... Keep your fingers crossed. She still
has some dry skin on the top of her head. But, other than that, her coat
is all filled in and she is just lovely.
So, I'm going to tell you some things about my little girls attitude.
She is a wild child. She will definately need some formal training or
you'll end up with one unruly girl. Things she'll need to be trained on
are jumping on people. She is a good size girl and when anyone comes
into the house she is airborne. I have to crate her till she calms down
and then allow her to join us. She pulls on the leash. I'm sure the
people driving by get a big kick out of seeing me tear through my yard,
with Rizzo leading the way. Who's walking who here, anyway? With a firm
"easy" and a short leash, she does show some signs of improvement. We
need to keep after her or she'll think she's running the show.
Rizzo needs to go out every hour to hour and a half because she is not
yet housebroken. We do our best, but sometimes she is so unpredictable.
I'll take her out one hour after she eats and nothing. She'll come back
in and ten minutes later, peew, "What's that smell?". Sometimes, if I
get distracted and lose track of time, it's close to two hours and she's
been very good. So, she just needs to have consistency and patience.
Rizzo eats everything. Yes, everything. Sunglasses, eyeglasses, gloves,
cupboard doors, cups, lids, the bowls that "lock" into her mothers
feeder, etc, etc. She has this rag monkey, a soccer ball, numerous
tennis balls, rawhides and a kong that can quite often keep her busy,
but she is just a pup so her attention span is that of my 3 1/2 year
old.
She loves treats and they are a great tool when trying to train her. She
eats like mad. I'm sure if I let her, she'd eat all day.
Now, with all that being said, Rizzo is such a sweet girl. She is such a
love. Rizzo has a beautiful face and uses it to her advantage. She knows
she's not supposed to do something, but then she gives you this crazy
cocked head look, like, come on, let me on your lap. She loves to be
cuddled, when she's not trying to eat your hair and she loves attention.
I think that's why she goes crazy
when we have people over. She wants to say hi to everyone. Trust me,
everyone is happy to endulge her. They just can't believe she's the same
puppy.
So, I guess that's about it for now. Rizzo is going to make a great
addition to her forever home.
She deserves the most devoted of homes and I can only hope she'll be the
spoiled boxer baby she's meant to be.
1/30/05 - Oh, the joys of the kong.
This is my new found love. It's amazing how such a small piece of rubber
can bring us such happiness!!!! Rizzo is a mini version of her mother,
right down to the short little nose she melts your heart with. Darlah
still displays her pup-like behaviors. However, Rizzo can be a bit much
when your trying to put veggies in the fridge and she thinks you're
there to be eaten or knocked down and licked repeatedly or whatever she
feels you are best suited for play that day. So, I had bought a small
kong for her some time ago, but had yet to use it. The other day I
gave it a shot and holy cow, I had nearly an hour of peace. I didn't
need to worry about what my little beast was doing because she was
trying to make her tongue two inches longer to get to that darn peanut
butter:0)
She has improved greatly in regards to housebreaking. Remember she had
such a time being sick, that her training was interrupted several times
and she's still working on that. But, she's making good progress. She is
learning to love those tasty little treats she gets when she stays and
comes on command. She is showing marked improvement in that area. I know
she'll need proper training, but I figured this would help curb some of
her rowdiness. She is such a love. Rizzo wants so much to be with the
family.
So much so, that she's taken to knocking down the gate and running at
warp speed around the house. She tears into the living room, jumps on
the couch, then races to the kids rooms and the bathroom, back to the
living room, all in 5.5 seconds and without missing a wiggle the entire
time. She knows she's been naughty and quite frankly, I don't think she
cares. I am constantly amused with her antics and when I think she needs
some down time, she's crated for a half hour or so for a quick snooze
and then she's back and ready for more.
This is such a beautiful girl and in about two more weeks she'll get
another skin scraping and from there, we'll see what the vet says about
releasing her for adoption. Whoever gets this girl will be so impressed
with her. She is such a dizzy little thing, typical puppy all the time.
I can only hope they have the energy to keep up with her. She needs to
be entertained constantly and when you don't, well lets just say you
should see my kitchen cupboards.
I must go for now and take her out in the snow. She's not tall enough to
tromp through it, so she follows my footsteps to get through it all.
It's about fourteen inches on top of eight from before and she has a
heck of time running. Can't imagine why, she's only neck deep in snow!!
1/21/05 - Things are very solemn here in our home. Rizzo's sister was put to rest and the whole family is having a tough time with this. Rizzo searches for her sister and it's very sad. When I feel a little better about all of this, I'll send a nice update, but for now we are mourning. I do want to let you all know that Rizzo's first skin scraping came out negative!! The mange is well under control and the second will be repeated in about a month. I will let you know of all her antics when my thoughts are clear. Stay tuned...
1/16/05 - Just a quick note on my
girl. She LOVES the snow. I took a picture of her outside today. It took
us about ten minutes to get her to stand still long enough to get what I
did, but as you can see, she's getting very big and what a beautiful
coat of fur. She is coming along with the housebreaking, but still not
there. She is, however, learning to stay, even when she is distracted.
She is also learning down and come. She got away from my husband the
other night. It was cold and dark, only lit up by the front porch light.
She raced around like a mad woman and he kept calling her in a
high voice and she came back after about a minute. She got lots of
praise for coming back. She is such high energy. She is going nonstop.
Sometimes I even have to crate her for some down time. Hmmmm? I wonder
how that whole crate thing would work for a three year old? Ok, so not
too much else to report on Dizzy Rizz. Although, she will be going to
the vet in a week for her appt., but she's been great so, until then....
1/10/05 - Dizzy, Rizz is quickly
growing out of her puppy stage and into "bigdog-hood". She is such a
hoot in the snow. We had several inches recently, followed by ice. Well,
that made a nice crust on the top and she stepped very gingerly because
she kept falling through. Then, she would go a few steps without falling
and she'd go to take off and plunk, right through.
She continues to do well with all her meds and whatnot. She is getting
very big. I have a feeling she will be built just like her momma.
She will definitely need obedience training because like any pup, she
likes to test the limits.
She'll jump on the counter or table ten times and each time, she looks
around because she knows that's a no-no. She also pulls on the leash
quite a bit, but we are trying to teach her, with a firm voice saying,
"easy". Sometimes I'll even stop, altogether because she is just wild
about being outside. She is definitely the more "challenging" of the two
pups we are fostering. She's the wild and crazy sister, always acting
up. I can't keep up with her sometimes.
Everything is fair game to her, if it's over the gated area. Nothing is
sacred. She loves her tennis balls, rope toys, stuffed animals, but
there's just something about the book bag on the table or the chair pads
or the anything within her reach, that just can't be beat. Her
personality is truly starting to shine and she is one of a kind. Thank
goodness!!
12/30/04 - I am happy to report that
Miss Piss (A.K.A Rizzo) was given a pretty good report at the vets. She is
growing like mad, 35lbs, el porko. She did develop some discharge from the
vulva, she is on antibiotic, but that's it. By the way, no one told Rizzo
she has a heart murmur, so we'll keep that between us. Clearly, it's not
something that matters to her because it doesn't slow her down any.
As a matter of fact, today while going out for one of our 180 walks of the
day, she pulled the leash from my hand, I'm not sure but I think my pinky
is broken, anyway, she ran out into the yard and around our usual walk
pattern, while I called her name in this high pitched tone I use with
them. She ran like this big dopey puppy and ran right back to me, all in
about 15seconds. Had she only known!! Well, that's about it for our girl.
Oh, wait, she doesn't have to go back to the vet until mid Jan. Then
she'll be going for her first skin scraping. Wahoooo! She is such a great
dog, but be prepared for a real puppy. She pulls on the leash, chews
everything, eats nonstop, is constantly on the go and she is just full of
kisses and wiggles and all the love a puppy could give. I'll take it all
for now, because all too soon, she'll be going home:0(
12/27/04 - This is one crazy pup. She has discovered that with a little effort, she can run full steam at the gate and bowl it over. I guess that is easier than jumping over it. I'm not surprised though, this girl is very strong and playful. She is nearly completely housebroken, YIPPEE, and she is learning new commands like stay and down. She likes to jump on people, but I just think that's because she loves everyone she sees. She is constantly on the go, she's either got a paper towel roll or a no longer squeaky toy or a can of soda or my eyeglasses. Nothing is sacred anymore especially since she's discovered that she can reach the table. There's a whole new world of mischief up there. Today, we had a bit of snow and I took her out for her morning walk at six and we tend to get lots of wind where we are and let me tell you, all of a sudden, being outside wasn't so interesting. She was cold and once she peed she wanted nothing more to do with being outside. I waited and walked her around and she kept darting for the door like, "girl, don't you know it's cold out here?" Well, she finally got the hint and did poopy and I nearly killed myself running inside the house with her. She is really a great dog and when the time comes, the right family for her is going to need to be very, very active and willing to teach her because she could very easily run amuck. She is a real rebel and loves the chase, when she's got something she's not supposed to have. Rizzo has quite the attitude, she's a real pip. I will update again tomorrow, as she sees the vet tomorrow night, for follow up. Till then...
12/14/04 - I have to give credit, where credit is due. Rizzo has worked extra hard at housebreaking and learning commands. She knows sit, very well. We are working on stay, so that when I put down the food bowl, I still have an arm left. Not that she bites me, but she's so darn happy to eat all the time, that she jumps on me and those little claws are sharp. She is a bit stubborn, so we have to continue with positive reinforcement. Hey, did you see she is actually up to date on her shots? Yeah!! Rizzo is really getting ready for her forever home. She will be checked next month for her first skin scraping and we'll hope for a negative one. Then, another in 1 month and if that's clear, Rizzo will cleared for take off. She is such a character, she is barking her head off right now, because her sister is under the weather and separated from her and she does not like that she is all alone in that kitchen. I kind of enjoy it, less furniture being chewed. Rizzo is a real pip, she has one spot outside that is her "poopy spot" and she does her business and gets right down to play time. She's getting quite big and can very easily jump the gate, although she doesn't know that yet. Hopefully, she never will:0) She goes back to the vet in two weeks for a recheck and an adjustment on her mange med, but other than that, she's doing pretty darn good.
12/1/04 - Ok, here we are. Two weeks later, but who cares? Look at that beautiful face. She is such a peach. Well, Rizzo went to the vet and her murmur is still quite loud and is not slowing her down any. So, at some point we will get that checked out. But, other than that, she's doing great. The vet is more than pleased with her progress. So are we. Her health is improving greatly, but so is her housebreaking. Now she scratches at the door and then poops on the floor. Well, she's making that association, anyway. She was a bit slow to learn sit, but when you've got a great treat as motivation, it works wonders. She is still taking all her meds without incident. We will continue to reinforce the going outside, but the wind and rain seem to deter her. Not much else to report, but she is holding her own, right now and that's most important.
11/17/04 - At last!! We have finally
shown some marked improvement. Rizzo went to the vet last night and here's
a play, by play. Rizzo's heart murmur, still of great concern, but no
worse. Weight, on the rise, those tasty little toes and fingers on my kids
are helping! Still getting oral mange med, dose increases with weight
gain. Antibiotic will finish in about another week. Getting oral
supplement in tablet form because while she may look better, inside she's
still fragile. And... She was acutally well enough to recieve one of her
second round of shots. They will be given one at a time, just to be on the
safe side. She's been so awful sick, that we don't want to do anything to
jeopardize her healing. Now, with that being said, she is such a beauty
queen. Rizzo's fur is filling in everywhere. She is so soft and the dry
skin is only on her face and small areas of her body. I have had some
really cute stories to share, but I'm not able to recall at the moment.
Couldn't be a senior moment at nearly thirty, could it? Well anyway, when
I think of it, I'll share. Next week, I will be sure to get new pictures
because you've got to see this little girl. I must go and find out what
her and her sister are tearing up in my kitchen now, there's not much left
on the floor for them to get!! Boy, her forever home better be prepared
for one rambunctious puppy.
11/7/04 - Ok, I'll start with the good news. Rizzo has done very well with the medicine for her mange and the antibiotic. She'll be on another course for 20 days, in addition to her supplement and mange med. She is getting some hair back and most of the dry skin is gone, leaving behind a simply beautiful face. Now, for the not so good news. Rizzo was found to have a heart murmur, that is a bit concerning, but not life threatening. She is still susceptible to illness at this point and with the heart and poor immunity, we are being very careful with her. So, we took the recommendation, not to take her out, until she is well. Yah, you tell Rizzo that. It seems she's taken a liking to pooping outside because whenever we take Darlah out, she thinks she should get her leash and go to. When she doesn't get her way, she goes in for the sneak attack. My husband took Darlah out and the poopers were resting in their crate. The next thing I know I hear him call for me and then walk by the front window, toting two tricky little girls. Evidently, she and her sister waited like vultures for my husband to turn his back and when he opened the door, out they went trotting down the ramp along side him, in the dark, with no leash and her sister flanking the other side!! It was all he could do to hold onto Darlah and corral the girls. Other than that, she is coming along nicely, displaying more and more puppy behavior, Oh, Joy!! She really gives me a run for my money. I love having her here and will love it even more, when she's better and can show me what it's really all about. Gee, and I'm looking forward to that?
10/31/04 - There's big news popping up in the Pocono Mtns. A sad and sickly little puppy, finally finds her way on the road to recovery. Those of you who have been keeping up to date with Miss Rizz, know she was scheduled to see the vet last week. Well, we did and 1 1/2 hrs later, we left the vet, meds and instructions in hand. We found out that Rizzo was very sick and we needed to get it under control and fast. So, there's a boxer angel somewhere, looking down on this pup and helped her along the way. After just four days of the new medicine for mange, she's a "girl behaving badly". It appears that a bag of potatoes, minding their own business, have become the latest target for her attacks. She felt they should not sit on the shelf, unopened, they should be ripped from their home and strewn about the kitchen. She also felt that the artwork of one talented little second-grader should not be decorating her screen door. So she tore the tail off of it. It was a construction paper cat, what can I say? She also decided that anything on the opposite side of the large gate, should be pulled to "the other side". You know, a nice decorative pumpkin throw rug, a shoe (which to her disappointment, didn't fit underneath), just about anything. Rizzo is living up to her name, with style. The face on this gal is simply irresistible. She is much prettier without all of that dry, scabby skin. She gives me a little trouble with her oral mange med, but takes all the others like a trooper. Nothing like a piece of cheese and some yogurt. Tonight, she got the antibiotic pill in a piece of turkey. That went over big! The children have become tasty little morsels, according to Rizzo, anyway. Their little toes, hair, fingers anything she can put her puppy teeth on. This girl is such a sweetie pie, but a sweetie pie with attitude. You know, more like a spicy hot wing, sweetie pie. So, my little wild princess has begun her recovery and is living it up in true boxer baby style!!
10/24/04 - Introducing, pooper
number 2!! Rizzo actually is going, are you ready for this, OUTSIDE. I
never thought we'd get there, but my mom made a great sweater for her and
we can take her hairless little body outside for poop and pee. She wasn't
too keen on walking with the leash, but she's gotten to be very, very
good. She almost always goes when we take her out. The other day it was in
the low 60's and she didn't want to come in. When she's done with her
business we walk to the front yard and I let her "walk herself" in the
house. I drop her leash and she heads right up the ramp to the front door.
She loves all the praise she gets when she goes outside, she just wiggles
and kisses you, the more you tell her "good pooper". She still goes on the
pads, although, less frequently. She didn't seemed phased in the least by
her sweater, she wore it without a problem. However, she
found the buttons on her sisters to be quite interesting. After a firm no,
she figured it wasn't worth it and she left them alone. Rizzo is quite the
boss at mealtime. She eats her food, then goes to her sisters bowl and
then back to her bowl. I guess she's just making sure Calla didn't get any
more than she did. You know kids!! Rizzo just loves the kids and anyone
who will give her attention. The closer they are to her level, the tastier
they are. She just loves to climb on them and nibble their hair and
anything else she can get her little baby teeth on. Rizzo will need to see
the vet for follow-up care, as she's finished her antibiotic. We need to
grow some hair on this little peanut!! Then who could resist that wrinkly
little face?
10/19/04 - Rizzo, Rizzo, Rizzo. This pup keeps me busy. She is very sweet, but she's much like a girl dog version of Dennis the Menace. I was mopping the other day and she felt she should help. Help, by biting and jumping on the mop. So, I put her in the crate, which she liked so much, she wouldn't come out. Her and her sister were curled up next to one another and my mop was no longer of interest to her. Yesterday, I cleaned their food bowls and put down a styrofoam bowl with food and water. So, of course, I forgot to pick it up before bed and of course it was in pieces this morning. Hmm, I wonder who that was? Rizzo is getting better every day. She lets me comb through her dead skin and clean her scabby areas. One day she'll be a beautiful swan. So, until then she will continue to make herself comfy here in the country.
10/15/06 - What can I say about Rizzo? I'll play with her sister and we'll have a nice bout of play and then I'll play with Rizz and she brings it to a whole 'nother level. I'll tug on her lip a little and she's out for blood. She is such an active girl and jealous. She has to be part of everything. Even her mothers treats, which she's not too happy about. She's got that whole boxing thing down. Those fat little paws just come up and give you a good "what for". She eats like crazy and loves her little treats. She has no idea what the paper is for on the floor. She sees her sister there and looks like, hmm interesting, I prefer the kitchen, thank you. So, she, of course, will be a work in progress. This girl needs a forever home with lots of energy and of course, lots of love.
10/11/04 - I'm so impressed with Rizzo. I can't believe she sat long enough for me to comb her as long as I did. She rested peacefully as I combed out the scabs on her body, face and head. She was in better shape than her sister, but still a mess. She had a lovely bath tonight and she laid with me on the couch for hours. She is still quite the pistol. It took me several shots to finally get her to look at the camera to get a picture of how much she has improved. She is quite the chunker. Still behaving like a bad girl. Climbing on her mother, gnawing at her legs and collar, pulling leashes off the hanger and generally just being a pup. She takes her antibiotic very well. She enjoys a piece of bologna rolled up, with her pill slipped inside. She also takes her shot well, although she does bleed a bit afterward. She will make a great addition to one very active home.
10/06/04 - Rizzo is still living up to her name. She does what she can to get a rise out of her mother or sister. She's always up for a game. She is such a pistol. She tries to chew on just about anything and if you try to stop her, she runs the other way and turns to make sure your coming after her. She doesn't like to be left out of anything. If I'm loving up one of them, she's right there too. Someone's getting fed, then she wants to eat too. Even if it is out of their dish. Rizzo is becoming quite rolly, polly. She went to the vet tonight and she will get another round of antibiotics. The mange is going to improve the longer she gets the shots. In just a week, she's already made an improvement. I expect that in the next few weeks, you won't even recognize her. I'm having so much fun with this little peanut.
10/03/04 - I just can't stop laughing at this fresh little thing. Rizzo thinks she is in charge. I think it's because she is the smaller of the two and she has to make up for it somewhere. She thinks she should walk her mother. Justice wears her leash and Rizzo gets it in her mouth and leads her around the kitchen. She is very vocal. She barks like crazy if she doesn't get her way. We have to be very careful with her because she will get everything. She loves the shoelaces on my husbands work boots, the strap on my daughters backpack, the strings on the chair pads, potatoes, onions, newspaper, paper towels, etc... She is a lot of fun. She is learning her name and I think she is starting to even pee on the paper. Yeehaw!!!
9/30/04 - Ok, so this is Rizzo. If
two siblings were ever more opposite, it's Rizzo and Calla. Rizzo, named
after the Grease character for her same attitude, is such a typical puppy.
If someone is barking, it's her. If someone is climbing on you as you bend
to feed her, it's Rizzo. If there is one of them tearing up the puppy
paper, all over the room and running from you as you try to stop her,
that's right, it's Rizzo. She is an active pup with a bit of an attitude.
She, like her sister has demodex mange. She has some sores on her body and
dry scabby areas. She will get antibiotic every day, a shot once a week
and a feel good bath, twice a week. Rizzo is quite a pistol. We'll keep
you posted, as to the status of her condition. She will go back to the vet
in two weeks and we'll know better then, how well she's doing. Till then,
we'll continue to enjoy the typical boxer play.
