8/7/07 - It's been 5 months, almost to the day, since we adopted our little beauties!  Can't say it hasn't been frustrating at times, but it certainly has been worth while!  We've adopted before but the pugs had been pets in their prior homes, not so with these girls.  We all had a lot to learn.  Some things we've learned that we'd like to share with other novice adopters include:1) feeding the dogs 3/4 of their food in the morning and the remainder before 5 pm.  This helped with the problem of pooping during the night. 2)using a crate at night. As good as Julia was when around Mike or myself, whenever she got the urge to go -she went.  Since crating her at night she has not had an accident during the night. We started by leaving the door open on the crate during the day and placing toys (they play with toys now) and treats in the crate for both girls to find.  They frequently will go in during the day when the want some alone time.  Crating them, both girls have their own and are right next to each other now, was a hard decision for us to make but the girls don't seem to mind at all.  They also have a big fluffy bed they share during the day.
They still are dependent on each other but will go their separate ways now and then, like sleeping at opposite ends of the sofa, one in their bed the other in a sunny spot on the floor, etc.
As they become more secure in their surroundings, they are able to adapt to new experiences at a faster pace than before.
They are the hit of the neighborhood and our lives!!!
We will always be indebted to Boxer Angle Rescue!
Will keep in touch. m&m

3/18/07 - It's been a week since we brought Maddie and Julia to their forever home in NJ.  The ride from their foster home in Long Island was much better than we anticipated.  After the initial looking and sniffing, they settled down and slept most of the way home.  As we turned into our street, they both got up, as if they new they were finally home.
     We are all still getting used to each other.  Julia is still apprehensive about getting too close, or to be picked up.  As she skirts around, her tail is wagging so fast she can hardly run.  They are eating better and starting to do their "chores" outside.  If they do go inside, they always use their wee wee pads (thank goodness). 
    Since they become over stimulated rapidly, we are introducing they to different rooms in the house slowly.  They love to snuggle on the sofa in the evening, and can stay there for hours.  During the day, they spend time with us in the family room, always finding a sunny spot to take a nap.
     We put up a fence across the back of the property so the girls can't fall in the river.  They just love running from one side of the yard to the other.  Julia frequently manages to give Maddie a little nip as she runs past her.  They are now experts at stairs!
    Mike and I just love them so much!  We can't thank Boxer Angels enough for trusting these precious pugs to us!!
    Will keep you updated periodically

4/07 - Maddie and Julia have been adopted

3/6/07 - Julia and Maddie are pending adoption

1/10/07 - Wow, has time flown by with the addition of the 5 pugs to the Wings & Halo Haven. It is fair to say that Maddie and Julia have really come so far in such a short time. Having fostered over 100 dogs in the last 7 yrs, I have to say that this experience is one of the most rewarding one I have felt. You may ask why I feel this way. When these 2 girls came to my home, they know nothing about being a dog, and I mean nothing. They have never been outside, never been with any other dogs but the others being bred in the house, and the puppies from these litters, did not know where to do their business except on paper and pads inside the house, no toys, never even walked steps. If you walked toward them, they tried to become one with the floor, that is how low they cowered. Pitiful is the only word I can think of to describe them.

Lets talk about what 10 days has brought them. Maddie was the 1^st one to actually make a poop and pee outside. I was so proud of her that I made a big deal out of it, telling her what a good girl she is and such, you know, all the housetraining stuff a lot of us have been thru. Except when I made that big deal, I scared the crap out of her (they are soooooo nervous), so I kept it much lower key from there on out. She now pees and poops outside about 75-80 % of the time. Julia, a little slower to catch on, but she is now doing her business outside also about 75% of the time. Neither one knows how to walk up the 3 steps from the down stairs to the outside backyard, or walk back down into the house, but we’re working on that. :o)

Both now occasionally pick up a rope toy and bring it over to their area. They never stray very far from each other. They have also learned to play with other dogs. We have a VERY playful Japanese Chin named Barney in foster land, and he just can not get enough playtime in. Well, in the last 4 days, Barney has taught each of the girls how to play, and they are having a great time at that. They pounce on each other, and jaw at each other too. They are having a great time together.

So we are witnessing these babies learning how to be dogs, like they were meant to be. They come over to me looking for affection, much less nervous then when they 1st got here. I can pick them up in my lap, and they are semi relaxed, while I rub their bellies.

These 2 girls have that typical pug temperament, just so sweet, and once we work thru the remainder of the housetraining issues, and the trust continues to grow, these 2 are going to be great house pets, breeding days well behind them.

If you feel you have the love and patience to continue their journey, get your apps in. As things now stand, we are looking to adopt them together. In my opinion, it would be detrimental to their growth and development to separate them, so we will not do that. So, if you were looking to add a pair of pugs to your household, boy, do I have the pair for you :o))

12/31/06 - This is not a story terribly different from what we in rescue have heard before, the only difference here is that this happened in a very nice Long Island neighborhood….not a puppy mill in PA or mid west.

There was this guy who was breeding pugs, over and over, and selling them out of his home. A prospective buyer was so appalled by the condition of the dogs and the home, he notified the SPCA. They did an investigation, and cited him for multiple violations. He was ordered to take all of his dogs to the vet immediately and he was forced to give up all but 3 of his dogs. (sadly he was allowed to keep three, as their fate hopefully will not be the same as it had been) We were called to help, 1st by providing temporary housing, them forever homes for these poor babies.

He chose to surrender 2 female adults, and 3 pups (these were the only pups left at the house) He said the adults are 1 of the 2 pups mom, and the other adult is her mom (the pups grandma) The other pup was from another litter. So we have 3 male puppies, 2 six weeks old and 1 eight week old. None had names, so we named the 8 week old Willie, and the 2 six week ones we called Spencer and Jake. The supposed mom we called Julia, and the grandma we are calling Maddie.

All the dogs were in disgusting condition, full of feces and urine. The smell from inside my SUV was horrendous in the short trip home, so the 1st thing to do was give baths to everyone. That went very well, and all are looking and smelling a lot better now.

The 2 adults are as scared as I have seen dogs be, but they are warming up pretty quickly. I am not sure of their age, he said they were 3 and 5, but who knows….we’ll get them into our vet for a follow-up. I do not believe they have ever been outside in their lives. His yard was not fenced, and seeing the amount of poop in his house, it was unlikely he ever let them out. They have pooped on a few trips, but are doing most of their peeing and pooping in the house (on pads, as they are most likely paper trained in their original house.

These 2 girls are as sweet as you will find. They are funny when outside; they walk in a “synchronized” fashion. They turn at the exact same time, and walk in the same direction. They are like mirrors of one another, including their looks. If you speak to them, their tails move a mile a minute. They are warming up quickly, and are getting along with all the other dogs here, both big and small. Like I said, they are as sweet as you will find.

Their appetite is also super. They have no problem sharing their food with each other. We will continue to evaluate them as they stay a bit longer, as they have only been here 1 day.

The pups are typical puppies, or as I like to say, poop machines. We let them all sleep together their 1st night, but today they are staying in a separate room, away from the other dogs in the house. They seem to be doing fine separated from the mom. They are in a puppy pile. They are eating great, drinking fine and taking plenty of naps. In between, typical puppy bedlam.

 

So all of these babies will be looking for a great new home, one that is perfectly matched for their needs.