Newest Foster: Meet Lacey from Wilcox Animal Shelter

Lacey is the newest foster at our Ranch.

She came from the Wilcox animal shelter.

Lacey is a Heeler mix (maybe Border Collie, maybe Aussie, or maybe German Shepherd Dog). It's hard to say, but she is simply beautiful in her Egyptian markings and with her foxy face.

When Lacey got home, she got a bath, because she had ticks. She felt so good after the bath and she was so happy to be out that she did zoomies in the yard.

On the ride out of the shelter

Lacey still finds many things new in the world. She wasn't sure what the radio was, and she froze when a collar and leash were put on her. So far we've been letting her get accustomized to the collar (she wore one for about three days all day and night), and we've done a little bit of leashwork (mainly getting her used to the feel of the gentle pressure and tug of the leash).

The first few days she hardly stood straight. She would hit the floor and crouch or immediately roll over on her back. Encouraging her to stay upright was what we worked on. She's getting a lot better.

Posing for a photo

 Lacey seems to enjoy the water. We went for a hike by the river and she bounced and splashed around in the water with everyone. She was also sticking close so well that she got to go off lead for a bit. She checked in very well, and when I hid in the grass or stopped for awhile, it wasn't too long before she'd come find me. Lacey doesn't really have a recall yet, but the fact that she stays close pretty well is wonderful!

Lacey got to go the Tucson Petco adoption event to get some exposure. It was her first big outing in public (we live out in the countryside and rarely get around to town). She was a little timid in the new environment, but she did very well overall. Lacey got to walk around with some of the other volunteers so she could get used to interacting and being touched by other people. Then afterward we hung out with some friends and their dogs. She did great with all of them, and she was so tired by the end of the day because of all the new experiences.

Lacey has already come so far in the short time she's been with us. She's working on her introduction with the clicker, sitting for her food and respecting other dogs space and food bowls once she's done, and she has already quickly picked up the visual cue for sit (we're working on adding the verbal).Now she's crawling into the car by herself where before she had to be physically lifted in. She is a happy, bouncy, and friendly girl. We'll be going on some outings to town to expose her to some more new things.

Lacey will make a wonderful companion for whoever is lucky enough to adopt her, although she still needs to be spayed and get her shots before she will officially be available for adoption through Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue.

Ozzie's Adoption

Ozzie is now adopted! He was officially adopted on April 27th, 2014. He wasn't in the rescue very long (being picked up on the 2nd)-he didn't even make ACDR's official website before he had more than four applications in on him. He had a meet and greet at the Sun Valley Expo where he met his potential adoptive parents and their current dog. I warned his mom that he is still a gem in the rough (still working on pulling on lead), but that he is a loving dog. Ozzie went for a walk with the family, and then he walked away from the Expo as the newest member of their family! I'm so happy for him and his new family.

Ozzie's Adoption Photo

Ozzie will be going to learn how to be a true cowdog-he will be learning how to herd cows on the ranch from his brother, Gunner. This is such an ideal fit for Ozzie because he loves to roam and he showed that he had more energy than I initially thought when I got him (after a two hour hike and a half an hour nap, he was like "What's next?!" and he liked to chew on things (sometimes not appropriate items, but with this job to do, he'll be too tired to get into any trouble). When Ozzie was meeting Gunner, Gunner politely asked Ozzie to get out of his face (lifted his lips), and Ozzie actually listened! I was incredibly happy. When Ozzie first came in, he would just hover in dogs' faces, jump on them to ask them to play, and didn't seem to register when they tried to turn away or walk away that they weren't interested-he would just continue to pester them and lick their face without reading any of their signals.

 Ozzie's parents say that he's settling in nicely, and he looks so happy!
Here are a few pics of Ozzie on his first evening home for you to enjoy:

Ozzie wrestling with his new brother, Gunner

We already have a new foster guy who will be joining us. He will be coming after he gets his neuter and check-up at the vet. We'll introduce him once he joins us.