Volunteer Highlight

Lefty on "gotcha" day

The GPRS is supported by an amazing group of volunteers;  some may be more "visible" as representatives of the rescue, but all volunteers play an important role when it comes to saving these majestic dogs.

Today's volunteer highlight is Linda Stinnett!  And here is her story:

For those that do not know me, my name is Linda Stinnett.   I am retired from the Post Office where I delivered mail for close to 30 years and I live in Idaho.  I have been volunteering for GPRS for 6 plus years now.

Before my father passed, he asked me to take care of his Pyr.  This is what started my love affairs with Pyrs.  I wanted to learn as much as I could about the breed (other than they are hard of hearing).

For this, I turned to Facebook.  A lade with GPRS was asking for volunteers.  Being deaf I wasn't sure what I could offer.  We decided on postings.  She and I shared the responsibility of getting them listed.  To get posted to the Northwest, I had to send the information to Devi, who works at National (National Great Pyrenees Rescue), and she then posted them to the Northwest.  Mel left GPRS and I then assumed the task of getting them all posted.  Pictures cropped, bios written and edited, etc.  I'm not sure how it came to pass that I was posting pups to the Northwest, but I was.  I won't bore you with all the details, suffice to say I was one busy lady!

GPRS grew exponentially;  Malise was able to save more animals as we got more fosters and volunteers.  Once the Facebook page for our fosters was up and running, it became a bit too much for one person to do.  I still work in the background and help as I can.

Our first Pyr was Trabelle, she passed 2 years ago from cancer.  While we had Trabelle, I found our second Pyr, Tag, at the local humane society.  He's still going strong.  In March, GPRS received a call from Twin Falls Humane Society saying they had a very young pup who's leg had been broken and was getting infected.  Being close to Twin, Malise asked if I would go get and foster the pup to get him out of the shelter.  Of course I did and ended up a "foster failure".  Lefty ultimately had to have his leg amputated, but he gets around just fine.

My fur family includes Tag (Pyr), Lefty (Pyr) Bowser (Great Dane pittie cross) and Gir our resident feline dog nose swatter.

September Adoptions!

Ready for Halloween!

Hi everyone!  We are getting closer to the holiday season and pumpkin spiced everything!  We had a great September for adoptions, with 33 of our dogs finding their forever homes last month!  We are all working so hard and it is always showing in our results for the pyrs, pyr mixes, and sometimes honorary pyrs in our rescue-so a huge thank you to everyone who is doing something big or something small in the rescue!

And now, for a shout out to the pyrs that were adopted in September!

Bailey, Mira, Ember, Aria, Ellen, Yeti, Homie, Brazos, Coyote, Samson, Kali, Hansel, Bluebell, Sherlock, Blanco, Ruby, Kroger, Duke, Caroline, Tex (S), Michaela, Toodles, Yolanda, Jake, Magdalena (S), Vail, Cressida, Cameron, Autumn, Belle, Caliope, Harrison, and Francis!

If you would like to volunteer for GPRS please see our website here!

Training your Pyr

Hi everyone!

If you are a Pyr fan you know how to make fun about training or probably more likely, not training your Pyr.  Pyr owners come up with phrases like "being obedient is overrated" or "my Pyr knows everything he/she needs to know".  And if you are an experienced Pyr owner, you make accommodations that requires you to not have to train your Pyr!  I think you get the point?

To further demonstrate this unique not training of a Pyr is Shawna Gallagher, GPRS volunteer.

This is What it is like to train a Pyr..... Please "Like" & "Share" so that we can find this boy a home For more information about him http://www.greatpyreneesrescuesociety.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=10984220
Posted by Shawna Gallagher, Professional Dog Trainer & Wellness Coach on Friday, September 22, 2017

Volunteer Highlight

Tiff with Bruiser

All of our volunteers have our own story about how they've gotten involved with GPRS.  It's no secret that we are head over heels with these gentle giants as they are so hard to resist.  Here's Tiff Mumma's story!

Around 6 years ago, my husband and I met our first Great Pyrenees.  He was guarding alpaca at a farm near Hood River, OR.  This gorgeous, giant fluff ball was so mellow and friendly.  He happed with his two cat buddies and greeted (aka checked out) all the visitors as they came up the drive.  I was in love.

About 6 months later we ran into two more Pyrs relaxing on the sidewalk as their humans ate dinner.  This couple (I wish I could remember their names) told us about GPRS.  My husband Steve and I, weren't ready to adopt, so we started talking about fostering dogs for GPRS.  We had been fostering cats and feral kittens for many years, so why not dogs?  We wanted to get to know the breed better anyway.

Tiff with Emery at transport

Our second foster, Teddy, was a beautiful senior purebred Pyr.  He was horribly thin and his coat was coarse and matted.  He had hip weakness and was endlessly worried that we were leaving him behind.  His most recent family had gotten him off Craigslist and then decided they didn't want him after about 6 months.  After two months in our home, I knew I couldn't part with him.  He was my angel dog.  We needed each other.  Teddy was loved and spoiled rotten for almost four years before he passed.  I'm grateful every day that we found each other.

We have been fostering for GPRS for four and a half years.  I do most of the management of fostering, but my husband and kids contribute enormously-feeding, grooming, giving meds, socializing and exercising.  Almost two years ago I started volunteering as the Northwest Medical Liaison, which has been wonderful.  I've gotten to know many of our amazing volunteers and adopters and meet tons of fluffy (and not so fluffy) dogs.

One of my favorite things about rescuing Great Pyrenees dogs is that, even though there is a general breed temperament, they are all so wonderfully unique.  No two are exactly alike.  I love meeting the dogs, learning about their personalities and helping them to thrive.  Even though I am sad to part with my fosters when the time comes, I know that I've been a part of saving a life and building a family.  That's an incredible feeling.

If you would like to become a volunteer or foster with the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society, visit our website here and click on "How to Help".

August Adoptions!

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!  Here's Juliette with August adoptions:

Hi Everyone-it was a great summer, with everyone coming together to get 37 dogs adopted!  This is even with a Hurricane at the end, that was and still is-devastating for Texas!  I found a sweet poster that is a good reminder for why we do what we do, even when the times get rough-and I know that I am glad we have every single volunteer, foster, driver, screener and everything big and small that you do for the rescue.  We can't do anything without each and every one of you.

And with that, let's give a big PYR PAW of congratulations for the following dogs that found their forever homes in August, thanks to all of you:  Papoose, Hadleigh, Ugene, Everest, Britton, Destini, Xylon, Moose, Hayden, Ranger, Magdalen, Dakota, Yancy, Nadia, Moya, Tyler, Elijah, Gretel, Zena, Peony, Yara, Bryan, Michael, Melrose, Ashlynn, Perle, Quinby, Adelynn, Danielle, Erina, Melody, Lyle, Rover, Ximen, Avalynn, Jasmin and Yasmin!

Headquarters Update

Thanks so much for all the support while we waited for word from the Texas volunteers and GPRS director, Malise.  Luckily, Malise made it home safely from the transport trip and although they received plenty of rain the dogs at Spring are safe and sound!   Check back soon to find out who found their forever families in August!

Bob playing in the mud
Hurricane Harvey sent feet of rain onto the grounds of the GPRS headquarters. Thankfully, all of the volunteers and animals are safe. The dogs who were evacuated to emergency foster placements are back. And just look at how much fun Bob is having in the mud. #houstonstrong #hurricaneharvey #GPRS #AdoptDontShop
Posted by Great Pyrenees Rescue Society (GPRS) on Friday, September 1, 2017

Hurricane Harvey and Headquarters

GPRS Headquarters in Spring, Texas

Sorry folks, I've been away from the blog a bit navigating a new job.  Just one of a many reminders that the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society relies on volunteers and luckily we have a large number of super volunteers working tirelessly to save these dogs.

Volunteers do their good work around a profession, school, family, and other events, the most recent being hurricane Harvey.  If you weren't aware, the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society's headquarters is in Spring, Texas (see map of affected area).

Hurricane Harvey

Director Malise and her co-pilot Dick left headquarters on August 23rd to bring the monthly transport van load of foster and adopted Pyrenees to the Pacific NW.  During this the U.S. population was watching the news of Harvey while those in Texas and Louisiana were bracing for the Category 4 storm to hit landfall.  Reported to be the "first major hurricane to hit the mainland States since Hurricane Wilma struck Florida in 2005" (Reuters, August 26, 2017) those of us in the NW feared for the safety of our friends, volunteers, and their families and pets in Texas and Louisiana.  We sent money, prayed, hoped for a positive outcome and kept in touch with our Texas family via Facebook.  We watched on Facebook for updated posts of volunteers picked up dogs in danger and transported them to boarding and other temporary homes out of harms way.

If you would like to help, you can donate here.  If you have boats or raised vehicles and live near the affected areas and would like to help, please make a comment below.  Thank you.

Health and Wellness

Kibble

Feeding your Pyr:  Part 1

One of the most asked questions I see on social media is "what should I feed my Pyrenees?"  In this series we will explore a variety of feeding information shared by GPRS's amazing volunteer Yi-Hsuan Wu.

There are hundreds of dog food brands on the market, how do you pick the one that's right for your dog's needs?  

We'll focus on a few basic points and hopefully this information can help you navigate the mass of dog food brands.  We start with dry kibbles, which are often selected because of the convenience and lower cost comparing to wet, dehydrated, or raw food.

"No one needs to know how the hot dogs are made," (from Fraser, 2002).

It is a good idea to understand how dry kibbles are made generally, so you can pick the best one for your beloved dogs.  Just like you and me, there is not a single best food for all the dogs.  You might need to try multiple brands and/or multiple flavors to find the one(s) best suited for your dog.

Let's start with the ingredients.  Modern dogs are omnivores that can obtain nutrients from both plant and animal origins.  Flipping over a bag of kibbles to read the content, you would find a mixture of ingredients usually from both plant and animal origins.  There are a few key points to look for:

Love Letters from a Pyr Parent

Cooper enjoying some veggies!

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."-Roger Caras

This is certainly the case with Cooper (the dog formerly known as Renegade).  Prior to his arrival into our family, we were a one dog show with a 1 year-old Pyrenees mix named Gibbs.  However, we could tell that Gibbs was lonely and needed a canine buddy.  So after talking to so many people at our local dog park with Great Pyrenees, we decided to check out the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society.  The first dog we saw was Cooper.  He was so fluffy and adorable and we fell instantly in love.

His foster mom was so amazing sending us pictures before we could make our first visit to see him.  Our first meeting with Cooper sealed the deal.  He was about 40 pounds and he waddled right over and I scooped him up.  He wanted nothing more than to be cuddled with.  He even fell asleep upside-down on my lap while we talked about his personality and tendencies.

Training Your Pyr

My Facebook feed is full of dogs.  Dogs in need, dogs being cute, dogs going to their forever homes, training questions...but last night I scrolled past a picture of a horse going over a jump with this caption:

This mare used to quit at jumps one foot high.  So we just fiddled around, tried to make her calm, and NEVER punished her when she would stop.

Jack LeGoff used to say, 

"Boldness comes from confidence.  Confidence comes from success.  So it is the job of the trainer to create lots of situations which guarantee success."

We did that, and Rosie gradually lost her fear of jumping.

It seems so simple, Jack's little "mantra" but many riders and trainers still use force.  Which is maybe why Jack won all those gold medals, and the others do not.

There it is.  So simply put.  One of the main secrets to dog training too.  Help your dog be successful.  So many of their "bad" behaviors come from fear, stress, boredom, or not knowing what to do instead.  Set your dog up for success.  It's exhausting to constantly tell your dog "no" or get frustrated with them.  Help them feel safe, give them repeated practice with the appropriate behavior, and reward them for the right thing.  

Natalie and Grace

Behavior is fairly predictable.  The thing you reinforce is what you will get more of.  Quiet in the crate?  Yes!  Calmly walking by another dog?  Yes!  Looked at the cat without chasing it?  Yes!  The funny thing about dog training is the principles apply to people too.  Imagine learning something new and being rewarded with money, chocolate, or praise when you did something correctly, with the reward increasing depending on the difficulty of the task.  Chances are, you would want to do it again.  How would you feel instead if you were yelled at or punished whenever you made a mistake?  What if the task scared you, or was much too difficult?

So, consider your dog's behavior.  Think about what you would prefer it to be.  Break the task into small, manageable parts, practice each step, have patience, and reward the success!

Natalie Wolf

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

GPRS adopter and volunteer 

Volunteer Highlight

Kickie with Klondike

It's time to meet the medical foster for Cayman!  If you haven't already read Cayman's medical biography, you can read it here.  Fostering can be incredibly challenging and it takes someone incredibly special to foster for a dog with serious medical needs. That's why this month's volunteer highlight is Veterinary Technician Kickie D'Alfonso.

Kickie and Jameson

Kickie was born and raised in New Orleans, LA.  She attended Our Lady of Holy Cross College focusing on business management until evacuating to Austin with her canine Nyko post hurricane Katrina in late 2005.  In January 2006 Kickie discovered her true passion for the veterinary field up beginning a career with Emancipet.  Since then she has worked with a variety of veterinary establishments including the local animal shelter, internal medicine department of a specialty hospital, private practices, mobile vaccine clinics, home euthanasia, non-profit high volume specialty/orthopedic surgery and spay/neuter clinics.  The D'Alfonso family specializes in fostering hospice, special needs and medical cases ranging rom dogs and cats to pigs and wildlife for multiple organizations.  At the center of the household is her husband Jameson, 8 canines, 1 feline, and a very diva pot belly pig named Penelope Aretha Maple.  Kickie finds great joy in being able to give back to a community that welcomed her with open arms years ago.  Keep reading to see how she became involved with GPRS.

July Adoptions!

Rockin' those shades!

Howdy everyone-it has been a long HOT summer, but we had a FABULOUS July-with 40 successful adoptions!!  

Thank you so much to everyone for powering through this last month, even with vacations and holiday breaks, everyone worked so hard to find wonderful forever homes for our Pyrs!!  

We greatly appreciate every screener, foster, and volunteer that gives up extra time, love, and attention for this breed!  They couldn't be saved without you!!

A big pyr paw of congratulations goes out to:
Louie, Samantha, Skyler, Savannah, Trace, Yardley, Sierra, Nayla, Logan, Heather, Taxx, Neecie, Danielle, Lindsey (S), Peter Parker, Ziggy, Tristan, Britney, Hallie, Whitney, Fiona, Drake, Felipe, Howdy, Pablo, Brutus, Evelyn, Chuck, Ryker, Ryoko, Dutch Daisy, Anna, Yale, Heidi, Bianca, Gabriel, Higgins, Josie, and Hollie!

Juliette

Medical Biography

Cayman Update!

Last "Medical Biography" we met Cayman;  we want to thank everyone for their kind words and all the support that was given in order to get this guy to a better place!  And check back soon to meet his AMAZING foster mom and family in the next "Volunteer Highlight" post. If you would like to donate towards Cayman's care or to GPRS you can click here.

From the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society Facebook post:

Sweet Cayman is finally feeling good enough to get up and get moving!  His awesome medical foster is making him lots of high quality food to try and help him gain weight and is monitoring his recover very closely.  He is making great progress, especially considering where he started, but he still has a long way to go.  He loves his foster siblings and is finally learning how to "dog" very well!   Saralynn

Cayman Can Conquer!

Posted by Great Pyrenees Rescue Society (GPRS) on Friday, July 28, 2017

Grooming Tips

Should I bathe my Pyr and how often?

Misha's first bath with me

There's a wide range of opinions on whether a Great Pyrenees should be bathed or not.  The National Great Pyrenees website indicates that too much washing can reduce a Pyr's natural dirt shedding qualities.  Other resources indicate that if you show your dog, bathing will be much more involved.  So the answer will really depend on your specific situation and your dog.  As an example, my Misha required very little bathing; as long as I kept her nice and brushed she remained very clean and fresh (although there was more sanitary maintenance to be done the older she became).

Tips for New Adopters

How do I get my Pyrenees to gain weight?

Goofy Chuck

There are a wide range of questions posed by those who adopt Great Pyrenees dogs.  And most certainly some of these same questions have been raised by foster families as no two dogs are alike.
In these posts we will share foster and adoptive parent's unique situations with their dogs and their experiences finding solutions.

This post about Chuck and his amazing foster parents Bethany and Jonathan.

Chuck is our first foster dog, so we didn't know what to expect.  Would he be playful or mellow?  Would he have any health problems?  It didn't take long for us to discover he is just a big, lovable goofball.  And yes-he's BIG.  Right now, he weighs around 100 lbs.  We estimate he'll probably weigh around 110-120 lbs. But it wasn't always that way.  When he first arrived, he was close to 70 lbs.

Meet and Greet!

What a beautiful day for a Pyrenees meet and greet!  Everyone had such a great time on Sunday July 16th.  Thank you to All the Best Pet Care  for hosting this event.  If you didn't get a chance to go, the next NW event where you can meet some awesome Great Pyrenees and volunteers is at the 2017 Newberg Old Fashioned Festival and the grand parade on Saturday, July 29th, 2017.   Word has it that GROVER will be there!

If you are interested in volunteering for the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society you can check out our website here.  We are always looking for new fosters and there are many volunteer opportunities.  If you can't volunteer and would like to help, please consider donating here.  Are you thinking about adding a Great Pyrenees to your pack?   Click here to find out more about the breed from the National Great Pyrenees Rescue website.  In the meantime, enjoy the pictures from this last meet and greet!

From Foster Family to Adoptive Family

Grover's Story:
Part 4:  The Reunion

A happy boy!

Happy Monday!  Tonight we find out what happened with GROVER!  If you would like to read parts 1-4 together click here.  For the past 2 months we have learned about the rescue of this tiny pup and his journey from his foster family in Oregon to his adoptive family in Canada.  Grover and his forever family just celebrated Grover's first birthday on July 5th and he is so happy in his pack.

In part 2, Richard and Merissa stated one of the challenges of fostering is saying goodbye to the dogs are they are adopted.  It is a very common question of those who foster.  As Merissa and Richard reported, they know that they have to say goodbye in order to make room for another dog in need.  One of the most rewarding aspects of "letting go" is being able to get updates from the permanent family.

Great Pyrenees - A Story of Compassion, Courage and Hope

Volunteering for the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society has been extremely rewarding; I found them on Petfinder in 2013 as I was searching for an older Pyrenees to adopt since my very first Pyrenees passed away.  After I had adopted Misha, I inquired about fostering as I had fostered for other rescues in past years.  Then I found this video; the rescue's story is indeed one of compassion, courage and hope.  After I viewed it, I was convinced that this would be the rescue I would devote my volunteer time on-I had already found that I had a deep connection to the breed and now I had found a community of volunteers who share their own unique bonds as well as a similar rescue philosophy to my own.

In my experiences with the rescue, I have observed a highly organized and dedicated group as well as a wide range of dog knowledge from the Director to all the volunteers scattered around the U.S.  The video does a great job expressing what is involved in order to provide care for these dogs in their journey from homelessness to their forever homes.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating for the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society, please visit our website here.

Pyr Parade in Oregon

This will be the third year GPRS has participated in the grand parade and last year we even won first prize for our float!  This is such a great time we are hoping you can come.  The grand parade is on Saturday, July 29th, 2017.

It is really fun seeing so many faces light up when they see our pups, especially all the kids!

If you would like to walk or ride on the float:
Meet in the field on the corner of S. Blaine St/9th St in Newburg no later than 8:45 am or the gates will close.

Water and bowls will be provided for the pups, but if you have a backpack or camelback, it would be very convenient to bring and have that filled for the walk.  Please BYOPB (poop bags).

This will be the 37th year for the Newburg Old Fashioned Festival.  The entire event runs from July 27th to July 30th.  There will be entertainment, music, great food, vendors, and of course...Pyrenees on parade! 

Click here to see map and additional information!

This is organized by our volunteer highlight team Richard and Merissa!  Click here for their blog story.  And there will be special celebrity coming all the way from CANADA!  Do you know who it is?

Yes, it's Grover!  He will be coming all the way from Canada to participate.  So many things have been happening with Grover since we've posted parts 3 of 4 of his story From Foster Family to Adoptive Family, click here to read up on Grover as this month we will be posting part 4 and the surprise reunion with Merissa and Grover.  You won't want to miss the video!

If you would like to consider fostering for GPRS you can click here.  Can't foster but you would like to volunteer?  There are many ways in which you can help these beautiful Gentle Giants, just click here.  Don't have time to volunteer but you would like to help?  Consider making a donation here.

Ready to add a new furry family member and would like to adopt one of our available dogs?  Check here for their bios and to access the application.

Hope to see you at the parade!

Puppy Teaser!

Ziggy knows you love her!

It seems as if I just posted about puppies available for adoption...oh wait.  I did, just last month!  Well, if you were discussing a new puppy with your family and are still deciding, there are additional puppies that are waiting for their forever homes.  I will leave you with the pictures;  if you would like to know more about a puppy visit their bios here.   If you would like more information about adopting a puppy (or an adult dog), you can find instructions on filling out an adoption application here.

Once your application is received you will be assigned to a volunteer screener who will assist you with your inquiry.  If you are viewing this page you must know how wonderful Great Pyrenees dogs are...in addition, the Great Pyrenees community is amazingly supportive and involved in training, meet-ups, online Pyrenees groups, and much more!  And if you already have a Pyrenees, you know what they say?  Pyrenees are just like potato chips and you can't have just one!

I you would like more information on volunteering for the Great Pyrenees Rescue Society click here we have a variety of volunteer opportunities available.   Want to help but don't have time to volunteer?  GPRS also relies on individual donations and you can donate here.

Heidi, Higgins, and Hayden!

Meet and Greet!

Digger Barnes says "please come"?!

Hi everyone!  We had such a great time at the last meet and greet (click here to see the pictures) that we have another one coming in July!

Sunday, July 16th to be exact!  From 11am to 3pm, come visit GPRS volunteers and some awesome fluffy pups.  Of course it will be at All the Best Pet Care, this time at 1909 NW Market St, Seattle 98107.

What to expect:

Snuggly fuzzy pups-
Enthusiastic and helpful volunteers-
A raffle with some great prizes!
Rescue & Strong T-Shirts to raise funds for the rescue-
Information on how to get involved with volunteering-
Did I mention snuggly and fuzzy pups?

If you would like to meet some beautiful Great Pyrenees dogs you may see Hayden, Daisy, and Quinby!  See their photos below.  Hope to see you there!

Hayden, Daisy and Quinby

Love Letters from a Pyr Parent

Franklin

Sometimes something beautiful happens when you least expect it.  We had recently lost our dog at the young age of two and our golden retriever Tucker was really affected by the sudden loss.

Not sure if we could open our hearts again, I saw Franklin (then Grath) on the rescue webpage and I fell in love instantly.

I work in the veterinary field and have seen Great Pyrenees and thought they were so gentle and loving.  I knew one day I would have one.

When we picked Franklin up it was like he was already a part of the family.  He has brought much job to my life and to everyone he meets.  Tucker and him have become inseparable!  If it wasn't for the Great Pyrenees Rescue and all the amazing work they do, our family wouldn't have found our Franklin.

Bailey (Franklin and Tucker's human)

Franklin and Tucker

Medical Biography

Cayman at intake

Cayman

Volunteering for an animal rescue is always highly rewarding but there are those times we receive a call about a dog who's story is utterly heartbreaking!   Cayman is a 3 year-old, unaltered male, and owner surrender turned into a shelter.  Cayman came into the shelter in dreadful condition. His rear left leg was completely fractured, which his doctors indicated had to have been broken at least 2-3 months prior-the suffering he endured must have been agonizing!  Also, someone had attempted to "repair" the fracture with a botched home-made wire wrapped under his skin around the broken bones.

Training your Pyr

I used to love the 4th of July.  In addition to a national holiday, as a teacher it was a celebration of summer and restoration.  Family, friends, fireworks.  Sure, I had friends who said their dogs were scared of the sounds and didn't bring them to the picnics, but until Grace, I didn't really understand.  My older dog is completely unfazed by sounds.  Grace is literally terrified of fireworks.  While many dogs hide and seek comfort, she panics and goes into a frenzy of barking and panting.  She is inconsolable and I feel utterly helpless.  She is not alone...more dogs get lost from home on the 4th than on any other day of the year and potentially wind up at a shelter or worse.  So, plan ahead and help make sure everyone has a safe, fun holiday.

1.  Take dogs out to potty before bed earlier than usual, and on a leash to avoid any chance of panic and escape.

2.  Leave your pet at home.  They don't need to be part of the celebration if it is going to be frightening.

3.  Give them access to a safe space-a basement, bathroom, covered crate, or bedroom away from windows.

4.  Leave them with a high value reward like a bone, bulky stick, or frozen kong to help distract and calm.

5.  Play calming music, or even a louder action movie to help drown out the sounds.

6.  Try calming aids like a thundershirt or calming supplements.

7.  If you are home, remember that it is okay to console your dog when they are scared.  Helping them feel safe is not reinforcing their rear or anxiety based behavior.

8.  If you know your dog is very scared and can't settle with these supports, consider talking to your vet about medication to help.

9.  Consider a 4th of July camping trip to a park where fireworks are not allowed.

10.  If you have a puppy and don't know how they will respond, remember that first exposures are really important.  Set them up for success and calm so you aren't faced with a lifetime of fear.

Grace and Denali

Wishing everyone a peaceful celebration.  You can find Grace and I at a mountain retreat for a few days away from all the city sounds, enjoying a quieter, more reflective celebration of friendship, family, summer and national pride.

Natalie Wolf

Certified Dog Trainer

GPRS Adopter and Volunteer

Volunteer Highlight

Volunteer Highlight:

Saralynn and Michelle

Volunteers are an essential component to any non-profit;  the volunteers for Great Pyrenees Rescue Society are dedicated and selfless individuals who work tirelessly to rescue dogs in need.  GPRS is always looking for dog lovers who are seeking to foster or volunteer in other positions.

Saralynn is a REALTOR ® with Better Homes and Gardens Preferred Living in College Station, Texas. Saralynn and her mother Michelle have been volunteering for GPRS for a little over a year and are this month's volunteer highlight!

Here is their story:

Prompt:  What volunteering do you do with the rescue?

My mother and I foster the Texas puppies together.  I handle all aspects of the puppies including intake, foster, foster coordinator (if we have any open puppy fosters, which is not often), medical needs, paperwork, and anything else that needs to be taken care of for them.  I sometimes screen applications if I have a break in puppies or if we are overloaded with applications.

June Adoptions

Happy Fourth!

WOW-we are officially half way through 2017 and we had a great June with 39 adoptions!  Hopefully everyone is enjoying a long weekend for the July 4th holiday!  This last month was a RECORD MONTH for FOSTER FAILURES, with 6 foster failures, so that was great that we had some "PYRFECT MATCHES" with our foster families!

A big PYR PAW of congratulations goes out to: Timothy, Bernard, Vivian, Effy, Carmine, Dozer, Broadie, Tella, Tallulah, Maryann, Holly (S), Chester, Hagan, Huck, Lola (S), Bismark, Joe, Ruby, Henessey, Zinnia, Madeline, Thor, Buford, Kerri, Dora (S), Lane, Willow, Paisley, Laurel, Larisse, Nashville, Heather, Toodles, Theo, Kye, Trevor, Wilbur, and Nolan!

Juliette

Pre Holiday Post

Well, it's almost that time again!

For those of us with furry family members that are afraid of fireworks, the July 4th celebration is a source of stress for pets and their families.  There are plenty of resources suggesting how to keep your pets safe during this holiday, but here are some taken from dog trainer Victoria Stilwell's blog Positively.

• Exercise your dog earlier in the day.
• Dogs should be kept inside with a human companion if possible.
• Make sure the dog has a "safe space" to retreat.  (Whitman was able to escape to his crate last night when the neighborhood started the pre celebration last night.)
• Keep the windows and curtains closed.
• Insure your dog has a microchip and that it is updated with the correct contact information and a properly fitting collar with updated ID tags.
• Use sound therapy such as music to relax your dog.

Other suggestions:

• Do not set off fireworks near or next to your dog.
• Try to desensitize your pet prior to the festivities using training tools.
• Use the radio or TV to try to help drown out the noise of the fireworks.
• See your vet for sedatives or other tranquilizers if needed.
• Visit your neighborhood pet store for natural calming aids.
• Act normally versus petting or reassuring your pet when he or she is nervous this will just reinforce the nervous behavior.
• Give your pet something else to do such as a stuffed kong or puzzle toy.

Whitman's safe space

July 5th is reported to be the busiest day for the Humane Society and other shelters as there are more dogs lost during the July 4th holiday due to fireworks.   The ASPCA also suggests there are other hazards for your pets such as alcohol, lighter fluid (for BBQs), and Tiki torch fluids typically present during holiday celebrations, so keeping these out of range for your pet is important!

So, as we are heading for this holiday, please remember our pets are not always as enthusiastic about fireworks!

What are your practices for keeping your dog safe during the 4th of July?

Foster Fail Friday

Yippee!  It's Foster Fail Friday!

I always love hearing about foster families who find their forever family members through volunteering.  Today's featured foster fail is our amazing volunteer Allison Manz!  Here is her story:

We had our foster "Smokey" (now Remington, Remi for short) for 4 weeks and for some reason, there were no applications for him.  We had adopted Zola from GPRS last October, and we have a black-lab mix, Lucy, who we adopted from the Tacoma Humane Society back in 2004.  Zola liked Remi within about an hour of us bringing him home.  Lucy was a little leery of this new rambunctious bundle of fur at first, but has now decided he's okay!

Grooming Tips

Dutch was severely matted

On our last Grooming Tips post we explored the tools and the process for caring for our Pyr's coats.  But a big question with Pyrenees parents is "should I shave my Pyr"?

Although there are definitely two opposing camps on this subject, the National Great Pyrenees Rescue does not recommend doing a shave down on a dog unless there is severe and heavy matting.  The dogs are a double-coated breed with a very fine and dense undercoat which acts as an insulator protecting the dogs from cold and the heat.  A good graphic that explains how this work was taken from Kelsie McKenzie's blog "It's Dog or Nothing" and is shown below (original credit for diagram is unknown).  As you can see from the graphic, it is also important to keep your dog's coat brushed so that the undercoat works the way it was intended.

From Foster Family to Adoptive Family

Grover's Story:
Part 3:  The Campbells

Happy Father's Day!

Nothing like Father's day to continue our story of Grover.  To read Part 1: Rescued and Part 2: Merissa and Richard click here.

As you know, lucky Grover was adopted by a wonderful family!  Here is their story:

Grover heading to Canada

In November 2016, after much preparation and anticipation, we were able to pick up Grover, our third GPRS rescue, from Oregon.  It was a happy and sad day.  Happy for us to add to our crew, but we knew that Merissa and Richard would miss this little guy.  Grover was on his way to becoming a Canadian!

Before making our trip back to Canada, we had to visit a couple of other GPRS mentors.  First stop was to visit Aunt Jackie Titus.  Met with her and Jeffrey and their wonderful pack for a short 
visit.  Then back on the road.  Next stop was a meet and greet with Rena Bouchard and her boy Beau.  Allison Manz also stopped by with Zola and the doggy games began!  Grover is a good traveler and slept most of the way home.  The border crossing was uneventful; cuteness has its advantages, they didn't even ask for his paperwork!

Meet and Greet

What a great time we had at All the Best Pet Care in Seattle!!  Several rescue alumni, volunteer fosters and their foster dogs, and potential new adopters showed up and everyone had a great time.  We even had a visit from SPIN rescue (Saving Pyrs in Need) alum Henry and Cleo (formerly Kaden and Kacee).  If you had planned on coming but were not able to make it, watch for the next meet and greet scheduled in July.

If you had wanted to put in your pre-order for the 2018 Heartthrobs and Hounds calendar, you can do it here!

Enjoy the pictures of these beautiful dogs!

Everyone loved the attention

Gabby, Madeline, and Beau

Ozzie, Ozzie & Quinby, Zola checking out Ozzie while Quinby watches

Val, Zola, and Ranger

Cleo, Henry, and Ozzie