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.