Author Archives: Aleksandra

The Look

August 4, 2011 By in Stevie Wonder 28 Comments

All of a sudden, Sir Chick has started taking his foster brother duties very seriously. Over the past few evenings in the pre-dinnertime stage, he has been carefully and patiently teaching Miss Stevie about “The Look.” The Look, he says, is the cornerstone of a good treat acquisition strategy. In his lifetime (“I was winning suckers over with my look before your grandma was even alive, kiddo!”), Chick said, he has won great things using his The Look. He has gotten pounds and pounds of fruit and veggie scraps, lots of licks from the cookie batter bowl, plenty of spatulas to inspect and polish, about a squillion dog treats, some jerkey, some roasted chicken, a handful of human popsicles, and even a few naps on the Couch Where No Dog May Go.

He taught this look to Lollie Wonderdog during her stay with us, and she took to it right away:

The challenge has been greater for Stevie, who has a hard time making a model’s face that even remotely resembles angsty, concerned, and in dire need of that treat. Nevertheless, she’s so cute that it works for her anyway. Here are a few of her feeble attempts at an interpretation of The Look.

Stevie’s “I want it so bad I’m toppling over” Look:

The “try as I may, I can put no believable concern in my look” Look:


The “does it work if I just look repentant” Look:

And my favorite, the “watch out or it might land on us!” Look (in which Chick collaborates as well):

For the record, Sir Chick wishes to fully disassociate himself from these attempts. ‘They are an embarrassment to my species,’ he says. ‘She’s just a child, Sir Chick. She’s just a child,’ we reply.

For more info on adopting Stevie Wonder, click here or contact us at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com.

a family affair

August 3, 2011 By in on fostering 25 Comments

It turns out that at Casa Fosterfamily, Sir Chick is the only one who can resist Stevie Wonder’s charms. All week she’s been begging us to go swimming with her in her swimming pool, and in only took a few tries before we finally caved. She makes it look so inviting!

At first it was just a finger dipped into the water. Then maybe a shy toe, followed by a tentative foot. But before we knew it, we were coming home from work and diving right into the pool, still wearing our biking clothes.

Have your dogs ever peer-pressured you into doing things that you would not have ordinarily done?

For more info on adopting Stevie Wonder, click here or contact us at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com.

Learning from elders

August 2, 2011 By in Stevie Wonder 26 Comments

Stevie is a very bright girl, but not the most food-motivated dog I’ve ever met. For me, this presents a big training challenge, as I have always relied heavily on treats to teach dogs desired behaviors and tricks. Even stinky cheese, liver, and hot dogs don’t get this girl’s attention on a regular basis. She acts as though she’s doing me a favor by eating these delicious morsels at all.

We have managed to teach her a decent “sit” and “shake” and are working on a good “stay” using toys (her true love) as rewards, and it has worked pretty well. Recently we have employed our village elder, Sir Chick, to help Stevie Wonder learn. Here they are doing a few simple commands together.

the “I love you” flip

August 1, 2011 By in Stevie Wonder 33 Comments

There is a clear and comical relationship developing between dear foster Stevie Wonder and our own Sir Chick, in which Stevie oscillates between being the annoying and hyper little sister that can’t stop bugging her big brother to play, and the pathetic lovestruck girl pining away after her heartthrob crush, shamelessly throwing herself at him hoping for the slightest bit of affection. This is perhaps easiest to see in photos. Here is a typical sequence that repeats itself a hundred times a day at Casa Fosterfamily.

Everybody is happy, hanging out in the living room while fostermom works:

Chick decides to take a nice, peaceful, drool-filled nap while Stevie stares at him, unblinkingly, with an intense affection bordering on obsession:

Chick is roused from his restful slumber by Stevie’s intense stare:

In that weak moment of just-wokenness, Chick succumbs to Stevie’s pleas and stumbles over to her to offer his nose for a quick lick by her eager tongue:

It’s all too much for her. She performs the “I love you” flip:

Watch out Chick, here comes the death claw of affection:

A couple of love-punches later, Chick’s headed for the door:

And poor Stevie-girl is left alone in her Stevie-chair to contemplate:

For more info on adopting Stevie Wonder, click here or contact us at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com.

Chix-a-Lot Friday: How I Met My One

July 29, 2011 By in Chick 42 Comments

So I was in the slammer, see. I got brought in for running loose on the town. Pit bull running at large, they said. And so they brought me in. It was an ok place, the slammer. The people gave me my very own room made of fence and concrete, and I had a water bowl full of water, and they would bring food, too. Some of the people who worked there weren’t too sure about me — a pit bull. But there’s this test they give the dogs to decide whether they get to be in the nicer dog hotel in the front where all the people walk by or the sad dog hotel in the back where nobody ever goes except the workers. I knew I had to woo them, and I did. I wooed and wooed, and I got straight A’s on my test. They gave me a nice corner room right up front, where all the people would see me.

But the people would come and go, and nobody ever stopped to give me a pet or let me lick their paws and noses. I would sit right by the door like such a good boy and waggle my tail as hard as I could, and lick my lips with excitement, and I so much wanted them to love me that my whole body would tremble in anticipation. I guess they didn’t understand. I guess they couldn’t tell that I was just happy to see them.

Pretty soon, a nice lady showed up. She was young and smelled like Mexican food and laundry and she understood me. She would come and put me on a leash and take me out for walks. And on the Very Best Days she would take me to the enclosed grassy area where she would let me go and I would run and run. I would chase a toy and she would sit in the grass and I would sniff and roll around and I was happy. We were both happy. And then I would come lay beside her and rest my face on her chest. And sometimes she would cry.

A little while after I met Nice Lady, she started acting kind of funny. She would chat up everybody that would come to the slammer to look at dogs and lead them over to my room. Tell them how nice I am. What a good boy I am. What a great pet I would make. They never listened. Sometimes her voice would quiver. Sometimes her eyes would water when she hugged me goodbye for the day. I didn’t really understand, but I liked her, and I liked the way she scratched my ears and the way she smelled like Mexican food and laundry.

Well wouldn’t you know, one day she showed up and brought two other girls who smelled like Mexican food and laundry. I could tell it was very important by the way they were talking and the way Nice Lady’s face was kind of scrunched up and I heard the words “last day” a few times. So I knew I had to woo them just like I wooed the people who gave me the test, and I did my very best. I guess I did ok, because the next day, Nice Lady came back again and busted me out of the slammer for good. “Call me mom,” she said. Instead I called her The One. What happened next I’ll tell you in next week’s edition . . .

Settling in on my bed the day she sprung me from the slammer.

Meanwhile in Stevie-land, I have taught my little foster sister how to make a hole in The Most Indestructible Dog Toy Of All. I am so proud of her smarts, persistence and sharp little Stevie-teeth . . .

Dog fostering – it’s infectious!

July 28, 2011 By in on fostering 34 Comments

We realized something remarkable the other day: we know six families who have taken in their first foster dog since we picked up our little blog last fall. Six. And considering we don’t know very many people, that’s a big number! As a break from the Stevie Wonder cuteness, we wanted to take one post to pay tribute to a few of the wonderful and inspiring people in our life who have recently joined the dog fostering ranks, choosing to take the same rewarding, emotional, difficult, beautiful, wondrous journey we’re on.

One of the most fascinating things about this juxtaposition of stories is that each person’s motivation and satisfaction in fostering come from such different places. For us, the goal is to help individual dogs find redemption and elevate the image of pit bull type dogs in our society by presenting them as normal, loving members of our family — but that’s just us. Read on to learn what makes these other amazing fosters tick.

Our friends Kelsey and Shaun stumbled upon fostering while attending an adoption event in Southern California, pondering their first dog. They were intrigued by the concept, and after a series of serendipitous occurences that they call signs (including an encouraging comment from us on their blog!), they decided to give it a try. Their first little darling, Buddy, was just as cute as can be, and now they are hooked — not only on the cuteness that fostering brings into their home, but the chance to learn and grow: “We welcomed our first pup at the end of May, and in a few weeks he’ll be living in Northern California with a loving and compassionate couple with a huge yard for him to play. He’s been the best part of our summer, and we can’t wait for more lessons and growth with each new dog we plan to foster in the future.” Check out Kelsey and Shaun’s beautiful photography, poignant writing, and yummy whole foods recipes on their blog, Happyolks.

We met Josh through our blog after he became a new foster dad to a sweet but fearful little mutt, Suzi. He reached out to us for advice on how to navigate the rescue world and how to do right by Suzi while staying sane (challenging at times to be sure). His reasons for fostering were totally different: “I initially chose to foster for mostly selfish reasons: I wanted a second dog, but couldn’t afford one – so fostering allowed me the second dog at no cost to myself. But during my first foster experience, I realized that a lot more comes with it than I initially expected – and now I do it to help give each dog every chance it truly deserves to have a happy and healthy life.”

Adoptable foster Suzi and Lucy

Our blogging buddy in Alaska, Alana, actually foster failed with her first foster dog Molly. Alana and her hunny had been planning to adopt a dog and thought they might foster a few in the meantime, but Miss Molly walked straight into their hearts and curled up into a little marshmallowy ball, never to leave again. There was no going back. And yet, they haven’t given up. Through a program at their local shelter that is meant to give dogs a break from shelter life by placing them into homes for a short period, they brought in GI Jane, a darling brindle puppy who looks a lot like our Stevie Wonder! In Alana’s words: “I started fostering because I saw what a great impact bringing a shelter dog into my home and loving them as my own had on the dog’s overall well being and on the people willing to adopt them.  I specifically seek out bullies to give them a better chance of finding their perfect forever home by teaching them manners and showing them how to be a part of a family.” Read more about the adventures of Miss Molly, her occasional foster siblings, and her dear parents here.

Adam, Alana, Molly, and foster Janie (courtesy http://adamandalanafriese.blogspot.com)

For another friend of ours, Emily, becoming a foster was kind of accidental:  “While volunteering with a local humane society, I met Ginger Rogers, a beautiful pit mix who was condemned to be euthanized if no one was able to foster her. Looking at her beautiful but nervous eyes, I knew that she deserved better than to spend her last days alone and scared in an overcrowded shelter. I brought her home that day and have watched in amazement as she has blossomed into this beautiful and confident creature.  I am so thankful to be a part of her story, which thankfully, is far from over.” Want to read more about little Ginger, her two canine siblings, and Emily’s adventures? Check out their blog.

Beautiful foster Ginger Rogers (courtesy http://waldobungie.wordpress.com/)

There are more — our friend Susan who rescued a stunning blue pit bull off the streets of Pasadena and agreed to take her home when she was deemed “unadoptable” just because she was shy (Susan is still trying to figure out which way is up. Is she fostering? Is beautiful Louise hers for good? Is she just harboring her until another stable solution comes along? Sue isn’t sure but Louise sure is pretty . . . ) The list goes on.

Fostering is hard work, but it pays off, and we’re proud to be in such good company. Thanks to each of you for reminding us every day that the reasons for doing this work are as diverse as the people and dogs who benefit from it.

A swimompromise

July 26, 2011 By in Stevie Wonder 28 Comments

It was so hot. So hot.

Stevie insisted on going back to the lake so she could do more of the swimming she told you all about a few weeks ago. We insisted that a five hour drive was maybe a wee bit too far for just an afternoon of swimming.

She balked. An impasse.

The conversation went something like this.

Stevie: Swimming.

Us: Stevie, the lake is too far.

Stevie: Swimming.

Us: Stevie, you hate car rides.

Stevie: Swimming.

Us: Stevie, by the time we get there, it will be night time.

Stevie: SWIMMING!!!

I will be the first to admit, watching an adolescent dog throw an imaginary hissy-fit is pretty cute. In the end, we had to give in — part way. We lugged the doggie pool out of the shed and filled it up with fresh water. To make it more authentic, we even threw in some dirt, twigs, grass, and fish oil (not really). We showed Stevie our compromise — our swimompromise — and without hesitation, she was in. Really, really in.

How to stay cool in the dog days of summer

July 25, 2011 By in Stevie Wonder 26 Comments

Hi guys, it’s me! Stevie Wonder!

Guys, it’s been so hot here. SO HOT. Foster mom and dad have just about quit going outside except if they’re holding a cold beer in a shark koozie or watering the plants or something.

Me and Chick still like to go out though, even when the heat index was like 115 over the weekend. I used to think it was too hot too, but then my smart foster brother Chick let me in on a little secret: if you find a nice shady spot on the deck and lay real still except for the huffing and puffing and put your face sideways-like against the boards and make the funniest faces you can, it makes it not feel so hot anymore.

Want proof? Look at how happy and silly we got on the dog days of this weekend!

Chix-A-Lot Friday!

July 22, 2011 By in Chick, Stevie Wonder 29 Comments

Alright, alright already! I’ve heard enough from you adoring fans about how you want more Chick, more Chick, more Chick! So we’re trying out a new feature, called “Chix-A-Lot Friday” — Here, you will find Chick’s perspective on the world. His rundown of the week’s news, what he thinks of his foster sibling’s antics, and what kong combo he is finding particularly appealing.

On to today’s installation:

Guys. Here’s the deal. That little sister of mine? Stevie Wonder? She’s crrrazy! She loves me so much that she told me she would like for me to wear her like a hat. At first I was kind of stumped. How do you even respond to that? Could my gorgeous, square head even hold up a gangly teenager like Stevie-girl? Would her long arms block my vision? Would my beautiful wrinkles get itchy? Would I even look good in brindle? Nevermind — dogs don’t even wear hats, I realized.

I tried to explain to her the problem. She would have none of it. She gave me a big ol’ lick to the muzzle. So I had to tell her: woah there, little lady, you’ve gotta take it slow if you want to win my love. I dole it out like candy to humans, but other dogs? They’ve gotta earn it. My ignore-the-foster game will outlast your play-with-me-play-with-me-play-with-me lick-and-punch routine every time, you little Stevie-youngster. Plus, you’re a lady. You can’t be just throwing yourself at every dog that comes along. Even if he is as dapper as me.

She’ll learn eventually. Until then, I’ve asked my mama to put her on a tie-down in the kitchen when we’re hanging out together so she can’t be constantly attacking me with her play-with-me routine. I know I’m irresistible, but I’m an older gentleman, and she’s gotta learn to respect.

*check out our Facebook page for a photo of Chick showing Stevie-girl how to chill out in the kitchen!

For more info on adopting Stevie Wonder, click here or contact us at DCpetographer [at] gmail [dot] com.