Category Archives: Lollie

double the dog = double the fun?

January 25, 2011 By in Lollie Tags: , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Since we welcomed Lollie into our home as our first foster dog, we get a lot of questions about whether it’s a lot more work taking care of two dogs than one.

This is a hard question and will depend a lot on the personalities, needs, and chemistry of the two dogs you are caring for. If your two dogs are best friends (like Mr B and Miss M of Two Pitties in the City), it is less work than if your two dogs have more individual needs, as do our own doglove Chick and our foster wonderdog Lollie.

People ask, is it no more work? A little more? Twice as much?

In truth, for us, it’s somewhere in between. It’s double the food and double the poop, but still the same number of outfits (our darling Chick kindly shares his sweaters and jackets with his foster sister, who is thankfully the same size). Double the vet visits and double the monthly preventive meds, but not much more cost (when fostering dogs, the sponsoring shelter or rescue generally pays for all vet care, so we just buy food and treats). Double the enrichment and double the training, but hardly any more walks (we usually walk them together). Double the dog beds and double the leashes, but only a few more toys (we rotate toys among them so nobody ever gets bored). When we go out of town, two dogs means double the boarding, but when we’re in town we get double the cuteness and double the attention (“hey, are those two brothers?”).

Most important of all, it’s double the snuggly little dogs all curled up in their snuggly little dog beds, double the silly moments that make you burst out laughing, and double the earnest, wet little doggie kisses that we wouldn’t trade for all the world’s treasures and all the world’s gold.

For more info on adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

Kibble for Comments – delivery and wrap-up

January 24, 2011 By in Lollie 17 Comments

From December 15 to December 31, Lollie Wonderdog offered to buy one pound of dog food for homeless dogs at the Montgomery County Humane Society (her own rescuer and sugardaddy) for every comment left on her blog—in a contest she called Kibble for Comments. Our goals were to increase readership of Lollie’s blog so that more people were spreading the word about this manificent adoptable darling, and to create a good excuse for a big donation to our favorite animal shelter.

Lollie Wonderdog wonders how she's going to drive that cart full of kibble

During the short two-week period (during the holidays no less), her dear friends and fans posted an overwhelming 201 comments. Not bad for a lowly foster dog who’s only been blogging for two months!

This weekend, we finally delivered the booty– 206 pounds of food to MCHS. Below are some photos of our adventure.

Lollie picking out her donation

This one smells so familiar . . .

Helping load up the booty...

"I know I'm a wonderdog, but jeez! I'm exhausted from all that heavy lifting!"

Relaxing with the goodies (notice the casually propped arm) . . .

The hand-off to Dave at MCHS

Lollie donates more than just dog food.

For more info on adopting Lollie Wonderdog, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

the spotlight shines once again

January 22, 2011 By in Lollie Tags: , , , , , , 7 Comments

Lollie was featured on the fabulous ohmidog blog by fabulous dog advocate and pulitzer-prize winning writer John Woestendiek. In his post, he shares her history, progress, and current life — and reminds readers that she is still available for adoption.

The story is called Out of a Dumpster, Into You Heart.

Go give ohmidog a visit, and while you’re at it, add it to your subscriptions. It’s one of my favorite blogs out there!

savage tongue of the pastry chef

January 21, 2011 By in Lollie 16 Comments

Lollie has been an excellent cook’s assistant from the start, because she selflessly cleans up any food scraps that may fall on the floor, listens and watches very attentively as I explain recipes to her, and graciously shuffles out of the way if I need to squeeze by her in our very small kitchen.

Well last night it turned out that Lollie is an excellent pastry sous chef, too. We baked cupcakes for a colleague’s birthday today (meyer lemon cupcakes with raspberry frosting– shh, don’t tell), and Lollie was ever so helpful. She made nuanced suggestions about how to improve the frosting (“I’d better have just one more taste”), offered to help decorate (“I can smooth out those lumps in no time”), and even generously cleaned up (“Take a load off, lady– I’ve got this one”).

You wouldn’t think that a four-legged critter with no opposable thumbs could do all of these things. But, you see, it all starts with the savage tongue and is fortified by the classic “horse-eye” expressions. With a killer combo like that, no pastry challenge is too great for this beast.

For more info on adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

imitation and flattery

January 20, 2011 By in Lollie 11 Comments

the old adage says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

do you reckon the old adage was talking about stealing your foster brother’s hoodie and doing his exact pose of fame, trying to outdo him in cuteness?

the world may never know . . . 

To learn more about adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

the fortune cookie mystery

January 19, 2011 By in Lollie 11 Comments

We had no idea– until yesterday– that fortune cookies are the most coveted treat of all treats. Squealworthy treats. Droolworthy treats. 

Could she have known, somehow, that her very own fortune cookie would deliver a cryptic, but undoubtedly positive, message? 

There are two Great Mysteries to this adventure. The first Great Mystery: what is Lollie’s dearest dream? Does it involve squirrels? Toys? Becoming a celebrity spokesmodel for a very important product? Meeting her biological parents, Barbie and the Incredible Hulk? She didn’t reveal, despite our extensive begging and bribery.

The second Great Mystery: does the fortune still come true if you eat not only the fortune cookie, but the fortune itself? 

the foster home advantage

January 17, 2011 By in Lollie, on fostering 8 Comments

There are a couple of big advantages in adopting a dog from a foster home rather than a shelter. First, foster families are able to gather and share an enormous amount of information about the animal’s behavior, personality, and training. Even if well cared for, a dog in a shelter environment will act differently than after a few weeks settling in to a home, and there are certain things that are impossible to assess or predict in a shelter environment. With Lollie, it took about six weeks for what we consider her “real” personality to emerge (the one that celebrates the little things by doing head stands, and does a little bobble head move at a new sound).

Second, animals in foster care are more likely to be spayed / neutered and have had major and minor medical needs cared for. Lollie came to us unaltered, and we made arrangements for her spay a few weeks later. We monitored her as her surgery wound healed, gave her pills, applied ointments, shuttled her to follow-up visits at the vet, and kept her calm as she recovered. She also arrived with irritated, flaky skin and sores around her feet. We treated the pads and knuckles of her feet with soothing shampoo and carefully kept her clean and on soft bedding so she could heal. Many dogs go into foster care with more serious ailments, and by the time they are adopted, they have been treated and are “good as new.” These are all things that a foster dog’s future (where are you?) forever family will not have to deal with, making the transition that much easier.

Another advantage of foster animals is that in the right care, they are able to get a head start on the skills and habits that will make them a very good pet. We have crate trained Lollie carefully from the start, and because she is a very good sport who never complains, she has taken to it well. When we walk into the room and tell her “load up!” she trots in and sits to receive a snack or treat.

But it wasn’t until last night that– for the first time– she decided it was bedtime, teeter-tottered sleepily over her crate on her own, and curled up to go to sleep. They say that this is a very big step for a dog learning to crate train, and fosterdad and I quietly danced around in celebration.

For more info on adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

Today is National Delurking Day!

January 14, 2011 By in Lollie 26 Comments

Lollie Wonderdog just informed me that today is National Delurking Day.

So please, as you stop by Lollie the Wonderdog’s blog, leave a quick comment to say hello, and encourage a friend to do the same. We know you’re out there. We’d love to know who you are and what you think of us!

You will give both me and Lollie a big thrill, and who knows, you may even help her get adopted, somehow!

For more info on adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

Adoptability factor 4: Magnetic Personality

January 14, 2011 By in Lollie 13 Comments

This is the fourth in our regular series on what makes sweet Lollie Wonderdog so very adoptable. Sorry for missing a few weeks during the holidays, but we’re back with this popular series! Although there are endless adoptability factors we could list, we are limiting this to an occasional series so we don’t overwhelm you too much. 

Adoptability factor archive: 1: Snugglability 2: Trainability 3: Drop Dead Gorgeousness

You know those people that everybody just flocks to? You find yourself acting kind of goofy around them because for some reason you want to impress them? When you’re around them, it just makes you feel good? Babies trust them, the media loves them, they’re always perfectly nice and funny, they dress well, and they can craft a flawless vodka martini? Well, that person is Lollie Wonderdog.

In only 10 short weeks, she’s been in local online newspapers three times, been featured on the evening news once, and has received stacks and stacks of mail from her admirers and friends. When we take her for a weekend outing to a busy area, people huddle around her. They can’t help but touch her and hug her, and find themselves giggling uncontrollably at how they never thought they could feel this way about a pit bull. I don’t know how she does what she does, but she is positively irresistible. And it’s not just the media and regular street folk who love her.

Clean cut lawyers love her:

Guys with shaved heads and tattoos love her: 

Girl scouts love her:

Even Santa Claus loves her!

With this kind of magnetism and charm, how could anybody resist adopting her? Come to think of it, I’m thinking Lollie would make an excellent winglady for a single person . . . she would be a great chick magnet or guy magnet!

For more info on adopting Lollie Wonderdog, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.

the one in which we taught her how to down-stay

January 13, 2011 By in Lollie, training 11 Comments

Is it possible to teach a dog how to down-stay in just one evening, you might ask?

Yes, we would tell you, it is possible. As long as that dog is Lollie the foster wonderdog.

On the recommendation of Vicktory dog Handsome Dan’s mom, I have been reading an incredible dog behavior book, Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. I don’t want to overstate the importance of this book to my perceived understanding of dog learning and behavior, so let’s just say it’s rocking my face off in a big way.

Inspired by yesterday’s segment, I decided it was time for Lollie to learn to not be under foot while I’m cooking dinner (a pit bull drooling over dinner prep in a vegan kitchen? seriously?). I had been avoiding the down-stay since the beginning because although Lollie is a total genius, she is also somewhat distractable (I have heard that this is very common in dogs who were understimulated early in life). But, I resolved, tonight is the night we begin. So I armed myself with a bowl of kibble and set to work. Within a couple of minutes, she was calmly laying down as long as I kept the treats coming. Over the course of 15 minutes, I was able to progress to 30 second intervals with the treats. After a few more minutes, I was able to briefly leave the kitchen and come back, and she would still be on the designated rug. I dropped a piece of kibble on the  floor, out of reach. No movement. I jumped up and down. Nothing. Incredible. The work is not done and hurdles lay ahead, but this is a much more solid start than I could have even hoped for.

Of course, we already knew that Lollie was a wicked-fast learner, and I’m sure that many, many other dogs are able to learn as quickly as her. But I really get blown away when I think about the larger context, and how in November when she came to us, she was full of fear, suspicion, and a complete inability to concentrate. We think her “wonderdog” title is very well deserved.

A few more photos of the wonderdog in her new down-stay are below.

For more info on adopting Lollie, contact us at DCpetographer@gmail.com or 301-520-7123.