Homelands Boarding

3/5/11

Great News!!!

Buster has been re-homed with a Roti and is doing really really well, he sleeps on the bed and made great friends

Good luck Buster!!

Background
Buster is a tan and white staffy x. People have told me how much he looks like their Mastiff so I guess he has some of this in him also. He weighs about 30kgs (give or take) and is a very handsome boy.

Buster turned 3 in August 2010. I got him from the SPCA at 4 months old and have loved having him in my life. Having split from my partner and my living circumstances changed, I can no longer have Buster in the family which breaks my heart – he deserves the best home with lots of love and even more exercise, every day.

Likes
Buster is a very affectionate boy. He will let you cuddle and pat him for ever if you would. Every night he will come for a pat, and every morning he will wake me with a wet nose to have a morning hug – but goes straight back to bed when he’s told.

He loves walks! Buster is high energy and can walk for 2 or 3 hours and is still keen for more. He absolutely loves to swim, and often getting him to get out of the water is the hard part! He will fetch, especially in the river or ocean.

Loves his food and trains well with food and positive re enforcement training.
Buster gets along with dogs of all sizes. We had a pug puppy who he just adored, and he has been well socialized at friends places, various training, day care and kennels. Buster has been good friends with our cat and they share a bed, and sometimes food. Recently Buster chased a cat so is needs to be on a lead at all times, though I have never had any concern with him around other cats he is familiar with.

Dislikes
Buster had a fear of the vet when I first got him, but training and practice has helped this. His vet, Allan from Animalz in Miramar is fantastic with him and making him comfortable.

He needs to be a on lead at all times when being walked, as he does have a prey drive and is likely to chase and kill a cat by instinct.

Buster is terrified of fireworks and I find homeopathic remedy good for Guy Fawkes time of year. He will bark consistently when they go off.

Buster may bark at the fence line if left in the yard. He’s had training, and has a bark collar but needs continued training for “patrolling”.

General
Buster will very rarely bark when someone arrives at the house as I have trained him to wait on his bed until he is released. He knows sit, come, stay, wait (where I will return to him, or he waits before being released for food), speak, off, down, bed, out-of-the-bedroom and wee wees.

Buster has not had a lot of time around small children, and shows caution around my nieces and nephews – he’s ever shown aggression and sits nicely for a pat of a cuddle – but he may need some practice if the home had kiddies.

Buster is currently staying with us here at Homelands.

If you would like to know more then please call or email us.

04 9399 252

enquiry@homelandsboarding.com

Hi everyone.

Well I am happy to say that I now have a new home!!

I live with my new human friend who has the best couch and TV I could have ever imagined!!

Thanks for all your visits in the cattery and Hi to all the cats that stay at Homelands

I’m off for a wee walk outside in the sun!! 

Mikey.

Ahh finally!!

Mum and dad have left the computer on and un- guarded!!

Well it has been a little while, but things have sure been busy around here!!

There has been new staff friends to beg food off, Rachelle, who runs the weekends and keeps mum and dad at home with me and my dog family, Emma who helps Rachelle in the weekend,  Chrissy who has started during the day shift and she is really nice to me and one day I will get her lunch off her, I just know it!! Also there is Sarah who works during the week and some weekend and Lisa who works the weekend too.

Mum and dad have been really busy making new dog and cat friends, there are new ones every week and they are really enjoying all their friends coming to stay.

It is nice for us dogs as well because we get to meet all the owners and try and get food off them!!(There is a little container on the reception desk….full of treats (hint hint!! ))

Around the kennels there are some new additions, One day mum and dad went for a drive and brought back these woolly things, they are kind of like the ones in the paddock next to our house, but they have horns ( I think they are called goats) but mainly I hear them been called Billy-O and Stitch.

I really want to meet them, but dad thinks I would rather have them for curry than friends… he sure has a strange idea about having friends for dinner!!

With the goats are some chickens as well, I know what these are because some of their sisters live at our house!! It keeps the people busy, especially the goats who are really good at getting out and really like eating mums favourite plant out the front of the office!!

The chickens seem to be quite well behaved (by human standards anyway!!)

A little while ago Mum and dad started helping an organisation called Animals SOS, (www.animalssos.com) basically they help people who need to re-home or find a place for their animals due to; well lots of things, I think Mikey the cat and Kyrah the dog are looking for a home and there was also a mum cat with her six kittens who stayed with us for about eight weeks, well it was really neat!! They smelled all nice and were really cuddly (well the mum was mean but the kittens liked me!!) anyway now two of the kittens have stayed living with us, Diego and Tora, they are soo cool, they really like me and the dogs, and cuddle up with us and let us eat the cat biscuits!!!

Also in our home there are now four of us dogs!!

You have heard my story and Skoobi is on the site as well.

Martha has been with us for a little over a year now, and we are getting along a lot better, we even sleep next to each other sometimes!!

One day dad was on the computer at this place called Pets on the Net and before we know it him and mum and Martha are going on a drive, and they come back with a big black ball of fluff!!

His name is Jacob, and he is a Hungarian Puli, (they are meant to have dreadlocks but he is not cool enough to pull them off!!)  He is 13yrs and his old owner had to go to the UK in a rush, so now he lives with us… he is ok, a little smelly, and very stubborn, but the best thing is he is really warm with all that fur!!

We all get to come to work and make sure everything is going to plan. Martha and Jacob normally hang out, and sometimes I join Jacob, Skoobi only really goes to work with dad as he is really annoying and barky in reception, but he will learn

Well it is getting late and I had better get a look in on the cat food before anyone notices me missing!!

Hope to see you soon.

Zoe.

Hi I am Mikey and I am a neutered male tabby cat, about seven years old.

Things got a bit disrupted in my life recently where a new family member in our home developed an allergy to cats, so I moved to one of their friend’s houses…where they discovered they were allergic to me as well

I think it was that they just could not handle my cool calm awesomeness!!

I have been staying in the Homelands Cattery for a little bit and well I just cruise about, not bothered by those other cats..in fact I even quite like some

I have lived with smaller children before and didn’t really mind them.  As long as I have a lap to curl up on and someone to pat me I am pretty content.  I chat away sometimes when people are around and make sure they know what is happening about the place.  My middle name is laid back. 

If you think you would be able to handle my awesome calm and doting affection then please contact my friends at Homelands.

Ph: 04 2399252

Email: enquiry@homelandsboarding.com

3/5/11

Great news!!

Last week Kyrah had some visitors who have a Huntaway called Toby and a cat called Claws.

They loved her and her fun loving quirks so she went for a stay and here is an email she sent:

Hi Craig

All is going well, I have made good friends with Toby the dog and claws the cat we are all getting along really well.  I slept the night in my new kennel and ate all my breakfast.   Then I went for a long walk on my new property and found heaps of cow poo to eat.   Then I had a bath which was horrible but they say I smell heaps better.    Now I am having a rest cause I just played a game of soccer with Cullen and I think I won

Will keep in touch

Khyra

So she has settled well, now she has even played soccer with Cullen and his friends and when she is not playing with Claws the cat she is playing with Toby the dog

Well done Kyrah!!

Thanks to all those who helped with her fostering and those who tried friends etc.

Hi my name is Kyrah and I am a de-sexed female Airedale Cross, maybe with some Huntaway and/or Staffy.

I am a little over one year old and have heaps and heaps of energy.
I came to stay at Homelands when my old owners could no longer keep me at their home, and could not find a new home for us all

I really love to run and play with other dogs, I play fetch (but sometimes it is more fun to just play “grab the toy and run around with it in my mouth!!”).

I am really smart and learn new tricks really fast, Uncle Craig taught me “shake hands”, “high 5” and “gimmie 10” all in one afternoon!!

I would love to find a forever home with some people that have an active lifestyle, or maybe can take me to work or go for a run or long walk every day.
I love to please and would like to try my paw at agility; everyone here thinks I would be really great at that.
I need some structure and routine, I like it here at Homelands because I know how my day works and I am really good at settling at night.

I stayed with one of my Homelands friends and she said that I settled into the home really well and even slept in a crate at night with no worries, except if we did not go for a walk or do something active that I could get my brain into then I would get a bit annoying.
Of course I would love to have another dog friend, but they would have to be able to put up with my energy and tricks

If you think you might be interested in meeting me or even knowing more about me then please contact my friends at Homelands.

Ph: 04 2399 252
Email: enquiry@homelandsboarding.com

It is often said that what you need is right under your nose….

This proved the case for both our family and Skoobi.

We had a family of six cats and two big, female SPCA dogs (Martha and Zoe), who have very difficult histories and so are not always the best with other dogs or people.

Life at home was always a little on edge as we never could be sure one dog would not seek out the other dog to have an altercation. Dogs were on leads most of the time and came to work separately and on walks there was always a certain distance between them.

Skoobi came into our lives firstly as a young rescued dog that our family friend adopted from the Whangari SPCA, where he had been taken from a situation that had resulted in his regular physical abuse and his ears being hacked off.

He was always a little shy and out to find a way to run free and go for a run.

His owner took seriously ill and he came to stay with us at the kennels while she was in hospital. She ended up dying, and with no one that could take him on he became our charge to re-home.

Of course knowing and loving him we toyed with him staying with us at home, but with the cats and the already unstable relationship between Martha and Zoe we elected that it was not going to in all likelihood work.

So it began with posters and website ads and us contacting the SPCA and Animals SOS to see if they could put his face out there for people to see.

We had a few offers before Christmas with one that was very promising.

Skoobi went with his trial family, leaving us with tears in our eyes and hope in our hearts. All was well; he settled onto the couch and the daughter’s bed and seemed happy. However this was to be short lived as he developed a strong sense of what was his (namely the couch) so when an uncle visited and went to sit on the couch Skoobi felt it right to protect what was his. Worried that they could not give him the direction and confident handling he needed the family brought him back to us.

For another few weeks we advertised and introduced him to everyone that would meet him, took him out to coffee and had him in the kennels reception to improve his people skills, but alas, he remained. Over Christmas, the busiest time at a kennels, there was no room at the inn, so the spare room in our house became his.

We were nervous, he got on well with Zoe, but Martha was not impressed with him at all!! The cats were a bit put out at another dog being in the house but with a close eye on him and them he made it through Christmas with out putting a paw wrong.

As the weeks moved on, we noted a change within the dynamics of the dogs in the house. Skoobi and Zoe played very well (rough but fair) and Martha would sit on the couch and glare at them (like a scornful teen looking at 2 children making lots of noise and mess!!).

But the glare became just a look, and the look rose to a small tail wag, which grew to a stretch followed by a play bow!!

Then in the lounge; with her on the lead and Skoobi and Zoe not far away on theirs, Martha bounced towards them and “chuffed” then sprang back wagging and standing tall with her tongue hanging our. To our disbelief she wanted to play (this was a dog that had never really played in her life!).

So with breaths held and eyes sharp we let them all off, they sniffed, and circled and settled back to their sleeping places. Later that week I was hanging out washing and the three dogs were pottering around in the yard, and a massive game of chase started around me! There was no growling, no real heckles and lots of spit and tongues hanging out as they ran and chased and panted!!

In disbelief I tried to get it on my phone camera to show Lyndsey, and they all flopped down in the sun and rested.

Skoobi had brought a calm to the dogs in the house that we never thought would come.

So now we have a house with six cats and three dogs, Zoe and Skoobi sleep together and rough and tumble and are great mates, and Martha and Skoobi often exchange licks and nudges and sleep next to each other on the couch, Skoobi moved from the spare bed to our bedroom, where now we are working on his sleeping at the foot of the bed and not the head!!

The cats have all told Skoobi with a claw or two that they are far superior to any dog and that he had just better make sure he is not in their way, whichever way they choose to go!

So Skoobi needed a home, and there right under his was ours.

We needed a catalyst for our dogs to make peace, and there right under our nose, wagging and hopeful.

Was Skoobi.

Hi, I am Skoobi

My story is a long and sad one but in short;

• I was rescued by the Whangari SPCA after having my ears hacked off

• Adopted by a loving mother who got seriously ill and passed away

• Now I am staying with my Uncle Craig and Aunty Lyndsey at Homelands Kennels and Cattery.

I would really love a forever home where I can come on car rides, sleep inside (I like couches ), play fetch and tug of war, and just really be somebody’s dog.

I have been de-sexed and am fully vaccinated, I get along with most dogs (I really prefer younger and less dominant dogs, oh and I am really a hit with girl dogs!!) I am a really good jumper, so you will need a good fence!!

I tend to run on the slender side, but with good food and proper rest I will keep weight on, I have seen the vets and they think I just have a really high metabolism!!)

If you think you could be my human buddy and would like to know more or meet me, send Craig and Lyndsey an email:

enquiry@homelandsboarding.com

Well they say that they are flat out, but me, well I have done all the work they have done, plus kept them awake at night so they can think more and made sure they get out and about so that they can go to the dog park!!!

In the past while I have made some really amazing progress with my confidence, I don’t need a harness to go to the shops for pizza anymore, I am all ok on my lead, I sit in the office most days, making new friends, (some days I get up on the wrong side of bed and my hair wont sit right so I hide behind the desk and growl, just because I don’t really want people to see my messy hair and grumpy face )

We have welcomed a foster dog into the house and while we are not best friends, we have an arrangement, where we sleep on the couch, and the bed, but at opposite ends and we don’t look at each other!!

All in all life is not bad, I found out that there is a whole nother world down the driveway which I am keen to explore, mum and dad are not so pleased when they call me and I come back from that way, so I just have to make sure I explore there when they are looking the other way!!

I had a bath a few weeks ago, it was not so fun to start with, but then I did get a lot of pats and rubs, so all in all not such a bad experience, and it was nice to not have dad telling me I smelled like a foot (I mean really, does he smell his??? Ick !!)

The thing I am most proud of that I did recently is I found the biggest, bestest and most involving chew toy ever!!

There is one in almost every home, and the humans and cats just don’t seem to know what it is for!!

They went out for the day, and left me at home, with the back door open and chew bones and toys, and well that is all ok, but a little bit into the day I started to get a little restless, then well I went to sniff out something fun to do…

In the lounge there is this big thing that mum and dad sit on and I sleep on from time to time, they spill things on it, food goes behind it and well I fart on it so it smells pretty tasty

I had a scratch, then a nibble, it tasted good!

I got a little bit up and pulled and it made this cool ripping noise!!

Best of all it was filled with this light foam stuff that few around and danced when I puffed at it!! How much fun can one dog have!!??

Dad got to the door when he got home and I was soo proud!!

He was very quiet, mum looked shocked, not sure weather to cry or get angry, I sat in the corner, proud as pie, I had moved the foamy stuff from the couch, to all over the house!! It swirled in the wind when the door was opened and just looked fun!!

So that is how I destroyed the couch!! A new one arrives any day now, I hope it is mint flavoured!!

Well that is enough for now, I had better see what they are up to.

Take care.

Woof!!

Zoe.

There has been a lot going on in the past few months, with taking over the business, settling Zoe in, and welcoming new and old dogs and cats for their time with us.

We have had soo much support from the SPCA and Local Animal Controls and Vets alike, sending people and their pets to us for time away from home.

We have welcomed many new pets, a few from the SPCA, dogs with a troubled past, and people are excited to hear that we have experience and knowledge to keep their loved ones safe and content.

The regular crew have been supportive and it has been great to learn more and more about the people and their pets.

Winter has brought many days of rain and cold, but not to be held back, the dogs have dug muddy holes, and the cats have made snugly beds in the corners!!

Thank you to those new and old who are coming and we look forward to meeting you or seeing you and your pets again.

Craig.

Ahh at last, a space where I can have a say!!

My name is Zoe, I am a SPCA Special (meaning no one really knows my breed, I really am just known as a dog, well round here, the dog!!)

My Story: I was kept in a dog crate in a garage from the age of about four months until about 12months (this is about the human equivalent of from 5yrs until 13 years old)

As you can imagine life was not great, I missed most of my crucial socialisation landmarks, I didn’t get to learn about cars and people and other dogs until I was too old to just soak it up like a sponge.

As a result I take a little more convincing that things are not scary!!

I first met Lyndsey and Craig at the Wellington SPCA on Valentines day.

They were helping to adopt out animals for the “Second Chance at Love” Adoptathon.

I was soo scared, I had been at the SPCA for about a month, and well never really got outside much, the staff and volunteers tried and tried, but I was just too scared, I wouldn’t go past the end of the driveway, and if i did it was not for long, I once escaped from a dog walker while out on a walk and I ran straight back to the SPCA, it was the only place I knew was safe

Craig took me for a walk to the end of the drive, he didn’t really give me the chance to be scared, he knew that if he believed in me then I would gain confidence in myself. It kind of worked, I got there and we hung out with another dog for a bit, then he introduced me to Lyndsey and she just loved me from the start.

I had to pass a few tests that I did not really understand, like meeting the resident cats at the SPCA (later I would learn that they had 5 cats and needed to know i would not hurt them)

I passed of course and that night at about 11pm we got in the car and started the journey to our new life together.

The first thing that happened after the long car ride to their house was the 3 legged cat (called Spry) ran across the room and beat me up!!

We still are not really friends

I had to sleep in a crate for a few nights but before to long I was allowed to sleep on the bed and that is where I sleep to this day.

I go to work every day with Craig and Lyndsey, sometimes in the office meeting people and sometimes in the dog kennels helping out and playing with the dogs, really it is a great life for me and every day i make progress.

Just this week we went to a cafe in Plimmerton and had Pizza, I was able to lay under the table and not get too scared by the traffic and people!!

Well that is how I got to Homelands; I hope to see you here one day soon with your pets and friends.

Keep an eye on my Zen Room to find out the inner workings of life here at Homelands.

Take care.

Zoe.