SPCA Santa Picture

First Santa pic with Brosa as a member of the family. :)

SPCA NS Alley Cats Bowl fundraiser

On May 9, 2009, Brosa and I attended a fundraiser event in Halifax, NS, to benefit the Cinderella Fund (one of my earlier Foster Dogs, Sunni, was a recipient of the fund).

Joan did a write-up, with pictures, of the day on her dogkisser blog.

I'm hoping she'll edit the content so that Brosa, very much a male dog with balls (at least, until August!), doesn't end up with an identity crisis, LMAO!

I have videos posted on YouTube (starting with the first one attached) of the day as well (username doglove555).

I'm 5 months old now

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Has it really been 5 weeks since I last posted? I guess I'm having WAY too much fun to be in front of the computer these days. Ahh, spring is here and this warmer weather, new spring grasses and decaying winter smells are far more exciting than the snow and cold I grew up with!

First the big news. I'm now 22 weeks old (that's 5 months) and as of last night, I weigh 30.5 pounds! Even my mom was shocked - I'm buff - told you so!

Since I'm a big boy, I've graduated from the puppy exercise pen to the crate when mom leaves the house, and that's working out really well. Although, I do like to give her the run-around first before she leads me in there, ha ha! Nothing like making her work for it.

I'm now allowed to sleep on the bed at night with my mom, sister and brother, and I sleep through the night. When mom starts to stir in the morning, I bounce on her head to help her wake up. I don't think mom is a morning person as she wakes up pretty grumpy…. she says having 30 lbs of baby Boxer jumping on you in the morning would make anyone wake up grumpy!

I'm making a lot of new friends at a dog park I've started going to. I have a great Puggle friend, Bulldog friends, Pittie friends and Border Collie friends (those are just a few of the many I've met!). I really love running with the border collies - mom's friend tells her that I need a Border Collie brother or sister, but mom just says "no" to that. That's okay; as long as I can keep coming to the park to play with them, it'll be something to look forward to!

I have big boy teeth now! I know you have all been wondering about my mouth and how well I'm eating. I still have the two holes in my mouth - the one up front behind my nose hasn't closed up at all so it looks like I will probably have that fixed this summer. I have no trouble eating my food and chewing on bully stix, and I love to drink lots of fresh water to quench my thirst and cleanse my palate. So far, so good!

I hope to check back in with you very soon in the near future. Again, thank you all for your love and prayers when I was a baby. I hope I make you all proud of what you're seeing now!

Love Brosa
xoxo

Twitter

Thanks to that silly little contest between Ashton Kutcher and CNN, I finally set up a twitter account. I can be found @doglovens (and yes, I became a follower of @aplusk, lol!).

But not so sure I'll keep going with that. It's sort of pointless!

ETA - I canceled that Twitter account, ha ha!

Weighing in at 17 weeks

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Hello everyone! I wasn't expecting to write again so soon, but I have BIG super-dee-duper news this week!

First off, I made a mistake in my age in my last post (well actually, mom made the mistake; I TRIED to tell her I knew my age, but she thought she knew better just because I'm a baby) - I was 15 weeks old, not 16 weeks. That makes my weight of 17.5 lbs even better then!

So this week, I am 17 weeks old (yes, I'm sure!). I went to the vet on Wednesday night for my weekly weigh-in (our own version of Weight Watchers!), and I'm glad to tell you that I have reached and passed a milestone! I now weigh 21 lbs!! Mom took a picture of me on the scale so that you can all see it for yourself. I rock!

You should see my thigh muscles - those body builders have got nothing on me! Some people laugh at me and call me "Bambi-legs", but it sounds like a happy laugh, not a mean one. The ladies all love me and think I'm the cutest thing to walk the earth.

I'm still going to puppy class and am having a ball there! I will be so sad when that's over as there is only one more class left. I heard mom say something about obedience and agility classes - I'll bet they'll be fun because I love the puppy agility! One of my puppy classmates will be moving near me in April, so that will good times as her mommy promised to bring her over lots to play.

I am having so much fun with my big sister. She loves me and I can do whatever I want with her and she lets me. She makes a good pillow too, so I like napping ON her (that way she can't go and get something I want without me knowing it!). My brother acts like a big meanie but I think he's all fluff. I like to yank on his tail now and again, and if that doesn't get me told off, nothing will, ha ha!

Mom told me the other week that I really needed to stay in the x-pen when she's not home. She said I have to stop trying to jump out because I might hurt myself, and that I wouldn't enjoy being in my bed with the door closed (like at bedtime). So I've been a good boy and I'm still hanging out in the pen when she's away from home. Yesterday I decided to see what it was like to tear apart my pee pad though - mum didn't like that too much when she got home. Ha ha! It was great fun!

It snowed this week and I love eating freshly fallen snow! I can't believe I waited so long to get out and enjoy this stuff. It's fun to run in and roll around in. But mostly eating it - it feels good in my mouth.

I'm losing some of my milk teeth this week too - I'm truly growing up now!

Well that's it from me this time around! Love you all!

Brosa
xoxo

Update from Brosa in his new home

Pictured above: top - with Shelly Malcolm Beazley, of Pawsitive Action Physical Rehabilitation
middle - my first puppy class at Lietash Canine Academy
bottom - meeting my new brother Oscar and new sister Delta

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Hello my loyal fans! Boy, I have so much to tell you since I last wrote!

I am loving my new home, my mom and my sister. I even love my brother, even though he's a cranky old sour-puss. I'll make him love me yet - everyone loves me eventually!

The past month has been a really fun time! My mom takes me places to visit people and I'm making friends all over the place. She takes me to puppy classes where I get to play with other dogs my age and size - that's new for me since I've only played with older dogs up until now. The classes also have puppy agility equipment and I'm rocking that. I have no fear, you see. There is a video somewhere that was taken at my first class, and if I find out where it is, I'll let you know! It's made by my friends at the Clicker Leash Co. They're famous, you know, because the First Puppy is getting a clicker-leash from them. And they love me too.

Mom calls me her flying-squirrel-monkey-man, because I love to jump from high places. She says I'm going to give her a heart attack one of these days. I think my brother's physiotherapist almost did when she was at the house last week, hee hee! And she loves me too.

When mom is at work, I have a my own little space to sleep in. I don't like being in that pen, so I tried to get smart and climb out by jumping on top of my crate. I guess mom didn't like that too much, and the next thing I knew, the top of the crate was gone. Can't climb up/out anymore! But you watch - I'm trying hard to jump out over the pen!

All of that jumping and running in the yard is making me big and strong. You thought I was buff before? You should see me now! I turned 16 weeks old this week and as of last night, I weigh 17.5 lbs. See? I'm turning into The Rock! Watch me flex my muscles! You know I'm doing good when my weight exceeds my age. I get weighed at my new vet every week. And they love me too.

I am so excited that I get to see my foster mom again this weekend since she's coming into my neck of the woods for a visit. I hope she brings cookies. My mom has been a bit of a slacker when it comes to making those homemade cookies I love. She's making people cookies instead, which is totally unfair since I'm not allowed to have those. I think they will trade some.

And speaking of food, I'm doing great eating and drinking! Sometimes, some food does get sneezed back out through my nose, but that doesn't happen often. Mom devised a plan to get me to eat my entire meal from my bowl - she added just a little bit of something called "tripe" to it. I don't know what it is, but wow! I love the stuff! I eat all of my food and go looking for more because I know my sister and brother also get the same. They don't leave me any leftovers though - bummer!

Anyway, that's it from me, until next time. Scroll down and check out some new pictures of me too. Love to you all and thank you all for helping me live!

Brosa
xoxoxo

One word: Amazing!

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

That's what I am - everyone says so. I went to see my vet this week and I lost count of how many times he said it. I wish I was able to work the camera so you'd be able to see the look n his face when he saw me walk in there with my giant attitude. All of the ladies in the office too - they couldn't believe what a handsome dog I turned in to. Some of them didn't see me since I fit into my foster mom's hand and she had me in her shirt to keep me warm. Well, I showed them! I walked in there all by myself and did the stairs and everything. People were in the waiting area and I went to visit every one of them.

My appointment went very well My cleft palate has changed a whole lot and my foster mom told my vet that it was very recent. So, again, he asked her if we could wait a little while before doing my surgery because it may move and grow some more with me. So, she agreed since I was doing well. We have to be very careful to watch for any sign of infection though. Since I'm eating all of this yummy food and I still have a hole in my mouth (I have 2, actually) I can get an infection very easily. So, as long s I keep doing well what we're going to do is wait until I grow some more and just watch my mouth. They mentioned something about having my mouth done when I was old enough to be castrated. I think they're just making that word up - it sounds too scary to be a real word.

So, with that I have big news. I have a forever home and a new mom, sister and brother! My foster mom knows her very well and she said that I'm very lucky to have this home. My new mom has volunteered with Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada for a long time and my foster mom said that she was even ok with letting me go because I would be very well cared for and I would still keep in touch.

I'm a few hours from my foster mom but we're going to talk on messenger a lot. Then, when I'm big enough I'm going to go back to visit my foster mom and my friends to see my vet again. He's going to do my surgery and hopefully I'll be a 'normal' puppy and eat whatever I want. I'm still going to look the same from the outside and I'm always going to have my confidence and strong personality to go with that. My new mom mentioned that maybe when I'm an adult that she will let me visit kids in the hospital with facial deformities so I can help them feel better. I hope I get to do that. I really like visiting people.

I'm going to keep writing my blog and adding pictures so all of you can see how handsome I am and how well I'm doing. Thanks to everyone who supported me and helped me get this far. I love you all!

XOXO

Brosa

Vet Update Feb 16, 2009

An update from Brosa's foster mom:

I'm going out for the day but I'm back with mister after his appointment with Uncle Dave. After he put his eyes back in their sockets and hugged the crap out of me he said Brosa's good to go for a bit. Since the midline cleft changed so much he would rather not touch the back until he's grown more, since he's doing ok. He asked that if he was going to you that he could come back here for his neuter and he could see him and his mouth at that time, around 7-8 months old. Whatever wasn't 'filled in' he would see what he could do.

He did great playing with everyone, trying to play with Cookie's cat, loving all who came in the door and visited him, etc. He's 11.4 pounds. Dave reminded me that I lied to him but said it was worth it.

He's not expected to have any issues. He'll call me later with his blood. Heart and lungs sound great. I will worm him again as it's been a month. He's eaten soft food (stew) and not had any issues either. So, all he needs is to have attention paid to his eating/drinking to make sure it's going ok. He does sneeze sometimes when he drinks and wakes up - that's expected. Make sure there's no nose or eye discharge or smell. He gets eye snots just like any other boxer but you know what I mean.

So, the ball is in your court. Think about it and let me know what you'd like to do.

I'm very happy.

(ETA May 20, 2010)  This was when we were in discussions about my possibly adopting Brosa.  At the time, Oscar was recovering from an ACL injury and Delta was being aggressively treated for an eye ulcer.  It was a big decision to decide to adopt a little wild-man!  But one I have not regretted - he is truly a joy and we should all live life as happily as he does.  :)

Double digits

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Yup, you read right - I'm now in the double digits with age and weight. Yay me! I'm 10 weeks old and 10 pounds. I broke the kitchen scale last week so my mom has a bit harder of a time weighing me now since the graduations are pretty small and not all that easy to make out. But, I stood on the scale all by myself and she thinks I'm between 9 and 10 pounds but I'm an optimist and round up. I'm eating lots so I think I deserve it.

My lungs are still coming along nicely too so, i think I'm doing pretty well. I've got lots of personality and get into trouble a fair amount. I still don't get into as much trouble as Forrest does though. Mom told me that I shouldn't learn anything from him and to pay attention to the girl dogs only. Forrest is fun to play with though and is close to my size. I'm still allowed to play with him.

I sleep all night and I love to cuddle. Sometimes I get to sleep in the bed but other times I sleep with my sister and brother. I'm always warm. I really like to lay in the sun too (I wish it was sunny all of the time - my mom taught me that) so I have a bed in the sunniest spot of the house for an afternoon nap.

It's 2 weeks until I go to see my vet again. I miss him. I'm getting a little nervous though, I must say. I'm not going to go to the clinic in a carrier though - I'm going to be big enough to go just as I am, with my collar and leash.

You know what really sucks though? The cold! Mom has been trying to get me to go outside to pee like my sisters (and sometimes brother) but it's not nice out there! I don't like it. She says it's going to be nice out tomorrow though so I hope so! Talk to you soon!

XOXO

Brosa

Dexter - RIP

Sadly, Dexter, the deaf Boston Terrier foster dog, is deceased as of Saturday, January 31, 2009.

Run freely without fear at the Rainbow Bridge little buddy. Someday we'll meet again.

xoxoxo

It's cold outside!

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Hi, everyone. It's me again. I'm growing and growing and growing still. I'm now 7 pounds and I've learned to take treats to my bed to eat them. My mom makes treats for my sisters and brother and made some small ones just for me and my brother the boston because he's little too. Pretty soon I'm going to be bigger than him though and I'll get the big ones, just like the big dogs. Since they're all girls I'll watch over the harem.

I'm getting very adventurous too. I like to play tug with the younger dogs and I really like sneaking up behind all of my siblings and biting the backs of their legs. By the time they turn around to tell me off I'm already gone, haha. I'm sneaky. I also like to run around a lot, tease the cats, and bark when we play. The other dogs get to go outside and I'm really wanting to see what it's like but am a little scared still - I don't like how cold it is at the door.

I have a collar on now and it's not bugging me anymore. I'm ready for the temperatures to warm up so my mom can take me for a walk. I'm determined to skip the carrier next trip to the vet and walk in there on my own!

Love all of you.

Brosa XOXO

It's been a while

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Hi, Everyone. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a week but my mom was a little busy with my sister so I couldn't get on the computer. She had a tumor on her head and it was really ugly so I'm glad it's gone. Hopefully she will be nicer now that it's off and she doesn't need to be self conscious.

I had lots of fun this week and am being a good boy and eating all of my food. I've gained a whole pound and am now 5.8 pounds. I'm all muscle, not a bit of chub :) (not that a bit of chub isn't ok, you know). You should see me beating the big dogs up. They should know better than to mess with me. I made the pitbull afraid of me but am still working on the others. The cats are pretty rude too so I need to be meaner to them. Mom says I should just get along but she doesn't understand that this house needs a man to rule it. I need to protect the ladies.

It's very cold outside of the doors here. Mom and the other dogs go out but I don't want to. I go to the door to see them off but I run back when I feel the cold. I have pads inside that I pee on when they go outside. I'm a pretty smart guy. We have a boston terrier that I play with sometimes and he doesn't like it outside. Unfortunately he's what they call 'special' and doesn't understand. They feel bad sometimes that I'm much smarter than him but am a lot younger. He has a lot of fun too though and I'm going to protect him when I get bigger.

This week I'm going to continue having fun and eating lots. I'm going to try to get big and strong to prepare for my surgery that will make me all better. I'm also going to stop drinking wine so my liver can develop. Just kidding - my mom won't let me have any no matter how hard I try.

XOXO
Brosa

7.5 week vet appointment

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Just like aunt Charlotte said, I went to see my vet yesterday. My big sister came with me because she needed to see him too. My mom kept me hidden until she was all finished. But when my vet saw me you should have seen his face! I made him smile a whole lot - he really was happy and he loves me to bits (I think I'm his favorite). It was only 10 days since he saw me last but he was really happy to see how much I have grown in that time. He took the cold thing out and listened to my heart and lungs and said that they sound great.

My mom told him how good I was doing and that I was eating and drinking on my own. I kinda wish I still had to take my medicine because I really enjoyed it. I get to have a wormer today. Mom says I will like that too but I'm not really sure what it is.

So, my surgery is delayed again but it's not because I'm doing bad, it's because I'm doing very well. My vet says he's pretty confident that I'm going to make it. It was hard work but I'm having fun and I want a chance of living in this world and showing everyone what I've got. So, since I can eat on my own we're going to let my liver develop a but more so it's safer and hopefully I can get a little bigger too.

And, the best bonus is that I'm starting to look like a boxer instead of a chihuahua (no offense to all of the lovely chihuahuas out there). Well, I'm off to raise some hell!

xoxo
Brosa

My 6th week

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Tomorrow I will be 7 weeks old! I have lots to tell. It's been a full week since I went to see my vet last and I got to eat solid food. I will see him soon and I know he's going to be very proud of me because I did something remarkable - I doubled my weight! You should see me now - I'm so buff. All of my foster sisters are sweatin' me, I know. I don't even try to pretend I'm modest. I'm now walking around the place like I own it. And, proper thing - I'm the man of the house now so I have to walk tall and stick my chest out to protect these girls.

I'm going to keep on eating lots and growing before my surgery because the stronger I am the better I will do. I'm having a lot of fun though. I'm playing with toys and chasing the little cat and climbing all over the big cat. I also play with my foster doggy siblings. They're great fun and all but one are nice to me. Mom says the white one isn't nice to anyone though - she likes me to leave her alone and doesn't bother me. I keep picking on the pitbull instead. She's the nicest to me and I really like her. She's very fun. The boston terrier is a little scary though but I'll be bigger than his soon.

Uh oh... I see a pant leg coming my way - I better catch it (it's my new favorite pass time). TTFN!

XOXO

Brosa

I'm 6 weeks old

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada
You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Yesterday was terrible! I went to the vet to see my doctor. I was having a pretty bad time for the past week and getting sick a little bit. It's because there was some fluid in my respiratory system. So, I wasn't growing any more and got a little bit dehydrated. My lungs were a bit aspirated too so I have some new antibiotics. So, my mom and the vet cooked up a plan and got me some small dry food to see if I could eat it. I have teeth now so I could try. So, mom found some itty bitty food and I did eat it. I quite like it, actually. It's already coming out the other end ok. Haha.

The bad part, though, is that I had to stay still for an x-ray. Then, to keep me hydrated, mom and the doctor said that I needed to have 'subcutaneous fluids' given. I was ok with that until I saw that they had to be given under my skin with a needle. WHOA! So, I protested and then when I got home and was eating the solid food, I cooked up my own plan. I decided to drink water on my own. It was weird at first but I'm getting used to it now.

So, that's what's new in my life. New things every day. My foster mom is calling me a chiwoxer. She thinks she's funny but I don't - she's making fun of me. I can run and play and talk just like other dogs my age. I run so fast now that I trip myself. Now I can eat and drink too. I'm just in a small package but I hope that eating on my own will help me.

I'm going to take a couple of weeks now and try very hard to heal my lungs and gain some weight. Then I'm going to go back to see my vet so he can fix my mouth like a normal dog. I can't wait!

Love, Brosa
xoxo

A whole year gone by

Geeze, it's been almost a full year since I wrote my first (and only) post to this blog. I suppose I should really think of something to write, lol!


A couple of fosters have come and gone since last January, and one still remains. I have been dogsitting for friends who have gone away on vacation/holidays (and one still remains until tomorrow).


Dexter, my foster Boston Terrier, is still available for adoption. He requires a VERY EXPERIENCED person to adopt him; one that is familiar with the terrier attitude and with obedience training. Dexter is not for the faint of heart as he will try your patience for weeks, if not months, before he settles some. That said, he has come a long way since he first arrived here September 14, 2008, and will someday, hopefully, make a wonderful addition to a household.

Happy New Year!

Reposted with permission from Boxer Rescue of Atlantic Canada

Happy New Year, every one! Here I am at 5 weeks old and still not taking no for an answer. I'm starting to play with my doggy room mates and my kitty-pillow. For the last few days my milk tasted a bit better - it had meat in it! Today, though, I didn't get the tube! I got to eat my meaty food out of a long tipped syringe. I still needed my palate cleaned but it tasted really good. Mom says it will make me big and strong and I'm really excited because I have big dogs to beat up.

I'm going to go and see my vet in a few days. I hope he is happy with me and I can go on to step #2!