Tina and her husband share something in common with Lita, their "Circle of Trust" relationship.
When Kimberly [Founder of Oklahoma Boston Terrier Rescue] approached me [Tina] about fostering Lita, my husband and I were apprehensive and intimidated. What did we know about fostering an abused dog and one that disliked males, we asked of each other? And how were we going to ensure that she would be a happy success story?

After all, she had just spent over a month with Michael Mehtala of DogMethod.com. Could my husband and I uphold the standards of Michael, a renowned professional? We had no idea, but surely love would prevail.

So we said yes and on Saturday, February 13th, Miss Lita joined our little foster family, consisting of my husband, myself and two male Boston Terriers. With the crate, collar, leash, and dog bed in tow, Miss Lita found herself, once again, in an unknown surrounding and she was scared. We followed the advice of Michael and placed her crate in our living room so she could be in the center of all activity, seeing our loving interactions with each other and with our male Boston's (both from the Boston Terrier Rescue of Oklahoma). She stayed in her crate for days, only venturing out to eat and to use the doggy door to go outside and potty, which she quickly learned from her foster brothers.

     When she first arrived and wouldn't come out of her crate.

All I know is that she is approximately two-years-old and was rescued from a shelter (a kill shelter, I believe). She was bred often and obviously abused by a human male, because of her frightened state around men. She had never had any social interactions, except those which were negative.

Lita readily connected with me, but not so with her foster daddy (my husband). Two weeks later, she wasn’t connecting with him or any other male that came to our house.

 One night, we finally broke through and into the heart of this precious baby. When Miss Lita saw me kissing my husband, it happened, she inched closer and closer. The only thing I could think of was to repeatedly say, "Daddy good, Miss Lita good."

Lita and her dad

Before we knew it, Lita was in her foster daddy's lap and licking his face down. Finally, we were both in her Circle of Trust. Next, I knew that we had to build her trust with our 24-year-old son who comes for frequent visits.

 

Just before our son’s next visit, she and I were sitting close to one another on the couch and I spoke to her in a calm voice.  “Now Miss Lita, your brother is coming over and I need for you to not bark, be scared or be upset,” I said. "Your brother loves you as everyone does. You don’t ever have to be afraid of men or anyone because no one is going to hurt you again.”

 

A couple of minutes passed, our son arrived and Lita didn’t bark at him! She was the calmest that I have ever seen. It was truly a God moment — I have prayed much, and still do, for Lita, for my husband and me to be the very best healers and foster parents. This breakthrough moment really showed that Lita is a very smart dog!

Fast forward to today.

Lita is well-rounded, happy and a love bug, transforming into a beautiful butterfly just before spring. Her healing signals growth, a new life being born and the cycle of a life starting once again. How perfect for this young two-year-old girl who had no loving human interaction, was just used to breed and was abused! In the short time after her rescue, she has learned to play fetch, show affection to her human by lying her head on one's chest or neck as if she were hugging, and speak! Yes, speak! Lita is very expressive, belting out long sighs and short, low word noises saying "play with me” or "I love you."

                   OUR BUTTERFLY LITA!

Being Lita’s foster parents has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. We had never fostered before and didn’t know what to expect for Lita. My husband insists that the most loving family is found, enabling us to continue being foster parents to other fur babies in need.  We didn’t know what was to come after we said ‘yes' to fostering or what to expect. We took a leap of faith because we are passionate supporters of the Boston Terrier Rescue of Oklahoma, from whom we have adopted two beautiful Boston's.
As far as offering advice to anyone who is considering being foster parents: remember to keep open and honest communications with the rescue throughout. All parties must work harmoniously and in the best interest of the dog. If not, you have failed.

Simply said, rescue groups cannot survive without loyal and passionate volunteers, foster parents and advocates/supporters. Fostering is not about one's ego —Check that in and leave at the front door. The success of fostering is healing broken lives and enabling the placement of these babies in forever, lasting homes where they will thrive and be loved.

BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK NOTE:  Lita needs your help to find her forever family.  Will you help?  We would love to be able to announce that she has found you... She has been looking for you so to help her find you we have put her bio and photos in our ADOPT A BOSTON program.  She has come such a long way from her horrible beginnings and now is ready for adoption. To help we have linked the rescue's site and adoption application right here. http://bostonterriernetwork.com/index.php/adopt-me/522-522-adopt-me-lita.html

You do not live in Oklahoma, but might be interested in her? Please contact the rescue directly and ask them.  Contact Boston Terrier Rescue Oklahoma at info@btrescueoklahoma.com

Have you ever wondered about becoming a foster parent? Would you like to learn more?  Just contact us at info@bostonterriernetwork.com and we will get your questions answered. 

You might like to read these articles:
Because of Annabel is the Reason "it is just a hobby."
The Rescue World: Responsible Selection of a Boston For Your Family
Young is out and old is in!
THEY ARE COMING TO CHECK US OUT!
Who knows why? From a Fosters Mom's Point of View
You are needed.  One by one, you and thousands of Boston lovers are making an impact. Each dog’s quality of life is important to us. For many of our friends these dogs are almost children. For each dog fostered remember, that is one less dog on the streets or in a kill shelter. In the words of Tina, fostering can... "Fostering is one of the most rewarding experiences of your lives".
Edited by: Julie Bradford

Brachycephalic : A dog with a flat face with tiny nostrils, short snout, narrow trachea and a long soft palate.
Our Boston Terries face many challenges when it comes to living healthy in our environment. Having a brachycephalic head and not much fur, make them a target for extreme heat and cold. The unique structure of their face makes them sensitive to breathing difficulties, heat stroke, and hypothermia. Hypothermia is a medical emergency where the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. For these reasons, the Boston Terrier must be kept as an inside dog. Besides that, they are just too cute to not be with you all the time.
Exercise is an essential part of any dog’s life, both for their physical and mental health. Balancing activity and rest are important for their wellbeing. However, during periods where it is dangerously hot or cold, Boston Terriers should not be encouraged to engage in much outdoor athletics. Find playful games to entice them while inside the house.
Nobody knows your dog(s) as well as you do. Recognizing symptoms of impeding problems can save your dog’s life. Familiarize yourself with temperature related illnesses so you can act quickly to revers early signs. Any aberrations in their behavior should be dealt with rapidly.

Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BAS)

Boston Terriers and other flat-faced dogs do not pant efficiently. Dogs pant so that they can cool themselves. This type of dog is at a disadvantage when it comes to cooling their bodies in the heat. BAS is ineffective breathing and cooling in brachycephalic dogs. Evaporate cooling and good air flow struggle to work properly.

Although this is technical material, it is important to understand what is exactly going on inside your dog. They have tiny nostrils with which to inhale the air and much smaller compact bones in their noses than long-snouted dogs. To further complicate matters, they have a long soft palate that inhibits air flow to the trachea. Most brachycephalic dogs also have small, incomplete tracheas. It’s like a person with a completely stuffed up nose and severe tonsillitis. It’s challenging for them to breathe under the best of circumstances.

There are several surgical procedures available to improve air flow and breathing in these dogs: widening the nostrils, shortening the soft palate, and reducing the small bones inside the nose. As with any surgeries, the benefits must outweigh the cons and all dogs are not good surgical candidates.

BAS can lead to heatstroke. Boston Terriers and Bulldogs are more prone to it because of their upper respiratory make up.

Heatstroke

A healthy dog’s temperature runs from 101 to 102 degrees. An increase of even 3 degrees may lead a dog toward heatstroke. Early symptoms of heatstroke include dehydrations, heavy panting, increased salivating, deep breathing or hyperventilation and dry gums.

If these signs are ignored, serious conditions may prevail: weakness vomiting, diarrhea, paleness, breathing difficulties where respiration becomes shallower, seizures and possibly death.

Realizing what is happening early on with your dog can diminish the chances of a poor outcome. Get the dog inside to an air conditioned room or at least into the shade. If panting still occurs douse the dog first use faucet-cool water, Then you can slowly add some ice resulting in a cool icy bath. Wrapping the dog in cotton sheets and hosing them down is another alternative. Be aware that you do not want to cool the dog down too much either. Adding too much ice may make the water too cold and the dog's temperature can drop too fast.

Time is not on your side with heatstroke, Rust the dog to the Vet if symptoms do not subside quickly. It is much better to err on the side of caution in this case.

During warm weather always provide fresh cool water for your dog. Reducing their weight even by a few pounds can greatly improve their breathing. Be aware of conditions when thinking of flying your brachycephalic dog on an airplane. If they are too large to ride in the passenger area with you, know that most cargo areas are not temperature controlled. Lastly, NEVER leave your dog inside a car when it is even slightly warm outside. The interior of a car can become lethal very quickly.

Hypothermia

During the cold of winter, be conscious of how long your Boston Terrier is outside. This shouldn’t be an issue for most since they usually take care of business fast in frigid temps and are banging on the door to be let in. It’s the exceptions we need to worry about. It’s great idea to put a sweater or coat on them and boots if you’re lucky enough to have a dog that will leave them on.   Make an effort to gently clean their feet and dry them if they have been exposed to rock salt. Once inside ensure you dog is dry and comfortable. They will enjoy cuddling up to you on the couch with a soft fuzzy blanket.

References:
BostonTerrierForums.com
ExceptionalCanine.com
ThisisBully.com

You might also like to read:
A Good Day Goes Bad for Major Payne - Dealing With Overheating and Swelling
Ice water in all year around You bet! and Ice Cubes too!!!
Protecting dogs in very cold weather
My pipes have frozen. Lets play some games!

Peanut Butter: Dog’s Friend or Foe

How can you even ask that question? You put peanut butter in Kongs, hide pills in it and occasionally let the dog lick it off the spoon. The treat aisle is loaded with treats made out of peanut butter. What is it that you have missed? You try to stay current with recalls on dog food and treats. So what is going on?

It all starts with labels. You should already be scanning labels to make sure everything you give your dog is made in the USA. There is a second thing you need to be as diligent about checking. Xylitol. A very bad word in the canine world.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is derived from certain vegetables, plants and trees. It’s about as sweet as table sugar but with less calories. In humans it helps to prevent tooth decay and middle ear infections in healthy children. There is a significant reduction of cancer causing agents compared to artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is contained in many sugar-free gums, candy and lozenges. It all sounds great, right? Maybe for humans but our dogs are not so lucky.

Even a tiny amount of this sweetener can lead to life threatening events in dogs. Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure and death. It is rapidly absorbed into a dog’s blood stream, triggering the release of insulin with results in hypoglycemia. This can happen in as little as ten minutes but within the hour. If the dog is treated immediately their progress is good. Unfortunately most cases aren’t caught quickly and have grave results.

Most of the offending brands of peanut butter are found on the shelves of health food stores instead of supermarkets. Go figure. Jif, Skippy and Peter Pan peanut butter are safe at this point. Of course, you are reading labels so you should catch any changes. Right? Below is a current list of peanut butters containing Xylitol and they are all located at health food stores.

Nuts ‘N More

Go Nuts Co.

Hank’s Protein Plus

Krush Nutrition

P28

Please read labels every time you buy things for your dog. Things change all the time. Do not assume because it’s safe for you that it won’t hurt your dog.

There are a couple other reasons to only use peanut butter sparingly and in small amounts. Although it is a good Protein source, has Vitamins B and E and Niacin, it also contains fats. Too many fats can cause pancreatitis and lead to obesity. The sugar can contribute to diabetes.

I also want to mention Mycotoxins. Yeah I know. Another big ole medical word but it is something to keep in mind for you AND your dog. Mycotoxins are produced by a fungus called Aspergillus and are found in peanuts. They are one of the most cancer causing substances known to man and are quite toxic to the liver. It’s not a bad idea to watch your own consumption of peanuts and only use in moderation for you and your dog. Again, the supermarket brands contain less cancer causing agents than most health food brands.

What I hope you take away from this article is how important it is to read labels. NEVER let your dog eat anything with Xylitol. If that does happen, get them medical care immediately. An occasional treat of Xylitol-free peanut butter can still make your dog smile.

References:

Dogsnaturallymagazine.com

Preventivevet.com