Pictures from the Sheltie Rescue of Greater Lafayette picnic. All dogs are rescues. There were 73 Shelties, 1 Collie and a Standard Poodle for a total of 75 dogs with 67 people.

This was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. 75 dogs turned loose in an enormous fenced in yard. Must have been an acre or so.

I expected trouble. I was wrong. Not a fight, not a commotion, not anything. Just dogs playing, hanging out, visiting their foster moms and dads. It was completely incredible!!!!

They even had some agility things set up for those Shelties that were involved in agility training as you can see on the left.

Seems most of the folks have more than one Sheltie. One wonderful lady and her husband have 6 Shelties + 1 Sheltie they are fostering and a Pomeranian! 8 dogs. Scotty was pretty interested in the one they are fostering now. :)

All in all, a fabulous day with an incredible group of people and totally amazing dogs!

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Diet Over

Scotty's special diet to see if he has food allergies ended yesterday. He's not allergic to food. There was no change when he was on his special food. He's still itchy. :(

But he was a happy boy today! He gets a treat when he goes outside. Today he got carrots in addition to his marshmallows and diet treats. He gets his meds in marshmallows and we have diet treats left over. But boy oh boy does he like carrots! lol He was a vacuum cleaner!

And he was ever so curious when we went out to get a box that had just been delivered. He helped me open it up and was quite impressed (ok, so he sniffed them a lot) with the fabulous, made in the USA Microthin flexible cutting boards. These are just works of art! A must see!

http://www.gardenpartytea.com

The Sheltie Rescue Group Yard Sale

Scotty and I packed up a bunch of brand new and very neat stuff to take to the Sheltie Rescue of Greater Lafayette. They're having their annual garage sale to raise funds next week, May 16th and 17th at 3124 Portsmouth Drive W, Lafayette, IN 47909. 3-8PM on the 16th and 8-5 on the 17th. Just in case you happen to be in the neighborhood. Tell 'em Jo & Scotty sent you. :)

Scotty was happy to see his friends but he stayed where he could always see me even though he was content to let others hold his leash while I unloaded the van.

We missed our trip to the nursing home this week. We'll have to see if we can get there tomorrow but things have been hopping here.

We're getting ready to introduce some new lines on the Garden Party Tea website. New doggie stuff. Stay tuned!!!

Someone asked about therapy dogs

Someone asked about therapy dogs and visiting nursing homes so I thought I'd answer here too.

Scotty is very laid back. Most shelties are not. Due to his temperament, he is well suited for the nursing home circuit.

His first mama died last Dec at 86. She and her friend, Jan, took Jan's shelties and Scotty to visit nursing homes, hospitals and so on. Scotty was more or less "trained" by the other shelties, I think.

I called the director of the local nursing home and she was just thrilled when I volunteered to bring Scotty. I just go in, stick my head in the door of a room and ask if they'd like a visit from a pretty dog. All but one have said yes. She didn't like dogs so I just wave to her as we go on by now.

Most are up and in their wheelchairs so they have to bend down to pet Scotty. I need to figure out a way to get him up about 6". Thinking of a wagon. He could sit in that and let them pet him. I can't keep lifting him and holding him up. Puts us both in a very awkward position and makes my back hurt quick!

The ones that are still in the beds almost always want me to put Scotty up in the bed with them. So I do. He lays down right next to them, lets them pet him to their hearts content and I give them treats to feed him. They're so thrilled to see him it just makes your heart smile.

One lady was sitting in her wheelchair out by the nurses station just sobbing her heart out. The nurse asked me to take Scotty over to her and when she saw him, she quieted right down and pet him.

It's kind of hard on me and I think hard on Scotty when he knows they're very, very sick. The first lady he visited in the nursing home up here has passed on. I think he knew she didn't have long. But then days like last Friday, he was all smiles because everyone he went to visit was doing ok.

We went into an activity that they were doing and they stopped so they could visit with Scotty. Pushed the tables out of the way and circled their wheelchairs around him. He loves the attention but he's always so careful with the people. He's very gentle and quiet so that he doesn't scare or startle them.

All in all, my boy is a pretty amazing little guy. And I'm sure you can tell that I love him dearly.

Excitiing times in Indiana

Scotty, Denis and I have been having some exciting times through no fault of our own! We are about 1 1/2 hrs from the epicenter of the Illinois earthquakes. The first one we all slept through. The second one found Scotty and me in the center of the house watching the glass lamp shades rattle on the antique oil lamps! Scotty had been sound asleep but was up like a shot! wow! We just don't GET earthquakes in Indiana!

Then yesterday, Scotty heard something outside. He sounded off immediately! When I went to see, the FedEx man had left this Doggy Pal and Lil Kitty on the front step. As soon as I brought in the box, Scotty relaxed. He had done his job and scared off any intruder. :) He's so cute and protective.

Got a call today from the lady that tried to keep Scotty when her friend, his first "mom", passed away. Her dogs just wouldn't accept him.

At any rate, she told me that she had gotten a call from a nursing home that is about 70 miles northeast of us. That activity director was looking for someone with a therapy dog to visit them. I wish I could. But I just think that's too far for us to commit. Disappointing, especially since I saw what happened with this guy last week.

I have to tell you that Scotty keeps me in stitches a good bit of the time. 2 vets cautioned us that if we were not training Scotty, he would be training us. I'm happy to report that these 2 old dogs (my husband and I) are still trainable! LOL

Scotty told me the other day that he wanted to go outside. So I went to the foyer, got his leash, turned around....no Scotty. I said,"Hey, I thought you wanted to go for a walk!". He stuck his head around the corner of the door, looked at me with the leash in my hands, turned left and headed down the hall to the computer room to get my husband. He made it quite obviously which one of us was to take him for his walk. We both just cracked up.

He just spreads such joy wherever he goes. And tomorrow we will go visiting the nursing home again.