A Starr is Reborn at Round Pond

Starr takes first steps into Round Pond

I know what you are thinking. This is Foster Dog Summit. The first photo on a blog post is almost always what I consider to be the best summit shot that I took of the hike. I always aim to reach a summit, then position the dog as best he or she is capable of sitting or standing against a scenic background, and take as many photos as possible in the hopes that one of several will be "card worthy" so to speak. And since I am a strictly amateur photographer who shoots exclusively with one hand on the camera and the other hand on the leash, those "Wow, what a great photo" moments are not as plentiful as I would like.

So, this photo, like most of the ones I take, is far from perfect. It is not framed correctly - the dog's tail is a bit cut off to the left, and you can see my hiking boot in the far right corner. Sure, I could have photo-shopped out the boot and edited in a bit of the dog's tail from another photo, but this is a reality blog.

At this point in the hike, I was lamenting the fact that I had taken a time consuming wrong turn along the Round Pond Trail. Then, I did not backtrack far enough initially to figure out the wrong turn and wound up not having time to reach the summits of Mts. Klem and Mack. Since I was hiking with Starr, a dog that had lived his entire life of just over four years within the confines of a shelter in rural Mississippi, I had high hopes for his first extended outdoor adventure.

Charlie and Starr hiking the Round Pond Trail

Starr, a 4-year old Labrador retriever mix, was just rescued from the shelter less than two weeks ago. He has obviously been well taken care of physically by the shelter staff, but most of the world outside of cages and concrete is wholly unfamiliar to him. That did not stop Starr from thoroughly wagging his tail and enjoying the company of his human and canine hiking companions. My friend Karen and her adopted dog Charlie joined us for the lengthy stroll around the Round Pond Trail.

Starr was so affectionate that it was difficult to photograph him. He kept trying to lick my hand, so I could not get far enough away to take his photo when we stopped along the trail.

Starr's feet are dry thanks to Girl Scout Troop 10304
in Gilford who constructed Bog Bridge in 2013!

We had selected a more secluded hike in an attempt to minimize Starr's interactions with sights and sounds that completely unknown to him. He was understandably a bit spooked by the sight of a mountain biker coming towards us on the trail.  Starr simply needs more time to acclimate to his new surroundings as he was a bit startled and wanted to retreat, but he was not at all aggressive towards the unfamiliar sights and sounds.

It was shortly after this encounter that we made our way to the shores of Round Pond and the opportunity for Starr to have his first encounter with fresh water - an element that most Labrador retrievers find instantly addicting. I was privileged to witness Starr's joy as he took his first few paddles into the pond. You can view and share them from the post below:

That priceless moment when a dog that spent his whole life living in a shelter learns how life should be. Starr's trip...
Posted by Foster Dog Summit on Sunday, June 14, 2015

 

Following our 4-hour tour, Starr was ready for a nap and rested comfortably and quietly in the backseat as I drove him back to his wonderful foster family. He currently resides in a foster home with adults, a 7-year old girl and other dogs - all of whom adore "Starsky" and are helping him acclimate to life outside a shelter. If you or a friend or family member would like to inquire about Starr, please visit Almost Home Rescue of New England to learn more or visit Starr's petfinder profile.

If you cannot adopt but would like to help, please consider donating towards a wish list item to help the shelter in Mississippi where Starr's friends still reside.

See you on the trails!

 

What a Cute Dog on Mt. Major

Piper - "What a Cute Dog" - on the summit of Mt. Major

On Sunday, July 13, 2014, I returned to the trails with a new foster dog for a show and tell along the trails.  I had been on an extended break as I attended to the demands of providing hospice care and then enduring the recent losses of my two dogs who inspired me to begin this blog three years ago.
 
And so I decided it would be fitting to celebrate the blog's third anniversary with a hike where the Foster Dog Summit adventure began back in 2011 on the trails of Mt. Major.  I also had visited Mt. Major with Bandit and Neely on a number of occasions, and I relived many happy memories of our trips as Piper and I hiked along on a humid afternoon. 

Taking in the views and enjoying the summit breeze

I lost count of how many times I heard someone say, "What a cute dog!" as I walked Piper out and back the Brook Trail en route to the summit of Mt. Major.  I completely agree that Piper is extremely cute. 

Following our very pleasant trek in which we encountered numerous other hikers and their canine companions, I also agree that Piper is very well behaved, quiet, friendly and walks well on a leash.  Since Piper had limited experience with leash walking, I opted to use the Gentle Leader harness on our way up the trail.  However, she walked so nicely without any pulling, that we used a regular collar and leash on our descent. 

 

Waiting for some water and a summit snack

This 2-year old mixture of Labrador retriever and possibly Spaniel or Pointer would love to find an active home where she has plenty of opportunities for exercise and adventure.  She was as comfortable on the trails as she was riding in the backseat of the car.  Piper does like to chase the small critters, so she would prefer a home without cats.  If Piper were a cat lady, I can assure you that her hike would have ended with me adopting her.

Ready for the descent

Piper is currently being assisted by the rescue group Canine Guardians for Life, Inc.  She is in between foster homes and is residing in a boarding kennel while she awaits a temporary or permanent family.  To inquire about adopting Piper, please visit her Petfinder.com profile here.   If you are interested in providing a foster home for Piper, Almost Home Rescue of Maine is taking applications for foster families here.


Watch and share Piper's Sixty Second Summit below or click here for the link.  A full album of photos from her hike is available here at the Foster Dog Summit Facebook page.



See you on the trails!

Two Pups Two Peaks One Goal

Sage and Tyson collaborating about their search for homes

It was a first for Foster Dog Summit on Sunday, November 20, 2011 as my friend Karen and I headed out for a hike with a pair of pups, Sage and Tyson, in search of two peaks and one goal - permanent homes for both of these fine gentlemen.  We took a double dog daring trek to the tops of Mt. Percival (2,212 ft.) and Mt. Morgan (2,220 ft.) to take some pictures and enjoy the views of Squam Lake and the surrounding mountains.

Sage was so excited to hit the trails!

Our newest hiker Sage is a handsome, approximately two year old Labrador retriever/German shepherd mix who currently resides in a foster home with a volunteer from Almost Home Rescue.  During his hiking adventure, Sage demonstrated that he loves riding in the car and craves human affection as much as he enjoys charging to the top of a mountain or two!

Tyson on the summit of Mt. Morgan enjoying a second hike

Followers of this blog may remember our second hiker Tyson from his adventures on the trails to the summit of Mt. Kinsman North a few weeks ago.  Shortly after that trip, Tyson was adopted by a someone we met on the trails, and we were very excited to see him off to a new home that included a canine sister.  Unfortunately, after only a few days, his canine sister decided that she did not care too much for Tyson's high energy and preferred to be an only dog once again.  So, Tyson has returned to his foster home with a volunteer for Canine Guardians for Life, Inc. to look for a new permanent family to call his own.

This adorable, mostly Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix was happy to have the opportunity for another hike.  Tyson and I have decided that our motto at Foster Dog Summit will be, "If at first you don't succeed; hike, hike again!"

Side by side on the descent from Mt. Morgan

Thankfully, Tyson and Sage did not conflict with one another during our hike even though they met for the first time as we arrived at the trail head on Sunday morning.  During the majority of the time where the trail was wide enough to accommodate both dogs, Sage and Tyson hiked side by side occasionally stopping in unison to sniff something of interest on the side of the trail.

Lisa-Marie, Sage, Tyson and Karen on Mt. Percival

As the sun began to set, our hiking duo concluded their five mile journey to the summits of Mt. Percival and Mt. Morgan before sharing a car ride back to their respective foster homes.  Both Sage and Tyson are hoping that they will find forever homes soon and have a shared holiday wish that it will come true!  Please help these hikers find their homes for the holidays by sharing this post and the links to their profiles below.

A full photo album of photos to accompany this double dog blog is available online.  Our hike along the Mount Percival - Mount Morgan loop was planned using the route described in the book "Best Hikes with Dogs - New Hampshire & Vermont" by Lisa Densmore which we recommend for its suggested routes around dog unfriendly obstacles such as the steep ladders near the summit of Mt. Morgan.

To learn and share more about Sage or to make an application for his adoption, visit his profile on Petfinder.com.  Tyson also has his own profile which is available by clicking here on Petfinder.com.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!  See you on the trails.  A video of Sage and Tyson's adventure is posted below and available for sharing on You Tube.