Stories of Love – The Prineville 5

By Jackie Patterson

You may remember the remarkable rescue effort of a group of Chessies who became known as the Prineville 5.  We thought it was time to give an update on these 5 wonderful dogs. As a brief recap, CBRR&R was contacted by a family member that a well-known Chessie breeder, Nita Schaeffer, was in hospice and the family needed help in placing her dogs.  There were 10 dogs, but it was the 5 Chessies who became known as the Prineville 5.  Within 24 hours a large group of volunteers sprang into action, evaluated all the dogs and removed them from the premises and into shelters and foster homes.

All 5 of the Chessies went directly to foster homes and today they have all been adopted, some by their original fosters.  Of the 5, three were females – Tikki, Khaki and Tap and two were males – Duel and Cord.  Each of the five have found remarkable homes in various parts of the Northwest.  Here are their stories.

Tikki

Qualridge’s Led Leathern Antik Lace (Tikki) born 1/25/2013

Tikki was fostered by Kay and her husband, Pat, in Poulsbo, WA.  They got to foster her through her spay which took place on April 11th.  Until then she was very relaxed and not the least bit stressed.  Tikki came home from the vet wearing her cone and was pretty sore.  She was to be on light duty for about a week which wasn’t a big problem with Tikki.  She was moving kind of slowly, but was able to eat her food.  By April 13th, Tikki was getting back to normal and was hungry and doing great.  Kay reported that she was coming out of her shell more and more and actually wanted to play with a toy, but didn’t really know what to do with it. Not typical Chessie behavior!  She is a lover and will be a very good friend to her new family, but she is an alpha dog, giving little jabs to the male dogs in the home.

       
Happily, Tikki is a good rider in the car – no jumping the seats, just sits and watches the scenery.  She will have a distance to go to get to her forever home!  Rhonda and Dan met Tikki for the first time on April 17th and took her home with them to Bend, Oregon on April 18th.

Once home, Tikki had lots to check out – a new house, a 12-year-old canine brother named Brewster, part St. Bernard and part Great Pyrenees, steers and chicks!  She did well for her first night in her new home.  Ate her dinner, used the dog door to go out and did her business and slept in her crate.  Tikki wasn’t too sure about Brewster and would give him a little nip when he walked by but got the necessary correction to stop the behavior.  Tikki is a smart girl and wants to please, so corrections are taken seriously.

Rhonda and Dan had several days off to help Tikki get adjusted to her new home, but eventually, it was back to work.  They decided to leave her out of her crate while at work, but got a camera system installed so that they could keep an eye on things.  Her crate was all set up and available for her to use, but she preferred the living room and her comfy bed.  On April 24th, Tikki slept in the same room with Rhonda and Dan.  She was healing well from the spay and it would soon be time to find water for her.  She also spends time running around helping Dan in the field.  Tikki was very interested in the chicks and had to get close for a better look.

On May 10th, Tikki had her first boat ride and did very well – just laid in the boat and relaxed.  She even swam for a bit, but for a Chessie she isn’t particularly interested in swimming.  Nor does she fetch!  Tikki and Brewster have worked things out and are interacting all the time.  Tikki follows Brewster around and gets along well with Rhonda and Dan’s daughter’s dogs when they are visiting.  Tikki is always happy to see Don and Rhonda when they get home and follows them around.  Rhonda says that Tikki is the sweetest, calmest dog she has ever had, particularly surprising compared to other chessies they have had! Tikki nicely waits at the door to be invited in and out and when they visited a local beer garden, Tikki just happily sat by their sides and ignored other dogs that were around.

Rhonda often runs with Tikki off leash and she stays with her for the whole two miles.  They often stop at a local creek for Tikki to wade a little if she wishes.  On leash, Tikki is very responsive and enjoys her walks.

Tikki was officially adopted by Rhonda and Dan on May 19th, 2020

Khaki

Wildwood’s Khaki Work Pants at B-Ver (Khaki) Born 1/4/2010

Khaki was fostered by Magen and Dave Hunter at their home in Middleton, Idaho.  Magen said that Khaki was a sweet girl who loves to play fetch.  She is very good at it and is very driven to have her ball thrown and thrown and thrown!  Happily, she is very gentle in taking toys and dropping her ball.  Magen’s kids were able to run around and be “chased” by Khaki, running out their energy as well as Khaki’s!  She was good about sleeping in her kennel at night, sometimes requiring a cookie to convince her to go in.  She is wonderful on leash with no pulling and is focused and not easily distracted.  Khaki is a healthy dog with treatable issues (Addison’s Disease).  Magen says that Khaki is a great family pet and they started calling her Khaki Fuzz Pants!

On March 5th, Khaki had a great meet and greet with her new forever family and would be going to a home with another dog and two kids.  Finally, on March 7th, Magen and her children met Randi to transfer Khaki to her new family.

After the exchange, Randi reported that she and Khaki were just hanging out while Khaki checked out her new forever home.  She, happily, has a sister named Bella to hang out with.  Khaki sprawled out on the bed with Randi making herself at home.  She was eating well and pottying outside like a good girl.  Khaki met her new human sisters, Sam and Hailey, and all were very happy and comfortable with each other.  Since Randi works, she crates Khaki while she is gone.  First, a morning walk, then the crate until Randi comes home at lunch.  Some outdoor play, then back in the crate for the second half of the day.  Khaki and the girls enjoy playing and, yes, there is a ball involved!  Most importantly, a routine was established for Khaki to make her more comfortable in her new forever home.

      
As the corona virus situation evolved, Randi’s work schedule was a little lighter so she was able to spend more time with Khaki.  Khaki has bonded to Randi to the point that she follows Randi everywhere and curls up on the couch with her to watch a movie!  Khaki and Bella have turned out to be an excellent match.  The two act like long lost sisters.  Khaki helps Bella to be more mellow and Bella brings out the younger side of Khaki.  Khaki has become very comfortable with the  two girls and they love Khaki.

All in all, Khaki has been a wonderful addition to Randi’s family.  Khaki could play ball all day long if she could, but she also enjoys her walks.  She lives to eat and lets Randi know with barks when it is time for her breakfast or dinner, particularly if she thinks it is later than it should be!  Bella and Khaki have bonded beautifully and Sam and Hailey love to play with both dogs.  Sam, the eldest, teaches the dogs tricks.   Khaki is a Velcro-dog with a beautiful soft coat.  When taken to the vet, she got a clean bill of health which  was very good news.  All the girls, humans and dogs decided it was a perfect match.

Khaki Princess dressed by her human sisters!

 Khaki was officially adopted by Randi and family on April 6th, 2020

Tap

Wildwood’s Sweetwater Tapestry – B-Ver (Tap) born 12/31/2010

Tap had a rather traumatic transport day – at Nita’s home, she was attacked by two other dogs let out of the house by Nita’s caregiver by mistake, then got sick on the long ride to her foster!  Tap was transported to her foster home in Harrisburg with Jackie and Perry and Rafi, a 5 year old female Chessie.  Tap settled in and we soon found that she loved to chase a tennis ball and return it to hand.  She loved to eat, but was having some troubling intestinal issues requiring the vet to recommend special food. Tap’s vet visit also revealed a possible mammary tumor requiring surgery. It was decided to keep Tap in her foster home until she was healed from her surgery.  CBRR&R also approved dental work for Tap along with the surgery and, sadly, had to have 6 teeth extracted!

One of Nita’s friends let the Jackie know that Nita had trained all her dogs to bring their empty bowls to her when they finished eating.  Sure enough!  Just a question – “where’s your bowl?” -and she went and got it and brought it back. She also retrieved the newspaper from the ground in the mornings!  Good girl!

Finally healed from her surgery, Tap was taken to her forever home, just a short car ride away, on April 3rd to live with Sarah and Steve.  Tap now has a brother and sister – Mack and Maeve – both Chessies.  In fact, Mack was bred by Nita and is a sibling to both Cord and Duel!  Small world!

Mack, Tap, Maeve, Steve and Sarah 

Tap’s first day with Sarah and Steve was a busy one for Tap.  Getting used to a new brother and sister plus a new place with new people was tiring especially after lots of activity.  Mack and Maeve weren’t too sure what to make of the new arrival!  “What is she doing here and when is she leaving?”  Lots of dog beds around and Tap chose whichever one she wanted.  “What’s up with that?”, say Mack and Maeve!  Adjustments have been made over time with the three dogs after a few little hiccups, probably more so with Maeve and Tap as Mack is very adaptable.  Careful watching of body behavior between the three dogs and establishing regular potty breaks for Tap kept Steve and Sarah busy!

Tap loves playing ball in the backyard and her regular walks make for a tired dog at the end of the day.  In the morning , Tap would announce her desire for breakfast, making for a chorus of three chatty dogs to start the day! Tap’s first vet visit (corona-virus style) went well and she was well loved there.  It was known that Tap had some arthritis in her right front carpal joint and some manipulation of her joints by Dr. Fricke helped to give her more range of motion in her legs.  Mack and Maeve are served a raw food diet and Tap’s vet okayed a transition from the prescribed food she had been getting to the raw food.  The manipulation of her joints meant she was walking with a less pronounced gimp and more, and longer, walks were in her future.

Sarah and Steve report that Tap is very gentle and loves attention.  She does hold her own with the other two Chessies.  Tap definitely does not like the sound of gun shots, but has shown no indication that other sounds are scary. She has adapted very well to food preparation protocols!  While the veggies in the picture below are human veggies, all three Chessies are poised for anything that happens to drop on the floor!  Tap gets lots of regular walks which has improved her arthritis and her gimpy gait and is happy to go every day.

   
Sarah says that Tap may be small, but she is mighty and can hold her own.  Steve reports that Tap knows all her basic commands when he takes her on a walk and puts her through her paces!  Tap is either very smart or very sneaky.  Mack and Maeve have never tried to open the slider door to the backyard, but one day when Sarah went out to talk to Steve, they were surprised to find both Tap and Maeve outside too!  Tap wanted to be outside with them, so opened the slider herself!

Tap was officially adopted by Sarah and Steve and Mack and Maeve on May 7th, 2020

Duel

B-Ver’s Desert Duel – (Duel) – born 5/7/2012

Duel was transported by Scott from Nita’s home on February 16, 2020 to the home he shares with his mother, Joan, as her Foster to Adopt.

 
Duel, as is the case with dogs kenneled outside for awhile, was badly in need of a bath when he arrived at Joan’s, so that was the first order of business.  Then it was time to take a walk in the park, with Duel insisting to be on the left side, of course, show dog that he was!  Duel has plenty of energy and loves to play ball when they go to the park which helps to tire him out!

Getting Duel to get used to living in a home was a real challenge – NOT!  He decided his crate wasn’t as comfortable as Joan’s bed (and Joan didn’t mind)!

 
Scott has a CBRR&R alumni female named Sadie Mae, who taught Duel that it is essential to send an alert when someone comes to the door!  It was the first time Joan heard him bark!  It took time for Sadie and Duel to learn to adjust to each other, but eventually became friends after a little effort by Joan and Scott who learned how to play with the two dogs at the park by trial and error!

Joan found that she had “Thank you, Nita” moments when she needed to brush Duel or clean his ears.  He calmly would submit to being groomed without complaint.  When Duel met his vet, he was a champ.  Good thing since he was scheduled for neutering!  Not happy about the ‘no exercise’ rule and as for the cone – he says “I hate that thing, so I killed it!”

Once able to exercise again, Duel loves going to the park for his ‘chuck it’ exercise. He loves carrying his favorite red ball around with him and gets to go for walks with Sadie almost everyday.  Joan says that Duel is very protective of her and is the most loving dog she has ever had.  He sure is a handsome boy!  Joan and Duel and Scott and Sadie are currently in a 10 week obedience training class and Duel is loving the opportunity!

Duel was officially adopted  by Joan on March 16th, 2020

Cord

B-Ver’s Embossed Cordovan (Cord) – born 5/7/2012

When Cord was transported from Nita’s home in Prineville, he was fostered for a while by Cathy and Craig and their dogs and horses in Astoria, OR.  Cord liked going outside with Craig to put the horses out and playing in the horse arena with the other dogs.  He got to walk around the property and play ball, but most importantly, he got used to a routine and living in a house!

On March 12th, Sara and Don met Cord at his foster home for the first time.  Lots of information about Cord had been exchanged over time and the meeting was a huge success!

At Sara and Don’s home in Belfair, WA, Cord quickly adapted to being a house dog, loved the toys that were purchased for him, took to playing ball on a regular basis and quickly became fond of his new humans.  Cord had to learn to adapt to Don’s scooter outside and his cane inside, but it looks like it wasn’t too big a problem judging from the picture of Don and Cord below.   Sara says that Cord is a big love and it is easy to see that the love is very mutual!

Today, Cord is loving his new life on his semi-private lake.  It was unknown how much he had been around water before, but he is a typical Chessie and he loves to go for a dip first thing in the morning!  As a matter of fact, Cord literally CAUGHT A FISH with his bare teeth! There is a little boat launch where he goes to get in the lake. While wading around, Cord suddenly fully submerged his head underwater and when he came up, he had a wiggling trout in his mouth!  “Hey Mom, I caught our dinner”! Cord was SO VERY proud of himself!  He loves to sit and watch the eagle’s fish, so it maybe he learned it from them!

Cord also has a girlfriend, Miss Luna, a one-year old mastiff. Luna sometimes comes knocking about 7am to see if Cord can play. Cord is a bit of a toy hoarder but has even agreed on sharing some of his toys… one at a time only though.

Cord was officially adopted by Sara and Don on April 6th, 2020!

The value of rescuers

While the Prineville 5 have all found wonderful, loving homes, the adoptive process has not been without difficulties of various kinds.  Almost all of the Chessies required considerable dental care.  Some have required surgery to ensure a healthy future.  Just about all of them needed a certain amount of house breaking.  They had all been living in kennels and in a barn and pottying at will was the norm for many of them.  Adjusting to changes in food, not to mention getting used to living in a home environment, perhaps for the first time, was a challenge.  If there were behavioral issues to deal with, all of the adopters availed themselves of various training techniques and, when necessary, worked with a trainer.  All through the foster, foster to adopt and finally adoption, CBRR&R was there to offer suggestions and guidance.  We treasure hearing and seeing how all of our rescues are doing in their new homes, it doesn’t end when the adoption papers are signed!  So please keep sending us those pictures!

All of this would not be possible without our rescue volunteers & awesome foster families. We thank you for all you do.