Return to Our Foster Dogs

Ruby

Female, 2.5 years old

30 pounds, 18″ tall

Red and White/Tri

Excellent Health with special needs (epilepsy – See below for earliest blog entry for more details)

Reason in Rescue: Good Samaritan rescued from a less-than-ideal situation to help find the best home for Ruby.

Ruby is being fostered in New Berlin, WI. For more details, CLICK HERE to contact Ruby’s foster home.

If you are interested in meeting Ruby to see if you are a match, complete an adoption application with WBCR. This must be done before we can consider you to be matched with one of our Border Collies. Click the Adoption link and read the full application instructions.

April 28, 2024 – My shades of browns and reds

Check out all the beautiful shades of browns and reds on my face. My humans love the color of my eyes too. How many colors can you count?

April 26, 2024 – Snuggling after dinner please

After dinner, I want to come up on the human’s lap but sometimes even when I am invited, I don’t jump up. The last few days, I have barked at my foster mom, she makes room next to her, invites me up but I don’t jump up. She has figured out that if she picks me up and puts me on her lap, I melt and fall asleep.

Sleeping Ruby

April 24, 2024 – Medication for Epilepsy

Ruby is working with an animal Neurologist to reduce or eliminate her seizures using medication. From October through April, Ruby was taking two medications twice a day (6am, 6pm). Starting today, she will be trying an increased dose of one of the medications. This means she will take pills at 6am, 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm. Currently that averages about $40-$60 per month. Ruby has been averaging one seizure every 4-6 weeks. All of us on “Team Ruby” are hopeful the new cadence will create even more stability.

April 20, 2024 – Ruby’s Daily Facts

  • Crate trained – Yes! Ruby sleeps soundly in her crate during times I am at work.
  • Bedtime – 8-9pm. Ruby’s off switch kicks in for her morning nap and her bedtime around 8-9pm. She puts herself to bed which is a dog bed or a couch to snuggle.
  • Morning Time – The first thing Ruby likes to do each morning is get pets or have some solo play time with her toys. She wants these before eating and going outside.
  • Cuddles – Yes, please. Ruby likes to go up to most strangers, sit perfectly still and invite them to pet her. She loves body rubs and face rubs any time of day.
  • Treat-motivated – Ruby makes training easy because she will do as you say for a treat. I use her normal kibble for training so she is working for her breakfast and dinner.
  • Favorite Toys – She likes to pull apart stuffed animals, toys that squeak, and spend time with her orange ball or pink ball.
  • Barking – The only time Ruby barks is when she wants to play with you and you aren’t engaging with her. It’s like she is saying, “hey, can you throw something for me or find a toy for me to squeak.” Otherwise she is a quiet dog at night, in her crate, and hanging out.

April 19, 2024 – Taking Pills from Ruby’s View

Hi, it’s me Ruby. Time for me to brag about myself again. I am so good at taking my daily pills that are working to regulate my seizures. The humans put a little bit of cream cheese on them and I just eat it without any issues. Of course I sit first but then I take it gently from their finger. Yesterday, the neighbor came over when I was by myself in my create. I met him a couple times earlier and like him because he gives great head scratches. He gave me one of my pills lightly dipped in cream cheese and was on his way. It was awesome.

April 16, 2024 – Ruby’s Vocabulary Comprehension

Ruby came in WBCR knowing a lot of words and she is continuing to build on that vocabulary. The last few nights she learned “Find It” which means she has to sit and wait while I hide treats around the room. Then she is released and needs to find all the treats. She did quite well and is gaining speed finding all the treats. Her other words include: Yes!, nope, sit, stay, come, down, touch, watch, wait, off, get a toy, leave it, let’s go, this way, front, in, backseat, and bedtime. She is smart and loves to work for a treat.

Playtime Ruby

April 14, 2024 – Love for her orange ball

Ruby’s favorite toy is her orange ball on a rope. If you look closely at the photo below of her sleeping, you can see it tucked under her shoulder. When you say “go get your toy”, it’s her orange ball that she wants to bring to you.

April 11, 2024 – Exploring the toy closet and other toys

If Ruby had to choose her second favorite toy, it would be this pink squeaky ball (photo below on right). She has an entire toy closet (see photo below on left) just for her but she likes her orange toy and pink ball best of all the rest.

April 10, 2024 – First jog

Ruby went for her first jog at her new foster home. She did great after the first block when a few squirrels and birds were there as distractions. She rarely pulled and just trotted along seeming to understand the purpose was to stay steady and stay the course. We are looking forward to exploring this more to see if she will make a great running partner.

April 9, 2024 – No-cat recommendation

Ruby will need to be adopted into a no-cat home. Her prey drive seems to be strong when it comes to neighborhood wildlife. She is fast when chasing the rabbits, squirrels, and birds out of my backyard.

April 8, 2024 – From Ruby herself

I’m Ruby. I’m 2.5 years old. I am a pure bred female Border Collie. I was bred to be small, red, and cute, which I am. That means I’m fun to look at but my real charm comes out when I want humans to pet me and I want all humans to pet me. I get a stranger’s attention with a wag of my tail and my happy eye contact. Then I sit in front of them in a sweet and calm manner, so they pet me all over. I let my eyes get all droopy so they know they are doing it right. 

I have only been in foster care with WI Border Collie Rescue for a few days but I’m learning my new routine and new place real fast. Let me brag for a moment. I haven’t had a single accident in the house, I take my medicine, I play ball, I cuddle, I’m quiet in my crate, I walk fairly well on leash, and I am just so good looking. 

I will be ready for adoption around May 6 so keep coming back to see if I’m the one for you and you are the one for me. 

April 6, 2024 – Ruby arrives into WBCR.

Ruby arrived into foster care with WBCR. She has had quite a path to get her here. 

Ruby likes to play fetch:  https://youtube.com/shorts/oHI3zbyJOFg?si=ZlMqD2MWb61snbYH

September 2023-March 2024 – Life in foster care before WI Border Collie Rescue

In September 2023, Ruby came across an amazing human in the middle of a National Forest out west. Ruby seemed to say, “hey, I don’t want to be with these guys I’m traveling with and you look nice. Can I come with you?” They all discussed and the guys said the woman and her boyfriend from Wisconsin could take Ruby. For the next week Ruby traveled in the couple’s van. She was a great companion and seemed to know that she just got a first class ticket to a much better life. 

From October to March, Ruby lived with another dog. They played during the day and snuggled at night. She went to doggy day care a couple days a week where she showed her love for dogs and humans. Ruby liked to play with her foster sibling: https://youtube.com/shorts/fjAgj3B_dJU?feature=shared The couple knew they couldn’t keep Ruby so after a few months they reached out to see if relinquishment was possible. 

Ruby has Special Needs:

A few weeks after returning to Wisconsin, Ruby had a seizure. Over the next six months, her temporary home worked with the vet and neurologist to determine proper medication doses. A lot of progress has been made. WBCR will continue this path so Ruby can continue to be successful. Ruby’s forever family will need to give medications at specific times and monitor her epilepsy so it is stable. Currently she has had about a seizure every 5-6 weeks but the length and severity have declined the last couple months as medication amounts get adjusted and after she was spayed.

Ruby and WBCR are endlessly grateful for all the time, care, and resources Ruby’s first foster mom took to rescue Ruby and create Team Ruby by bringing together experts, love, and knowledge that will set Ruby up for success. We need more humans like Ruby’s first foster mom.