Introducing Shelby & Mocha!

So much for having an empty house for a couple of days!  Almost as soon as Rocky left on Saturday, I had picked up my two new fluffy dogs (and they are fluffy!).  Good thing too, because I needed something to keep my mind off missing my Rocky-bear.

Introduction time!  Rosie (black), Shelby (long brown), and Mocha (tiny brown) meeting for the first time.

Shelby is a Dachshund puppy.  She is super cute and super fluffy.  She loves attention, whether it's from me or from one of the other dogs.  I did start her definitive guide (see the link on the right), and will have it completely filled out by the end of next weekend.  For now I can tell you that she is extremely playful.  From the time we woke up yesterday to the time we went to bed, she was playing.  I had cleaned the house on Saturday morning, so all the toys were put away.  Now every single toy is strewn across my living room.  It's looking like she doesn't have a preference in toys...she plays with all of them equally.  She's still getting used to me and my house, so she's not trying to jump in my lap and lay down now (maybe that's because she rarely lays down at all!), but maybe in the future.  Like I said, she likes attention, so anytime I move she runs over to get petted.

Shelby playing with a squeaky toy.

5 minute nap before she starts playing again!

Mocha is much more subdued than Shelby.  He's a little older and he is 98% body hair.  Seriously, it's hard to tell he's not just a pile of hair on the floor unless he's looking directly at you. You might think with all that hair that he's a tangled mess.  I can assure you he is not.  His hair is tangle free.  I've been running a comb through it when I can get him close enough to me, which he doesn't seem to mind at all.  He's not a fan of the comb being near his face or butt (understandably), but I've found that if I pet him with my free hand while I'm combing, he's much more comfortable with it.  Like Shelby, he's still not super comfortable with me yet.  He doesn't lay on me, but as you can see below he does like to lay next to me.  I'm guessing that with a few more days, he will be a lap dog.

Mocha getting a rest next to me.

Mocha in full extension mode.

Sleepy Mocha!

Definitive Guide to Shelby

Updated 07Feb15

Age: ~6 months
Weight: ~10lbs
Food:   1C Purina One dry food
Treats:  Any and all treats.  Pup-eronis, Greenies, Milkbones...you name it, she loves it.
Good with Men: yes
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: yes
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: no, but she did just this past weekend discover the bells on the back door
Crate Trained: no, but she will go in the crate if I toss a treat in first
Leash Trained: unknown
Other Skills: Sits on command!
Personality: Playful!  It took her all of 2 minutes after entering my house to find the toy pile.  Shelby is just a puppy, so she is constantly playing.  She has already made friends with Rosie, so they play most of the time.  She did play with Mocha a bit, and she also likes to play tug-of-war with Hardy.  She takes short breaks (~5 minutes) to re-energize, and then she is back at it.  She is also a cuddle bug, and likes to climb in my lap for pets.  If you don't pet her fast enough, she will attack you with kisses.
Toys:  All toys: plush, squeakers, tennis balls, etc.
Nicknames: 
Ideal Family: A family that is active, willing to train and spend a lot of time with her, and is playful would be perfect!  Shelby has a lot of energy, and would love having people or other dogs around that she can play with all the time.

Definitive Guide to Mocha

Updated 23Apr15

Age: ~3 years
Weight: ~7lbs
Food:   1/2C Purina One dry food.
Treats: Mocha will eat any treats.  He likes Pup-eroni and greenies the best.
Good with Men: yes
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: yes.  But he is small and will not tolerate being bullied (e.g. hair pulling, picking up)
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: Yes.  He will pace near the door when he wants to go out.
Crate Trained: Yes.
Leash Trained: yes.  Mocha loves going for walks.  As soon as he sees me get his leash he runs over to let me put it on.
Other Skills: Mocha is very good at riding in the car.  I put him in the backseat on the way home from the day care, he just curled up on a blanket and slept the whole way.  Mocha also seems to be trained in "sit."  We usually only try it with treats, but on the few occasions where I've said it without a treat he has also done it.
Personality: Mocha is a cuddler.  He likes to be near people and is always in my lap when I'm sitting down.  Mocha is very friendly when meeting new people, but he doesn't like to be picked up when he's not in the mood (he'll let you know if he's not).  He does get excited when he hears a noise, or when Hardy starts barking at a neighbor, so he will make a good guard dog.  But he is quick to quiet down once I assure him everything is ok.
Toys:  Mocha prefers toys that are bigger than him.  Ropes, plush squeakers, tennis balls.  All are favorites.
Nicknames: Mocha bear, Little One (as a group, Mocha and Hardy are the Little Ones), Mokes, Mokester
Other: Mocha looks like a giant cotton ball.  He's so fluffy!  He has let me run a comb through his hair with no problems.  I think he actually likes it, because he sometimes rolls over on his back so I can get his tummy.
Ideal Family: Mocha would like a low-key family with older or no kids.  He does occasionally like to play, but for the most part is just a relaxed dog.

Rochester has been adopted!

Update: 03Feb15
Rocky has been unadopted.  He's not a bad dog, and it wasn't a bad family.  They just weren't right for each other.

Confession: I cried when he left.  Yes in the past I have been sad, and may have even shed a tear or two.  But this is the first time I actually cried.  Rocky lived with me for 175 days.  No matter how much you know a dog is only a foster and try to keep your distance, it's impossible not to fall in love after 175 days.  Plus, Rocky was such a love bug on his own, it didn't help at all.  I loved that little bugger.  I am happy to announce that he did find a wonderful dad, who visited him multiple times prior to today, so Rocky really had a chance to get to know him.  I even hear Rocky gave him a kiss when they got home!  How's that for a change from the Rocky I first met several months ago!  Anyway, I wish them both the best of luck and all the happiness in the world!

Ellie Mae has been adopted!

Sad day for me.  My Ellie Bear left with her forever family last night.  I am so happy for her and for them, because she is a great dog and I know they'll be very happy together.  But I can't help but miss my little peanut!  She's the only foster I've had that I seriously considered adopting (if that gives you an idea how much I enjoyed having her around).  And she was finally picking up the potty training (she discovered ringing the bells would get her outside on Tuesday, and had been ringing them nonstop since)!

Time to be happy for her.  Like I said, she's got a great family now.  And two puppy siblings to make new friends with!  Have a happy life Ellie, and be good for your new family!

Rochester, Ellie Mae, and Rosie

Updated (again)

What a week!  Rosie arrived Monday night, Ellie was spayed on Friday, and the Meet & Greet was on Saturday.  The Meet & Greet went really well.  All my puppies had a lot of people stop by to look at them, and I'm thinking at least 2 of them found their forever families!  My house could be a whole lot quieter by this weekend!

Rocky did extremely well at the Meet & Greet.  Like last time, he was a little nervous about all the commotion and spent most of the time sitting on my lap.  But he was very good about letting people pet him.  My fingers are crossed that this little guy found a family!  In other news, Rocky is starting to get used to Rosie.  They played a little bit on Saturday and Sunday.  Rosie did try to pull one of her thieving tricks on Rocky while he had a squeaky toy, and he wasn't having it.  He put her in her place real quick.  And now that I think about it, Rosie hasn't tried to steal a toy from anyone since.  Rocky makes a pretty good role model/authoritative figure.

Yahoo!  My boy is going to have a forever home!

Best buddies.

Ellie Mae started doing very well with her housebreaking after Rosie arrived.  Between Monday and Friday she didn't have a single accident.  Friday Ellie was spayed (she somehow slipped through the cracks earlier), and she has had a few accidents, I think because she's in a little bit of pain from the surgery.  But that's winding down now, so I think we'll be back to normal in no time.  Another side effect from the surgery is that Ellie has become a little bit of a princess.  I had strict orders not to let her run or jump after the surgery, so I was carrying her around the house.  Mostly when we had to go up or down stairs, or I'd pick her up when I was sitting on the couch or put her down when I got up.  So now, when she should be almost over the pain, she still expects to be carried!  She won't come in my bedroom (4 steps) without me carrying her.  She still comes over to me and whines when she wants up on the couch.  Such a little diva I've created!  Ellie did attend the Meet & Greet, but we kept her in the small dog area so she wouldn't get wound up around all the other dogs.  So I don't know too much about what happened with her, except that there was a family who was very interested in her.  I can't blame them, of course, she's adorable.  So fingers crossed that she found a family too!

Yippee!  It looks like my peanut did find her family!

Rosie is starting to find her personality around me.  I did fill out most of her definitive guide over the weekend, so be sure to check that out if you haven't yet.  Last Tuesday she discovered that ringing the bells on the back door would get her outside.  She uses them frequently, but it's not just to go outside to play...she actually goes potty every time she goes out.  We are still accident free in the house too.  Wednesday Rosie discovered the toy pile.  My living room floor hasn't been clean since.  She loves playing with all the toys.  She tries getting the others to play with her, but there hasn't been much interest yet.  Rocky did start playing with her on Saturday morning, so I can see the potential for a friendship.  Rosie also attended the Meet & Greet, and like the others, she got a lot of attention.  She was the only one who I didn't get an adoption vibe from anyone from though.  So if you met her and fell in love, or if you haven't met her yet but are in love...apply for her!  She did absolutely wonderfully at the event.  She was very curious about the other dogs, and I think she sniffed all of them.  I got a couple more comments on how much she's changed from being the shy dog that first showed up at the day care.  I really wish I could take the credit for that, but she honestly has been this way for me the whole time I've had her!  One other thing that a couple of us noticed at the Meet & Greet was that Rosie is an observer.  She would often plop down on the floor next to me, and just watch what was going on.  There were a couple puppies nearby that were playing non-stop, and she just watched them the whole time.  I've noticed she does that at home too.  If I'm doing something or one of the other dogs is doing something, she'll lay down out of the way where she can just watch.  I find it to be a very good quality for a dog.  She's always nearby, but never under foot. 

Rosie wanted to help me do laundry

Rosie and Hardy cuddling in my bed.

FYI: Rosie snores

The World Dog Awards were on TV, and everyone was interested in who would win Dog of the Year.

Hank (the Brewer's unofficial mascot) won!

Chateau Update!

Chateau (renamed Maggie by her Forever Family) is really doing well!  She's learned several commands already (sit, down, come here, and stay), and recently got her first grooming!  Her family sent a couple photos this morning, and she is such a beautiful dog!  Of course, we all knew that all along, but boy does she just look like a supermodel now!

Seriously...have you ever seen a more gorgeous dog?!

Definitive Guide to Rosie

Updated 23Apr15

Age: ~1 year
Weight: ~15lbs
Food:   1C Purina One dry dog food.
Treats:  Rosie has learned to love treats.  She eats anything: Canine Carry Outs, Milkbones, Greenies, Puperonis, etc.
Good with Men: yes
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: yes
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: Yes.  She rings the bells hanging on the door when she wants to go out.
Crate Trained: Yes.
Leash Trained: Yes.
Other Skills: Very good at "sit."
Personality: Rosie has a very puppy-ish personality (as expected since she is a puppy).  She likes to bound around, grabbing a toy and playing for about 2 minutes, then grabbing another.  She likes to play with the other dogs, whether they want to or not.  She does pick on smaller dogs a bit, putting her paw on their tiny heads.  Rosie is a bit of a thief...whether it's taking toys from the other dogs (no aggression, she just walks up to them, grabs the toy, and walks away), or grabbing things that I've left laying around, she will take it.  No evidence yet that she chews on things, she just likes to take them and put them in her pile.  She is a great listener...she comes when called (particularly useful when she's outside).  Rosie isn't much of an explorer, she pretty much stays in my vicinity.
Toys:  All toys: plush, squeakers, tennis balls, kongs, etc.  She doesn't have a favorite...unless another dog is playing with something...then that becomes her favorite...for 2 minutes until she moves on to the next toy.
Nicknames: Rose, Rosie Posie, Rose Bud
Ideal Family: Rosie would like a family who likes to play but also can be relaxed.  She is just a puppy, so she wants someone who is willing to take some time to train her.  She loves to spend time with her human, so if you like to be alone Rosie is not the dog for you.

Introducing Rosie!

Rosie arrived last night, and I'm already in love.  She's almost all black with a little white patch on her neck.  She has a long body (longer than I was expecting), with short legs and big paws.  And she has a very cute face. 

Rosie found a comfy spot on the couch.

I had numerous people tell me she would be shy at first and would be wary of new people, but I didn't have that experience at all.  As soon as I brought her in the house and set her down, she came right over to me to get her head scratched.  I had put the other dogs in their crates so Rosie could explore a bit on her own, and I think she really enjoyed that.  She went all over the living room and kitchen, sniffing everything.  I let Ellie out first, as I thought she'd be the least frightening to a new dog...I was right.  I think Ellie was more scared than Rosie!  Once they were used to each other, I let Hardy out.  Rosie loved him.  I think she thought he might be a play toy because she just chased him around in circles.  Lastly I let Rocky out, and the two of them sniffed each other and then went their separate ways.  So no issues with other dogs!

I'm going to start a Definitive Guide to Rosie post, but I'm not going to fill it out until this weekend.  By then she should be comfortable enough that I will see her true personality, and really have a feel for what she can and cannot do.

Side view.  She looks like she has a short body in this pic...I assure you, it is long.

I will say that she has so far been very good with going potty outside.  She obviously doesn't yet know to go to the back door when she needs to go out (she's only been here a couple hours!), but every time one of the other dogs wants to go out, she goes out and does her business.  And she has not even attempted to go in the house yet.  So that's a very good sign.

She wasn't quite ready to sleep in her crate last night, so I put her up in my bed.  She was very good.  She found a comfy spot right next to my head (which is usually Hardy's spot, but she managed to slowly inch closer until he got fed up and left) and laid there all night.  I did manage to get her in her crate this morning without too much difficulty.  I tossed a treat in, and then led her over and gently pushed her toward the door.  I'm not even sure I needed that gentle push, she pretty much just walked right in.  Once inside though, she wasn't particularly happy.  I could hear her barking until I pulled the car out of the garage.  I think with a little work (and treats always help), she'll be crate trained in no time!

Fluffy Dog Meet & Greet

I know I say this every time someone is adopted, but it's always interesting to see the change in the group dynamic when one of my puppies leaves with his forever family.  Even though McDuff was generally a very calm dog, the current mood in the house is somber.  This morning (getting ready for work) was when I personally noticed the biggest difference without my Duffy bear.  He always liked to jump up on my bed after I had laid my clothes out, and lay right on top of them.  It was a little sad for me this morning, not getting to give him my usual pats on the head for being a goofball.  He left with a family that I really think is excellent for him though, so I am of course happy for him.  And tonight I'm getting a new fur baby to fall in love with!  Her name is Rosie, and she looks to be a cutie pie!  I can't wait to see how she fits in with my other pups!

For anyone who hasn't heard yet, Fluffy Dog Rescue is holding a meet & greet at Tail Waggin' Doggy Daycare this Saturday (the 17th) from noon-2pm.  I will bring Rocky, Ellie, and Rosie along!  By then I'm hoping Rosie will be comfortable enough for me to get a sense of her true personality.  Rocky was with me at the last meet & greet, and it was really a great environment for him, so if anyone wants to meet him I would suggest you come out!  If you want to meet any of my pups, please come out!

McDuff has been adopted!

A happy/sad day for me.  I'm so glad he found his forever home, but I'm going to miss that little bugger!  He was so well behaved, and I was really enjoying watching him gain weight!  Hopefully I'll get some updates on him!

Rochester, Ellie Mae, and McDuff

As some of you may have noticed, I've started doing a 1-stop guide to each dog (links are to the right).  I'll keep these updated as new information becomes available.  I've added everything I could think of that a potential family might be interested in, but if there's anything I missed please let me know!

I don't have much to update on the dogs individually, but due to the snow I have some great winter pictures to share!  Rocky and Ellie were both with me the last time it snowed, so they were loving it.  Duffy was a little more skeptical...I think this might be the first time he's ever seen snow.

It's like a whole new yard to play in!

Look at all this snow!

 Where's my sweater?  It's cold out here!

What is this white, cold stuff, mom?

I think I like it!

See ya!  I'm going to go play!

Here's a fun video of Rocky and Ellie enjoying the snow.

Duffy wasn't quite sure about it...so he just followed me while I tried to film him.

Ellie checking out the snow.

Definitive Guide to McDuff

Updated: 07Jan15

Age: ~1 year
Weight: ~16lbs and gaining!
Food: 1 cup Pedigree dry dog food given in the morning (1 1/2 cups if he's particularly hungry that day)
Treats: McDuff will eat anything.  He likes milkbones, pup-eroni, greenies.  He also loves popcorn, and will sit as close to me as he can while I'm eating it in hopes that I'll drop some.
Good with Men: yes
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: yes
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: yes
Crate Trained: yes...we have progressed to me pretending to throw a treat in.  He will go in, I will shut the door, and then I'll give him a treat.
Leash Trained: yes
Other Skills: McDuff is learning "down."  He's also starting to pick up on fetch.
Personality: McDuff is a gentle dog.  He is very curious and will check out anything that he's unsure of.  He likes to cuddle, and is smart enough to know that he's not a lapdog, so he will happily lay next to you.  He's a bit goofy, and when the other dogs don't want to play with him he will play by himself: tossing toys in the air and chasing them.
Toys: McDuff will play with any toys, but he prefers tennis balls.
Nicknames: Duff, Duffy, Duffy McDufferton

Definitive Guide To Ellie Mae

 Updated: 17Jan15

Age: ~9 months
Weight: ~7lbs
Food: 3/4 cup Purina One dry dog food given in the morning, but she will eat from the other dog bowls if they leave any food behind.  We just switched from Pedigree, which she did fine with.
Treats: Ellie Mae will eat anything.  She likes milkbones, pup-eroni, greenies.  She also loves popcorn, and will sit as close to me as she can while I'm eating it in hopes that I'll drop some.
Good with Men: yes
Good with Women: yes
Good with Children: yes - but she is shy around high energy children
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: nearly
Crate Trained: yes
Leash Trained: yes
Other Skills: none
Personality: Ellie Mae has a typical puppy personality.  She loves to explore, and she's the first one to check out a mysterious noise.  She is very cuddly and loves sitting on laps (human or other dog).  She will occasionally give puppy kisses.  She does like to lay down on occasion, but most of her time is spent playing with the other dogs or with her toys.  When meeting people for the first time, she is very shy.  It doesn't take long at all to warm up though, especially if there are treats and cuddles involved.
Toys: Ellie Mae will play with any toys.  She is a big fan of the Kong dog toy (especially when there's peanut butter inside).  She also like mini tennis balls and chasing a laser light.
Nicknames: Ellie, Elle, Ellie May Clampett, Peanut

Definitive Guide to Rochester

Updated: 07Feb15

Age: ~2 years
Weight: ~20lbs
Food: 1 cup Purina One dry dog food given in the morning.  He's also in the past eaten Pedigree and Eukanuba foods.
Treats: Rochester will eat anything.  He likes milkbones, pup-eroni, greenies.  He will eat any food I drop on the floor (chips, lettuce, etc).  He also loves popcorn, and will sit as close to me as he can while I'm eating it in hopes that I'll drop some.
Good with Men: yes - after a short introduction period
Good with Women: yes - after a short introduction period
Good with Children: Rochester is terrified of high energy people...so children (especially small ones) are not the best situation for him.
Good with Dogs: yes
Good with Cats: unknown
Housebroken: yes
Crate Trained: yes
Leash Trained: yes
Other Skills: Rochester will sit on command.  He is also learning "down."  Here is a video of him doing sit twice.  Notice that I did not coax him with treats, all he got was a little positive feedback and a chin scratch.  (He does also do down in the video, but I think that was just luck as he isn't 100% on that yet.)

Personality: Rochester was a dog from a hoarder group, so he is very nervous around people when he first meets them.  But he is significantly better than when I first brought him home.   I've found that when I have people over, it takes about 15 minutes for him to warm up enough to stop growling (all he does is growl, he doesn't nip or attack anyone).  Then with another hour or so of hanging out, he's probably napping in someone's lap.  To me, Rochester is very loyal.  He follows me everywhere around the house, and is quick to jump to my protection if he feels something is unsafe.  He is generally a low-key dog, preferring to lay down while I go about my daily business.  But he does have high energy moments, where he will want to play with all the dogs and all the toys at the same time. 
Toys: Rochester will play with any toys, but he prefers stuffed squeaky toys.
Nicknames: Rocky, Rock, Rochester Michael
Ideal Family: Rocky would like a family with no kids or older kids.  He wants someone who is willing to put in the effort to train him.  He would also like a family who can spend some time playing and also spend some time relaxing.