Merry Christmas, Fellow Dog Lovers!

Welcome to the special Christmas 2016 Edition of my blog. It’s been a cold, snowy week in Salem, but that didn’t stop WHS dog walkers, who got our shelter dogs out three times every day despite the weather conditions. There were even eleven dog adoptions during the week, four of them Blog dogs.

You may remember that Maya was adopted a couple of weeks ago. It turned out not to be a good fit, so Maya came back to the shelter—but not for long. We’re so happy this senior girl went to a new home on Sunday.

I arrived at the shelter on Sunday with my box of Christmas hats and scarves in hand, as I do every December. I knew the humans knew what to expect, but I was so impressed with how the dogs cooperated!

 

 

Oregon is sure different from Hawaii!

Richie is a a one-year-old Retriever mix who came to us from our partner shelter in Maui, Hawaii. He’s a bit shy at first meeting, but warms up quickly. Since he’s still a young dog, he can be jumpy and a bit mouthy, both of which he is working on improving. Richie would love to attend some WHS shelter classes to help with his impulse control in a positive setting. He wasn’t sure what he thought of the snow on Sunday and wasn’t about to smile about it; and he was totally baffled why I would ask him to wear a Santa hat. But he cooperated when he saw Shannon wearing antlers. We’re hoping this boy will find a forever home before the start of the new year.

 

 

You want me to wear WHAT?!

This handsome youngster is seven months old and is a mixed breed. Jasper came to us as a stray, so we don’t know his history, but he’s smart and an eager learner. He will make a great jogging or hiking partner. Just like Richie, Jasper would enjoy the challenges of WHS classes to work on his dog skills with a new person of his own. He’d be fine with older children (ten and up), as he can be jumpy. He loves treats and will be a fun and rewarding boy to train. Some dogs are more self-conscious than others. Here Jasper is with Andrew on Sunday.

 

 

 

I’m amazed at the things volunteers will do to help get us adopted!

Meet Dante, a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. He came to us as a stray, but he has already won many fans at the shelter. Dante hasn’t had much training, so will need someone using positive, reward-based teaching so that he can blossom in his new home. He is eager, loves people, and is treat-motivated, so this boy will become a star in any class. I was so proud of him for how he let me dress him up for his picture. Here he was with Marianne, one of his many peeps, on Sunday.

 

 

 

Oh my. No one told me about this when I came to the shelter.

Rosco is a four-year-old Dutch Shepherd mix who acts more like a goofy youngster than an adult. Rosco is looking for a home where he can be the only pet. He came to us through our partnership with ASPCA and was uneasy when he arrived, but has improved so much. His tense posture in the kennel melts when you ask, “Hey Rosco, wanna go for a walk?” His whole body immediately wiggles with excitement and happiness. Rosco loves to train, as he is very smart and highly food-motivated. He has been working with our Behavior and Training team and this is what Rosco says about his time with them: “My friends on the Behavior & Training Team have been keeping me challenged, and I’ve made many improvements in my behavior and have a lot of skills under my harness. I’m one of their favorites because I’m such a good student! My ideal home will be interested in continuing my rewards-based training to keep me on my best manners and mentally stimulated. Because I’m an athletic, fit dog in my prime, you can bet I’ll need a good amount of physical exercise every day, too. I love walks, fetch, playing with toys, food toys… so we have options. I’m a pretty social guy who enjoys the company of humans–teenagers and beyond.” Rosco is one of my all-time favorite dogs and although he wasn’t thrilled, he agreed to the Santa hat when he was out with Francis on Sunday.

 

 

 

Will you need someone to be your partner in losing that extra holiday weight? I can be that!

I wrote about one of my current favorites, Mary, last week. She is an eight-year-old Bull Dog mix. She is embarrassed to admit that she has gained some weight in her middle-age years. She’s anxious to lose some of those pesky pounds, which she will be able to do happily since she LOVES to play fetch! Mary also has a lot to say and she even enjoys singing! This sweet girl is waiting for her perfect fit of a family. She can be dog-selective, so would need to meet any dog she would be living with. At first, Mary was a little put out about wearing Santa gear until she found out he was coming! Here she was talking/singing with Marianne on Sunday.

 

 

 

This is newbie Image, here with Marianne.

 

This is Gideon, here with Caroline.

 

This is Kenny, joining Jolene.

 

This is newbie Faline, hanging out with Kathy.

 

Here is Beauty, with Sandra.

 

This is Hank, here with Kim.

 

Here is Betty, spending time with Linda.

 

Here is our shelter dogs/volunteers annual video Christmas card to you!

 

 

Shelter Elves!

On Monday, I got to meet some wonderful kids who were participating in the WHS Shelter Elves program. Here they are with their favorite shelter pets.

 

Mallory and Precious

 

Aryn and Watson

 

Hunter and Bear

 

Stefani and Mary

 

Logan and Static

 

Kate and Precious

 

Finn and Coco

 

Luis and Infinity

 

As you can imagine, this photo shoot did not always go completely as planned…and so I give you the Out-takes!

 

“I’m done now!’

 

Eye to eye

 

Kid and dog…same expression

 

“I’m outta here!”

 

“What do you mean you can’t see Stefani?”

 

“Are you sure this is the way I’m supposed to wear it?”

 

 

 

 

We all wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 

Remember, if you see a dog on my blog whom you are interested in meeting, try to make arrangements to get to the Willamette Humane Society soon. Some dogs are adopted more quickly than you might think.
You can reach me at adoptanoregondog14@yahoo.com