Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

There were twelve dog adoptions during the past week, and most of them were new arrivals at the shelter. Two of them, however, were Blog Dogs.

Ruger, being the extremely vocal boy that he is, of course had to announce his adoption himself.

The best news about Ruger and Roxy’s adoptions is that they were adopted TOGETHER! Staff wrote: “Ruger and Roxy were adopted today, together! They went home with avid fisher/camper/hunter/boaters who were hound lovers and eager to spend time outdoors with the new dogs.” What a perfect new life for both of these wonderful dogs!

 

 

Nope, didn’t care for the swimming part, but I had a great time going and coming!

Our swim dog on Friday was none other than our big boy, Scout. We really thought, being the very active boy that he is, that he would love to swim. We were wrong. However, he was such a wonderful sport about the whole adventure. He rode well in the car, was polite to all of the other swim dogs and people, and was a happy boy until he realized that HE was going into the water.

 

 

Scout was pretty tuckered out after his second swim!

 

Scout came to WHS as a transfer from San Antonio, Texas. He is a two-year-old, fifty-eight-pound Great Dane/Boxer mix. Scout is a delightful and VERY active dog, much like a puppy when he plays—this means he’s jumpy, and a rough and rowdy player with both other dogs and humans. Because he just didn’t understand that people don’t appreciate his mouthy play and lack of impulse control, he has become one of the dogs being worked with by the WHS Behavior and Training Team. And is he ever working hard! This boy is showing great improvement! Scout is looking forward to becoming an Oregon dog in a family without kids. His adoption comes with both our WHS Dog Smart and Check In & Chill Out classes to make sure the skills he is learning continue to grow. We hope Scout won’t have to wait much longer for his own family.

 

 

 

After starring in my own movie last week, this week I got to spend some time in the Real Room!

In last week’s post, Rosco showed off his ball-playing expertise along with the many new skills he’s learning with the WHS Behavior and Training team. This week he wanted to show you that he really can relax and just enjoy a good chew toy. So Marianne and I spent some quality time with this favorite boy in the Real Room on Sunday. Rosco is a four-year-old Dutch Shepherd mix who is looking for a home where he can be the only pet. Rosco loves to train, as he is very smart and highly food-motivated. Rosco is an athletic, fit dog, so will need a good amount of physical exercise every day. He loves walks, fetch, playing with toys, and food puzzles. He’s a fun, social guy who enjoys the company of humans—teenagers and beyond. Here he was on Sunday in the Real Room.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not really from France, I’m from California.

One of our newbies is this beautiful girl, Fuji, a three-year-old French Bulldog mix. Fuji came to us from a small shelter in California where she didn’t get adopted but was a favorite of the staff and volunteers. Here is what one of the volunteers at her previous shelter sent me: “Fuji is amazing!!! She is great with other dogs, enjoys her baths, didn’t mind the office cat, and walks well on leash. She is a stunning sight when clean! Love her blue eye…none of us can figure out why she received no interest at all.” Fuji loves WHS’ playgroup and is a rough and rowdy player with her friends. She knows several commands, and loved my cheese bits. She’ll be fun to train and would love our WHS training classes. She would do well with older children (13+) and is looking forward to meeting her new Oregon family. Here she was with one of her fans, Jolene, on Sunday.

 

 

 

Caroline’s Pick of the Week!

Yep, if you know Caroline, you won’t be surprised that she has fallen for Blue, a three-year-old Alaskan Husky who is a stunning girl!

And yes, there are always those pictures when the dog has other ideas than posing for pictures!

Blue came to us from a California shelter. She is looking for an Oregon family with older (13+) kids. Blue is quite independent and would do best with Husky-savvy people. She is selective in who her dog friends are and will need lots of exercise, as she is a very active girl. If you are a lover of Huskies, come and meet Blue.

 

 

 

All I had to do was look into Jenna’s eyes and I had her!

Meet Scooter. And look into his eyes. Are you hooked? Jenna and I were the moment we met him. Scooter is a seven-year-old Retriever mix. He has been an outdoor dog his whole life and he’s hoping that his next home will be his forever one and that he can be an indoor dog. He knows he will need a little help with getting house-trained, but promises to be a quick study. And it should be easy since he is very treat-motivated. Scooter has lived happily with other dogs and kids, but not cats. He is rated PG+8. He does have one little issue that he’s not proud of. He has been known to try to dig under his yard fence, so he will need a watchful eye. But since he’ll be mostly an indoor dog in his next home, this may not be a problem. Jenna and I hope that Scooter will soon be inside with his new family.

 

 

 

I’m waiting for an experienced owner who is looking for an ACTIVE new best friend!

I had a special request from Marianne that I feature one of her current favorites, newbie Missy, a two-year old mixed breed girl who has won her heart. Here, in Marianne’s own words: “Missy is a beautiful American Staffordshire Terrier mix.  She walks well on leash (does not react to other dogs at all), takes treats very gently, and loves to play fetch and run.  She is incredibly smart and knows sit, down, and roll over.  She responds to her name and listens very well.  Since she is treat-motivated, she will likely learn other skills quickly. She will need an experienced owner since she is young, strong, and needs to learn some additional basic manners.  Missy would make a wonderful jogging, hiking, or biking partner.  Given the exercise and mental stimulation she needs, she will make a wonderful companion.  Missy is somewhat independent—although she is very friendly, she does not appear to be cuddly or clingy.”  We’re hoping Missy finds her forever home soon.

This afternoon we took Missy into the Real Room for a visit. Missy is A LOT of dog. She obviously has been loved in her young life, as she knows lots of commands. She can get a bit over-excited while playing with toys. But we laughed and laughed at her antics.

 

 

 

 

I call these pictures “No Wind” and “Wind.”

The last dog I want to mention today is little Dale, a three-year-old Chihuahua mix. It was incredibly windy on Sunday and I happened to catch these two shots within seconds of each other and had to laugh.

“No Wind”

“Wind”

Dale is a mere fourteen pounds and is quite shy at first meeting. But he is a leaner and quite affectionate. Here he was with Marianne on Sunday.

 

 

 

Sami!

Remember Sami from a couple of posts ago? Sami was back at WHS for the third time in her life over the past three years through no fault of her own. She was so sad and seemed to be discouraged that she would never find a forever home.

But Sami and her story touched the hearts of a family who couldn’t wait to make Sami feel loved and safe. Here is their update:

“Hi. Here are a few pics of SAMI’S first week at her new 4ever home. We love having her become part of our family. She’s very well-mannered but does need a little fine tuning walking on a leash, which we are working on. Puppy treats are a good motivator.  🙂  We have 2 granddaughters that only live a block away, and she likes playing with them. Sami also loves to snuggle, she’s the best!”

And Sami’s new mom even came to the shelter on Sunday to say thank you and to assure us that Sami was now home for good. We are thrilled.

 

That’s it for this week!

 

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

Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

There were a whopping TWENTY dog adoptions during the past week! Some were newbies who were adopted within a couple of days of their arrival, others were some of our long-termers who finally were found by their forever families. Here are all of the Blog Dogs who are shelter dogs no more.

Betty was one of our happiest adoptions because she’d been waiting for her perfect family fit since October 6th. Naturally, she wanted to announce her exciting news herself.

I’ve been waiting for a family for a long time, so I asked if I could star in my own movie!

Rosco has been at WHS since October 20th.

Because he gets too nervous on the Adoption floor, his kennel is away from the public’s eyes, and potential adopters have to ask to meet him. Few people have inquired about this smart, eager boy. So it was time to make a movie to show how much Rosco knows and what a wonderful player he is. We’re hoping that his new family will see him in action and fall in love.

Rosco is a four-year-old Dutch Shepherd mix who 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. As you saw in his movie, 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.

 

 

 

My favorite thing to do is snuggle with my peeps. Do you need someone to curl up with?

Keely has quickly become a favorite of many at the shelter. She is a four-year-old Boxer mix all the way from Hawaii. She’s adjusting well to life in Oregon, and can’t wait to have her own family here. However, she will need to go to a home without small dogs or cats. She is such a gentle soul with people, she is rated PG+5, though her tail, which is constantly in wagging mode, can be a bit painful when you get in its way! Keely has an old injury causing her to favor her right back leg. WHS is exploring options. But in the meantime, Keely is happiest when hanging out with people. Here she was with Marianne on Sunday.

After the outside pictures, we took Keely into the Real Room for some quiet time.

 

I had to laugh as she decided she’d really like to have the bigger piece of cheese.

 

Then Caroline came in to visit.

 

What an adorable face!

 

 

 

Looking for a puppy so you can practice your positive training techniques? Well here I am!

Roxy is a seven-month-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who is looking for a family with older kids, thirteen and over, who will take the time and effort to show her what being a member of a family is all about. Roxy is house-trained and already knows some commands. She is very high-energy (what puppy isn’t?) and has not yet learned that jumping and mouthing people are not polite manners. But! Since she LOVES treats (my cheese bits were a big hit) and is very smart, this girl will be fun to train. WHS classes would be a great idea for Roxy and her new family so they both could learn how to develop skills in a reward-based setting. Roxy needs a home that is feline-free. She did not get along with the other dog in her previous home. Perhaps being an only pet would be best for this girl. Roxy was so cute for her photo session, she loves to pose and was very cooperative. Here she was with Diane on Sunday.

 

 

 

I’m looking for a family ready for adventure! I’m fifty-six pounds of fun!

Meet Sherman, or as I fondly call him, The Tank! This boy was found as a stray and is looking for a family to call his own. Sherman is a Bulldog mix and is about three years old. Although he doesn’t seem to have had much training, he is eager to learn and loved my cheese bits. Because of his need for more training and his strength, he needs to go home with kids thirteen and older. Classes at WHS would really help him learn in a positive way how to be a well-mannered family member. Here he was on Sunday with Linda.

 

 

 

I know I can be a bit too exuberant, and I’ve been working on my manners! I’m improving!

Scout came to WHS as a transfer from San Antonio, Texas. He is a two-year-old, fifty-eight-pound Great Dane/Boxer mix. Scout is a delightful and VERY active dog, much like a puppy when he plays—this means he’s jumpy, and a rough and rowdy player with both other dogs and humans. Because he just didn’t understand that people don’t appreciate his mouthy play and lack of impulse control, he has become one of the dogs being worked with by the WHS Behavior and Training Team. And is he ever working hard! This boy is showing great improvement! Scout is looking forward to becoming an Oregon dog in a family without kids. His adoption comes with both our WHS Dog Smart and Check In & Chill Out classes to make sure the skills he is learning continue to grow. Here he is training with Marilyn on Sunday.

 

 

 

I’m in a foster home right now, but I’d love to meet you!

Little Rusty is staying at his foster mom Jolene’s home, but asked if I’d include this note from him.

“Hi everyone, my name is Rusty and I am a four-year-old Chihuahua/Terrier mix.  I have been with my foster family to learn to relax and not be so scared.  It must be working because I feel better and am starting to bloom and it has only been three weeks. My family doesn’t have cats but it does have four large dogs.  I love them all, but my favorite is the Mastiff mix! We like to play together.  I get on the bed or couch so we can reach each other.  If you don’t believe me, take a look at my video.  I am crate trained and love to go for walks. Sometimes I get so excited to walk that I may piddle some (oops, sorry). But I am house-trained. I could still use some practice with my leash manners. I ride well in a car and am a good watch dog, seven pounds of “Look out world, I’m coming.” I get along with my foster dogs because I was introduced politely.  I would love to meet you and your dogs that way, too.  I wouldn’t mind a family with kids who understand small dog behavior.  I love to have the company, after we meet, because I love to snuggle.”

If you would like to meet Rusty, contact Ashleigh, our foster coordinator at foster@whs4pets.org.

 

Here’s the whole family.

 

 

 

This is Robin Hood, an eight-year-old Lab mix, here with Marla.

 

 

 

This is Scooby, a nine-month-old Retriever mix, here with Sandra.

 

 

 

This is Ruger, a three-year-old Coonhound mix, here with Francis.

 

 

 

This is Max, a five-year-old Catahoula Leopard mix, here with Marianne.

 

On that note, that’s it for this week!

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