Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! As you can imagine, the shelter dogs are very excited about the upcoming celebration and were eager to put on some St. Patrick’s Day attire on Sunday! And the dog walkers were equally thrilled with the seasonal apparel! (Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, I may have SLIGHTLY exaggerated the enthusiasm of both dogs and walkers, as you’ll be able to tell by some of the dogs’ comments.) But it was a FUN day anyway! 

Two of the dogs were adopted very shortly after dressing up. I wanted to put their pictures in anyway!

Rip Tide! Here this sweet boy was with Dog Walkers Angie, Frank, and Kaylee. His new people came and took him home later in the afternoon!

 

Dipper! Here he was with Dog Walker Jackie. He also went to his new home later on Sunday.

 

Clooney, a ten-month-old beauty, has the maximum number of holds allowed on him, so will be going home very soon.

 

I can’t wait to meet my new family! Will it be yours?

Nestle is a beautiful seven-year-old Retriever/Lab mix with a lot of energy. He will need a home with a yard for him in which to run. Nestle is very people-friendly, gives free kisses, loves attention and petting, knows to sit when asked and sometimes remembers “shake.” He should go home with older kids, since he is now a senior and is sensitive to touch on his back quarters. Probably would not be a good fit with cats, as like most labs, he thinks that cats are for chasing. He has been in our playgroups, and seems to be dog-selective (meaning he likes some dogs more than others) so would need to meet any potential canine siblings. He barks when he need to go outside to potty. He loved my cheese bits and was totally cooperative about dressing up. Here he was on Sunday with Patty. I have a feeling this boy won’t be at the shelter for long!

 

 

 

 

I may be a bit like a bull in a china shop, but I’ll keep you entertained!

Remember Dakota from last week’s post? She is a five-year-old Staffordshire/Bull Terrier mix who could get a job as a stand-up comedienne. She is hilarious! The problem is, she doesn’t realize how big she is (80 pounds!). She LOVES people and especially kids, has a great history with them, though they need to be a bit older so they can handle her excitement when she sees them. Dakota is such a happy girl! She has been an outdoor dog most of her life and now wants to be indoors, as well. It will just take some reward-based training (she loves cheese, by the way) so that she will understand how to act in a home. She has been working on her leash-walking skills and is showing improvement, but will need to continue practicing. This gal is a hoot with a tremendous sense of humor. She will keep her peeps laughing. We’re hoping she’ll be adopted very soon. Marianne and I spent some fun time with her both outside and in Mary’s Place on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

I, for one, though I think I speak for many shelter dogs, thought dressing up for St. Patrick’s Day was ridiculous!

Well, I can’t win them all. Neither Bandit nor Francis was overjoyed to let me dress them up. But they did it. Bandit is a wonderful boy! He is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix who LOVES his people friends. He will have to be an only pet. Bandit needs a calm home, a slow introduction with his new family for a while before he’s left alone. At the shelter he has been very stressed, giving him a case of “stress colitis,” which is now controlled with a change in his diet. But you will never meet a sweeter, more loving dog. He walks well on leash, loves to spend time just being with you, and is a quick learner. He will be a wonderful new best friend to a lucky adopter.

 

 

 

 

I’m going to be the best dog you ever adopted, if you’ll give me a chance!

Biscay has been waiting for a new family since February 3rd, and he’s getting anxious to find one. One problem is his “outside” voice in his kennel. He has gotten a bit stressed being at the shelter for so long and sometimes forgets he needs to use his “inside” voice when in his kennel. But get this boy outside, and he is calm, walks well on leash, is very affectionate and is smart as a whip. He loves to learn. He will need a home with older kids and no cats. Here he was on Sunday with Jackie.

 

One of Biscay’s many fans is volunteer Megan. She took him on an outing on Sunday and sent me this great report:

 

 

 

 

I’m still here waiting for you to come and adopt me!

I wrote about Charlie last week, but he still is waiting at the shelter for his perfect fit of a person. If you are up for an active, happy, energy-filled boy, look no further than Charlie! Charlie is a six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix. And he is definitely a “people dog.” He LOVES his fan club. He’s not so crazy about other dogs or cats, so will need to be an only pet. Charlie has two favorite things to do: play fetch and hang out with his peeps in Mary’s Place. During active fetch games, he will return the ball and drop it at your feet while giving you a huge grin. He has been working on learning not to jump up on people and to walk politely on leash. He is improving, though he will need to continue to practice using positive training. Oh, and did I mention that he is very treat-motivated? So training is a very fun activity for him. Charlie is house- and crate-trained and is rated for children 13 and older due to his enthusiasm for everything. And he didn’t complain when I asked him to dress up!

Charlie even volunteered to pose in front a friend’s hand-made quilts that she made for our dogs. As long as they last, one will be given to each adopted dog!

 

 

 

 

I’m a little shy, but spend some time with me and you’ll fall in love!

Oh my goodness, Missy is a such a sweetheart once she gets to know you. She is a three-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd mix. She is looking for a family who will give her the time she needs to feel safe and help her build her confidence. Once she feels comfortable with a person, she blossoms into a playful, happy girl. She loves to play fetch. Caroline spent some quality time with her on Sunday and said she was amazed at the way she relaxed once she felt secure. The third picture was taken after they had had some time together. What a difference in her demeanor!

 

 

 

 

I’m still here, too! Are you looking for someone just like me? One of my favorite things to do is to watch people eat!

I wrote about Kolohe last week, also. But since he’s been waiting for his perfect person since January, I decided to include him in this week’s post, too. Kolohe is an absolute hoot! He is a one-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix looking for an experienced dog person who wants a powerhouse of a new best friend! Kolohe is an eager, bright, extremely active, playful young dog who will make a fantastic running or hiking partner. He gets along well with other equally exuberant dogs. He responds wonderfully when asked to sit, even when he’s excited. He needs to work on his leash-walking skills, but he has great eye contact and checks in with his walker often. What does Kolohe love to do? Play FETCH! He will bring a ball back, sit, and wait for it to be thrown again. Oh yes, another thing his former owner reported that he loves to do is—watch people eat! He takes treats gently and loved my cheese bits. Since he’s highly food-motivated, he’ll learn new skills quickly. Kolohe has a lot of potential if he continues to receive rewards-based training. He would love to attend some WHS training classes and two of them come with his adoption! Kalohe was adopted once, but was too exuberant with a three-year-old child who was visiting. However, they had great things to say about him, including that he loved being outside and running, but was a “snuggler” on the couch in the evening. He had free roam of the house when the owner was gone and didn’t chew on anything except his own chew toys. He also rode well in the car. Here he was with Marianne on Sunday. He was SUCH a great sport and even seemed to enjoy wearing a bow tie!

 

 

Atom/Buddy

Buddy continues to thrive and his adoptive parents are crazy about him. This senior boy who arrived with so many medical issues after having a most challenging life has won the jackpot of homes for the rest of his life. I was so happy when his family sent these pictures of Buddy getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day!

And after all that posing, it’s time for a snooze!

 

We at WHS wish you a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!

A Personal Note — If you are a regular reader of my posts, you know that I suspended them for a while after having surgery. I had a bilateral mastectomy and I am now beginning chemotherapy and later will be having radiation. So I’ll be gone again for a while. I’m not sure how long this time, but I will be back.

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