Dear Fellow Dog Lovers,

Have you ever wondered what dogs in playgroups discuss among themselves when humans are not around? Are they contemplating the future of our world? The human/canine relationship over hundreds of years? Actually, not so much. This happened last Sunday.

 

 

We had four terrific dog adoptions last week at Willamette Humane Society!

 

 

Murphy

I’m going to start with Murphy, a very timid Springerdoodle (I’d never heard of it, either—English Springer Spaniel/Poodle mix). After reading about him and seeing pictures taken by WHS Trainer Jessi, I knew he would be adopted in a nanosecond, and he was.

 

 

Here’s what his new person wrote about him the day after he arrived home.

“Murphy was super skittish and standoffish during our one-hour meet and greet, but once he was brought out to my car and I opened the back gate, he seemed to recognize it as a safe place and jumped in, clearly very excited. From that point his temperament completely changed and he quickly warmed up to me. He curled up on the passenger seat, looked at me for a while and eventually fell asleep. His comfort level seemed to grow by the hour. By the time we got home he was pretty comfortable with me and jumped on the bed for a while and then eventually settled down in a little dog bed I had set out for him and slept quietly through the night. He has never barked or even whimpered the whole time. Today is going to be our first full day together, and I am anticipating more success—he is a beautiful, docile little beastie. He was great on our morning walk, very eager to explore the yard and neighborhood. Anyway I thought you would appreciate the early feedback.  Please tell everyone that Murphy is a happy guy so far.”

 

 

 

Moses

After being found as a stray, and after two adoption returns, we are hoping that Moses has finally found his forever family. This stunning boy needed just the right person, and fingers and paws crossed that he’s now settling into his new life.

 

 

 

Rosie

Everyone at the shelter fell in love with this sweet Hound.

 

 

Here she is with her new people. WHS Trainer Nichole writes, “I know I fell instantly in love with Rosie when I met her, so it’s no surprise that she was adopted in a flash! She’ll be trained as an emotional support animal for a veteran with PTSD. She’ll be perfect for that job. Oh, by the way, the adopters told us that she is mostly a Kerry Beagle! Kerry Beagles are one of the oldest breeds to have originated in Ireland, with pedigrees dating back to the 18th century. It’s suspected that they made a huge contribution to the development of Coonhounds. Now the name Rosie fits her even more! Good luck, sweet lassie!”

 

 

 

And we just got this update. After asking her to lie down and stay: “She’s already stayed in a  ‘down’ in my kitchen for 20 minutes.  She’s even stayed down while I was bouncing balls near her.  She is already walking well on a leash. She is a freakin’ rockstar!” 

 

 

JD

JD was adopted on Tuesday. With the nearby wildfires, Nichole wrote, “Amid the smoke and ashes J.D. was adopted today! He came to us as a lonely stray from Independence, but he leaves with a family of three.  The kids told me that they are ‘soooo happy’ to have a dog to play with. Happy tails, J.D.!”

 

 

 

 

 

The Adoption Process 

WHS is keeping people safe while continuing to match dogs and cats with their perfect fits of families. WHS is open for adoption appointments 10:00 – 3:00 every day.

To find out exactly how the adoption process works, click on the link below:

Adoptions Continue! But Your Patience Is Crucial

 

 

I may be a rather large puppy, but I promise to learn stuff really fast!

Are you up for the joys (and challenges) of training a very large puppy? Benjy is an eight-month-old German Shepherd mix. He already weighs 54 pounds! And he can’t wait to meet his forever family.

 

Benjy first arrived at WHS in February when he was five weeks old, along with his eight siblings. He was quickly adopted, but was surrendered earlier this month because his family was moving and couldn’t take him with them.

Benjy is not for the faint of heart or casual owner. At eight months, he has not been fully taught polite manners, but oh, he is eager to learn! The good news is that Benjy is very treat-motivated. This will be the key for his learning that leaping (he can jump up over five feet!) and mouthing in fun are not considered gentlemanly.  

 

Benjy will need a family who will take the time and make the effort to use rewards-based instruction to train him, as well as use confidence-building games and experiences to help him gain courage. 

Benjy is quite timid when meeting people for the first time, so slow introductions will be important. He also is fearful of new situations, environments, and loud noises. While at first very shy when meeting new dogs, he is developing more confidence in playgroups. WHS Trainer Jessi reports, “He does well with other dogs for the most part if they are social and don’t mind a young puppy. He has taken correction well from adult dogs. He is very social with people in the yard. He is just young and needs activities for young, active dogs. He should for sure do some type of athletic sport. He jumps sooooo high! He is a fun dog!”

Benjy will need a little help with house-training. His former family said that he usually went to the door when needing to go out, but sometimes would have accidents in the house. He is crate-trained and stayed quietly in his kennel when the family was gone. They also said he listens to commands “for the most part.” He does sit on cue, and knows “go home” (meaning get in his crate). 

 

Benjy has come a long way since he arrived back at WHS. He is more relaxed when walking outside. Trainer Nichole noted recently that he “walked with his tail slightly tucked until we passed Turner Road. His body language changed to loose, open mouth, tongue out, trotting, tail relaxed, ears up and slightly forward. Oh, and he likes balls. He found one during our walk and tossed it around a bit.”

So what kind of home does Benjy need? He is looking for a family with sturdy children, about ten and older. He loves kids, but he doesn’t realize how big he is when playing and can accidentally knock them over. He has no history with cats. Benjy is still a pup and so will need a lot of activity and exercise. He will need to meet any dog he will be living with to make sure their play styles are compatible.

 

Benjy is a happy, bouncy, and eager youngster who, with some patience and training, will be a delightful family member.

To make sure that Benjy and his new family have a great beginning together, our training department is offering a free 30-minute private lesson to help both Benjy and his new peeps get acquainted. 

If you think that your family’s home will be the kind that Benjy is looking for, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on the link “Ask About Benjy” under his picture on the WHS adoptable dog page found here: https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

 

 

 

 

I love playing with my friends. I love my human friends, too! I could love YOU!

Osha is a four-year-old Siberian Husky mix. At only 38 pounds, she is a smaller Husky than most. She is very friendly, loves attention, and has a good history with children, so is rated for kids about eight and older. 

 

 

Osha was surrendered because of a medical issue that will need monitoring in her future home. She has been diagnosed with a rare genetic and autoimmune condition called Canine Dermatomyositis. She has had skin lesions since she was a puppy, but with medication at WHS, her lesions are currently mild. A special diet has also improved her health, and she will need to continue  on it. But don’t think for a second that Osha isn’t a happy, active girl. She is! 

 

 

WHS Trainer Jessi writes, “Osha is very friendly toward handlers and fairly easy to walk on leash. She does need some basic manners work, but is motivated by rewards, and is eager to learn.”

 

 

Osha love to romp in playgroups. She can be selective about her dog friends, but with dogs she likes, she is able to adjust her play style to match theirs. She can be rough and rowdy one minute and running/herding the next. Here she, JD, and Benjy were playing on Sunday.

 

 

Her herding tendency might be a problem for small dogs and cats, so she would do best in a feline-free home and one with dogs her size or larger. Osha is excellent at giving corrections to other dogs (like JD) when they are too rough, and dogs listen to her. Jessi says, “Osha is a fun dog to work with!”

Osha is a bright, happy dog who will become a much-loved member of a family. If that family might be yours, fill out the Adoption Questionnaire by clicking on the link “Ask About Osha” under her picture on the WHS adoptable dog page found here: https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

 

 

 

Hulk/Winston

Last post I wrote an update about our comedian Hulk, now Winston. This week I got a video that made me laugh out loud. As his person wrote, “Winston does seem to be more in the puppy mindset than the adult. I’ve got a video of his zoomies.”

 

 

 

 

 

As always, this post would not have been possible without the help of staff sending me pictures. Thank you to Jessi, Nichole, and Steffanie for this week’s great shots!

 

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

 

 

 

All of the dogs I have featured today, along with other terrific dogs waiting to be adopted, can be found at Willamette Humane Society. Here is the link to the adoptable-dog page:

https://whs4pets.org/adopt-a-pet/dogs-2/

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