Quinn's Christmas

It's been a crazy few days. Quinn and Honey went on their first trip together, and we learned a lot of things about the two of them. Mostly, Quinn is super puppy, loves everyone and wants to play so bad, and is especially excited by other male dogs (go figure!).

Another Shannon Johnstone photo.

On Saturday he met three new dogs, a somewhat dominant female border collie, a sassy little female pomeranian and a big, bashful male pomeranian (rescued from WCAC). He was pretty persistent in getting them to play, but backed off when the females said NO and the male ran away to hide. He kept trying periodically throughout the visit with no luck. When Bear, the (neutered) male came around, he got really excited and tried extra hard to engage him in play, but with no luck. None of the dogs paid him any mind, but luckily his sister is always happy to play with him. No guarding issues, no aggression, no dominance.

Landfill dog.

On Monday he met Roxy, another rescued pomeranian from WCAC. No issues there, of course. She was happy to let the big dogs play while she got all the attention. He and his sister did get out of the fence and run down a couple houses, but they came right when called and it wasn't a problem (this time). If Honey hadn't been with him, I can't be sure he would've come back immediately. He can be pretty determined in his need to explore new territory.

On Tuesday he met Charlie, a husky mix who is about his size. Charlie is notoriously rambunctious and a "dog park champion." One on one, he was fine with Charlie. With all three dogs, however, Honey would get very, very protective of Quinn and in fact guard Charlie so bad that it looked like she was herding him, a behavior I've never seen in her. Luckily, the two boys really hit it off and despite their different play styles genuinely seemed to enjoy each others' company.

(Also really glad that it was Charlie, not Quinn, who peed in the house. Ha! He's only had one accident since his return from the SPCA!)

Resting at home with big sis.

I'm very proud of how he's done with other dogs (especially the males and the larger dogs) even though I know it has nothing to do with me. I was worried about him with dogs of his size or larger, but he seems to have no Napoleon complex. He's a sweet boy who just wants to play and needs someone who can keep up. We're still looking!

Quinn's second chance

Since he's gotten back from the SPCA, we've learned a few things.

He's people focused and moderately submissive.

He CAN relax outside a crate, he just needs a comfy bed =)

He CAN be on the furniture without making trouble or being possessive.

He's a good napping buddy.

He plays hard.

He will chew, but not much.

We did another food test (well, another staff member did while I wasn't around) and he did fine. He didn't want to back away, but he did. If she had kept messing with him while he was eating, he may have gotten grumpy, but with moderate attention and poking, he did fine and was just super food focused. The advice given was that the new family should let him get comfortable and secure before bothering him while eating. He trusts us, and he'll let us mess with him, take his food, play in his bowl while he eats and put our hands in his bowl. It just takes time.

He had a meet and greet with a 60 lb spayed rottweiler and it went great. So larger dogs are okay. The real test will be male dogs. We do have a larger, neutered male next door, and Quinn saw him tied in the yard and didn't run over to eat him. Seemed interested, but not overly so and came when called (he was off leash in our yard). He's a good boy, he just needs some consistency and training.

It's been almost two weeks since his return, and he's only peed in the house once. It was totally random, and I think he just has a smaller bladder than his sister. It's my job to remember to take him out. He's very good about going and coming back, and I'm so glad he can be trusted off leash.

He's been a bit mouthy during play, but it's another thing where he doesn't do it with me so it's hard to work on. I've been telling everyone to correct him, even though he's very gentle and it's kind of cute.

I really hope someone sees all his potential! Email me!

More Elvis!!

Everyone needs more Elvis. He's growing to be so handsome and lanky.

And refined.

Playful.

Still looking for a good home.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Happy Fat Boy

Finley was adopted back in July, and we are very lucky and happy that his mom sends us updates.

He's actually roughly the same age as Haymitch and Elvis, and look how BIG he is!!

Happy Holidays =)

Rescued!!!

Thank you, Mitchell Mill Animal Hospital Rescue, for pulling My Fair Lady.

We had her for about two weeks but didn't post anything because she was rescue-only and we couldn't ensure her safety once we had to take her back to get Quinn. So glad someone saved her!

Back from the SPCA

Quinn was pulled by the SPCA a couple weeks ago and was returned this past Friday. He was "not an ideal candidate for SPCA's adoption program." They house communally and he's dog selective. I'm not sure how much of their assessment I can share, but I can give the gist here.

resting after a long day

He was amazing for most of his Safer Assessment. He excelled in making eye contact, being touched, poked, squeezed and relinquishing toys. There were only two areas where he was less than ideal, and that was food guarding and interaction with other dogs.

They didn't give any notes on his food issues, but I've had no issues feeding him here. He's been fed at the same time right next to his sister and I've held his bowl while eating. I'm going to experiment and see how tolerant he is of me messing with his food. He wags while he's eating, even if you touch him. I'm not sure if that's because he's comfortable here or because he was uncomfortable there.

He was introduced to one, larger male dog for the assessment. He ran to sniff the other dog, then snapped and was unable to relax or break focus, though the other dog remained calm. We know this is an issue with him, and it's one we're going to try to work on. I do know he's very, very good with one dog.

Hopefully we'll figure out what his "type" is, and see if he can have a canine companion or if he will be doomed to a life of solitude. I'm sure I've seen other dogs that he liked when we were at the adoption event, but I need to be more scientific about this. We will not fail him!

Madame Mamba

Mamba is certainly a pretty little princess, and I just got the photo to prove it!

She has been integrated into the home (no quarantine room for her!) and is getting along with the boys nicely. She was a bit stand-offish when the door to her room was opened, but now she's joined the small herd of cats and gets along just fine. The boys have assured her that yes, she is the boss, so she doesn't feel the need to keep asserting herself.

She is still not too thrilled about the dogs, but she's improving there as well. She poofs up and hisses less often and even allows them to pass right by her without fuss. She is curious and tries to sniff them sometimes but is not too keen on them returning the action.

I really hope she finds a home for the holidays. Goodness knows she deserves it. She's a good girl and sweet as can be.