Scrappy

Another late afternoon visit to the shelter for me, this summer is just too busy.  All of the dogs had been out for at least one volunteer walk but Scrappy's had been earlier in the day.  I must admit, I've seen some odd looking dogs at the shelter but Scrappy is near the top of the list!  Cute though.  He is supposedly a combination of dachshund and wirehaired terrier and about five years old.   He was all wags at the front of his kennel, but when I came in his back door, he was soooo timid (video).  It took over 10 minutes of coaxing to get him in a harness.  I should have guessed this since he was wearing a Thunder Shirt.  I was about to give up and get help from the staff  however when he saw that I was going to leave, he bounced over, happy to let me harness him - #*#*# !  Off we went.

Our first stop, the exercise yard.  Scrappy just loved running around sniffing, taking care of business and chasing tennis balls,  they were almost as big as his head!  He is a little dog with a big attitude.  He was also very tuned in to other dogs walking by, I could tell he considered them all potential buddies, giving them his full attention and practically wagging his hip out of joint.  What a sweet little guy.  According to  volunteer comments he sits on command but I did not have much luck with this one.  He does however come when he is called, stays close when walking and is  close to learning  fetch.  He was brought to the shelter because his owners did not have time for him; it is apparent that he is responsive to training, just has not had much.  Most of the small dogs I walk seem to  happy just playing in the exercise yard.  Scrappy let me know clearly that he wanted a regular "big dog" walk.   We headed out into the open desert, Scrappy leading the way.  He is good on the leash and thoroughly enjoys exploring everything new.   

On our return a woman got out of her car and approached us quickly.  She  said she had a dog at home who looked exactly like Scrappy;  it's a strange world!  She plans to bring him in for a meet and greet and, who knows, maybe Scrappy will find his long lost twin.  Let's hope he finds some caring person so he can know what it is like to have a truly forever home.

Pollyanna has a Transition

Pollyanna will wait for her forever family in a foster home.  She has so much energy, this will be a much better situation for her to be at her best.

Clyde has found his Forever Home

Sweet little Clyde was adopted last week.  I'm sure he is settled in and enjoying this beautiful summer with his new family.

Clyde

 So few dogs at the shelter today, I selected Clyde mostly since the  other dogs had been on recent volunteer walks.  However it took no time at all to see how extremely cute and sweet he is.  Clyde is a three year old Lhasa who came in as a stray;  his past is unknown.  I was greeted with wags and wiggles at his back door but he backed away from his door and settled long enough for me to get him harnessed.  He trotted cheerily down the hall and we were soon outside; a lengthy piddle began our outing.

It was so hot and he is so small I figured an extended visit to the exercise yard was the best choice.  After lots of sniffing, exploring and quiet cuddle time I was happy to see that he is quite obedient.  In my experience here at the shelter, this is often not the case with small dogs though they are nearly always sweet and affectionate.  Clyde comes when he is called, sits on command and even seems to heel.  I tried getting a video of heel, but it looks pretty strange.  

He is such a nice little guy, let's hope he finds his new family soon.

Boston Returns to His Owners

After about two weeks in the shelter, Boston's owners came in and claimed him. Duh!  There must be an interesting story behind this one, I'll have to check with staff.

Family Fun

Willow and her visiting cousin, Alice in a romp; both are rescued dogs.

Tobbi

The volunteer note board cautioned that Tobbi, might be timid and could take some time to warm up; treats, soft talking, etc would all be helpful. I loaded up my pockets and went off to meet the possibly reclusive Tobbi.  I saw two visitors sitting on the floor making "puppy talk" sounds and a squirming, charming Tobbi pressed up against his kennel as close as he could get to them.  At his back kennel door he greeted me with the same happy enthusiasm, settling  just  enough to get harnessed.  Far from a recluse, this dog was Mr. Hollywood.  Tobbi is a  about 18 months old; his profile says he is a Chihuahua/Cocker Spaniel mix but to me he looks more like a Papillon. He happily trotted out of the dog area full of confidence and not at all concerned with the cacophony of barks and howls all around us.

He is so small and the day so hot, I decided that our outing would be limited to the exercise yard which afforded plenty of room for his exercise and also shade.  He was happy  sniffing, getting petted or carried around and watching some of the bigger dogs going out on walks.  Unlike some small dogs, he is very calm  and relaxed.  I always attempt to catch the dog doing something active in the video but this did not happen with Tobbi.  He was quite happy resting in the shade letting the breezes waft over him.  He is such a totally sweet little guy, it was very hard to end our visit.  I guess I'll just have to be content knowing that there is an excellent chance his search for a forever family will be short.  They will be so lucky!