I Remember Puppies Now…

Puppies.

Ah, now I remember.

And I’m really glad I only have three as I get my puppy-raising legs back underneath me.

After several different set ups, I’ve settled on having a big area (3/4 of the room) for their awake time and a small area (1/4) for bed time, nap time, and get-them-out-of-the-way-so-I-can-clean-without-helpers time.

While these pups have already had two sets of vaccines and never actually lived in a shelter (they were in foster care), I’m too paranoid to let them out on my grassy space until the possibility of parvo has passed.

So, for now, we’re staying inside. I do let them run around the kitchen at least once a day so they can stretch their legs. That floor is bleachable and there are not many things they can get into (but it doesn’t stop Chubby from tunneling under the pile of dog beds/towels or behind the shelving unit).

Let me introduce you to the Ubby Puppies. (Many thanks to Molly, a friend of Ian’s, for the name suggestion). They are all available for adoption through Operation Paws for Homes.

Bubby is the puppy you will notice first. He has incredible coloring, plus THE best ears. One of his ears sticks up and folds over at the tip, the other launches out to the side. His long snout and longish coat and lanky body make me think there is some shepherd in these puppies. Officially, they are listed as ‘boxer mix’ probably because of the black muzzles on Nubby and Chubby.

Bubby is very outgoing and a little bit of a resource guarder with his food, so we’re working on that. He has a sweet temperament though and is easily distracted when he gets mouthy.

All of the puppies love people, but Nubby seems especially smitten with me. Which is surprising when you consider that he clearly had some kind of accident early on. There is a wide scar on the top of his head and another that runs between his eyes. Nubby is unfazed by his old injury and it doesn’t detract from his delicious face, super soft floppy ears, and gorgeous eyes. Add to that he has four white feet, and he is handsome by anyone’s standards.

Nubby is probably the largest/heaviest of the puppies (15 poundsish). His skin is loose and pools around him. He REALLY hated the bath I gave him when he arrived, but that loose skin made it easy to hold him by the scruff to make it happen.

The only girl in this bunch is Chubby. She is smaller and stockier than her brothers. She has an adorable, quizzical face and two white bobby socks on her front feet. She is curious and smart, but less willing to dive in headlong like her brothers. She is happiest, sitting in my lap while they compete for my attention.

Chubby already figured out that if she sits while her crazy brothers are jumping all over me, she’s the one who will get my attention. She also easily figured out both food puzzle toys and determinedly works them at every opportunity.

These puppies were brought to a West Virginia shelter a little over a month ago and the shelter did a ‘medical intake’, meaning they vaccinated and dewormed them for the woman who brought them in and she took them back home. A couple of weeks later, she tried to give them away, so a friend of the shelter director took the puppies and fostered them until she could find rescue for them (me).

The idea of animals only coming to a shelter for medical intake and going director to foster care is my dream for the future of sheltering. They could come back for adoption meet and greets, behavioral evaluation/training help, pictures, events, etc., but until they are adopted, they’d stay in foster care.

To me, this is the ideal we should all work toward. Let the shelter be a resource center and temporary housing, but let the animals live in the least stressful situation – a foster home. It makes sense not just from the animal’s emotional health standpoint, but also from a fiscal standpoint. Plus, fostering is so rewarding, enabling the community to truly partner with a shelter to save lives.

Talking shelter solutions is my jam, so I won’t rattle on here, but if you want to know more, visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org and sign up for our blog/newsletter.

And if you’re wondering if Marley and Argus are still here…they are. They’re doing well, but they both deserve a chance to move out of this puppy-filled (and puppy-smelling) cottage to families of their own.

Marley is a sweet, uber-friendly 6-year-old girl who weighs about 40 pounds and is spayed, utd on shots, crate-trained, and housebroken. She is believed to have Husky in her (hence the one blue eye), but she really is just a perfect size, darling dog. She’s available for adoption through the Humane Society of Shenandoah County.

Argus just turned one. He weighs about 50 pounds, is quiet, sweet, and still has a lot of puppy in him (translation: he needs a lot of chew toys). He is neutered, microchipped, utd on shots, housebroken, crate-trained, and walks great on a leash. He’s timid with men, but an absolute snuggle bug once he gets to know you. He loves car rides and has enjoyed the outings we’ve taken him on. He’s available for adoption through Operation Paws for Homes.

If you want to know more about any of these pups, message me: cara.achterberg@ophrescue.org.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

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