Bring on the Little Dog People!

Who is looking for a little dog?

Nearly all the puppies I foster are large breed puppies, but for a change I’ve got some littles!

These chihuahua/mountain feist mix puppies are six weeks old and will be ready to go home on April 10.

Beatrix Potter and the potter pups (six boys!) were initially rescued by the Humane Society of Shenandoah County after the local shelter would not accept them (they did take the dad, though).

They were surrendered by an owner who was overwhelmed by their care and threatened with eviction. The over a dozen dogs and puppies he housed in his rented house trailer belonged to his grandmother who died in January. He’d been able to give away a few of the puppies from one of the mother dogs (Beatrix’s sister who is still in need of rescue along with one of her puppies) but had run out of time and money to deal with the rest.

When she came into my care, Beatrix was severely underweight and riddled with worms. She has had no veterinary care and neither have the puppies. Everyone has gotten their first vaccines and begun a deworming protocol. Beatrix is headed to the vet for a rabies vaccine, health check, and 4dx next week. Beatrix is a doll baby. Grateful for every drop of attention she gets from me, so far quiet in the face of Marley’s overly enthusiastic welcome, and seems to be housebroken (a happy plus). If you’re looking for a sweet, small, people-friendly pup, you might inquire about this one.

Thankfully, Operation Paws for Homes will take this mom and pup into their care as HSSC doesn’t have the resources or foster homes to see them through to adoption.

They will stay in my care until they are adopted or I leave for shelter tour (whichever comes first). They are already perking up and looking better. Mama Beatrix is eating nonstop, which is good because she was basically a skeleton with teats when she arrived. I’m seeing lots of evidence that we are getting rid of the worms (TMI, I know). The puppies have started eating solid food, and thanks to electrolytes and high-quality food, they’re gaining weight and energy.

That said, they all weigh less than three pounds. (For a point of reference, my last litter weighed between 7-10 pounds at six weeks.) Beatrix weighs 24 pounds. Here is a picture of dad at the shelter. He’s a cutie and not very big, so it’s likely (but not guaranteed) that these pups won’t be very big, either.

What can I say about the puppies? I have to think of something to put in their bios, but at this point I’m still getting to know them. They are ridiculously cute and teeny tiny (as are their poops!).

Benjamin is the largest at almost 3 pounds and also the most outgoing. He is the first to clamor for my (or his mom’s) attention.

Cottontail is also a mama’s boy and has figured out how to scale the barricade to get to his mama.

Peter is a little on the shy side, unsure when I bring him out alone. But to be fair, I have only really done that to deworm him twice and vaccinate him once, so he’s right to be wary.

 Tiggy-winkle is mostly black and has quite a chihuahua face. He’s a feisty little guy full of happ energy.

Flopsy is the smallest and loves to snuggle with his littermates (probably because he needs a little more body fat). He has the coloring of rottweiler – so Nick and I decided he’s a Toy Rotty.

Mopsy has a fuzzier coat than the others and big, round eyes. His tail never stops wagging. He’s a chunky tiny bear.

That’s all I know at this point, but I’m sure as they feel better their real personalities will emerge. They are so little! I know I’ve already said that, but I still marvel at their smallness (and how much easier they are to clean up after than regular puppies).

If you’re looking for a puppy who will grow into a small dog, you really aught to jump on this. Small puppies go fast, so if you don’t have an application completed—get on it!

And if you’re local and want to come snuggle puppies, you know where to find them.

As always, I will try to put up near-daily live videos of them in action.

And please don’t forget that Gracie Lou and Marley are both still patiently waiting for homes of their own. Next month will mark a year since Marley came into rescue, and Gracie Lou has been in rescue 15 months. I hope everyday that someone will choose them. They deserve a loving home of their own.

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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