Christmas Puppy Anyone?

Who is hoping to find a puppy under the Christmas tree?

I’ve got some pretty adorable puppies looking for a home of their own. The ABC pups – Alex, Becca, and Cassie – arrived this past week from Mississippi.

They are some super lucky puppies. They were found on the side of a rural road in the woods, with a bowl of water and a blanket. Sadly, abandoned puppies aren’t very uncommon in that part of the state where there are no municipal shelters. People often think they have no other option.

These puppies could have had a much different ending if some Good Samaritans hadn’t spotted a tiny black head pop up out of the weeds on the deserted road.

They were initially taken in by a local rescue organization that transports dogs to northern shelters and rescues. OPH spoke up for them, and they landed here with me.

Aside from abandoning them on the road, their original owners must have loved on them plenty because they are friendly and curious and happy. Thankfully, puppies are resilient, and dewormers work well, as they are healthy and ready to find forever homes.

I know your first question is—what are they?

I have no idea, and they aren’t talking, but the iPhone has a new feature where you can open a phone, tap on a dog icon, and identify the breed. It’s kind of fun to play with. It correctly identified Leche as a Siberian Husky.

But when I tried it with the puppies – instead of a particular breed it came up with ‘dog,’ which makes me laugh because, basically, that’s what they are. Black dogs with medium-length fur, pointy noses, and the most expressive ears.

Alex is the love bug in the bunch. He’s always ready for a snuggle. He watches my every move and sometimes ‘talks’ to me, much like Leche does, so maybe there is some Husky in the mix.

Becca is one smart little girl who also adores me but loves toys too. If I give her a new-to-her toy, she will happily chew on it, entertaining herself and not demanding all of my attention.

The attention demander is Chloe. She has a big personality and is the boss of the bunch. She’s also the smallest weighing in at about 7.5 pounds at about 10 weeks (no one can be sure, but their paperwork guesses their birthdate as 10/6/24).

Alex is the largest at almost 11 pounds, and Becca is around 9 pounds. If you believe puppy calculators (and from experience, I do not), they will be in the neighborhood of 35-65 pounds. That’s quite a spread.

All three are smart little pups. They learned to sit for treats in a day, which might be a record. They are extremely treat-motivated and will likely be super easy to train. That blue eye on Chloe, the length of their hair, and their super smarts might indicate some Aussie or border collie in the mix.

Really, it’s anyone’s guess.

The puppies love Hazel and she seems a little bit enamored of them. When I set them on my counter to give dewormers or do vaccines, Hazel joins them and nuzzles them briefly or bats at them without using her claws. The puppies are all in love with her, but my guess is they will be more likely to chase than snuggle her.

The rescue listed them as ‘terrier mixes,’ and that seems appropriate as they do chase anything that moves quickly– balls, toys, each other, Hazel as she runs along the outside of the pen.

I’m VERY grateful that they aren’t whiney or barky puppies since my office is in the same space. Basically, they are really nice puppies who will likely grow to be really nice dogs.

And don’t we all need more good dogs?

If you’d like to apply for one of the ABC pups, they are available for adoption through Operation Paws for Homes.

They’ll be ready to go home next week—just in time for Christmas!

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

If you like what you read and want to support my writing, consider buying me a cup of coffee.

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

My next book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues will be released January 28, 2025, but you can order an early copy and support our mission to give them to shelters and rescues, by purchasing one through our Indiegogo Campaign or directly from Who Will Let the Dogs Out.

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.

If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist. We are currently in need of chicken and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food, chew toys, and puppy training treats (tiny). Oh, and dog beds or large bed cover replacements (any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit).

If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visits BringDogs.com to learn more.