Tag: adoptable puppies

adopters, dog rescue, fostering dogs, puppies

Puppy-palooza!

Cara Sue Achterberg

It’s a regular puppy-palooza at this foster cottage. I was home from the latest shelter tour only a few hours when the deluge began.

Nancy and I picked up Sampson from the house of a new HSSC foster where he’d been with his mom for the last ten days. Tina told us that he’s a doll but he was driving her older dog a little nuts. She would continue to foster Sampson’s mama (Beatrix’s sister!) because she’s so easy and good, but would be grateful if I could take the youngster off her hands.

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adopters, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, hard to adopt, puppies, returned dogs

Looking for that Adoption Magic

Cara Sue Achterberg

From Marley’s point of view, people just don’t understand. What she’d like is a person (preferably a man) to be devoted to her in the same way that she is devoted to him. She’d like someone she could stick close to when he’s home and a safe, comfy crate to hang out in when he’s gone. Maybe a few long walks to sniff stuff, a few treats after she sits when asked, and a couch to snuggle on during movie marathons.

She’s a pretty simple girl.

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adopters, dog rescue, fosterdogs, hound dogs, litters, mama dogs, puppies, worms

Down to the Wire with These Puppies

Cara Sue Achterberg

We are getting down to the wire with these puppies, matching them with adopters, microchipping (tomorrow!), and I just slogged through the multi-day Safeguard deworming protocol (none of us enjoyed it). They’ll get their second set of vaccines and be ready to go home as early as December 30th.

Every day I grow more convinced that they are hound dogs. As a foster, I try very hard to dodge fostering hound dog puppies. Not because they aren’t cute, oh my gosh, they are. And not because they aren’t fun or sweet or snuggly – they’ve got that in spades. But because they are messy.

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adopters, dog rescue, fostering, Humane Society of Shenandoah County, puppies, training

Love is Not Enough When It Comes to Puppies

Cara Sue Achterberg

Love is not enough. At least when it comes to puppies (maybe when it comes to anything…).

Raising a good dog means putting in the work when they are puppies. The genes and individuality of your puppy are out of your control, but there’s lots more that is within your control.

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fostering, hound dogs, puppies

Introducing the Snack Cake Pups

Cara Sue Achterberg

Let me (finally) introduce you to the cuter-by-the-day pups who keep me from getting anything done these days. They were four weeks old on Thursday and all weigh about five pounds. Caitlin will be back to take some portraits of these cuties, but here are a few pictures taken with my iphone.

Ring Ding has probably the most dramatic brindle coloring of all. He is also the largest puppy. He is friendly and sweet, and seems fairly confident. He is often found lounging on his back and sleeps soundly (he’s not one to jump up if I come in the pen unexpectedly). The others love to pile on him, so perhaps he is the ‘popular guy’.

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dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering dogs, oph, puppies

Puppies!

Cara Sue Achterberg

Puppies.

What can I write that I haven’t written before?

This bunch is unique only in that they are all boys. I’ve never had a litter of all one sex. I came close with Edith’s litter of eleven girls and one boy.

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dog rescue, foster dogs, kittens, multiple dogs, poop, puppies, worms

One of Those Weeks

Cara Sue Achterberg

Fostering is a lot of work.

I won’t lie or paint a warm fuzzy picture of it being all unicorns and happy endings and lovely dogs who don’t poop indoors.

This past week has been one of those weeks. Nothing terrible happened and everyone is fine and on-their-way-to-being-healthy.

They are happy and engaged and exercised and gaining weight. (Pretty much every animal in this cottage except me, needs to gain weight.)

But I am pretty wiped out. It’s been non-stop.

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dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, puppies

You Know You’ve Fostered Too Many Puppies When…

Cara Sue Achterberg

Maybe you’ve had too many puppies funnel through your home when you have to schedule ‘puppy socialization’ into your day and beg your kid to play with them. My two older kids were home briefly before taking off for more exciting destinations and neither of them even went in the puppy pen while they were here.

Ian’s a great photographer, so I keep bugging him to take their picture, anything to give them a little attention. (If you want to follow his 365 project on Instagram, look him up at iachterberg_photo – he posted the BEST picture of Gracie yesterday and sooner or later the puppies will turn up I’m sure.)

Having failed at getting Ian to take the puppies’ photos and running up against the deadline for them to go out to the Puppy Waiting List (the people who are approved and get first dibs), I decided to Continue reading “You Know You’ve Fostered Too Many Puppies When…” →

dog rescue, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, Gala, Giving Tuesday Pups, oph, puppies

Who Wants a Puppy for Christmas?

Cara Sue Achterberg

A house full of teenagers returning home from war school with laundry in hand, holiday chores, high-maintenance foster-dog, an as-yet-undecorated Christmas tree, zero Christmas cookies made, gift-shopping incomplete, gift-wrapping not-yet-a-thought, book edits due, and impending relatives – what else could we pile on?

How about puppies?

Great idea.

And yet, it is.

These four little girls are absolute loves. Well mannered, happy, loving, healthy, and precious. The perfect escape from the holiday load. Once again, my mudroom is full of puppies. All is well in my world.

DSC_9512

These puppies are the Giving Tuesday Pups. They got that name because all four have sponsors who donated at least $150 to OPH on Giving Tuesday in exchange for the naming rights of these puppies. Isn’t that cool? Doesn’t it make you want to donate $150 now so you can name a pup in my next bunch? (I can make that happen.)

These girls are three months old. They hail from my favorite rescue operation in North Carolina – Old North Canine Rescue, who took great care of them and sent them northward healthy, clean, and happy. The breed guess on this bunch is all over the place. They’re listed as terrier-beagle, but that’s really just an idea. No one knows, and they aren’t talking. Beyond that, it doesn’t matter. What they are is gorgeous puppies. That’s all any of us need to know. At between 10-15 pounds, they are not going to be huge dogs, especially the smaller two.  Let me introduce you…. Continue reading “Who Wants a Puppy for Christmas?” →