Monday, December 27, 2010

Minnie (formerly Flossie)

Minnie has been part of our family now for just over a week, and she is fitting in very nicely. We thought the name Minnie fit her well because she is also a "mini-me" to our other Boston Terrier -Lucky. Minnie is a total sweetheart. Her big brother Lucky wasn't too sure about her at first (he thought she was kind of annoying), but I'm sure they are slowly becoming best friends. They have started to play together and I have even caught them napping together. Minnie has had a very busy first week. She got a gold star from her first vet visit and experienced her first Christmas(s) where she got lots of cuddles from all her new family. She is getting better every day with going potty outside and is great about going in her crate when its time. She loves playing with her toys, taking naps and eating! We are so happy to have another puppy in our home to love. Everyday is an adventure with her : )

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Pumpkin

We've had Pumpkin (formerly Star) for over 2 months now. We wanted to get a dog for our kids and had been looking online at several choices when we found Star. Looking at her picture (sitting on her hind legs with her front legs crossed and folded in front of her, a pose affectionately called "the Meerkat") and reading the description of how she bowed to her foster owners we knew she was unique. She is the greatest dog! She howls and says all sorts of things to us the second we walk in the door, gets all excited for her walks, and loves to just sit on my lap and chillax--a pleasant surprise, since neither one of our two cats will do that. The cats, by the way, have still not forgiven us for bringing home this 15-pound tornado, but at least they're past their initial hunger strike and are making eye contact with us again. Anyhow, we love her to death and I can't imagine not having her around. Sorry, kitties, but it's true. Didn't really think I was much of a "dog" pers
on. Guess I was wrong!
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formerly Fritz, now Mickey

Merry Christmas! (just a little late) for me and my family this has been the best Christmas ever, why? Because we got Mickey (whose name used to be Fritz) as an early Christmas present. We had got him 12 days before Christmas and he has been the best present of our lives :) We decided we wanted a dog about 2 or 3 weeks ago, we have another dog too, Maggie, but she is getting old for her breed and we wanted her to have a new companion so she wouldn't just sleep and be lonely all day. This dog wasn't just going to be for Maggie he was going to be for us too. We wanted a rescue dog and searched online all night for one, Mickey was the only one that really caught our eye, we were so excited. As my mom filled out the adoption forms, I checked everyday to make sure he was still available. Once we got the chance to meet him, we feel in love with his big brown eyes, and the way he waddles. Now he is getting settled in his new home, and he loves it! He is so cute when I take out the c
amera and he gets excited then poses for a picture, when he is excited to see us his tail wags so fast it goes in circles, and when we go out into the garage he waits for us by the door. He is getting along with Maggie and the whole family very well and he has a nice loving home for as long as he lives.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Peaches Hess

At te time I was searching for a Yorkie to be a foster parent to. However in my internet search I came across People United for Pets. I decided to look and see what type of dogs they had and I immeadiately came across this adorable sweet little Pomeranian by the name of Peaches. I fell in love with her immeadiately and filled out the adoption papers that same night and submiitted it. I got a responce almost immeadiately after, however due to some scheduling issues we were not able to meet Peaches for about two weeks later since we were out of town. We arrived home on 10/30/10 and I had an email in my box which told me where I could come and meet peaches. My wife immeadiately got ready and left for the event in Kent. Once we got there she was in her crate, and when they let her out and let me take her for a little bit, I knew she had to be a part of our family. My wife, daughter and I love her more than words can express. She is only 10 months old and still a puppy. We are so
excited about spending our first Christmas with her. She is a total joy!

Happy Tail

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Happy Holidays!

We adopted Ted three years ago and cant imagine life without him. He wants to be sure and wish everyone at PUP Happy Holidays and thank you for all you do!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

formerly Tigger now Girly

I adopted Tigger who I quickly renamed........GIRLY because she is SUCH a girl - I'm having trouble e-mailing pix from my phone but when I get that sorted - I'll post some funny pix of her giving the camera a wink.......and her sleepin' on the couch with her new blankies:-)

She's got me crackin' up on a daily basis AND walkin' the stairs 3 times a day - I live on the third floor so needless to say - I'm gonna get back into shape with this new kid!

She got a new harness yesterday and polar bear jacket - haha - she did NOT like that at first but once we went out onto to balcony in the chill - she was just fine with it...........she's quite a snuggler.....only 7 pounds and takes over the whole bed..........haha -

Yesterday I went out shopping and put her in her tent carrier - I made the mistake of meeting the zippers on the bottom........when I got home I found her runnin' amuk throughout the house - SHE UNZIPPED the carrier and took over..........hahaha - guess I have to make sure I zip at the top in the future...........this one's pretty smart.........

It's SO good to have a dog in the house again after 9 months of no dog.....since I lost my Cairn in March after 15.5 years........what a void........I've been just waiting for the right time and the right kid and GIRLY is that kid..............YAY....

She's only had a couple of accidents in the house but we're getting on schedule and she alerts well now.

Thanks PUP.......
Girly's Mom - Laura

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Update on Ranger and Joey (formerly Champ)

It's been 6 weeks since Joey joined us. He and Ranger thoroughly enjoyed the recent snow, bringing in the occasional icicle to munch. Ranger has had time to adjust to our cooler weather, so he spent extra time patroling the yard. Joey also enjoys cuddling on the couch with our older dog, Rosie. He's so respectful of her, playing her kind of game (run and bark). With Ranger, Joey plays run and wrestle. He's such a diplomat!

Ranger and Joey have come up with an interesting variation on the classic tug game. Before Joey joined us, I'd play tug with Ranger and he'd occasionally flip on his side or back and let me drag him over the rug with the tug toy. Evidently, he really enjoys the sensation because he inserts it into his tug game with Joey. Not sure what Joey thinks of his opponent going belly-up in the middle of the game, but he seems willing to play along and drags Ranger for a bit before the standard game resumes. They are two peas in a pod!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Milos' first night at his new home

Well, looks like we are off to a good start. Milo found his way around his new house, and he and his new big sister were playing in no time. Super cute. If only pictures could capture the fun and playful moments better. Thank you Heather, Milo seems absolutely adorable. (and he's gone potty outside twice already for us! Yay!)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Artie (formerly Dinty)

Thank you PUP... We adopted Artie in October of this year. Here is a photo and update. Artie has brought us such joy! He displays affection, humor with his playful squeaky toy antics and confidence during walks. Artie is quite sociable with other dogs and loves the attention from everyone - especially children. We know he is comfortable with his new tribe! (PS: Raymond and Artie need to meet as they like the same things =)

Raymond, formerly Luigi

We adopted Raymond in August of this year. We wanted to send and updated photo. Raymond has come such a long way! He has taken obedience class and now enjoys running (up to 4 miles!) with his owners and "brother" dog. Ray's confidence is growing by the day. He is very funny and playful and a he is a true delight. He is very affectionate and loves everyone.
Raymond's favorite things are: 1) eating; 2) snuggling; 3) going for walks; and 4) chasing squirrels. He is doing great!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Why we love Jeni

We have had Jeni about a month now. She has stolen all of our hearts, including our two greyhounds, Jimbo and Gordo. Jimbo and Jeni are best buddies. She curls up next to him at every chance and sleeps with him at night. Every once in a while, Jimbo allows Gordo to sneak in and cuddle up next to Jeni. They play tug of war and run together almost daily. Jeni lets you carry her like a newborn baby, with her head looking over your shoulder. She cuddles into your neck, just like a human baby and because of her size, you feel like you're carrying a baby! She is definitely my new furry daughter! She is impressively smart, coming to us crate trained, knowing "sit" and already learning "wait", "dance" and "up". When we take her to our cabin in the mountains, she happily uses potty pads instead of going out in the snow, and was easy to train. As she is a very vocal dog.. not barky, but vocal, I have been working with her to say "mama" and I believe within a month or so, she
will have it down. She is the first pup we've ever had that likes to talk in this way and it is so fun to work with her. Her intelligence continues to amaze us.

We are just so thankful that PUP provided us the opportunity to adopt such a wonderful member of the family. The happiness she brings can not be measured. You guys are doing great things, keep up the good work!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Gibbs Update

It has now been just over 5 months since we were fortunate enough to bring Gibbs... now named Rafael (Rafa) to our home in Vancouver, British Columbia. On June 11th we lost our beloved 10-yr old havanese AJ and two weeks later our hearts were healed when we were approved as 5-yr old Rafa's new parents. As with many rescues, his history was sketchy but he was thought to be a havanese-cross with a bad start in life. We immediately did a DNA test and discovered he was primarily havanese and poodle with a bit of Schnauzer & Pomeranian thrown in.

Upon settling in we discovered that he had plenty of energy, attitude, passive-dominance issues, separation anxiety and the occasional in-house accident. It was clear that he needed to learn who was the alpha (me) and where he stood in the pack. We hired BarkBusters to assist with retraining and the separation anxiety and he no longer howls like a wolf when left alone. We are now able to simply walk out and leave him alone for several hours with access to the entire house without incident !! He hasn't been left alone for more than 4 hrs at a time and this works well for us and him. No more crating, den-gating, doggy daycare and/or baby-sitters.

He is now well-behaved on-leash (never walks ahead of us), has learned several key commands/words and does all his 'business" during his daily walks. He has even figured out a way to communicate to us that it is time to go out.... rarely a false alarm. Best of all, it is clear that he has accepted us as his pack members as demonstrated by the abundance of kisses we now get that we didn't recieve the first few months... we initially assumed he just wasn't an affectionate kind of dog... we were wrong!

The plan was for him to sleep in the den on his own doggy bed and that eventually worked well if we gated the den. Recently, however because of his good behavior we have been letting him sleep w/us... he nestles between the pillows at the headboard and sleeps there all night long. I have a feeling that this is going to become the norm and the den plans are out the window.

He has plenty of stuffed toys to terrorize, rubber balls to retrieve and has made some doggy buddies in our complex. He loves to chase things that move... especially cats and squirrels... although I'm not sure what he'd do if he caught one. His favorite thing appears to be car rides with the window down so he can stick his head out and enjoy the breeze. Our vet has certified him as healthy (he's gained 3lbs) and our groomer is pleased with his disposition during his monthly visits. I'm not sure if he has seen snow before but he really enjoyed running and jumping in it last week. We'll be taking him to Palm Springs for Xmas/New Years so we'll get to see if he can swim in the pool.

Thanks PUP for saving Rafa... I'm sure he'd agree that he's in a much happier place.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Form Submission from: www.healthypawsfoundation.org

Tito

My boyfriend and I were originally planning to adopt a dog we saw at the Seattle Humane Society, but when we got there we found out the dog we wanted was already adopted. Disappointed, we decided to head over to Bellevue Square since we were in the area. The first store we walked into was Macy's and coincidentally there was a P.U.P. event going on. That was when my boyfriend laid his eyes on Tito; his name was Chief at the time but after looking at his little face, he deserved a name as cute and sweet as he was. My boyfriend turned to me excitedly and said "Look at that little guy!" When I turned to look, I'd experienced my first "love at first sight". We came over to pet him and we asked his foster mother many questions about the adoption process and how much we just fell in love with him. After two weeks of the adoption process we were able to take him home. At first he was really quite and a bit playful, but now his personality just shines through his little smiles and kis
ses that he gives us everyday. We look forward to experiencing Tito's first holiday season with us and the many more years ahead as a family.
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Friday, November 5, 2010

Champ/Joey

Joey (formerly Champ) is settling in very smoothly. He figured out the dog door quickly, and enjoys going for rides in the truck and walks at the park. He and Ranger (adopted last April) became instant best buddies and have so much fun wrestling and racing around the yard! I tried to take a photo but it was always a blur of motion. You'll have to imagine them racing across the grass, charging through the leaves, and leaping over the bushes. The tug-of-war matches are hysterical! Had to wait till the end of the day to get a picture of the two of them. Joey is a mellow cuddler when laying next to you on the couch but is always up for any game. Thanks for saving this gem!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Ted Update

I never thought I'd have a small dog, being raised with larger breeds my entire life. However, from the day I saw Ted's picture on PUPs website, I was in love. He is my little buddy, we often sit together and soak up as much sunlight as we can. He brings joy to everyone that meets him with his unique smile! Thank you PUP for matching me with Ted!

Penelope

My husband and I were not looking to adopt a dog when we met Penelope. Penelope (original name Alexis) was a foster dog and was being fostered by a close friend of ours. In mid October we went to visit our friend who was fostering Penelope and fell in love with her almost immediately. When we left for home later that night, I already began to miss her. Never have I had that happen while visiting a friends dog...but...this was different. Penelope was different. it only took 1 discussion with my husband and we sent our adoption paperwork in. The problem was I was already so in love that I crossed my fingers she would be ours. Luck was on our side and we were able to adopt Penelope.

Penelope is such a great dog. Loving, affectionate, extremely smart and trainable, a good walker, and a great addition to our new family. My husband and I are newly married (2 months) and Penelope just makes our new family feel 100% complete.

Now what we have Penny she helps us get up in the morning (we both are horrible morning people) and she also gets us out walking more. She brings a smile to our face every day and we have so much fun with her.

Thank you PUP for rescuing Penelope. She is such a great dog.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Felix

Felix the dog who think is a cat.
We adopted Felix a month ago is now a happy little dog who love to go for walk, run after the vacum and the broom when you clean house and jump on you when you list expected he also gain 3 lb. He is going to have a long happy life with us.
T A

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Jack (formerly known as Rojo)

It's been almost a month since Jack bounced into our lives. The name Jack came about because he reminds me somewhat of a Jack Russell Terrier when seen from behind. He's already got a nickname of Bullet as he darts across the living room and jumps onto the couch without concern of stopping against the back of it.

He's pretty much potty-trained these days and that's a relief. Our other dog, Rupert, gets along with him quite well. Even though Rupert is 3 times the size of Jack, they love to play and nobody gets hurt.

I never thought I would get a dog this small but something about him when I saw him at a PUP event changed my mind. He fits right into the "pack" and loves to go for rides in the car now that the weather is cooler. Also likes to watch the ducks out back.

Jack's on schedule to be fully spoiled by Christmas. He's got a new collar, leash and a coat for when it gets too cold out.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Sophie our sweet mama dog

Our beloved senior dog Squirt had to be euthanized and our hearts were broken. Sophie came into our life the same day.We have had her almost a year, About 2 weeks later we adopted Vitamin who has three legs and suffered abuse. Sophie and Vitamin are inseperable and Vitamin lays on top of her she is a tiny chihuahua.. Sophie is like her mom. When Vitamin is tired she leans against Sophie. Both girls are from Ca.What a blessing they are to our life.The young boy in photo is our grandson with her. She has quite a personality and when she wants food she taps your arm.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Pink

From the first day we brought Pink home it was like she had already been a part of our family. Our mini Aussie doesn't approve of most, but we can't stop the two from playing all day long. We have never seen our Aussie happier. Pink is our spunky little linebacker as she finds blocking our Aussie from his ball and toys amusing. Pink's personality is "I can do anthinng better than you". To our suprise she loves to swim, and swims with our other dog all the time. She has added more joy to our little family then we could have ever imagined. She has become accustomed to many days at the Redmond dog park with her brother in which she loves to meet new friends. Our little family is so thankful for this little bundle of joy.

Augie Takes The Biscuit!

On a random Saturday at the end of August we found ourselves in an Issaquah pet store to look at a dogs up for adoption. I for one, felt a little overwhelmed at the vast number of four legged friends. After an hour or so, we left the store. When we were in the car, my 13 year old asked the question that would change our lives forever, "Did you guys see Augie?"
"Yes, yes, yes!!!!" shouted the seven year old...
The discussion continued until we got home and as we pulled into the drive, it was evident that Augie was THE ONE. So we turned the car around and went back. We were told though that Augie was already "pending" and we had to wait and see...
But on the following Sunday we were told that we could adopt Augie and make us his forever home! What a wonderful day that was!
We have not looked back since and can not imagine our lives without our new dog. We changed his name and he now goes by Sir Biscuit! He is super intelligent, extremely loveable and very very friendly. All these are only surpassed by his exteme level of super cuteness! Even our three cats are taken with him...
We love Sir Biscuit and would like to thank PUP for bringing him into our lives and changing it forever for the better!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Why Fiona Is The BEST!

We adpoted Fiona in August and we have sure grown to love our little girl! She is wonderful addition to our family and loves her big sister Lucy (and they look so much alike!) She has the most adorable bark, it almost sounds like a video game :o)

Fiona is very loyal and quite a cuddlebug. She likes to sleep right next her sister Lucy each night. She is doing well with housetraining and is venturing into the world of dog parks, although isn't so sure about them yet. Her favorite game is fetch and tug-o-war. It's hilarious to watch her hop through the grass to chase her toys. We are so happy we have her in our family!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Alia (Alicia)

It has been just one week since little Alia came to live with me and my dachshund, Huether, and in that time she has brought so much joy to our home. Okay, Huey was a little put out at first, but he's warmed up to her and her puppy antics.

We've made good progress on potty training, although we still have a ways to go with walkies on the leash.

Thanks so much to PUP for allowing me to adopt Alia; she's one big kibble bowl overflowing with cute.

Alan

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Bella

We adopted Cashmere and changed her name to Bella. I've never owned a dog before, and just 3 days later, I love her more every day! She's the sweetest little pup ever; she follows me around the house, loves to cuddle, loves to go for walks, loves everyone she meets, and has claimed most of the cat toys as her own.

The cats aren't too sure what to make of her, but every day there's progress and I think it's sinking in that Bella is not going away. We just make sure we give everyone lots of love and attention.

It's obvious she got TONS of love in her foster home; thank you for taking such good care of her!

Starr & Ed

Monday, September 6, 2010

Our Maddy

We changed Madams name to Maddy and as you can see in the picture, she has adapted beautifully with us and our other pets. She is a little clown that loves to delight her mommy doing little circles and standing on her back legs begging for a treat. She is so much a part of my life now. I cant imagine her not being with us.
After the initial greet and meet with our other rescue dogs, she found that my lap is the best place to be. She loves going to town with me and of course gets lots of attention from her public.
I adore this little love. She is my therapy dog. When my day gets rough, I look at her and there is my little sunshine with lots of wet kisses and her little tail going a mile a minute. She brings smiles to everyone she meets. I cant thank you enough for allowing us to adopt her. She is a lot of love in such a little package.