February 8, 2012

Are You Interested In Fostering Puppies?

Do you live in Los Angeles or Orange County?

If so, I noticed today that Cuddly Canines needs foster families for several puppy litters.

The Riverside Shelter has been slammed with litters this past weekend and many will die unless we find foster homes for them ASAP. Please email Cuddly Canines at CuddlyCanines@aol.com or CuddlyCaninesRescue@yahoo.com.

Urgent Foster Families Needed

Small Terrier mix mom & 7 babies, about 4 weeks old – SAVED!
Chihuahua mix mom & 3 babies, about 4 weeks old – SAVED!
4 Shepherd Orphans, 3 weeks old – SAVED!
7 Aussie-Shepherd Orphans – bottle babies

The first 3 litters have already been saved however the 7 Aussie-Shepherd Orphans still need help. Please contact Cuddly Canines if you can rescue these babies.

Linus is an Australian Shepherd Mix and I’d love to rescue the 7 puppies, but don’t think I can take enough time off work to rescue and take care of 7 little babies. I hope someone out there can help out. Best of luck to Cuddly Canines in finding a foster family.

Puppy Adoption – Australian Shepherd Mix

If you are considering puppy adoption, I highly recommend visiting one of your local puppy/dog rescues. In past articles I’ve talked to you about the puppy/dog rescue, Cuddly Canines. I want to do my best to help place these puppies by profiling each puppy, litter of puppies, and dogs on this blog.

***Note this dog may already be adopted as I will keep this information in my archive. Please check the Cuddly Canines website for the most recent puppies up for adoption.

Bella The Australian Shepherd Mix Puppy

Bella

Bella the Aussie Mix

Adorable Bella is a 3 month old Australian Shepherd mixed with ??? She is a happy playful girl who has lots of energy & a fun disposition.

She would do great in an active family who could take her on walks, camping trips, etc. Bella is very smart & would excel in agility training. Bella currently weighs about 15 pounds.

What is an Australian Shepherd Mix?

Bella is said to be an Australian Shepherd mix puppy. Because we know she might be mostly Australian Shepherd she may exhibit the temperament and traits of an Australian Shepherd.

From Wikipedia on Australian Shepherd temperament:

Generally the breed is an energetic dog that requires exercise and enjoys working, whether it is learning and practicing tricks, competing in dog agility, or any other physically and mentally involving activity. Other Aussies would rather be with their humans and enjoying being couch potatoes. It is usually a sweet and affectionate dog who is faithful to its owners and should be good with children. Most Australian Shepherds make wonderful family dogs, provided there is at least one shepherd-figure to act as a leader and mentor to the dog.

My shelter dog, Linus is an Australian Shepherd mix and displays the “rather be with their humans and enjoys being a couch potato” temperament. Linus is very easy going, smart, protective, and on the timid side.

Are you interested in adopting?

If you are interested in adopting Bella please visit the Cuddly Canines website. If you happen to adopt Bella please remember, it’s never too early or too late to start her on her training. If you are interested in puppy adoption or fostering here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

Puppy Adoption And Fostering
Dedicated To My Dog Linus

Of course, Bella is not the only dog being fostered by Cuddly Canines. Please visit their website to see the most current pictures of all their dogs and puppies.

Cuddly Canines is having their adoption event Sunday February 24th from 11am-4pm in Aliso Viejo. Click the link for more information: Cuddly Canines Adoption Event.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this article. Is puppy adoption in your future? Do you want to try puppy fostering? If so, please visit the Cuddly Canines website.

Puppy Adoption – Black And Tan Labrador Retriever Mix

If you are considering puppy adoption, I highly recommend visiting one of your local puppy/dog rescues. In past articles I’ve talked to you about the puppy/dog rescue, Cuddly Canines. I want to do my best to help place these puppies by profiling each puppy, litter of puppies, and dogs on this blog.

***Note this dog may already be adopted as I will keep this information in my archive. Please check the Cuddly Canines website for the most recent puppies up for adoption.

Chocolate The Black Lab Mix

Chocolate the black lab mixBorn in the Riverside Shelter on October 8th to a Black Lab mommy, we are sad to report that mommy died in the shelter, but we were able to save the babies & they have been loved & cared for in a wonderful foster home, complete with 2 kids to play with. These pups are going to make wonderful family pets. There is one femail left for adoption from this litter.

Chocolate is in Foothill Ranch

What is a Black and Tan Labrador Retriever Mix?

Chocolate looks a lot like a guide dog puppy in training from our group named Eagan. You can see a picture of Eagan on my post about Black and Tan Labrador Retrievers. My guess is that Chocolate is not a pure-bred black and tan retriever, but instead is mixed with one another breed that has black and tan markings…maybe a coonhound, doberman, gordon setter, or rottweiller. The Cuddly Canines website says the mother was a black lab, so here’s a little bit of information on labrador retrievers:

From Wikipedia about their temperament:

Friendly, reliable, loving, affectionate, lovable, patient, highly intelligent, loyal, willing, high-spirited, lively, good-natured.

In general the Labrador Retriever gets great marks from most people and sources you talk to. On this website we rated them the number 2 dog breed good with children.

Are you interested in adopting?

If you are interested in adopting Chocolate please visit the Cuddly Canines website. If you happen to adopt Chocolate please remember, it’s never too early or too late to start him on his training. If you are interested in puppy adoption or fostering here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

Puppy Adoption And Fostering
Dedicated To My Dog Linus

Of course, Chocolate is not the only dog being fostered by Cuddly Canines. Please visit their website to see the most current pictures of all their dogs and puppies.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this article. Is puppy adoption in your future? Do you want to try puppy fostering? If so, please visit the Cuddly Canines website.

10 Differences Between Guide Dog Puppy In Training And Your Pet

I’ve raised several dogs as my personal pets, but Stetson is my first Guide Dog Puppy in Training. There are lots of similarities and differences in their puppy training. Today we’re going to focus on 10 of those differences.

How Is Training A Guide Dog Puppy Different?

Number 1Guide Dogs in training require plenty of socialization. Although you should always do your best to socialize your pet dog and present him with many different situations, a guide dog must also go anywhere the general public is allowed. Stetson goes to the movie theater, amusement parks, grocery shopping, traveling on buses, trains, planes, and automobiles, the shopping mall, to my office at work,…basically everywhere I go. This is important because Stetson must not be distracted by the different smells, sights, and people he may meet in these many different situations. Of course it is also important that any activity your Guide Dog in training is presented with be age appropriate. For instance, it is recommended that a Guide Dog in training not be in a heavy traffic area like Disneyland until the puppy is over 12 months of age.

Remember it’s important to socialize your regular pet dog as well. My dog Linus as a puppy went with me to the outdoor mall, outside the grocery store (to meet people), camping, and outdoor restaurants. My goal for Linus was to allow him to meet all different people and be put into many different situations, so he would be accustomed to meeting other people and dogs.

Number 2 - No tennis balls or frisbees. Why can’t Stetson play with these toys? Mainly because he will see these object quite frequently and must not be distracted. When Stetson some day is leading a blind person he can’t suddenly try to chase a ball or frisbee. That would definitely be bad.

Number 3 - There are specific commands Stetson must learn and we shouldn’t teach him anymore. The reason Stetson shouldn’t learn anything more than the commands specified by Guide Dogs of America is because in his formal training he will be learning more advanced techniques and anything beyond his basic obedience commands may interfere with his more advanced commands.

Number 4 - He’s not allowed on the furniture. This is a rule for a lot of pets, but Stetson must stay off the furniture.

Number 5 - He must be taught to pee and poop on command and must never go to the bathroom when in his jacket. The command is “Get Busy”

Number 6 - He’s not allowed to sniff. He can only sniff right before he goes to the bathroom. Other than that…no sniffing allowed.

Number 7 - No territorial marking. Both male and female dogs will mark. You might notice male dogs marking when they lift their legs.

Number 8 - When riding in the car Stetson must ride on the floor boards on the passenger side. This is for both safety and practical reasons. He is safe away from the airbag and when he’s riding with his blind partner he will be on the floorboards.

Number 9 - Stetson’s not allowed to go to dog parks or dog beaches. However, he can go to the regular beach.

Number 10 - When unsupervised Stetson must stay in his crate. It’s not too big a problem because he goes everywhere with me, but once in a while I cannot take him and he must stay home. When Stetson is home alone he must remain in the crate while my pet dog Linus roams the house.

One final thing, I guess we’ll call it number 11. Guide Dog puppies in training are not trained with food treats. Instead they receive lots of praise from their handlers. I’m sure there are many other differences I have yet to mention. When I think of them I’ll make some additions in the comments section of this article.

How To Adopt A Puppy

Little LinusOur story on how to adopt a puppy began over 7 years ago when we visited a few backyard breeders for my 32nd birthday.  Of course, we did not end up with a purebred puppy, but instead found the perfect Australian Shepherd mixed puppy and adopted him almost immediately at our local animal shelter. ———–>

I’ve always been fond of dogs as long as I can remember. Our first family dog was a Golden Retriever who was very personable and friendly. Our second family dog came from the shelter and was some kind of Border Collie/lab mix…we think. He had energy to spare and was one of the smartest dogs we’ve ever seen (if only we could channel his energy). In college, I helped raise my ex-girlfriends husky mix puppy, my roomates mutt and collie. I practically raised my landlords two rescue dogs. One was a Australian Shepherd mix and the other was a doberman pincher mix.

How To Adopt A Puppy

After college I entered the work force and assumed that I did not have the time to raise a puppy/dog of my own. So, for about eight years after college I was without a dog until December 2004 when my latest ex-girlfriend decided to get me a puppy for my birthday. We were looking for either a Labrador Retriever or a golden retriever. I love the personalities of both breeds and was looking for something in the medium to large sized dog. After visiting several breeders and actually putting a hold on a yellow lab I finally decided I wanted to rescue a dog from one of the shelters.

I had been looking to adopt a puppy online at petfinder.com while we were visiting the breeders and came across a litter of Australian Shepherd Labrador Retriever mix puppies. They were at the Carson Shelter in Southern California, only about a half hour from my house. We went to the shelter and they had two puppies. One, a female, had the aussie shepherd tri-color look and the other one, a male, was all black with a small white spot on his chest. Linus in a pile of laundryI did plenty of research on how to choose a puppy and put both puppies to the test. I very much liked the look of the female tri-color, but tried not to be biased as I know the personality is what counts. After putting the pups through several personality tests I thought both would make great pets, but was leaning towards the male with the white spot on his chest. I was very tempted to take both puppies home with me, but in the end I went with the little male puppy and have not regretted it. Linus is a wonderful dog, a little shy, but has a very sweet personality. I do often think it would have been nice to have adopted his sister, but I’ve heard that two dogs growing up together will often have weird attachment issues and I didn’t want that for my dog/dogs.

The Good And The Bad Of A Shelter Dog

I had read many books on how to adopt a puppy, but reading a book and actually experiencing puppies first hand at the breeders, rescues, and shelters is  a whole different story.  As I mentioned many of the puppy training books we read discouraged bringing home siblings.

So what have I learned from adopting a puppy? First of all the price is right when you choose a shelter pup…the fee for one of these pups is only $37 with a refundable $50 deposit at the time your dog is spayed or neutered. It is also very rewarding to know that you’ve rescued a dog from the shelter. Even though the dog you chose may have been adopted anyway, the sooner you can get them out of the shelter, the sooner the shelter will have room for another dog that may have been scheduled for euthanization.

There are definite disadvantages to the shelter dog. When I rescued Linus he was not healthy at all. He was very anemic and had very little energy to move around. My ex-girlfriend actually thought he was dead when we got him home because he wouldn’t move out of the back seat of her car. He was covered in fleas (so much so there was dried blood behind his ears), he had worms, and he had a stomach infection that required him to take medication for several weeks.

Volunteering At Rescues…Rewarding And For A Good Cause

I’ve also volunteered for a local dog/puppy rescue called Cuddly Canines. The adoption fee for one of their puppies is $300. These dogs come from the shelters, but are taken in by a foster family and have a loving home for a minimum of two weeks with the family. During this time the puppies/dogs are spayed/neutered, dewormed, deflead, and are current on their vaccinations. These rescue groups do a wonderful job with their animals and provide a great service to the community. If you are interested in fostering a litter of puppies, a dog, or would like to adopt please visit the Cuddly Canines website and give them a call or send them an email.

If you are interested in adopting a puppy I highly recommend saving a pup from an animal rescue like Cuddly Canines.

The Breeders

Finally, I’ve gone to the breeders who charged anywhere from $300 – $1000+. Of course the advantages here are you know the breed of dog you will be getting, you have a general idea of the personality (based on the parents), you know the lineage, you will have an idea of what kind of health issues they may have, and you can find out if the parents are certified for hips, eyes, elbows…or any other possible genetic conditions your breed of dog may have.

Time For Another Dog?

When I’m ready for another dog I will probably adopt a litter of puppies through Cuddly Canines and choose one from the litter. I know this is not for everyone, but please don’t be hesitant to adopt a puppy from a rescue group. This will free up their resources and allow them to save more puppies from the shelters. The $300 donation/adoption fee is a small amount of money considering the dog will not have fleas or worms, will be neutered/spayed, current on vaccinations, and will be in good health. The initial fee for my dog Linus was cheap, but after all of his medical expenses including his neutering the cost was well over $500.

There are plenty of wonderful dogs out there and a variety of ways to acquire one. I highly suggest contacting a local rescue group or shelter and adopting one of their puppies or dogs and of course once you do come home with your puppy get started on their puppy training. The things they learn as a puppy will carry over to adulthood. We’ll talk more about training later…

Fast forward now to 2012.  Linus is a 7 year old dog and he’s awesome!  I’ve raised 3 Labrador Retriever’s and I’m currently raising a Golden Retriever for Guide Dogs of America and I just wrote an article on How To Choose A Puppy that retells the familiar tale of how I got my buddy Linus from the shelter.

If you’re wondering how to adopt a puppy I would start by visiting PetFinder.com and checking out some of the puppies that are available at your local animal shelters and rescues.

Have you adopted a puppy?  Are you in the market to adopt a puppy?  Tell us your story in the comments section below.