Ready for Eddie?

By Regina Lane

Eddie is a very sweet fun loving 10 month old Shar Pei/Shepard mix. He has been staying with my family for over a week and is very quickly learning the lay of the land and what is and is not allowed in our home. He has not had much training in manors but is quickly picking them up. He loves to play and run with anyone who will play with him. He can get a little over excited and jump or mouth so I would not recommend him for a family with small children. But he is great with the older kids playing catch and tug-a-war. I believe as he matures this will not be in issue he just is still a big puppy.

We have taken him out on walk around our neighborhood and other dog friendly public places. I have found that Eddie is very good on a leash, he does need some guidance while out in public because he knows that he is just too cute

for everyone not to want to say hi. I have not seen any signs of aggression while out socializing with other dogs although he can play rough with my dogs while running around my yard. My dogs are large adult dogs with their life spent around fosters of all sizes and know how to keep him under control, he has picked up on the cues that they give him when he is getting to hyper for the and he will become submissive and calm down.

As with any busy family we seem to be doing something different every day and Eddie takes many cues for what’s happening that day and goes with the flow very easily. He stays in his crate while we are out or whenever he needs a time out (which is happening less and less). He is very good in his create though he does not like to go in it but will lie down and relax once situated. While we are home he plays inside and out using the dog door, playing with my dogs or sleeping/relaxing. He enjoys just being with the family and making sure that he knows where you are. Even while playing he will come and make sure that I am still where he left me if not he will search for me.

Overall, Eddie is a good dog; I feel that with the right training, love and time he will quickly be a great dog. He needs a firm but kind hand and someone who won’t let him walk all over them. He loves to smile and cuddle up near you while you read a book or watch TV. Riding in the car to go on a new adventure is one of his favorite things; he looks out the window and takes it all in. You can see the wheels turning as he tries to figure out where you are going today.

See a video of Eddie here.

If Eddie would fit in your home he is up for adoption by appointment please e-mail me at foster@coloradopuppy.org

Buster Brown is Back in Town

Buster at his foster home

"I have had dogs all of my life. I've trained them all. My last dog lived to be 15 years old so I KNOW DOGS and THIS dog is out of control."

A common complaint from previous adopters. They've forgotten signing that they understood that their puppies were't perfect and had behaviors which required training.

Dogs need training, formal training with a professional trainer. 

I too have had dogs all of my life. I too have taught a few puppies to sit and to stay. I've bought books about dog training and watched the videos on petfinder.com. I handle over 1000 puppies a year and consider myself a puppy expert. But I am not a trainer and like a child, Dogs do not come pre-programmed with manners. We must teach them how to behave in our homes and community.  I know our adopters know this but between work, soccer practice and a few discouraging home training sessions, it can become too much for even the most experienced dog owner.

It is through such a situation that Buster came back to us. 

Puppy Buster

Buster was adopted from Colorado Puppy Rescue in December of 2012. He was one of five puppies in his litter that,  at the time,  looked to be shepherd mixes.  Buster now looks very much like a shar pei mix.  Buster's family did not have the time or the patience to train Buster at home.  They had jobs and two young children. They had even signed him up and paid for a class but did not have the time to take him. If his family had taken him to his class he would have been a great dog for them. Now he's back at CPR where,  even with all of our combined dog experience, he will spend time working with a professional trainer. 

Buster acts like a small puppy in a big dog body. It made it difficult for him to be with the young children in his family. He jumps up and snarls when he plays,  scaring the dickens out of the kids.  Other dogs get irritated with him very quickly. He needs to learn some manners. Buster has otherwise been well cared for.  His coat is beautiful, clean and shiny. His eyes are bright and curious.  He is healthy,  up to date on his shots and has been neutered. He may look like a shar pei /shepherd mix but his nose is glued to the ground like a hound. 

Buster playing with Merlin

Buster was pretty scared when he was dropped off at our adoption event with a crowd of people that he didn't know but as the day went on a few of our volunteers were able to make him feel more comfortable. By the end of the day he was checking out the other dogs around the store and following scent trails in the parting lot. 

Buster's foster mom says that he responds better to the name 'Eddie' and has been working on his crate training. The dogs that he's staying with are teaching him some animal manners and his training starts this week. Thing will be getting better for him soon. 

I was contacted by the adopters of one of Buster's litter mates after they saw his ad. Their dog Pyro had many of the same issues this is what they had to say:

'I find him to be very smart and easy to train with treats, but if he is distracted by something he finds more interesting, like another dog, he will come when he feels like it, not just because you are giving him a command (aka, stubborn, which is a common trait in Asian breeds). Without exercise, Pyro gets very naughty and

Pyro at home

sometimes tries to wrestle with my children (aka -plays too rough). I think many of the behaviors Pyro will grow out of, but I have often thought that if Pyro went to a home with kids younger than mine, and a family without experience with dogs, he would likely have been returned. On a separate note, we think there may be some Shiba inu in Pyro. One other thing to note is that Pyro is an animal chaser. I suspect, especially after seeing the pictures of Buster staring into what looked like a rodent cage, that Buster is too...

Buster

Buster's foster mom say's he's very smart. He's house trained, sits and lays down most of the time. He's good with her VERY large dogs but tries to dominate the smaller ones. He's perfect and gentle enough for her eleven year old, wheelchair bound child. He's a good dog and learns quickly.

Meet Buster and his foster mom at today's adoption event.

Brodie

Right after her surgery

Brodie was found wandering the streets of Dulce, NM which is known for roaming gangs of  dogs. She was on death row at the shelter in Dulce when Chama Valley Humane Society picked her up with a few other puppies. They noticed right away that Brodie wasn't putting any weight on her front left paw and kept it bent up so CVHS was worried about a break. A vet confirmed and surgery was required. On July 2nd, 2013 her break was set and a couple of pins were put in just above had her elbow to hold it in place.  Brodie had a wrap on for three weeks and was checked weekly to make sure she was healing. At her final appointment the vet said that she will probably never have 100%

Feeling better- week 2

strength or use of that leg. She can put a little weight on it now and gets along very well on the other three.

Week 3

Konnie Andrews from CVHS said that when they took her wrap she was so happy she danced, rolled around and somersaulted down the hill. She was ready to play!

No one knows how Brodie was hurt, it's speculated that she was attacked and thrown by one of the gangs of dogs. What
we do know that her survival was due to her sheer will and determination. Our girl is sassy, very smart and can sometimes play too rough for other dogs or small children. She likes to snarl and bite when she plays - something we're working on- but she

learns quickly. She already knows "sit" and is working on her house training. She's GREAT in a crate. She will need some formal training but is overall a loving, playful addition to to a semi-active family.

Dancing at CPR

Brodie is available for a $50 adoption fee and a $50 spay deposit. Visit www.coloradopuppy.org for adoption information. View a video of Brodie at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBuwV2Wi7dc&feature=share&list=UUTFXEPRdXNzUV7TtgV_Tqzg