Happy Tails

HAPPY TAILS: Alex Finds A Forever Home

Alex (ADOPTED) is about 10 months old and weighs about 37 lbs. He is full of love and life, bringing smiles to all who meet him. When we rescued him and he finally arrived, he was so happy and grateful to be out of the shelter and the long car ride, that he wagged and did play bows in all directions to the asphalt parking lot!

Alex is a wonderful addition to his new home, as he is super friendly. happy and playful, with people, other dogs, cats, and loves children. He is big on cuddling, and would probably love to to snuggle in bed or on the couch with his people. He does not, however, try to jump on the furniture at all.

He is very eager to please - so much that he doesn't need any food/treat reward during training. He is very happy to do whatever you want for enthusiasic words of approval and loving encouragement. This boy is extremely smart and is learning very quickly. He responds well to "No," "Leave it" and other corrections, without becoming submissive or timid. He knows 'sit' and is familiar with being sent to "bed." He will go to 'bed' and lay down quietly - as long as he has some daily exercise and play time to burn off some of his youthful energy. As a young dog, just out of puppyhood, he is very playful and will need regular exercise, play time, and structure/guidance each day.

Alex is friendly, but not overly pushy when meeting new dogs. In passing on the street he is either neutral or approaches with his tail wagging in a friendly and confident way. He is respectful and cautious of cats. He has shown no signs of aggression or the "pursuit drive" even when the cats are playing/running or after the cats have given him a "correction." He is not really into toys and is actually a bit afraid of balls. He does like rope toys and LOVES to play tug-of-war with the dog in his foster home.

Alex is learning to walking on leash. He does not pull on leash and listens well when out for a walk. He is house broken and does well in the crate. Our observations of riding in a car are limited, but he rode very quietly, uncrated, in the back seat of a car, with another dog, when he arrived from the shelter. His foster mom says that when in her car, in a crate, he just laid quietly. No anxiety or excitement.

He is also really good about having his feet, nails, ears, mouth, tail, etc. touched or manipulated. The only time he has shown a bit of hesitation is when people handle him around his tail base. He shows no signs of any food aggression with other dogs or cats.

Alex does have one odd issue - he will only eat outdoors. When offered a food bowl indoors he becomes very scared. Outdoors it's no problem. His foster mom is working to get Alex over this fetish, and she is confident that he will come around to eventually eat indoors, too.

In short, Alex is a happy, friendly, playful, yet mindful, grateful and eager to please, young dog, who is loving life.

HAPPY TAILS: Lacey Finds a New Home

Lacey (ADOPTED) is going to be one happy girl! There is nothing she likes better than human attention, and that's what she is going to have everyday! Her new mom is a reading therapist and is planning on bringing Lacey to school with her as a therapy, reading, dog! She has already met everyone at school, and is very calm and great with the children. They all love her. On the first day, one little boy was so excited that he reach way over to pet her, and fell on top of her. He was upset that he did something bad, and Lacey went to comfort him by licking his face to show him it was alright. Lacey's new mom is going to get her new girl certified as a social therapy dog, as soon as possible!

Lacey is a very well behaved girl with a mellow personality, who lives for human attention and affection. Her fosters couldn't say enough great things about her. They repeatedly said that she is a real "keeper." A very loving girl, who listens and obeys extremely well. An ideal companion.

She is as loyal as they come and truly wants nothing more than to please you and be with you. If you are inside working, watching television, etc., she is content to quietly be by your side - or better yet, snuggle - for however long you are there. She LOVES to be petted and will softly gaze into your eyes. As with all dogs, she likes to play and run, but Lacey is not busy or demanding about it. When you are ready to take her out for exercise, she will happily go out and run, hike, or play with you. This girl is also extremely smart, listens well, and will mind what you tell her. Her fosters say that when they look at her, she seems to know what they want her to do, and will do it almost before they tell her.We estimate that Lacey is between 1-2 years old. She was extremely thin, weighing 39 lbs. when we rescued her. Her ideal weight is between 45 and 50 lbs. Lacey is a very quiet girl, who will do whatever you want her to do. While most herding dogs need a "job" to stay busy, Lacey has made it her job to be your companion.

She walks nicely on leash, but almost doesn't need one. Lacey will immediately come when called, and will stay close when off leash outside. She knows several commands such as 'sit,' 'come' and probably others that we don't know about. She is also completely house trained. If she has to go out in the middle of the night (and there's no doggie door), she will nudge you to tell you to let her out. She gets along fine with other dogs, and likes to play with them when outside, but her real focus is people. Lacey is fine with cats and is a house with two cats. However, if the cats run, she will chase, thinking it is a game.

When she first arrived, we gave her a bath and she did very well, and afterwards seemed thrilled to be clean (or for the bath to be over ;-D). She rode very comfortably in the car and waited patiently at each stop along the way to her foster home.

Although Lacey would be fine in a multiple dog home, and is being fostered in one now, her ideal situation would be as an only dog and having her people to herself. If you are looking for a great companion, who is happy to sit by you for hours or go out running with you, you could not find a dog who is more game for whatever you want to do than Lacey.

HAPPY TAILS: Cisco Finds A Forever Home

Cisco (ADOPTED!) is a very gentle soul, with a compliant and extremely loving, sweet disposition. We estimate that he is about 10 to 12 months old. He weighs about 30 lbs. Cisco loves people and is very eager to please. He is also very big on giving kisses and loves to cuddle. There is not a mean bone in his body. Cisco tends to be somewhat shy, and more so around sudden and unexpected movements. He is also initially a bit standoffish with men, but warms up quickly, especially if they have treats.

He is great with and likes other dogs. He is very respectful of them and, depending on the dog, can be very playful with them. Cisco is a moderate energy level dog. He is NOT a super active or high energy guy. He likes toys and is ball dog in training, as he loves to carry a ball around with him. Cisco is very food and treat motivated (pigs ears are his favorite!). He is very gentle and delicate when taking treats from your hand. Coupled with his strong desire to please, he is an easy boy to train.

HAPPY TAILS: Toto Finds A Forever Home

Toto (ADOPTED) who is a Glen of Imaal Terrier, was nicknamed Cuddle Bug at the shelter and is a very sweet dog of about two years of age. So far we see a quiet little guy who after spending two months in a shelter is looking for someone with whom he can trust and form a loving bond. At this point he seems a little unsure of his surroundings and whether or not he is really free to be happy, but has exhibited no negative behaviors at all. Toto is the ultimate low key guy, getting along with everybody and shows no signs of separation anxiety. He is the perfect lap dog and looking for someone who is content to provide a nice, cozy environment where he can thrive.

NEW - Notes from Toto's foster, who has a cat rescue, says that he gets along fine with her cats and kittens (one of which likes to be in his crate with him) and has only chased after her outdoor cat (when it runs) in a normal dog fashion but immediately stops when told to do so. Toto also gets along well with the foster's pug, and enjoys spending the day in the yard sniffing and exploring. True to his breed, this dog is not a shrinking violet, being quite sturdy and robust. Also he is not as vocal as most terriers but when he does bark it is the bark of a larger dog rather than a yap.

HAPPY TAILS: Lily is a beach dog in Santa Barbara!

Lily (Adopted) arrived on the Friday before Christmas and at only 25 lbs. is a little bundle of joy! She is a very quiet, gentle, super sweet girl who loves people. She is about 18 mos. old.

Although she has no tail, she is so happy and excited when someone pays attention to her, that she wiggles her whole butt. She loves and will beg for belly rubs and human affection and as you can see by the picture on the right, she if very serious about her belly rubs! Cuddling is also one of her specialties. She is good with other friendly dogs.

Lily is a such a wonderful dog! She came into our house and didn't miss a beat opening up right away to show her true colors, a quiet, loving, cuddly little girl. During the day she loved the crate but had to be coaxed in at bedtime. Once established there, she slept without incidence through the night...even let her foster mom sleep in! She gets along great with our lab and fights for position on "Dad's" lap. She seems to be totally house broken and so far walks well on leash. Right now she is sleeping at my feet while I am on the computer. All in all a really good girl! - Debbie, Lily's Foster "Mom"