Taffy the Bernese Collie Puppy~Adoption Update

Taffy is one of a litter of seven puppies rescued toward the end of July; Taffy, Toffee, TicTac, Twinkie, Twister, Tootsie Pop and Turtle. Born in mid-April, they are a great mix of breeds: Border Collie, Australian Shepherd and Bernese Mountain Dog.

These angels started their rescue journey at the public shelter in Mobile, Alabama.  Melissa rescued them (she only pulls dogs that are about to be euthanized), but before she did, she asked for assurance that they had no health issues.  The shelter vet assured her that they only had ear infections.  Imagine her shock when they arrived with sores and bare spots, obviously suffering from mange!  A very experienced rescuer, she knew exactly how to treat them and had them restored to health in just a couple of weeks.  But then, just when they were about ready to be adopted, Melissa found out her grandmother was dying and had to fly to Montana.  What to do with the seven puppies?

Fortunately, our wonderful Amy found out about them.  Within a matter of hours, Amy picked up the puppies, then Sarah got them from her and drove them to Val-U-Vet of Deltona.  There we confirmed that they were cleared of mange, and completed their vet needs: spay/neuter, shots and exam.  The next day, I got them!  And what a joy they are!

The Border Collie influence is very strong in Taffy’s appearance, both with her rough coat and markings. At 13 pounds, only Twinkie is smaller than her, so I would expect her to mature to the standard Border Collie size as well.  You can see more photos in her photo album.

I am fostering these precious pups in Winter Park.  If you think that you might want to give Taffy her forever home, please first read our Dog Tips, then review our Adoption Process and e-mail me at holly.thedogliberator@gmail.com

July 29th Update:

The puppies are doing wonderfully.  They are fully crate trained, with no “accidents” even at night!  The first night they were a bit restless but since then have slept until I’ve woken them at about 6:30 am.  What a blessing!

August 1st Update:

It’s off to camp they go! The puppies are spending the week at University of Doglando as part of their kids’ summer camp program. There the campers will work with them on basic commands, socialization skills and even introduce them to swimming! This is a fantastic opportunity. Already lovely puppies, I can just imagine how they will be after a week of one-on-one attention and training! I’ll be updating the campers experiences on our webpage, Bernese Collie Puppies Go To University of Doglando.

August 2nd Update:

I stopped off at University of Doglando today to see how things were going.  They are going great!  Taffy was on leash trotting alongside her camper, looking up at her to see what she wanted her to do.  She is already knows sit, stay and come.  All just in one day!  I was even there long enough to see the litter being introduced to the pool  Taffy wasn’t a natural, as she’d forgotten that she had back legs and was trying to do it all with just her front paws.  Teena was fabulous, telling the camper how to support her to develop confidence and skill.  Just remarkable to see such progress in such a short time!!!!

August 4th update from University of Doglando:

I received this wonderful update from Lauren, Taffy’s camper.  She has renamed our girl Kira.  You’re going to love this!

“Kira loves sleeping after a long day..everyday after all the great training i put her in her crate and she plays with her ball then just sleeps. She doesn’t go to the bathroom in her crate. One day I took Kira outside and she automatically peed in the grass!

If you love a adorable puppy thats trained Kira is the one for you!. —

August 4th and look who’s going home tomorrow! Ashley and Adam came to University of Doglando to meet the puppies this afternoon. The campers told them about each puppy, Adam and Ashley asked them questions, and they asked questions right back! It was neat. It was really hard to decide who to adopt, but they finally settled on our Taffy. Here they are with Taffy’s camper, Lauren. Tomorrow they’ll come back and get her as the campers graduate from the class!

01/27/13 Here’s a great update:

Gisele:

Hi!