TicTac the Bernese Collie Puppy ~ Adopted

TicTac 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!

TicTac is the second largest of the litter, 16.5 pounds at 14 weeks.  He has wonderful black and white markings with just a touch of freckles.  He loves to play with rope toys and balls too!  You can see more photos in his photo album.

I am fostering these precious pups in Winter Park.  If you think that you might want to give TicTac his 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:

Today I dropped by the camp.  What a treat!  I got to watch them learn to swim!  TicTac thought it was grand ~ while the other puppies looked nervous when they were being lowered into the water, he wagged his tail the whole way down!   While there, I explained to the campers how we find such wonderful home for our dogs, how important it is for us to tell potential adopters all we can about them, and that I needed their help.  I need them to tell me about the puppies.  When I got home this evening, I had a wonderful e-mail from young Jann who is taking care of TicTac, or Oreo as she calls him.  You’re just going to love this!  I know I did:

“Hi, it’s Jann from ‘Camp Doglando’! I’m the one who got Tic Tac (Oreo) to take care of and train.  I’m going to tell you a little but about him and a story too.  For your website. (So he’ll have more information; so he’s adopted faster.)

Oreo’s Personality:

Oreo can sometimes be a very lazy puppy but I assure you that if you take him outside to play he’ll get super active!  He’s a very loving dog that completely trusts you after TWO days you’ve had him(:  He LOVES kids and other dogs as well.

(Okay, That’s kind of It for his personality because I’m going to say facts about him.((GOOD FACTS :D))

Oreo’s Facts:

(Oreo is neutered.)

– Oreo is really good with the crate.

If you put him in his crate with some water, a toy, and a blanket then he’s perfectly fine!  He sometimes tends to spill his water bowl in his crate, so don’t be lazy to clean it up and refill his bowl(:  The majority of the time he is in a crate he rests and sleeps.  He has NEVER had an accident in his crate since I’ve known him.  He doesn’t have any problems with the crate that I am aware of.

– Oreo is very playful!

His favorite toy is a small stuffed dragon puppy toy!  He is obsessed with small, soft toys like the dragon one.  He LOVES being played with and he like to play tug of war. (Only when you want to of course)  Link for the kind of toy he like :  http://www.perfectpuppytoys.com/smalldogtoys.html If you go to this link and you go to small puppy toys, ‘the fleece man’ is only 4 dollars and PERFECT for him.

– He learns fast and easily<3

Oreo was the first of his liter to learn how to sit!  I’ve taught him to sit, then stay for ten seconds as I back away from him. (Without holding is leash!)  He was the first of his litter to actually do this for as long as ten seconds.  As of right now he is learning how to swim on his own , ring a bell when he needs to pee or poo or just wants to have some fun outside, going up and down stairs, and  he is learning how to cope with the dog blow dryer.

He loves being caressed and praised, but what dog doesn’t??

HE just loves being outside laying on the grass or playing with a fun and trusting guardian.

Short little story:

I am currently going to Camp Doglando for a week, to learn how to train and take care of a puppy.  On Monday, when camp started, everyone had to choose a puppy.  I was going to choose  Luna (Toffee)  But then I saw her run away from everyone, while almost all of the other dogs were playing with each other.  On the other hand, Tic Tac, dubbed Oreo, was sniffing bushes, away from his siblings.  I was ordered to grab him while another camp attendant grabbed ‘Luna’.  I brought Tic Tac over to the circle of Camp Doglando camp members and decided I wanted to pick ‘Tick Tac’.  Later dubbed ‘Oreo’.

So Oreo is his name because he’s black and white and grayish, which makes him look like cookies and cream icecream!  So that’s where his name come from if you didn’t notice.  I must have a great  taste in dog’s which brings me to how Oreo’s have a good taste, hence another reason why his name is now Oreo.

~Jann, 12 years old”

Don’t you love it?  Thank you, Jann, for not only taking such good care of Oreo, but for sharing your adventure with us!

August 4th Update from Jann at University of Doglando:

“Oreo has learned to cope with the blow dryer thingy ma-bobber, learned to jump over the thingys :D, jump through the tire, ring the bell to go outside but not fully (he needs to learn to ring it louder) and he’s learned to swim even though he doesn’t like the pool that much yet.

And sometimes he gets distracted by grass, he loves grass, and he loved rolling on grass and wants you to pet his stomach.”

Hahaha!  Okay, the “blow dryer thingy” is a referance to the dryer they use after the dogs have been swimming.  The jump thingys are the fences on the agility course.  And the bell?  Jann is teaching Oreo,  uh, I mean TicTac, to ring a bell when he wants to go outside!

August 5th Graduation Update from Jann:
On Graduation day we had the last training test. And Oreo passed, and to pass your puppy needs to do everything right the first time. The first thing is to make your puppy sit, you turn around and walk a few feet away, your puppy stays, and then you turn back around and say ‘okay!’, and your puppy should go to you when you say that. Then, you make your puppy lay down, turn around and walk a few feet away, turn back around, and say ‘okay!’, and your puppy should go to you. If your puppy does that right, like Oreo did, praise him/her. I gave Oreo treats and a toy, the toy when he came to me, and the treats for sitting or laying down.
I’m so happy for him.

August 6th Update:

Last night was the graduation at University of Doglando.  Not only did we get to spend time with the campers and their families but five of the puppies were adopted!  What a rewarding experience for the kids.  But how bittersweet for the two whose puppies did not get adopted.  Each time a person came to meet a puppy, Jann would show them “Oreo” and all that she had taught him, speaking in her soft voice as he listened intently to do as she asked.  Then she would look at me with big eyes as if to ask, “Are these his family?”  Yet the answer was no.  As we sat together on the curb, I leaned over and told her not to worry, that I’ve had a couple of other people ask about him and I’m sure that he’ll be adopted soon.  I even told her about a woman whose most beloved dog recently died at just five years old, and how she is thinking that perhaps this puppy might be the one to help mend her heart.  No matter who it is, I assured Jann that her Oreo will have a very loving family and that hopefully she’ll be able to talk with them and share what she has learned and taught her puppy.  Growing up is hard sometimes, isn’t it?  I made this video this morning so that Jann would know that her puppy is doing just fine.

August 7th Update:

Last night new puppies arrived. That was cool with TicTac. He seems to like everyone and, not surprisingly, everyone likes him!

August 8th Update:

All the puppies were outside playing this morning and I, of course, had my camera in my hand.  Here they are enjoy the morning together.  Adorable!

August 10th Update:

TicTac has found his forever home! Debbie’s beloved Border Collie Otis recently passed away at just 5 years of age; cancer. Her heart was seriously aching and her other two dogs knew something was missing. When she saw TicTac she was amazed at how much his markings were like Otis. And when she met him she said, “Uh oh, he even has paws like Otis!” I had to smile, and she did to as she watched him scamper around. I know they’ll make a happy family. Lakeland, welcome your newest Dog Liberator pup!