Tootsie Pop the Bernese Collie Puppy ~ Adopted

Tootsie Pop 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!

Tootsie Pop has a lot of Border Collie in her, with her rough coat and markings.  At 14 weeks she weights 14 pounds, making me think that she’ll probably mature at around 45 pounds.   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 Tootsie Pop 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:

 

Today I dropped by University of Doglando.  Wow!  Tootsie Pop already knows how to sit, stay and come!  The neatest thing was to see her learn to swim.  She is a natural.  That dog can move!  She looked so happy swimming alongside her little camper.  What a great experience these puppies are having!!!

 

August 4th Camper Update:

I’m cracking up!  I just got this update from Sophie, Tootsie Pop’s camper.  She calls Tootsie Pop “Stella”:

“One night Stella decided to spill water on her head and fall asleep with the bowl on top of her. When I came in the next morning she was fast asleep with the water bowl on her head. I thought that was very funny!”

I was at the camp again this afternoon and was very impressed.  Tootsie Pop is just so cool.  She was walking around the agility course on her own and then saw the tunnel.  She picked up the pace, trotted over to it and ran right through it.  So cute. I saw her do it twice.  I think this girl has a future in agility!!!

August 5th Update:
Tootsie Pop is going home! This was the adoption that caught me by surprise. Amber’s three cousins are participants in the University of Doglando camp. She and her brother Luis came for the graduation ceremony and cousin Douglas’ birthday party this weekend. Unbeknownst to me, their mother Nadine has been stalking us on facebook and had ulterior motives! A puppy was in their future. They met all the puppies and talked with the campers. We talked about their home, their experience and their expectations, and it was soon apparent that Tootsie Pop was the perfect fit! Here they are with Tootsie Pop’s camper, Sophie, who already has this puppy sitting, staying and doing all sorts of wonderful things! Port St. Lucie, welcome your newest Dog Liberator pup!