Twister the Bernese Collie Puppy ~ Adopted

Twister 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!

Twister is the largest of the litter.  At 14 weeks, he is already 18 pounds.  He has some serious paws on him as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him mature at 60 pounds or so.  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 Twister 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:

I dropped by University of Doglando today, and how neat was that!  The young man who is caring for Twister proudly showed me how he will sit, stay and come on command.  Twister looked at him with a wagging tail as if to say, “Isn’t this fun?”  I was there when the puppies went in the pool for the first time too.  That was so cool.  Twister was such a little champ, swimming as hard as he could with his front paws.  He’d forgotten that he had back paws, so, under Teena’s direction, his camper supported his back quarter until those legs started working.  Adorable.  Just adorable!

August 4th Update from University of Doglando:

Thomas, Twister’s camper, sent me this great update:

“Twister is a good listener. He listens when you say sit.  He  is an active dog. He is getting use to the water. He only swam once. He could wait by the door if you tell him to sit. Twister likes to go play with a ball. He likes playing with other dogs. This boxer was chasing him.  He likes getting used to other dogs because he sniffs them.He could lay down if you put a treat or toy in front of him and say down.”

August 5th Update:
Twister has been adopted! James had contacted me a couple of days ago about getting a dog. There wonderful Golden Retriever passed away last September and, well, many of us know how empty a home feels after that. The family arranged their schedule so that they could come to University of Doglando for the graduation party. There James and his sister Maddie met the puppies, talked with the campers, and agonized over their decision. Ultimately, yes, it was our Twister. I think he is the perfect choice for for this wonderful family. In this photo are James and Maddie on the right, their good friends on the left, and Twister and his camper Thomas in the middle. Everyone is happy!