Dee’s White Fluffy Puppies are Here! ~ Adopted!

The White Fluffy Puppies are a litter of puppies that we rescued Dee Sullins, director of the Hale County Humane Society. This is one of the most beautiful litters we have ever seen. Dee referred to them as his “fluffy puppies” and was so happy when we took them. We understand from him that their mother is an Australian Shepherd who lives in the woods near someone’s home. This gentleman has been unable to catch her (she is very smart) but has successfully rescued her puppies.

This is a fascinating litter: 1) They are all white with various markings; 2) There appears to have been more than one father; 3) Just 9 weeks old, they are already crate trained; and 4) They come in sets of

This is Austin. He is the largest in the litter. His eyes are a soft gray. He likes water and is very playful. Austin’s photo album. Austin was adopted on June 9th!

Update 09/14/10: Here’s a new picture of Austin (now Stanley) at the beach.

This is Aspen. She looks like she is wearing a blue coat over a white outfit. When you look closely, you’ll note the darker gray spots on the coat ~ very fashionable! She always comes running when she sees people. Aspen’s photo album. Aspen was adopted on June 21st.

This is Lexie. She has a lightning bolt down her face. She likes to curl up in the water bowl, water and all! Lexie’s photo album. Lexie was adopted on June 28th.

This is Logan. Like his sister, he has an amazingly soft coat. And like his sister, he loves water. I frequently find him lounging in the little puppy pool! Logan’s photo album. Logan was adopted on June 17th.

This little girl is Pi. Beautiful blue eyes. She is the alpha female of the litter. Pi’s photo album. Pi was adopted on June 19th.

This is Pogo. She has soft gray eyes. A bit more easy going that her sister Pi, but not mousey either. Loves to stand in the puppy wadding pool. Pogo’s photo album.Pogo was adopted on June 25th.

This is Skate. He is the most laid back of the litter. He loves the water and has been known to fall asleep in the puppy pool, with the water just below his nostrils. If a littermate were to make a wave, he’d be sputtering!  Skate’s photo album.

Skate was adopted on June 17th.

And this is his sister, Skye. When I crouch down in the yard with them, she dives between my feet and rolls on her back so I can rub her belly. Skye’s photo album. Skye was adopted June 13th.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun it is fostering these puppies! When I let them out to play, it is a mass of white fur rolling around in a ball. They have a wonderful time with my two Basset mixes, Gus and Ralph. An energetic crew, no doubt, but very sweet and loving!

~ Holly

4 June Foster Update:

Water Dogs ~ Seriously, I think these puppies are part fish. I can’t keep water in their water bowl. They either doggy paddle all the water out or just climb in and go to sleep. This is a photo of Lexie in the water bowl. Seriously??? I made a little puppy pool for them that they are just nuts about. These puppies are a hoot!!!

Logan, like his sister Lexie, is quite a bit smaller than the other puppies, but he doesn’t know it! He is always jumping on the other puppies wanting to play and wrestle. These two are little diggers, so beware! They like to give me suggestions as to where to plant shrubs by pre-digging the holes for me! They’re so little and round, they remind me of the gopher in Winnie-the-Pooh. I always picture them wearing mining hats and work belts, “Big job! Big job! Two weeks, maybe three!” OK, if you haven’t watched Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree lately, that might not make sense…

Aspen is probably the smallest of the litter of six and the most unique appearing with her blue coat. Like Skye, she often gets pushed to the back when the puppies swarm me, which is unfortunate because she is the first to come running. I always make sure she gets her one-on-one time! She likes to play in the water too. I love this photo of her and Skate falling asleep with their heads in the water bowl! How cute is that????

Austin has been adopted. He may be the largest in the litter, but he is a gentleman. He doesn’t push the other puppies around and, after getting the attention he wants, will move to the back of the puppy swarm to allow the rest their turn. He sits there watching, wanting more, but being willing to share. Wow! He is really a neat pup. And is anyone surprised to learn that he loves water. Yesterday I filled up the puppy pool and he immediately climbed in and went to sleep! I love this guy ~ sweet, attentive, but gentle.

Pogo actually sticks her face into the water over her eyes. I’ll bet she’d dive for stones in a creek! I love this photo of her in the “puppy pool.” She was pulling the grass out with her mouth. This could really come in handy. I mean, who needs a pool skimmer when you have a Pogo???

Pi is very friendly and rather vocal. A very playful puppy, she likes to play in the water and will wrestle with anyone! But when you pick her up, she just leeeeeans into you with no wiggling, just wanting love. Very playful, very energetic, very loving, very beautiful, that’s my Pi!!!

Skye is really coming into her own! Her ears are starting to stand up, making her more adorable than ever. Her eye color seems to be settling out to be one brown and one blue. Her coat is lushious, medium length, a bit wavy, soft as can be, white with hints of fawn when wet. Wet? Oh yes~ this little girl loves the water! She is a splash machine. Very affectionate, she isn’t really pushy and, like Aspen, is often pushed to the back when I get swarmed by the puppies. That’s okay; I always make a point of picking her up and giving her special love. Who can help it? She is so sweet!

I think Skate might be deaf. It doesn’t seem to affect him at all ~ he is a laid back and cheerful as any of the other puppies ~ but he doesn’t respond to loud noises. I’ve created this page devoted to this discussion.

6/13 Update:

Well, I’ve been up since 4am thanks mostly to Logan. All I can say is that it’s a good thing he’s so cute. He needed to go out so he started barking. That woke up Lexie. Which woke up Possum. Which woke up Austin. Who woke up everyone. *sigh* By the time I got them all outside, I was wide awake so decided to get in some prayer and Bible time. So maybe I should thank Logan!
I sat outside in the predawn with a cup of coffee (my wonderful husband got up and made it for me!), praying, reading, and watching puppies. They were being especially adorable. I had put an airline crate and a crate lid into their pen thinking they might fall asleep in them. Silly me! Instead they used them like homebase in a game of tag. Aspen started it. She began to run around the pen (it’s really big), circling the crates, with Pogo hot on her tail (verses “trail”). Soon most of the others had joined in. Clever Aspen would occasionally duck into a crate and watch them zip by. Meanwhile, Pi and Logan were playing king of the mountain on the crate lid. Little Logan was more than happy to “do battle” with much-bigger Pi. Every once in a while, one of the other puppies would jump up but be quickly pushed off by a united effort. After about 90 minutes of non-stop play, dawn was kissing the sky, and the puppies had fallen back asleep. Pi and Logan, joined by Lexie, were curled up together on the crate lid. Aspen, Pogo and Austin were inside the airline crate. Skate and Skye made a neat little ball under the crate lid. Possum, of course, had missed all the chaos by whining until I had let him sit with me. He fell asleep under my chair. It will be too hot today for them to be outside much, so this has been good for them.

I love moments like this (I’m not sure my neighbors do….). This little pack will be broken up soon as they all go to their new homes. Almost half of them are already spoken for. But for now, they are a family, and they take joy in one another. Did I mention how I love fostering?…..

~ Holly

14 June Update:

I have had a growing concern about Pi‘s hearing. It hasn’t been anything big, just that a couple of times she kept sleeping when the other puppies were having a ruckus. Today I had my opportunity ~ Pi was sleeping next to Austin, Skye and Skate, who is deaf. I took a pot and banged it with a ladle. Austin and Skye immediately lifted their heads and looked. Pi and Skate kept sleeping. Three tries, each time the same result. I believe Pi is either deaf or hard of hearing. However, she is extremely functional! I have had her for almost three weeks and I didn’t realize it. She cues off of the other dogs very well. Now that I think about it, she is very big on watching me as well, probably looking for indications of what I want. I think that an owner who will train her, using such tips as those available at http://www.deafdogs.org/, will have an amazing dog. Pi is smart and she wants to please. She’s going to be great!

20 June Update:

I saw something this morning that made me a bit sad. After eating their fill, Pogo picked up pieces of kibble and tried to bury them for later. Dee had told us that this litter was born in the wild and was in really bad shape when he got them. I’ve had them for over three weeks and yet Pogo still is haunted by the fear that she will not have food when she needs it. She is such a playful and light-hearted puppy in all other areas…. I look forward to the day she has her own family to love her and infuse her with trust so that she never has to worry again.

 The Puppies And Their Families: 

 

The best part of rescue is when you find the right home for the right pet.

Here is little Aspenwith her new parents Di and Rich. And do you see that beautiful brindle girl sitting in front of Di? That is Willow, a purebred Catahoula that I fostered as a puppy two years ago. Di and Rich adopted her at a Pet Rescue By Judy event, not knowing she was my foster. Why would that matter? Because they live right behind me! My dogs were so confused and excited that evening when they ran up to the chainlink fence and saw “their baby.” Ever since then, I’ve had my eye out for the perfect companion for Willow. I thought Aspen might be it, and, boy, was I right! Now both my girls will be living next door, and my dogs will be more confused than ever!

Here is Austin, now Stanley, with his new family, Charles, Chris and Meagan. They drove all the way from Vero to meet him.He will share a home and a pool with three Papillons! Given how he love the water, I see a lot of splashing going on!!!

Here is Lexie with her new mom Joanna. It was a real squeaker for this match-up! Lexie has several meets that either didn’t come together or ended up with a different puppy being adopted. Oh my! But then along came Joanna and everything worked out perfectly. Joanna is looking forward to spending lots of time with Lexie! I’m so happy!!!

Logan couldn’t stop wiggling as he headed home with Blake, Dara and Jeff. Blake and Jeff were so happy to have a puppy. Dara looked a bit numb by the prospect ~ first time with a dog. lol! I whispered into Logan’s ear that he really had to shmooz her! Imagine how surprised and excited 11-year-old twins Logan and Olivia were when they arrived home from camp and saw their new family member for the first time!
Imagine how surprised and excited 11-year-old twins Logan and Olivia were when they arrived home from camp and saw their new family member for the first time! I love this photo of the twins meeting Logan. It is remarkably tender. The first thing the family had to do was rename Logan. After all, with a son named Logan, it just wouldn’t do to tell people that “Logan had peed on the floor.” So, the verdict is….. Bandit! I’m so happy!

Here is Pi just before she left with Dee, Marie and Fran. Fran drove down from Gainesville just to meet this little one. I was amazed at how Pi responded to her. Pi has always been good with eye contact, but with Fran she was the most relaxed I have ever seen her! Fran is looking forward to training Pi using the techniques shared on www.deafdogs.com. And I am looking forward to getting updates!

Here is Pogo with her new family, Kelly, Linda, Lindsey and Jim. They came to meet Lexie but surprised themselves by falling in love with Pogo. There was no doubt that Pogo thought they were the cat’s meow too! Pogo is going to love to be sharing a home with Mica, a sheltie, but she’ll probably have to the pool to herself!

Here is Skate with his new family. Skate has been renamed Ludwig after the famous compose Beethoven. Chris and Maja work with the deaf community teaching American Sign Language. They hope that Skate will help connect and inspire some of their friends. They will be using tips from www.deafdogs.com to develop their training program for Skate. What a great match!

Here is Skye with her new mom. She waited a long time to go home. Although adopted on June 13th, Mildred wasn’t able to get her until July 23rd. We never hold a dog for someone that long, but Mildred had just suffered a tragic loss of their dog Blue, and then her husband had to go out of town. I agreed to keep Skye for them until he came back. It was worth it. They are a wonderful family and I know that Skye will be loved!!!