Gina

First, a little bit of backstory: Some friends and I used to know a girl named Gina. For a litany of reasons, we gave her the nickname "Daaaam Gina." And we always had a bottle of "Hot Damn" ready and waiting for when she came by. Good times.

Now let's meet another Gina with an equally vivacious personality: Gina the Australian cattle dog/terrier/pit bull mix here at the SF/SPCA. The canine Gina is also a shocker. Extremely high energy, a zest for life, and a thirst for cinnamon schnapps are traits common to both Gina's. Gina the dog is only 10 months old but will probably stay energetic well into adulthood. And she needs someone who is preferably experienced (with dogs, that is). She's in our "dog-reactive" category, so not only will you need to train and work with her daily on good manners in the home but also practice good behavior and defensive dog walking. Gina kind of goes nuts at the sight or sometimes just the passing thought of other dogs. However, thanks to the progress we've made with her so far here at the SF/SPCA, she's easily swayed by the temptation of treats. She knows "sit", "stay", and "down". Praise, repetition, and a large supply of doggie biscuits will be the keys to a successful life for Gina in her forever home. If you feel up to the challenge, come in and meet her. And come bearing treats!


As of 12/12/08:
Gina...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

First there was Oscar and Felix...

Today I walked a pair of roommates. They get along well with each other, they're even mixes of some of the same breeds, but they couldn't be more different.

Celia is a 6 month-old German Shepherd/Terrier/Pit bull mix. I discovered before our walk that she is submissive and hence much easier to leash up than her rambunctious roomie. While some dogs tend to be reactive and respond to an overly energetic dog by becoming overly energetic themselves, Celia maintained her cool even in the midst of her roommate's barking and jumping. This is a good thing. Then on our walk she proved to be a Soccer dog. A soccer ball came hurling over the fence in the park--twice--and Celia dove for it both times, trapped the ball in her front paws, and nudged it to me to throw back. Such a cool skill! She's very sweet, too. I highly recommend adding her to your team.

Next I leashed up with much effort her frenetic friend Antonio. He's an 8 month-old Catahoula leopard/Terrier/Pit bull mix. Being unfamiliar with the Catahoula leopard breed, I went to Catahoulaleopard.com and found the following: "The King of the stock dog breeds," [Wait, is that similar to stock cars? As in Nascar???] Catahoula leopards "outwork and outfight all other breeds of stock dogs when protecting their master, livestock, and property". Okay, outfighting other dogs is not really something we prize at the SF/SPCA. But reading on: They require "consistent obedience reinforcement. The owner must understand the Alpha concept and stay in control at all times, but still be loving to the dog. Very loyal, loving, intelligent and independent...they really think for themselves." Now that's starting to sound better. And on or walk Antonio responded positively to all commands. He even sat when offered a treat before we headed out. In fact, he was drooling while sitting in expectation of a treat, so that kind of proves that whole "consistent obedience reinforcement" mentioned above. You can feel his youthful exuberance, I'll call it, on the other end of the leash, but he's a good dog who stays in line and also gives you a heck of a running workout if you can keep up with him. In closing, I'd suggest his new owner either have space where Antonio can roam, or be prepared to Get. In. Shape.

As of 9/19/08:
Celia...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Antonio...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Labor Day

The SF/SPCA was closed for the Labor Day holiday today, and while it is possible for us volunteers to get a key and walk dogs during official holidays there, I instead went to the beach with friends. There were dogs everywhere. Here is a picture of one at said beach (actually from a different date but it's a great pic). Photo credit goes to Jan, my sister.

NRG

We've been having some quality sunshine in San Francisco lately, so I lathered on the sunscreen and walked some dogs today who were as excited as could be for some fresh air and exercise. Especially the exercise part.

Jenny is a 1-and-a-half-year old Lab Retriever mix. She was acting a little funny at first in response to the "sit" command. We generally have in-room training sessions with the dogs as frequently as possible during their stay here at the SF/SPCA, and I always have a dog sit before putting on the leash and collar. But Jenny went from almost jumping, wagging her tail like crazy and running around in circles, to flopping down onto the floor laying on her back when I said, "sit". So she technically skipped "sit" and proceeded to "down". "Down" has its value, but there is a difference.

After a couple laps of jogging around the park, Jenny could sit just fine. Diagnosis: excitement! Jenny will need plenty of exercise as she continues to grow out of her puppy phase. With a good healthy walk or run, she's proven she can do great. And she's also proven she's a very sweet gal!

Luke is a 7-month old Lab Retriever mix. His roommate was in the process of getting adopted, so Luke and I went out for a lovely jog. Being only 7 months old, Luke is still a bit of a puppy and acts accordingly. He's well-behaved and knows his commands, but wow, does he have a healthy amount of energy! Additionally, he's got an extra-healthy appetite. I gave him a treat or two while leashing him up for our walk, and the entire walk he kept turning around and looking up at me--specifically, looking up at my pocket with the treats in it. When he wasn't suddenly stopping periodically to gaze toward the treats (almost making me trip over him every time), he was trying to eat anything in his path, including but not limited to: leaves, a twig, an acorn, and a piece of paper. Most of these he spat out. I suspect his roommate has been eating his food, but maybe that's exactly what Luke wants me to think. What I really think is: Feed him, walk him, pet him, and he'll love you forever!

As of 8/15/08:

Jenny...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION upon spaying.

Luke...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Olympic fever

Steffi and her bro Andre are still here, and each day brings them closer to being ready for their respective Forever homes. Today they were busy waking from their nap. The waiting list to adopt them is up to 29 people!!! Once Blogspot has the technology, I'll need to add an adoption stock ticker at the bottom of this page.

Magic, a 1-year old black Lab mix, was the clear choice for the first walk of the day. This was mainly because he's brand new here (from the Santa Barbara shelter), he doesn't have roommates yet, and therefore it was easy to get him leashed without it being a big production or bumper-car rally. Magic is also an Academy dog, and if he ever was an untrained puppy at one time, you wouldn't know it now! His powers of obedience and excellent behavior are uncanny. And magical. BTW, so are his powers of posing for the camera. He's got the same look on his face here as the yearbook photo of that really eager kid who was student council president...except Magic is cool!


Following Magic was Turk. In the spirit of the Olympics, Turk wanted to give our walk 110%. So we sprinted down the Florida street hill and back. There was no stopping to smell (or wizz on) the roses; it was nothing but cardio all the way. The closest parallel Olympic event would be either bobsledding (same breakneck speeds down a narrow track) or perhaps swimming, for the way my eyes were stinging and my nose was running afterwards (It was a chilly day). If you are in better shape than me--which shouldn't be too difficult at the moment, thanks to my recent academic constraints--and can handle a sprinter like Turk, please come in and meet him!

For this picture I had to turn on the wind machine in order to get his tongue blowing in the breeze just right. America's Next Top Model, Canine edition, here we come!

You gotta love a dog with smile lines around his mouth. Now that's Olympic spirit:

As of 8/8/08:

Magic...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION upon Academy graduation; AVAILABLE to be met.

Turk...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Back to the dog days of summer

It's good to be back from vacation! While I was away, I had to get my dog fix from the puppies prancing on the beach in Ocean City, MD, and from Cameron, a black Lab retriever adopted from the shelter in Denton, TX, who now lives with Dottie, his human, in Rockville, MD. Look for an exclusive post-adoption follow-up interview with Dottie in this space in December...

After spending some quality brother-sister time on the East coast last week and hanging out with 2 of my favorite brother-sister Siamese cat adoptees, there were 2 brother-sister boxer/mix puppies, Steffi and Andre, waiting to greet me here at the SF/SPCA. OK, maybe they weren't really waiting for me per se, as they were sound asleep the whole time, but they're here, and they're beautiful!


Launching right back into my exercise program, I walked/ran Travis. He's a pleasantly fiesty 1-year old Hound/mix. Right now he's roommates with Sweet Pea, featured here back in June. Getting ready for his walk, Travis was basically bouncing off the walls. I rewarded him for each successful "sit" and eventually leashed him up. Continuing this anti-jump training will be crucial to Travis' future success in his new home, wherever that may be. He definitely knows how to sit--he just requires the repetition to positively re-enforce the behavior. But he's on the right track. And he already gets along fine with other dogs, as evidenced by his abstaining from leash-pulling or uttering a peep when we passed various other dogs in and out of the shelter. He's very affectionate with people as well as dogs, and he practically purrs when you pet him...Travis is an all-around sweet guy!

Photo evidence, exhibit A...Going in for the kiss:


Also affectionate in his own way is Harvey, a black and white Lab retriever/Border collie mix featured here last month. Happily, Harvey's now an Academy dog, complete with his own trainer who works with him daily on behavior and advanced training, so he's steadily improving. He "checked in" occasionally during our walk, looking up and making eye contact with me, but the Border collie in him urges Harvey to scan the horizon continually for objects and beings to herd. While he didn't lunge at any dogs we passed, he is in our dog-reactive category simply because he loves to herd, corral, and cordone off other dogs. He's a social butterfly like Travis, happiest around people and other dogs. Harvey is 5, but he could easily pass for a young pup of 1 or 2 years on account of his energy level. And yet here he is, sitting like a lil' angel (after some proper exercise, of course).

As of 8/1/08:

Travis...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Harvey...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION upon Academy graduation; AVAILABLE to be met.

I'll let Snoopy demonstrate...

Today is the first of SF Dog Blog's 2 weeks off for summer vacation. Spent the day preparing my thesis presentation to the Animation faculty at Academy of Art University (and missing the SPCA dogs)...and passed!!! Now we're officially the SF Dog Blog, m.f.a. Ah, yes: the most expensive three letters in the alphabet. How it feels to graduate, I think, can best be expressed through interpretive dance:

Thanks, Snoopy! That's pretty much how it feels.

As of 7/21/08:

Me...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION (i.e., work) by Bay Area animation companies.

Dog Days of Summer

Oh, yes...more puppies! These guys are named after various components of Japanese cuisine: Sushi, Wasabi, Nori...and much like a spicy bite of sushi, these puppies pack a wallop--at least when they're not sleeping. Prospective adopters met several of these fuzzy cuties today, so I'm sure they won't stick around much longer. Here they are clamoring to say hi:


Harvey, a black and white Lab Retriever/Border Collie mix was the first dog I walked today, by default: He was so riled up that he butted in front of his roommate, Frenchie, when we tried to separate them for Frenchie's walk. Since this was Harvey's way of telling me he really, really needed to go out, out we went. Harvey is 5 and still has the energy of a 1 year-old. Nothing that 3 laps of running 'round the park can't fix...The photo below is the "after" version (add in the panting sound effects yourself):

Since Harvey and Frenchie together were proving to be one big dog too many for a single room in Maddie's Adoption Center, we switched them. So next I walked Harvey's new roommate, Gilbert. Gilbert is a very chill tan and white Boxer mix, whose chart claims that he is only 4. However, he seems to be closer to 7 or 8--his muzzle is graying just a tad and he prefers an easy-going, low-impact workout. Why the discrepancy? Hollywood actresses often shave a few years off their age for marketability purposes, and perhaps that's what we have in Gilbert's case. But I hope it stops there. You're beautiful and you don't need botox or anything else, Gilbert! Now it's time for your close-up:

Next let's meet Princess. Princess is a 1-year old yellow Lab Retriever mix. She apparently already has a list of suitors, er, prospective adopters. So I'll be brief and say that she's very sweet like all our dogs, she knows her basic commands, and she acts her age and breed in the sense that she's got lots of energy. As far as her name goes, just look at the photo evidence for yourself. Tiara not included in adoption fee.

Frenchie is a 2 year-old white German Shepherd mix. Don't let her name fool you; she's no French Poodle. But she is snowy white and approximately the size of 9 French Poodles, so there's that. While she of course needs a good amount of daily exercise, the cool thing is that Frenchie is very responsive in her walking. When I walked, she walked. When I jogged, she jogged. When I sprinted, she sprinted. And then I trailed behind her like a kite flapping in the breeze. 'Cause the girl can move. But that last part only lasted for a second, because Frenchie likes company and doesn't want to leave anyone behind!


As of 7/14/08:

Harvey...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Princess...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Gilbert...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION pending medical checkup; AVAILABLE TO BE MET.
Frenchie...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION pending spaying; AVAILABLE TO BE MET.

Fetch THIS

Some dogs play fetch. An extra-special dog plays fetchfetchfetchfetchfetchfetchfetchfetch! Meet Slate. He's a 1 and 1/2-year old black and white Border Collie mix. He has the attention span capabilities of a successful transcendental meditation practitioner. This means that he can commit to, for instance, a nice game of fetch for hours and hours and hours. See fig's 1a-1b, below.

Maybe the game of fetch he and I played didn't actually last for hours, but Slate wants it known that it could have. Once I work up to his level of focus and lasting concentration, we'll be able to play some marathon sessions. For now, we played about a quarter in his room, another quarter in the SPCA courtyard, and then for halftime we went for a walk.

If there had been an audience sitting in the bleachers for all of this, they would have been chanting, "Slate is great! Slate is great!"

Bear is a 1 and 1/2-year old brown and tan German Shepherd mix. He's been here at the SF/SPCA since May 19 (almost 2 months, a surprisingly long time for such a well-trained and attractive dog)! He's got standards. To be a good match for Bear, a human would preferably be able to commit to an ongoing training program for him, and provide the walks necessary to work out the energy that builds up throughout the day. This energy can make Bear seem a bit rambunctious, but he is not a hyper dog. He just wants the basics: 3 hots and a cot...and a walk! And the cot he could probably even do without. When I went to get him for our walk he was a little excited (he almost jumped but then he totally listened to my command saying not to). During our walk he was great, and upon our return he was of course cool, calm, and collected.

Bear rocks, and I give him my SF Dog Blog "Obedient plus Beautiful" rating.

As of 7/7/08:

Slate...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Bear...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Stop and smell the roses...

Bruce is an 8-month old brown and white German Shorthaired Pointer mix...Which way does he point? To the ground! In honor of Independence Day, I'm going to turn the Blog over to the dog for this week's installment and let Bruce tell you his thoughts himself, in his own words...

"Let's go!!! Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff..."

"Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff Hmmm, interesting sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff Fascinating sniff sniff"

"Sniff s-s-sni-sni-sniiiiiiiiiiff Testing 1-2, testing 1-2, sniff sniff sniff "

"I'm so happy. I hope this walk lasts forever!!! Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff."

"Sniff sniff Now here's something. What is that? That smells really good...Oh wait, that's me from 5 minutes ago. Sniff sniff sniff sniff"

"Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff A ladybug crawled here in 1979...in March...sniff sniff sniff sniff"

"That was awesome! Pant pant pant"

There you have it, folks. You couldn't hope for a dog with more zest for life...and all its aromas. If you come in and meet Bruce today, he may even sniff you!

As of 6/30/08:

Bruce...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

The ground floor

Today is your chance to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. We are about to meet 2 dogs who aren't even available to adopt yet--but they are available to be met. While they are next-door neighbors with each other in Maddie's Adoption Center, they couldn't be more different. So read on and see if one of these gals is calling your name!

Sweet Pea is a lovely 2-year old lab retriever mix. She would be a good potential match for someone with the time and energy to devote to an ongoing training program for her. As she's in our dog-reactive group, Sweet Pea isn't into sharing her dog toys or living the communal life (she probably thinks hippies are wierd), so she'd need to be the only dog in your home. She mostly did fine on her walk as long as I guided her away from any and all other dogs in the vicinity. Spotting another dog equals lunging and barking for Sweet Pea. In fact, I believe there is no known photograph of her looking at the camera, because she is constantly scanning the horizon for canine intruders. However, she's great one-on-one with a human companion...Hence, her name.


Now let's meet Sweet Pea's next door neighbor. Goldie is a 10-year old Golden retriever mix. Her age and her temperment make for one of the mellower dogs we have right now. Goldie is into low-impact exercise involving fairly short walks sprinkled with occasional spurts of jogging. And if you want to bypass the jogging parts entirely, that'd probably be just fine with Goldie. In human years, Goldie is squarely in the shuffleboard-playing era of her life. She comes well-equipped with the basics already, such as maintaining eye contact and overall good behavior. Her thick and luxurious coat of golden fur might be enough to make you fall in love with her on its own, and her easy-going personality is the icing on the cake.

Incidentally, walking past Sweet Pea's room on the way out for our walk, Sweet Pea barked and barked at her, but Goldie held her head up high, nodded in Sweet Pea's direction, and continued onward without a peep. You could just see her thinking, [sigh] "Kids today, with their energy drinks, MTV, and overstimulation..."


So there you have it, folks: go semi-high-maintenance with Sweet Pea or go easy with Goldie.

As of 6/23/08:
Sweet Pea...Not yet available for adoption; AVAILABLE TO BE MET.
Goldie...Not yet available for adoption; AVAILABLE TO BE MET.

[Note: Both dogs are already spayed!]

"C" is for Cookie...

Today we have a text-only blog entry (I forgot to bring my camera this visit). And not only that, but both dogs I walked today got adopted within days, so they were already gone, along with their charts, by the time of my next visit. Hence, this short and sweet recap:

Speaking of short and sweet...Meet Cookie. She's got a black and white spotted coat which reminds me of the "tuxedo" cookies they sell at my favorite bakery. Cookie is very sweet. How sweet is she? She's so sweet that she got a kiss during our walk from a guy who saw her and was enthralled by her sweetness. He petted her as we completed our last lap around the park, and then kissed her on top of her head. How many of us elicit that response from a stranger by just going out for a walk?

Royce is Cookie's roommate. His adoption was already pending when I walked him. It was easy to see how he got snatched up so quickly: he's got as sweet and even-tempered a disposition as Coookie, and he's extremely well-behaved. He kept up just fine on our lengthy run without being overly energetic.

All in all, these were a great couple of canines who are now safe and sound in their new homes!

As of 6/16/08:
Cookie...ADOPTED!
Royce...ADOPTED!

Fuzzy furry fast

It's puppy time again! We started with a litter of 9. Then we had 7. Now there are 3 left! They're Black Lab Retriever mix puppies. And they're fuzzy. I know because I held one. Her name is Alutia. We also have Olympus and Sierra. Spot the trend yet? They're named after mountains. And they're each a mountain of fun!

If you have space in your life right now for a puppy, and are ready for the mountain of work involved in raising one, come on down and get one while they last!

Now let's progress from fuzzy to furry to fast. Felicia, along with her roommate whom we'll meet shortly, is among our spryest and swiftest. She's a Queensland Heeler mix and she's only 11 months old. I broke a sweat just coralling her to put on her leash. Once out of the building, 2 passers-by stopped to say hello to Felicia. As we sprinted past, all I could say over my shoulder was, "She can't talk right now, she's in a hurry." It was all a blur, really. But after completing a few wind sprints around the park, we slowed down and Felicia sat. She even smiled for a picture. I think her smile is saying, "OK, I'm doing it. I'm sitting. Can we get back to the running now, please?" At least in this photo she's eternally sitting, captured in time:


Imagine for a moment. How would you react if you were sitting hunched over a slot machine in a run-down casino in Carson City at 4 a.m., down to your last unfiltered Camel and the last shiny quarter from your debit account whose balance at one time actually contained a comma, you fed the precious final coin into the one-armed bandit, pulled hard, and suddenly a jubilant bell rang out and the sign looming over your head lit up and said, "Jackpot!!!" If you were my estranged step-brother (who lives on the tugboat he used to captain in the Antilles but which is now dry-docked on property 20 miles outside of Carson City), you might rise to your feet and jump for joy. This sensation of boundless excitement is embodied by Felicia's roommate, the aptly-named Jackpot.

Jackpot is a three-year old tri-color Jack Russell terrier. Like his roommate, he's in our "High Energy" category. That's only because we don't have a category called, "Contraband M-80 firecracker." Neither of these two dogs are biters or even badly behaved. It's just that they require a regular aerobic workout program. And they also share in common the fact that once they've been properly exercised (i.e., exhausted), they can focus just fine, sitting, staying, and obeying every command.

It's endearing that even after going for a run, Jackpot's tail is wagging so fast, 'tis but a blur:


So if gas prices are getting you down and you're so over driving to the gym, then never step on another stairmaster again and get-fit-with-Felicia or hit the Jackpot with, uh, Jackpot.

As of 6/9/08:
Felicia...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Jackpot...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Marketing 101

All those puppies whose progress we had been tracking have been adopted! We have a new batch and these guys seem to be the opposite of the previous couple litters who slept non-stop. These ones play non-stop. Look at 'em go:

As I wrote last month when I featured her in this space, I thought that Tornado had the most fitting name of any dog I've met at the SF/SPCA. Well, while that may be true, we mustn't forget the power of marketing and effective branding in particular. To that end, Toronado is now Tori. Yes, where you once may have pictured in your mind's eye a raging maelstrom of mayhem and destruction, now you can imagine that nice Valley girl named Tori from Beverly Hills, 90210. Or perhaps that lovely and talented piano-playing redheaded Tori. With all these positive associations, we think you'll now find Tori absolutely impossible to resist.

As an observant reader pointed out when Tori was recently featured here (before her name change), it was tough to capture an in-focus picture of her because she moves so fast she's naturally blurry. Now that she's rockin' her new name, Tori posed politely for this pic and showed off her usual sense of wide-eyed wonderment.

I walked her to see what else had changed. OK, she's still sitting squarely in our High Energy category. But she is calming down just a tad and obeying commands after just one or two repetitions. And if you've got the time and energy to exercise her properly, she'll be on her way to being the bestest little buddy you could have...She's already the most enthusiastic!

As of 5/30/08:
Tori...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Traffic jam

[Note: No blog entry here on Memorial Day Monday last week, but two entries this week!]

Bob, a black Lab retriever who's brand-new here at the SF/SPCA, got his very first walk in San Francisco from yours truly. I learned a lot about Bob during our walk, especially on the way back. Bob is into having short walks right now. So he's perfect for someone who prefers low-impact workouts. He would love to stroll around the block or through the park with you. He doesn't seem to need to be run more than 10 feet at a time at this point, and the only leash-pulling I experienced from him was of the "Hey, can we please slow down" variety. So if a user-friendly routine of mellow, laid-back dog maintenance fits into your future plans, Bob could very well be your guy.

By the way, not knowing any of the above until after I had subjected Bob to my standard Marine Corps boot camp-style running and sprinting program during our walk, I got schooled in the meaning of "low energy" as written on Bob's chart. Upon returning to the building, he decided "OK, enough is enough already" and laid down in the middle of the lobby with his tongue hanging out of his head onto the floor like a wet kickstand. All I could do was stand over him with my hands on my hips like the time I stood on a deserted stretch of I-80 at 2 in the morning staring into the open hood of my '87 Pathfinder, wondering if it would carry me another couple exits before its alternator gave out for good. Much like my truck, Bob wasn't budging. Maybe next time for just these sorts of situations I should bring flares and a sign reading "Dog stall; Expect delays." Oh, and a "Wet floor/Piso mojado" sign for the drool. You can never be too prepared.


To conclude our little traffic report, we finally got the left lane cleared of this stall (it took 2 of us to get Bob to his feet and marching the 10 steps or so back to his room). He's a great dog who knows his limits, behaves perfectly, and asks only that someone gives him a 3-word workout routine: Short 'n' sweet.

As of 5/28/08:
Bob...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION pending evaluation.

The Ruthie Plan

Forget the Atkins Diet. Scrap your gym membership. EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT, when you get yourself on the Ruthie running program. Ruthie is a vibrant young Aussie Cattledog mix. Her energy level is at once astonishing and inspiring. When her chart tells you, "I am a sweet, young, energetic girl," then you best believe every word. Especially the "energetic" part, which is the key to this whole deal.

Once properly leashed up, we ran out of her room, we ran down the corridor, we ran through the SPCA lobby, we ran out the door, and we ran straight to the park. For a change of pace, we sprinted half a lap around the park, then jogged a lap, then ran again. We ended with what you could call a brisk racewalk--no, actually, it was a run.

Then finally I said, "Sit. Smile the biggest smile ever!"

See that? Don't mistake Ruthie's "energetic" label for "wild." She knows her commands. Ruthie is an Academy dog! That means she has her own personal dog trainer from the training academy who works with her for several sessions a week. Soon, whe will graduate. When she does, you can adopt her and become the proud human of the loveable Ruthie exercise machine!

As of 5/16/08:
Ruthie...AVAILABLE to be met; AVAILBLE FOR ADOPTION upon graduation.

Storm warning

What's new with the puppies, you ask? They're still sleeping this week, but they've moved to the puppy bed on the opposite side of their room. Hence the wierd camera angle:

The first dog up for a walk today got the bonus upgrade: He got adopted before we even made it out! So we had one last training session in his room. Here he is bidding me farewell just moments prior to beginning his new life:

A friend of mine asked me this evening if I had exercised today, and I said, "Yes, I walked dogs at the SPCA." Really? That counts as a workout? Well, it does when you walk a dog named Tornado. A black lab/Weimarner mix, Tornado is living proof that if the name fits, wear it! She's the most, eh, "spirited" gal I've met in quite some time. OK, she's a walking triple-shot of espresso in a bottle of Red Bull. But she also makes me want to snatch her up for myself if somebody else doesn't adopt her. She's just that awesome (if you're into that whole atomic blast-of-energy thing).

I think I can best describe the ideal candidate for Tornado's new owner with a craigslist-style job posting:

Human companion wanted by energetic, sweet lab/Weimarner mix.

Specific duties would include:
-Preparing your home for occasional impact from flying dog
-Showing lots of patience
-Preparing your body for constant impact from flying dog

Ideal candidate probably would not have:
-A need for excessive peace and quiet
-Osteoperosis
-Hemophilia (just don't be a bleeder, OK?)

Not required but helpful:
-Experience with mosh pits
-Ability to take a hit from a flying furball at 400 miles per hour.

Perks:
-Lasting physical fitness (better than a gym)
-Unending love and affection
-Lots of laughs

To meet Tornado for a person-to-dog interview, just come on down to the San Francisco SPCA!

As a cool-down after Tornado, I walked Bernie. He's been featured here before, and the excellent progress he's made since then (2 months ago) is evident. His chart specifically points out that he's "an affectionate, people-centered dog." That's the truth. Bernie, you're beautiful!

As of 5/12/08:
Tornado...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Bernie...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Save Tillie!...plus Puppies Part III

OK, it's time once again to check in with our puppies:

Still 3 puppies, sleeping in a pile. What seems to be the only difference since last week is that their coats have gotten a few shades darker. Hey, this is a whole new batch of puppies! Sweet...We'll continue to chart their ongoing progress next week.

Now onto our theme for this week, which is:

That's right, it's time to save Tillie! Not the famous Jersey boardwalk icon, but Tillie, the black lab retriever mix right here at the The San Francisco SPCA. Tillie is in our "dog-reactive" category, which means she goes bonkers at the sight, smell, or sound of any other member of her species. Just to qualify to walk a dog like her, we volunteers require additional specialized Dog-Reactive training. Today I called upon everything I learned in that training to keep Tillie on task during our walk. In fact, she's the only dog I walked today--we spent a significant amount of time on training her using a whole lot of repetition and basically fleeing in the opposite direction every time any dog came within range of Tillie's very acute senses of hearing and smell.

One thing her chart or her categorization may not tell you: Tillie's not a fighter. During one of our laps around the park, a medium-sized off-leash dog came sprinting up to us. I braced for impact. And then...there was peace in the streets. The two dogs sniffed each other, tails wagging, and that was that.

It's going to take a special someone to "save Tillie." You'll need a sense of humor to laugh at her dogged persistence in her dog-reactive behavior, but with equally dogged persistence on your part, you'll be able to have full confidence that she'll get so much better on her path to becoming her future human's best friend.

After working with Tillie, I had a thoroughly enjoyable in-room training session with Hank. He's a so-sweet 1-year old Boxer mix. At first, and only at first, Hank was jumping when I entered his room. He'd already had a walk, so we worked on getting him to change his jumpin' ways. Sometimes a dog will surprise you by how swiftly he can learn. Hank did just that--he stopped jumping right quick when I said "No!" and he transitioned into playing a nice game of sit, stay, come (repeat). He's very affectionate, which I personally think is great, but it also means that you'll need to give him lots o' attention and playtime. So if you bring home this great guy, eat your Wheaties in the morning so that you can keep up with him!

As of 5/5/08:

Tillie...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Hank...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

Maturity

First...more puppies! Let's chart their progress from last week:

As you can see, they've changed dramatically over the course of the week: where there were four puppies napping together in a pile in the previous photo, one of the pups has now moved approximately a foot to the side at some point during the last 7 days, and there are now three puppies left napping in the pile. We'll have more astonishing developments for you next week, RIGHT HERE.

Ever since I entered kindergarten I've been learning about maturity. It's a process for me. Today I turned to 2 adult dogs, mature in age and manner, to see what light they could shed on the subject.

Skye is a 7-year old border collie mix. She's got one blue eye and one brown, just like the girl in Blue Crush:

Skye displayed some of the same behaviors we've seen in the 1-year old border collies, and some marked differences as well. The unquenchable desire to herd everything on G-d's green earth is still there in a big way. But even with the herding, Skye acts her age in other ways. She didn't lunge at anything during our walk, she's TOTALLY housebroken, and she even maintained good eye contact with me. She only really tried to herd (all) the things that came to her rather than racing frantically to them. This included me if I didn't stay on our walking path as well as any other dog that approached us or came within about 100 yards. Then she bristled, planted her feet, and waited for them to come to us. That was my cue to lead her in the opposite direction. So I'd say she's grown gracefully into the job she's been bred to do and still takes it quite seriously. She needs to be given the space to do it and would need to be the only dog in your home, for your sanity and hers.

And now for a special alignment-of-the-stars bonus: A dog named Skye guest stars in TODAY'S Mutts comic strip!
Mutts has a new book out which features strips in this vein, entitled "Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed." If you don't have occasion to read Mutts in the newspaper, this book would be a great way to experience its artistry and power whenever you want it...or need it.

Now let's meet our next paragon of maturity and poise. Cruz, an 8-year old black lab mix, is so mature he even dresses well. Seriously, how early did he get up this morning to look this dapper?

If you've spent any time around puppies or young dogs, the contrast in Cruz' manner may surprise you. He's well-trained and has had the years of practice so that it's become second nature to him. Like Skye, Cruz walks very well and listens very well. However, he lacks the dog-reactivity and actually values peace and quiet over unrestrained barking. His attitude says, "I'm a perfect gentleman. Anything else would be uncivilized." All you would have to do is provide the home sweet home and daily strolls.

Well, if there's a lesson here, maybe it's that when you spend time around well-behaved creatures, sometimes they can rub off on you and leave you a better person. Say, that right there sounds like a great reason to adopt an animal companion!

In addition to Cruz and Skye, I walked Connie, featured here last week. Yep, she's still a soccer dog, and she's dying for someone to play soccer with her more than ever! She is very housebroken and needs walks right now because our courtyard, where we could normally let her out, is under construction. Maybe when the courtyard opens again, she and I will start an SPCA soccer league...unless you come get her first!

As of 4/28/08:
Skye...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Cruz...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Connie...AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.