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Laszlo updates

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Laszlo in the backyard

Laszlo updates!

Look at this adorable little dude. He is going to be hard to say good-bye to, but… we might be doing that soon!

There is a pending adoption on little Lasz, so we are awaiting further details! Excited!

And more sticks

Watching bugs

He was such a good boy at the big meet-and-greet event on Saturday with the rescue. It was a potentially overwhelming environment — tons of people, children, and several dogs (one of whom was quite agitated by the other dogs) — but Laszlo took it all in stride.

He was so friendly and affectionate to everyone who came up to pet him; his little tail would just thump, thump, thump against my side whenever someone came up to greet him. Laszlo was great with little kids, babies, men, women, the elderly, the mentally handicapped, people of a diversity of races and backgrounds, etc.; he met everyone on Saturday! It was a great socialization experience. We only stayed for about an hour and a half, because I could tell he was getting tired, but I felt like it was a great day of experience and exposure for him.

Mmm, sticks

His relationship with Pyrrha still isn’t the best — she still gets easily annoyed with him and still plays too rough with him — but he is not afraid of her anymore, so I consider that progress! He enjoys running up to her and licking her mouth, which she tolerates for a time, but when she tries to reciprocate play, she is inevitably too rough and he starts to cry. So we are usually playing referee during most of our time at home.

He has a lot more energy these days, too, which makes me wonder if he’s growing? He’s only been with us for about two weeks, but I think he’s bigger already. Look at those ears!

Being his adorable self

We are looking forward to hearing more about his potential adoption! Updates to come.

Big things in your future, bro!

Laszlo log

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Laszlo on the couch

Laszlo Log!

Updates on our little foster buddy:

  • Working on a better relationship with Pyrrha. They are increasingly learning how to coexist with each other, which is heartening. While I eat breakfast, they like to play bitey-face under the table. Recently, they’ve been doing this weird thing in which Pyrrha holds her mouth open and Laszlo sticks his ENTIRE HEAD in her mouth and starts licking her teeth, gums, and tongue… kind of like this. It’s so strange. But they both seem to enjoy it! (Have you ever seen dogs do this?? I haven’t!)
  • He’s still sitting when he wants attention. We’ve been teaching him to sit in front of us when he wants attention, instead of jumping up. He still jumps, but he throws those sits out any time he wants something! It’s impressive. He still jumps on me, though, when Pyrrha comes barreling after him in the yard, which I don’t blame him for; I’d want to be picked up, too!
  • Makes up for all the crying and destructiveness with snuggles. It’s a good thing puppies are so cute. Because they are so much work! I was really irritated with him on Monday night; he kept messing with Pyrrha, chewing stuff, peeing, etc. But then I pulled him up on the couch with me, after an hour of enduring his antics, and he fell asleep on my chest for an hour. Sigh. You can’t stay too mad at a creature who is that adorable.
  • He met a prospective dad this week! Our friend in town saw photos I’d posted on Facebook and said he was interested. He came by to meet Laszlo and I think Laszlo was quite charming. Naturally! Waiting to see what happens here, but I’ve encouraged our friend to go ahead and put in application, because I have a feeling that Laszlo won’t linger very long.
  • Laszlo will be attending an adoption event with me this Saturday at our local Tractor Supply. The rescue is having an event there, and I will be bringing him along. I am sure his cute little face will attract a lot of attention!

More to come!

Laszlo is up for adoption! If you like that cute little face, fill out an application at Southeast German Shepherd Rescue!

New foster: Laszlo!

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Everyone, meet our new foster pup, Laszlo!

Pen Park with Laszlo

Laszlo is a 9-10 week old German shepherd mix. He was thrown over the fence in the middle of the night at a West Virginia shelter, and that’s basically all that we know about his background.

Out back with baby Laszlo

He was dropped off at our house by a sweet family who volunteered to transport him on Friday. Laszlo arrived somewhat overwhelmed and withdrawn, but he was very cuddly with everyone and always wagged his little tail whenever a person approached him. Within a few hours, he had started to open up and explore the house.

Pen Park with Laszlo

Pyrrha has been a little less than thrilled with his arrival. She treats him with a kind of reserved disdain. He was quite frightened by her at first, but after a day, the two of them now coexist peacefully. (This morning, the two were playing bitey-face while I ate breakfast…)

For all of her standoffishness, Pyrrha remains gentle with puppies, and she does seem to respect his size and age. For now, they are tolerating each other, which is all we can really ask for. I imagine, however, that within a week or so, he may gain more confidence and the two of them might actually interact more.

Laszlo in the car

My sister and brother-in-law were visiting for the weekend, and on Saturday, we took the dogs to the local trails for an afternoon walk. Laszlo kept up quite well and did OK on the leash, partially thanks to Pyrrha’s example, I think. We did carry him part of the way back, but he was a trooper. He even met a few dogs on the trail and didn’t seem too scared of them, which was a good sign.

Pen Park with Laszlo

He strikes me as quite smart and trainable. Within a day, we trained him to sit, and he’s now habituated to sitting in front of us when he wants something, instead of jumping up. He still does jump, but he doesn’t seem to have many of the typical GSD vices yet (noisiness, biting people, chewing up stuff). Essentially, he strikes me as a rather easy puppy. He slept through the night on his first night here, and he’s still getting used to the housetraining.

Out back with baby Laszlo

What would you guess he is mixed with?

His paws are somewhat small and proportional, so I don’t think he’s going to get very big. He clearly has GSD markings, but purebred GSD puppies don’t get their ears up this young. His coat is also unusual and unlike a GSD; instead of the fluffy puppy fur that leads to the thick GSD double coat, this guy has somewhat odd, silky fur that is close to the skin. He has a stocky build, too.

My best guess is either some terrier or some heeler somewhere in his lineage, but of course, we have no idea. What do you think?

Out back with baby Laszlo

Looking forward to getting to know this little dude more and more! More details to come!

Laszlo is looking for his forever home! If you are interested in adopting Laszlo, fill out an application at Southeast German Shepherd Rescue.

Pure love

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German shepherd puppy! You little devil. #gsd

Click for source.

“The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.”

— Johnny Depp

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Happy weekend, everyone! I am looking forward to some sunshine, even it’s still quite cold. Hope you enjoy a happy few days off with your dog(s)!

Post-snow play

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It snowed Sunday morning, but by the time Pyrrha had her friends over, the snow had melted and left a pleasantly chilly sludge. But the dogs, clearly, did not mind.

Dear Heath showed up first, followed shortly by Loki, who is now HUGE (probably 80 lbs.). Do you remember when he was just the little guy?

Do I have to go home?

Loki is not so tiny anymore

The boys are back in town

Sniffs

Heath and Loki

It’s usually just a blur of color-coordinated fur.

Happy puppy faces

Big bundle of color-coordinated fur

Trio

Our new addition was baby Nell-abell, our neighbors’ sweet, three-month-old puppy. She is the most confident, spunky little thing I have ever seen! Here is the pack checking her out, with great interest:

New girl in the yard

I was worried that she was going to be scared by all of the big dogs, but she really held her own and jumped right in there with them. She was also especially adept at ducking and avoiding collisions when the chase games got a little crazy. She is a smart girl with a great personality. I mean, look at this face! So funny.

Nell's face!

Nell-abell particularly hit it off with Loki. The pair were an absolute delight to watch: the biggest dog and the smallest dog in the yard, utterly smitten with each other.

Nell-abell and Loki

Love between Loki and Nell

Love between Loki and Nell

Love between Loki and Nell

Roland also came by at the end. He is perfect for wearing Pyrrha out, as their favorite play method with each other is a frenzied game of tag around and around.

Roland checks out Nell

Pyrrha was certainly worn out after two hours of play! That was the goal, after all. (Pyrrha also did better with the puppy than I thought she was going to do. She wasn’t as gentle with Nell-abell as Loki, but she did seem to temper her behavior to Nell’s size and age, which was heartening for when we go meet Georgia in a few weeks.)

Wiped out after the play-date

Looking forward to more play-dates and continuing to grow her circle of friends!

Meet Georgia, Pyrrha’s new aunt!

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It is with great delight that I introduce you to Pyrrha’s new “aunt,” Georgia!

Georgia on the porch

My husband’s parents just adopted this precious puppy, their first official “foster failure.” My in-laws are generous, loving advocates of their local lab rescue and they have served as a foster home for labs in need for about a year now.

Georgia

Just about a week ago, however, little miss Georgia came tumbling into their lives and they just couldn’t say no. I mean, could you?? Look at that face!

Sweet baby Georgia

From these photos, I’d guess that Georgia was some kind of golden retriever/spaniel mix. She’s only 7 weeks old right now. What would you guess her lineage is?

We hope to take a trip to see them and meet Georgia very soon. Welcome to the family, little girl. You are one lucky pup!

Quite unlike people

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German shepherd puppies, ready for world domination. Click for source.

“Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object relations.”

Sigmund Freud

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Happy weekend, everyone! I’m organizing yet another play date with Bo and a new golden retriever friend, young Levi, on Saturday. Get excited. Lots of photos of frolicking, blonde ruffians to come!

Pup links!

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A patient mix tolerates the aspiring dentist. Source: LIFE Magazine.

Dog-related links from around the Web this past week:

Veterinary Myth-busting Part 2: Feeding Dry Food Prevents Dental Disease. There you have it. I’ve read that kibble doesn’t prevent dental disease in several places, but it was nice to hear it from a blogger’s perspective, too. (Borderblog)

Doca Pet High Tea Feeder. If we do get a big dog (like a GSD), I’m in the market for an elevated feeder. This one is so sleek–and expensive! Sigh. (Dog Milk)

Worth Waiting For: See Scout Sleep Collars and Leashes. This new line of collars and leashes is really beautiful and functional at the same time. I love the simple, bold, geometric designs. (Under the Blanket)

Everyone’s a Critic: Ai WeiWei’s “Sunflower Seeds.” Fern and Theodore are totally bored by Ai WeiWei’s installation. I love it. [Side note: You may recognize Theodore from the cover of Love Has No Age Limit!] (City Dog/Country Dog)

Robert Clark. Photographer Robert Clark’s glamorous studio shots of show-worthy pooches. (Afghan hounds are always the most fun to photograph.) (Pawsh Magazine)

Pomeranian Puppy Refuses to Eat His Broccoli. Oh, the adorable-ness. It’s killing me. Pom pups barely look real. (Best Week Ever)

I was also tagged by Volunteer 4 Paws (formerly Inu Baka). I’m kind of new to the realm of blog tagging, so bear with me; here are my answers. Since I don’t have my long-awaited dog yet, these answers are about me.

  1. Describe yourself in seven words: Opinionated, detailed, organized, cautious, motivated, content, eager.
  2. What keeps you up at night? What if my future dog is evil? What if he/she cannot be trained? What if I fail my future dog? What if my future dog doesn’t love me? And so forth.
  3. Who would you like to be? A fraction of the fullness of the glory of God.
  4. What are you wearing right now? Skinny black jeans, black high-heeled oxfords, terra cotta blazer from the Gap, cashmere blend sweater from Banana Republic.
  5. What scares you? Losing my family.
  6. The best and worst of blogging? The best of dog blogging, specifically, is the wonderfully warm and helpful community I’ve found here. I started from ground zero in my dog knowledge and everyone has been so encouraging to me along the way. Keep that advice coming! I lap it up. The worst of blogging is the nagging feeling that it’s just an exercise in perpetual vanity. I actually feel less that way about this blog, since Doggerel is an educational venture; my personal blog is another matter…
  7. What was the last website you visited? Miss Moss, one of my favorite non-dog blogs.
  8. What is the one thing you would change about yourself? Just one? Well, that I would worry and fear less.
  9. Slankets, yes or no? Yes, if they come with night cheese.
  10. Tell us something about the person who tagged you. Thanks for the tag! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog since I started my journey in canine education and look forward to continuing to glean from your wisdom in dog caring, raising, and loving. Your giving heart and insightful nature is inspiring to me!

Pup links!

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This little girl found her valentine. Source: LIFE Magazine.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Are you watching the conclusion of the Westminster Kennel Club show tonight? I’m going to watch it with my husband and his hilarious poetry colleagues from the university, who have an annual tradition of watching Westminster at a local sports bar. I am so excited. Could there be a more ironic combination of things? Poets + wings + cheap beer + dog show = I think not. Who’s your bet for the big win?

Dog show fun aside, here’s a few interesting links from around the Web:

Famous Artists Photographed with Their Dogs. Apparently, famous painters have a thing for dachshunds. Who knew? (Flavorwire)

5 Reasons to Adopt a Dog. These are the standard, excellent reasons, or at least, a great place to start in listing them. I like reminding myself of these reasons. I’m always surprised at how many people look sad or disappointed when I say I want to adopt an adult dog. “Don’t you want a puppy?” they plead. Next time, I’ll gently remind them of some of the elements on this list. (The Bark Blog)

NYC Dog Art Tour. A collection of canine artwork from around New York City. (Loving the Dog Art Today site redesign, too! So sleek!) (Dog Art Today)

Sharing the Love. Sweet-faced border collies and a dachshund with their Valentine’s message. (Raising Addie)

Pup links!

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Bring on the big dogs. Source: LIFE Magazine.

A lot of interesting, dog-centric links from around the Web this past week:

Getting the Most from Dog Training Classes. These are really helpful and insightful pointers about how to get more bang for your buck in a training class. I wouldn’t have thought of many of these things, and I’m glad I read this before signing up for a training class. (Oh Behave!)

Surprise! These (pretty adorable) photos of a border collie pup are proof positive that breeds have strong, inborn instincts. (Alta-Pete Farm Tails)

Wrapping Up the 2011 Budgeting Project–Onward to 2012! If you ever wanted a seriously comprehensive glimpse of pet finances, look no further than M.C. and her Bows. This is a really helpful year overview and it’s inspired me to keep track of my own purchases for my future dog. (The House of Two Bows)

Love ‘em and Leash ‘em Challenge. Take Paws reviews their favorite leashes, many with flexible uses and purposes. (Take Paws)

Finding a Purpose for a Pup. A success story of a sheep-killing German shepherd turned drug-busting police dog. Just proof that every dog has his proper place, if only we’ll give them a chance to find it. (The Bark Blog)

Happy Birthday, Edith Wharton! A collection of photos of one of my favorite American novelists, Edith Wharton, and her beloved dogs. (Dog Art Today)

A Lovely Being: Heavy Petting. Classic starlets in black-and-white with their pooches. (Honey Kennedy)

The Cookie Look. We’ve all seen this intense gaze before. I love these photos; their bated breath and intensely focused desire comes across so clearly. (Paws on the Run)

DIY No-Bake Healthy Treats for You & Your Pooch. These look like pretty gourmet snacks, but I’ll probably try them at some point, because I’m addicted to oatmeal. (Pretty Fluffy)

Bull City Pet Sitting: A Day on the Job. My favorite wedding videographers (one, sister to our much-beloved wedding photographer) created a video to promote a pet sitting business in Durham, North Carolina. It’s such a fun video and they did a wonderful job with it. What a fun promotional tool! (Inkspot Crow Films)

Intermission: A Dog’s View of Dogs Playing. Another great video! Ever wondered what the dog park looks like to your pooch? Here’s an idea, in high-def, artistically rendered glory. (GOOD)

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