Thursday, March 30, 2023

Red Dogs, Blue Dogs, White Dogs Too

While looking for a theme for this week's Petfinder dog post I read a news headline about a Florida dog adoption event called "Red Dogs, Blue Dogs," sponsored by their very popular First Lady, Casey DeSantis.

Somehow the use of a politician's name seems to suggest that dogs have partisan politics. I've never seen one that did. 

I think all dogs vote for pretty much the same things: food, walks, naps, scratches behind the ears, their humans. I don't think they know one TV talking head from another.

However, there are dogs, cats, sheep, and other animals whose brown or gray coats have reddish or bluish tones, who are known technically as red or blue animals. And of course there are white animals. You could put animal pictures together to form a flag image.

So this week we consider red, white, and blue dogs.

Zipcode 10101: Niko from Brooklyn 


He's described as a smart dog who will want to be trained for a job with some responsibility. He's looking for someone who can teach him as well as admire (and groom) his coat. A well trained Australian Shepherd dog can be as clean, quiet, and clever as a social cat, but they do need some help to get there. If you have some experience not just keeping, but training, superintelligent dogs, then Niko might be the perfect pet for you.

Bruce from New York City 


If the right dog for you needs to fit into a small apartment, consider 14-pound Bruce. He seems to be an older dog with some hearing loss, but he's described as puppyish, friendly, playful, and "a morning person. I mean, dog." Frankly his foster humans sound as if they're becoming attached to him so, even as you request a chance to meet Bruce, you might want to consider letting the breed-specific rescue group redirect you to a different dog of similar looks and charm. Bruce seems to get along well with all dogs and all humans, but not with cats.

Shimmer from Brooklyn 


There are different breeds of terriers, with different looks, different ear shapes and coat types...Shimmer is believed to be a mix of a few of these breeds. She's a terrier, but don't ask which kind! If you want to meet a cute, tough, clever, smallish dog, take the F Train to meet Shimmer.

Zipcode 20202: Benji Milford from Baltimore 


He's originally from North Carolina. As a shelter foster dog he bonded with another foster dog, and is said to be still wondering why he was separated from his buddy and shipped up to Baltimore. If he whines, he has reasons. He is described as a smallish beagle. 

Tofu from D.C.


Thought to be mostly Husky, Tofu hasn't been in the shelter system long. At two years old he's thought to have reached his full size--"Large." 

Shibo from Tennessee by way of D.C. 



The brothers came out of a high-kill shelter in Tennessee. (Grrrr...) Though they might have been too much for somebody to handle (I'm picturing an old man whose doctor just ordered him to give up hunting), they're valuable dogs, and the shelters want the full value out of each dog. That would be why they've been sent from Tennessee up to Washington. This kind of thing ticks me off. 

Anyway, for those who've read my wisecracks about the "Blue Tick Hounds" on Twitter and wondered about the origin of that phrase, this is what is known as a Blue Tick Hound. Good-sized, low-maintenance outdoor dogs, generally stable, sensible, and lovable. Each of the twins weighs about 65 pounds. Their black and grey coats should be good conversation starters and their friendly but protective dispositions should keep the conversations respectful. 

The "coon hound" type of dog was bred to thrive in conditions that border on abuse--living on table scraps and whatever rats they could catch, led out for long hunting trips when the master felt like it and left under the porch the rest of the time, and shot if they showed any signs of ill health. They do even better, though, on a regimen of regular meals, regular walks and work/play sessions, vet visits, and flea combing. They bark loudly when hunting and warning their humans of visitors, human or animal, and sometimes seem to believe that they can sing. 

Zipcode 30303: Ri Ri from Atlanta 


Two of the three Chihuahuas in this picture were adopted. The remaining one is Rihanna or Ri Ri. Do whips and chains excite her? Probably in a bad way. She can be b'y with other female dogs, too, and is recommended to families who have no other dogs or a male dog. Apart from that she's said to be a sweet and sassy, snuggly, lovable, typy Chihuahua, about six pounds. 

Bram from Fulton County 


Retrievers are usually black or yellow, but they can also be white. This white one has learned several commands and refuses to answer to the name the shelter stuck on her. Hears all those words, then makes the shelter staff wonder whether she's deaf? That dog is laughing at those people. 

Blubella from Marietta 


I'm not partial to the Weimaraner look myself, but sorting the Atlanta Petfinder pages by color is a major chore. She's one of the few dogs a search for "blue" pulled up that really is blue-grey. Anyway, Weimaraners are not for everyone. They're largish dogs that can play rough; they need a lot of attention in the form of structure, discipline, and firm but loving care. By "firm" we do not mean things like cutting off a dog's tail in the absence of medical reasons for it (there may have been a good reason; nobody knows). They insist Blubella's permanent home have a fenced yard, and recommend she be the only dog for a family without small children. On a more encouraging note, they say she likes to catch a ball, snuggle and watch TV with her humans, and go for long hikes or hunting trips. Good all-round pet for someone who can handle a big rough dog. Too many big rough dogs wind up in shelters after being bought or adopted by people who can't.

Bonus: Zipcode 33782, Pinellas Park, Florida: Maru from Largo 


He's not in a shelter, or wasn't at the time of posting. His human says she can't afford to keep him and is putting him up for adoption. He's not all that big a dog, either, only 45 pounds. He might grow a little bigger; he's only a year old. He's had basic training but is not yet educated up to his full Australian Shepherd potential. The owner hoped he'd be adopted two weeks ago, and with that picture I'm not sure how it's possible that he's not, but Aussies aren't for everyone either. 

Sugar & Ellie from Clearwater 


This pair of sisters (despite the different ears) are up for adoption together. They are thought to be mostly golden retriever and who knows what-all else. They sound a bit traumatized by having lost their home and human. They were outdoor dogs and may never have been fully housebroken. If you have a place for outdoor dogs, the sisters want to meet you.

Jackie & Lucy from Sarasota 


This pair of poodles have stayed close together since birth and are described as "velcro dogs" at the shelter. Adopt them together. The shelter staff think they might be all right in an apartment or row house if they get plenty of walks. They are older dogs, set in their ways, a bit possessive of their human, and recommended for families without children. Each poodle weighs about 45 pounds.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)