DOUG ....THE DOG OF MANY BREEDS?

Doug at Turtle Gardens

Turtle Gardens came to town with dogs last Sunday and while I couldn't attend the dog run, that wasn't going to stop me from fostering.  My good friend and fellow foster-er Gloria was happy to go and pick up Doug (not a real hardship for her....because there were puppies to cuddle at the dog run).  I met up with Gloria and Doug on Sunday afternoon and my first impression of him, of course was how darn cute he is!  He was curious about everything and was friendly and happy to meet me.  He was a little nervous of some of the new sights and sounds but that did not stop him from exploring.  My first assessment of him is that he is affectionate, smart, attentive and confident. 

Doug at the dog run (awesome pic stolen from Piper)

He rode home in the truck crashed on the dog bed.  He'd had a long drive in from Topley and he settled in for the last leg of this journey to his foster home.   When we got home he drank a bit of water and was given the guided tour on leash.  He had a quick bath which he tolerated very well, was bundled into a dry towel and had a nap on the couch while I cuddled him dry.

After that, he was happy to see the toys come out and I discovered that not only does he have zero issues having toys taken away, but he prefers to have me hold the toy while he plays.  No growling, no moments of hesitation when I reached in for a toy or a bone....he was just happy to play.

He has been sleeping very well through the night and has found a couple of spots on my bed that he likes.  He can sometimes take a bit of coaxing to settle down for bedtime as the act of getting into bed gives him a second wind for playtime.

Photo by Piper

He rides very well in the vehicle, I haven't heard a peep out of him at home or outside except for one bark when he saw something move across the parking lot.  He is walking quite well on leash so far and he greets new people with interest and a wagging tail.  He watches most things that you do with great attention, like he's memorizing the steps in case he has to do it himself. 

He seems fairly mature considering he's still quite young (approx 7 to 10 months old?) but he does show his puppy/teenage nature when it comes to being playful and also when it comes to seeing a little piece of string sticking out of a dog bed, or a rug etc.  He is being a good boy and is easily distracted when he mistakes the edge of a rug for a toy.  I have been able to leave him alone for 15 minutes to run into the store and he just stayed on his bed in the truck and waited and also I left him alone for a few hours tonight and he didn't make a peep when I walked away.

His first day of dog daycare went well.  He preferred to hang out with the people and asked for cuddles, but on day 2 he found his groove and was playing with other dogs.  On day 3 we were waiting our turn to go inside and another dog approached and Doug play bowed to see if he could get him to play.  He knows daycare is about playtime now.

Here's a pic of Doug at daycare (thanks to Playful Paws for snapping such a great pic)

Now back to the question in the title of my blog.  Yvette originally told me that Doug was Pug/Chihuahua.  I can see those features - Pug in the shoulders and tail and Chihuahua in the kinda apple shaped head, in the ears and also in his 8 pound size. For the last 5 days I have seen other possibilities - Papillon, Boston Terrier in the face, Corgi in his fluffy fur on his hind legs, King Charles Cavalier in his coloring and also in the face.  No matter what breeds make up this little dog, he has the softest fur ever and the most endearing personality.  People who meet him do ask that as the first question though....'what is he?'.