A Backyard Photo Shoot

Just a few shots of me playing with my KONG(s)!! Don't be jealous that I have two.

A Day in the Life of Me – Hippo!

My foster parents tell me I’ve got quite the following, now that I’ve reached patch fame (http://chevychase.patch.com/blog_posts/mutts-matter-meet-a-dog-named-hippo), so I figured I’d give my fans a look at what a day in my life is like!

It all starts when foster dad wakes up. He asked me not to mention the specific time, but let’s just say it’s not what most folks would consider early. That’s fine by me though because I’ve got a super comfy bed in my crate and I’m totally cool sleeping late. Once foster dad is up though our exciting day begins with a trip to the backyard where my foster sisters and I do our business. I’m really proud of the fact that I NEVER do my business in the grass – I learned within a matter of days that foster mom and dad want us to do our business in the mulch and I’ve been doing it ever since. Sometimes my foster sisters forget and go in the grass, but I never do. 

After we’ve done our business we head downstairs for our delicious breakfast. My foster sisters get their breakfasts in their crates, but I get mine loose because I get my meals in a special bowl! I lay nicely on the floor while foster dad feeds my foster sisters because he tells me to stay and I’m a real good listener. They just get their meals in normal boring dog bowls, but I get mine in either a wobbly Kong (http://www.kongcompany.com/products/dogs/wobbler/wobbler-1) or a plastic cube. These both have a small hole in them and I roll them around on the floor and knock them over to get the food out a few pieces at a time. It’s so much fun and keeps me busy for 30-45 minutes! It also slows me down because I eat my food SO fast if it’s in a regular bowl. My foster parents say that I’m such a smart little guy that I need lots of stimulation and this way I get some while eating my meals. It also tires me out a bit and gives my foster parents some time to do things like eat meals of their own, make conference calls, or just relax without me around for a bit. It’s great!

After I finish eating I usually head upstairs to see what foster dad’s up to and most of the time I get to chew on one of my bones for an hour or two while he does work. Then it’s time to go get my foster sisters and play! Before we let my foster sisters out of their crates, foster dad has me lay down and stay and then he gets whatever food I left behind and places it on my paw while telling me to “wait.” I get so excited about eating these last few pieces of food, but I always wait until foster dad says it’s ok to eat them. Then I stay in down until foster dad has let both Lydia and Keely out of their crates and tells me it’s time to go upstairs. Then I run up and say hello to Keely and Lyd! My way of saying hello usually involves chewing on their ears and necks because that’s what I love to do, but I know that Keely doesn’t like that so I don’t do it to her. Lydia and I like to chew on each others’ ears and faces for hours though, or at least until it annoys foster dad and he makes us stop.

While foster dad is working we do lots of different things. We watch the squirrels and birds out the window and occasionally bark at a dog passing by outside. Then we chase each other around and jump on the couch or sit on foster dad’s feet under his desk. Sometimes in the afternoon foster dad lets us hang out on the deck where we have lots of toys to play tug with and are even closer to the birds and squirrels. Last week a baby bird fell onto the deck, but none of us noticed except for Keely and she was just sniffing it (foster parents say she’s a huge wuss). I know Lydia wanted to eat it, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was still pretty exciting though!

After we’re done playing on the deck I usually like to lay in the sun if it’s cool or in the shade if it’s hot. If it’s hot foster dad doesn’t leave us out there too long and when he brings us in we always get ice cubes which we think are quite the treats. Lately in the evenings foster mom or dad has been taking me on long walks/runs which are awesome. I get to smell and see tons of new things and run around with them. It also tires me out. They’re working with me a lot on my manners and now when I see another dog I usually don’t even bark (unless they are barking and then I find it hard to resist!).

By then it’s usually time for dinner! We do the same routine as with breakfast and I work at my wobbly kong for as long as it takes to get all the food out. Foster dad had to start duct taping the hole in it to make it smaller because I figured it out too fast, but then I figured out that if I licked the duct tape enough it would move away from the hole and more food would come out. I love figuring things out!

Lots of times after dinner either foster mom or foster dad will work with me on my training. I’m a whiz at training because I’m so food motivated and eager to please. I breezed through the first 7 days of the protocol for relaxation before we got a bit distracted with other things, but I can sit perfectly still while people run circles around me, open the door and walk out and come back in, leave the room and then come back, run in place while clapping, you name it! I can even do it while foster dad is yelling at the Orioles on the TV!

If I’m really lucky, in the late evening we get to go to the dog park. We go at night so we can have the place to ourselves without any other annoying dogs to stress us out. It’s so much fun – last time Lydia and I chased each other around in circles for 30 minutes straight until we were both exhausted. The time before that foster dad took me by myself and I chased these balls that squeak when you chew them. When we get home I’m ready to relax and we usually watch TV for an hour or two. Sometimes I see an animal on the TV and I bark because I want to play with it! Foster parents laugh at me because they say it’s not real but I’m not sure.

When it’s time for bed and foster mom and dad head upstairs, I run right into my crate because I know I sleep in there. It also helps that I know I get a treat in there. Once the lights are out I go right to sleep and am down for the count until the morning when it’s time to do it all over again!

That’s a day in the life of me, Hippo! Wouldn’t you like to spend your days with me?

**NOTE: We are trying very hard to get the word out about Hippo -- let us know if you can help out!  We have a flyer that we're hanging around metro stations and other busy areas, so if you can hang some in your neighborhood that would be awesome. Email or leave a comment and we'll send you the flyer.

My Perfect Match

I've been getting a little sad recently. I've been with Foster-Mom and Dad for almost three full months now. I'm working with them everyday on my manners. I'm going to training and I'm already better at all of the commands than my foster sisters. But still, no takers.

Foster-Mom said that sometimes these things take time and that she knows lots of really great dogs who haven't met their forever families yet. I asked how she met her family. She and foster-Dad met back in college. They met foster-sister Keely on the internet and foster-sister Liddy was a rescue dog like me who somehow convinced them to let her stay permanently. Meeting someone in school isn't a realistic option for me at this point; I'm still being home-schooled. And despite how they feel about me, foster-Mom said she can't have three full-time dogs AND help the ones that need a temporary home and a little TLC. I know having a place like this to go saved my life, so I didn't push on getting her to let me stay.

So I guess I have to meet my forever family online. Mom said I have a Petfinder profile (Meet Hippo) but that maybe I was getting looked over--there are over 1,100 terriers like me looking for homes in DC and surrounding counties!! Just made me feel worse about my chances.

How does anyone find a match in this world?!?!

And then I saw the commercial:

I needed to go on Match.com.

Foster-mom said she wasn't sure I was what the other members were looking for but that it was certainly a viable option. So here's my profile:

8 Month Old Pit Mix, Alexandria, Virgina
Seeking: Family of any size within 200 miles (I'm not limiting myself!). Ideally, I would make it a single-dog household.

Relationship: Living with a Foster Family
Have Kids: Nope!
Want Kids: That ship has sailed.
Ethnicity: Mutt (Pit Mix)
Body Type: Lean, mean playing machine
Faith: I pray to the makers of the Kong
Smoke: Hells no
Drink: With every meal--I do love the water
Political Views: Rational
Sign: Cancer
For Fun: Fetch and sunning myself on the deck
Last Read: The Hunger Games (<--don't judge)

About Me & What I'm Looking For:

Oooh, this is the awkward part. How do I seem funny 

and endearing 

but still project cool and desirable!? 

I'm a Philly native enjoying the life of the 'burbs of Northern Virginia. I enjoy Kongs, anything on A&E, running, long walks (on the beach --sorry, I had to), and playing fetch. I have lots of energy and can be a bit of a klutz sometimes but recover quickly and have no problem laughing at myself. 

My ideal weekend involves sleeping in, several runs and/or walks, and the aforementioned Kongs. 

In my ideal family, I would be the only dog and the apple of my parent(s)' eye(s). Active and patient are musts. Committed to my development is also key. There's so much I know I can accomplish, just need someone by my side to show me the way.

Send me a message--maybe you're my match!

Young Dog Learning New Tricks

My stint as Mutt of the Month is over and no takers. I can't believe it. I thought one look at my handsome mug and someone would for sure fall in love with me. Mom says I'm still really, really ridiculously good looking (I may or may not have added one or both of those "really's"... and the ridiculously) but that perhaps I need to up my appeal and offer something besides good looks. So we've been working on some stuff the last few days to make me a GOOD and handsome pup.

Our good friend Kelly from Spring Training for Dogs set us up with some daily exercises that are teaching me to stay calm, listen, and entertain myself (instead of making Liddy play with me all day long). I'm doing pretty good if I do say so myself. I can already sit/stay longer than Liddy AND Keely (those are my foster sisters) and I'm making some real progress on my favorite bones.

 

And check out this last picture. Look how patiently I'm waiting for my release so I can get my piece of hot dog. I know a lot of humans that couldn't do that! 

I still have a lot to learn and my new family is going to have to keep it up--but mom says I'm by far the smartest foster she's ever had.

Check back soon for updates on my progress!

Look at me! I'm Mutt of the Month!

I have to be honest, I didn't even know I WAS a mutt. In fact, I had to ask Foster Mom what a mutt was. She said a mutt is a dog of mixed breed--like my foster-sister, Lydia. Foster Mom and Dad think Lydia is a shepherd, pittie, Ridgeback mix. Whatever she is, I think she's just perfect and I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Which led to my next question, "What kind of mix am I?!"


Foster Mom said I'm part pit bull and maybe a little bull terrier, with hippopotamus and groundhog tendencies. I think she was joking about the last two because I'm pretty sure those aren't dogs. The vet said I might have some dachshund in me because I'm so long.

Mom says we may never know, but that it doesn't matter, because I'm fun and smart and loving and becoming a better dog everyday. And I'm Mutt of the Month, people. Check me out!

Playing Machine

Did I mention I love to play? Because I really love to play.

Foster Mom would prefer that I channel my energy in a quieter, more subdued manner. She keeps asking me why I don't nap more. I don't know why you would nap when there's so much playing to be done. And now, there's so much more playing to be done because now, we have TOYS!

Look at me with my FIRST toy ever.

Foster-Dad was so proud--called me his little "Redskins Fan."

Even more fun than just my football, was playing with my sisters with my new toy (and theirs!). Check me out.

Meet Hippo

Meet Hippo--our first foster of 2012! He'd like to say, "Hi!"

Hellllooooooooo! My name is Hippo. I'm a 5 month old Pittie-mix from Philly living it up in the DC 'burbs.  How'd I end up here? Well, Foster-Dad knew someone who was dating someone who knew someone who was going to drop me at Philadelphia Animal Control on Christmas. Foster-Dad decided that couldn't happen and convinced his beautiful and compassionate wife to let me come stay with them until I could find a new home. (Foster-Mom is a great woman.) Anyway, they asked their friend's at Mutts Matter Animal Rescue if I could be a mutt who mattered and they paid for my shots and neuter -- I love them despite making me do those things!


More about me--I LOVE my fosters sisters.

Though they've been doing less and less of the napping/relaxing since I've been around. I can't help it. I just love to play.

Which is what I'm about to do now. Foster-Mom says I can blog again soon. In the meantime, check out my adoption listing and think about how generally cute I am. (See below for inspiration.)