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November 2017

5 Great Reasons Why Senior Dogs Rule and Puppies Drool

November has turned into a favorite month thanks to the older dogs in my life. I love senior dogs more than Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce!

My excitement for this month began after we adopted my own amazing Shepherd Husky from the San Francisco SPCA in November. After we shared every “Gotcha Day” and adoptaversary each November, I loved this month a little bit more.

image from www.grouchypuppy.com

Since my big fluffy girl had to move on three years ago, I’ve been spending time every week at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue among an ever changing tide of sweet oldsters. They show me how much more fun being around well-seasoned dogs are compared to puppies! 

Curious about what makes these sugar faces so great? Read on and see for yourself  Adorable adoptable dogs ahead!!

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Dogs with a knowing gaze

Is it because Border Collies are dogs known for being smart? Why does Noemi have such a deep and thoughtful face? 

She’s such a sweet girl and since I have spent the last three or four weeks visiting with her at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, she has only shown me this quiet demeanor.

image from www.grouchypuppy.com

When I look into her eyes she seems to be telling me something important. I get the feeling that I need to pay attention, so I find myself  putting away my camera and not taking pictures when I’m with her.

image from www.grouchypuppy.com

Her body language definitely encourages quiet petting sessions.  I found myself today sitting on the hard  linoleum floor with her, quietly massaging her hips and petting her sides for over 15 minutes.

It was glorious to only think about how to get her so relaxed that she would start to snore. I stopped thinking about the world and the noises from out on the street and only thought about maintaining the rhythm of petting her. 

I wonder if the knowledge behind her gaze was that she knew that I needed this time with her ? 

Noemi is available through Muttville’s Fospice program

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Discover why senior dogs rule when you fall in love with Vinny!

Meet Vinny, a charming little Maltese mix who is looking for a new best friend! Look at this sweet sleepy face after we had a major after-breakfast cuddle session.

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Vinny comes to us from Fresno and is so excited for Muttville to help him find his new beginning. This little guy is looking for someone who likes to go for walks, is open to long cuddle sessions, and will give the occasional treat or two!

He loves people and will prance on over to meet you. Vinny is very friendly and has made lots of other pup friends in the Muttville lofts. This gentleman is just about perfect, come meet him today!

Vinny is around 12 years young and weighs just under 7 pounds.

Meet this handsome boy at Muttville on Rescue Row in San Francisco!

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When dogs you’ve just met demand your affection, how do you respond?

When a dog refuses to acknowledge a barrier, physical or emotional, do you think they realize what they are doing?

I’ve noticed during my encounters with big dogs at Muttville that when one pushes through my arms, or puts their head into my lap with intention, I feel privileged. I’m grateful when they take the initiative to, in their own doggy way, ask for my attention and affection. I’m there to give them affection anyway, but it’s a different kind of feeling when a dog who doesn’t know you, demands you love on them.

image from www.grouchypuppy.com

This is Everett. I had barely walked into the room before he barreled straight into my legs. He wasn’t waiting for me to come to him. He didn’t see my hesitation, or if he did he didn’t care, what he cared about was getting my attention and my affection.

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Discover why senior dogs rule when you fall in love with Miss Sally!

Look at this sugar face! We think delightful little Sally is just the bees knees! She may be on the petite side, but she sure does have a Texas sized heart!

Sally comes to Muttville from Texas, part of a group of dogs that we took in to help make room for displaced animals affected by Hurricane Harvey.

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Sally is just perfect, and we think that she has good house-training ability. This girl is sweet with other dogs and loves people. She does well on leash, and loves a good walk.

Sally is looking for a forever family that will give her love, security, and happiness in her retirement years. Do you have room in your heart and home for sweet Sally?

Here’s what Sally’s foster has to say about this sweet gal:

Sally is the ultimate cuddlebug! She loves sleeping on the couch next to you, in bed & she gets very excited to go for walks. Sally loves her outdoor time & does a very happy little bouncy dance when the leash comes out. She’s great with other dogs and cats! She ignores the cats for the most part. When home, Sally will mostly sleep & ask for belly rubs. She does however love to go for walks/hikes and seems to be able to go on forever. Once in a while she gets very excited & starts to play, dashing all about. Sally is house-trained but would do well in a home where she can be taken out every 4 hours or so. Sally is adorable! She’s a little shy at first, but once she opens up, she’s a total doll!

Fall in love with her at Muttville on Rescue Row in San Francisco!

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The good feelings you can get from the smell of a dog or twenty

I love the smell of dogs. There, I said it, and I mean it.

Am I alone in this? I hadn’t thought before that something I was badly missing after the passing of my big fluffy dog would be her smell. Her thick Husky Shepherd triple coated fur smell. She had smelled like my beloved childhood stuffed bear who I took naps with and whose plastic nose I chewed. I still have that now fifty year old panda bear.

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Today, coming home from my morning with the oldsters at Muttville, I silently kept noticing the smell of the dogs on me. I could see their hairs on my black yoga pants but I also got little whiffs of scent every time I shifted in my bus seat. And I loved it!

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Discover why senior dogs rule when you fall in love with Fluffernutter!

‪‬Sweet fluffy dog! Meet the newest fluff in town, a happy boy that is appropriately named Fluffernutter!!

Fluffernutter comes to us from Oakland but is excited to be across the bridge at Muttville. He has a happy-go-lucky outlook on life, and thinks his new life is looking good.

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This cheerful boy is good with people and other dogs. He is an explorer at heart and politely roams around checking out his new surroundings.

Fluffernutter loves peanut butter, walks, and would love to find a friend who gives a good scratch behind the ears. Come see if this guy could be your new love-bug today!

We think Fluffernutter is around 14 years young and weighs around 38 pounds.

Fall in love with him at Muttville on Rescue Row in San Francisco!

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October 13-15 San Francisco SPCA “Exit Through the Gift Shop” Weekend Adoption Event

Join the SF SPCA for an artsy-themed cocktail party and adoptathon weekend based on the 2010 movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” which focused on the world’s most infamous graffiti artists.

Adult animals (6+ months) will be free to adopt all weekend, October 13 – 15, at both SF SPCA locations in the Mission and Pacific Heights.

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The weekend will kick off with a Friday evening cocktail party at the SF SPCA’s Mission Campus, 6pm – 9pm.

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Read Rescued 🐶 Understand better what it means to adopt a shelter dog

If you know anything about Grouchy Puppy you know that it began (and continues!) thanks to our adopted rescue dog from the San Francisco SPCA. Since her passing, I’ve gotten more involved with helping the sugar faces at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue find their new matches so they can have the best final chapter of their life.

You can imagine then how happy I was to get the chance to review an early copy of a new book filled with stories, life lessons, and advice related to adopted dogs and those who love them. 

We are a nation of dog lovers and as someone who fell in love with a shelter dog, I know I am not alone in my appreciation for what these special dogs have to offer us. In the book, Rescued, by author and journalist, Peter Zheutlin, there is story after incredible story showing how the dogs in animal shelters are not always broken, that they can become your new best friend, teacher, exercise buddy or confidante.

Every chapter in this book is a reminder of how bringing dogs into our lives can make us more empathic, compassionate people. Both the stresses and joys we experience together can have a positive influence. I experienced that first hand with my adopted dog, and now I get weekly reminders volunteering with the oldsters at Muttville.

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This book has all the heartwarming stories dog people tell each other, but it also has a great collection of pragmatic life lessons, experiences and perspective. The stories you’ll read are valuable to anyone thinking about having a dog.

Shelter dogs are not broken, and most often just need the right person to appreciate who they are and what they have to offer. Much of successful dog adoption involves the art of matchmaking. Dogs, in all their dogginess, have so much to offer us humans if we just pay attention.

Here’s an excerpt from the book, Rescued:

Our Dogs Are Not Our Children: How anthropomorphizing our dogs can lead to unrealistic expectations of their behavior

Continue reading "Read Rescued 🐶 Understand better what it means to adopt a shelter dog" »

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