January 12, 2009

Meet Russell the Brussels!

Russell is a 3-year-old rough-coated Brussels Griffon rescued from a puppy mill. He weighs around 14 pounds. He is the ultimate couch potato; his idea of exercise is to follow his foster mom around in hopes that she'll sit down so he can climb up in her lap. Sleeping and eating are his two favorite pastimes, followed by car rides and chewing on rawhides. He just recently started showing an interest in squeaky toys, and he will probably play with them more frequently as soon as his foster siblings stop stealing them from him.

Russell is currently being fostered with three other small dogs. He is submissive, and lets his foster siblings boss him around. In spite of being fostered with some yap-masters, Russell doesn't appear to be a particularly yappy dog, barking only when the others bark and quieting down quickly at his foster mom's command.

Leash training is coming along slowly; Russell gets nervous and will try to walk in circles around his foster mom while she is walking, or literally walk on the back of her feet, or continuously try to jump up in her arms during the walk. This behavior may tone down once he settles in to his new home, but his foster mom thinks an obedience class would help build Russell's confidence in this area.

Russell's housetraining is progressing well. His foster mom keeps him on a schedule, and takes him outside whether he shows signs of needing to go or not. Going potty outside is a forced issue right now because, a.) Russell is co-dependent and does not like to be separated from his foster mom, and b.) he really hates the cold. His foster mom used to go outside with him, but found that he preferred to spend his time following her around the yard than actually going to the bathroom on his own. She currently has to pick him up and carry him outside when she lets the other dogs out. He squats when he urinates, and does not mark in the house.




Russell is crate-trained to a wire crate. His foster mom was told when she got him that he does not like being in enclosed pet carriers, so she has never tried him in one. He is crated for up to 5 hours at a time during the day, and will sleep through the night in a crate next to his foster mom's bed. He keeps his crate clean.

Russell would make a delightful addition to any calm household with a lot of time and attention to offer him. In return he will give lots of Griffy hugs, ear washes, and undying devotion as your snuggle buddy of a lifetime.

Russell is neutered, microchipped, current on his vaccinations, heart worm negative and is on preventative. He is located in Wichita, Kansas

If you are interested in adoption please fill out our adoption application. If you would like more information, please contact Flo.

Keep in mind that we prefer to place dogs within driving distance of where they are being fostered. If someone from outside the local area is approved for adoption, they must be willing to fly in to get the dog and that can only happen if the dog is stable enough to travel in the cabin with the passenger.