Onyx Vudu -New TG Foster

First off, thank you to everyone for the support regarding the Pet-a-Palooza. Unfortunately, when I inquired, all the booths were already booked! I think I will take an hour or two and go scope it out though :) TG has been put on a list for next year so they will contact me about the event and see if we want a booth. I have to be honest, I'm kind of relieved. Speaking to the public is not my strongest suit. When it's about dogs, I'm a bit better, but I don't do crowds well.

Now, onto a more interesting topic. A foster!

He's been tagging along with me for a week and I just haven't had the time to do a real write-up on him. Meet Onyx Vudu.

Why does he have two names you ask? Well, cause we couldn't pick just one I think. I had named him Vudu before he came to us, and when he got here, he looked like an Onyx. For the most part we're calling him Vudu, or 'little black dog'. Sometimes the odd 'Black Magic' slips out (which Onyx is another word for black, and Voodoo is a type of magic.) It's like translating him name a bit :P Luckily, he responds to almost everything you call him.

Onyx Vudu is a 7 month old and about 25 pounds. He'll probably hit 30 but he has really small paws for how big he is currently, so he might not even grow any more.  He possibly Shiba Inu mix, but more probably, a Finnish Spitz mix. Here is a pic of a Finnish Spitz as I haven't come across one in person.

Here is a body shot of Onyx Vudu

Granted, this was after daycare, so he is wiped! Usually his ears stand up pretty like in the first photo of him, and his tail curls up in a perfect cricle. He also resembles a little bit of a Karelian Bear Dog -almost exactly like Miika! He is carema shy, and black, so getting good pictures is difficult. Hopefully today we'll get a few good ones out at the lake.

Overall, Onyx Vudu is an AWESOME boy. He has shown himself to be low-medium energy, though obviously being a puppy still has puppy moments. He is overly dog social, has ignored the barn cats and chickens, has only had one accident (my fault, didn't monitor the gigantic water dish), and is nicely crate-trained. Besides the old foggies, he's the only foster I've had who puts himself to bed. Nine pm comes around and he diligently trots into his crate. Sure beats the ones you have to coax into bedtime!

Sometimes we have to drag him out of bed for his 6:30am pee. He has been okay left alone (crated, he'll be trustworthy lose in a month or so once he stops the chewing stage) for 2-3 hours, he is perfect at daycare -he LOVES daycare.

He has some commands down already. He can sit, shake, down, touch. Recall is hit and miss, but I think that's because he's getting used to a new name and new people. He walks well on a leash providing it's leash-time with rules. He will pull if he can get away with it. Overall, he's super easy to redirect and get eye contact out of. He'll play dumb for the first few corrections, but falls into routine quickly. There's a small stubborn streak in there somewhere but really eager to please guy.

Only point of possible concern so far are that he will bark his silly little head off at big wildlife like deer -which we get lots of on our property-. He hasn't shown any prey drive towards small critters, but I think he would go after big wildlife if he could. That makes me wonder if there is indeed some Karelian in there somewhere, as that's a total spitz/karelian type behaviour. They are big game hunters, and will ignore the small game most of the time. He would make a great dog to camp with though as he will definitely alert you to anything coming to get you :)

He is also an alert barker with people at the door. We've been practicing that instead of barking at the door, when someone comes  he must go sit on his dog bed until invited to come visit. He's doing well -MUCH better than bratty Lemon-, but it's a command his new home will want to maintain unless they want their visitors barked at.

After a week, I feel his ideal home will be with someone that can be with him most of the time as I believe he will get lonely quickly with someone gone a full work-day. Someone that has a current playful dog already would be a great, as Onyx Vudu loves to wrestle and play chase games and he plays well with all sizes of dogs. He could be an only dog too, as long as his people clock some serious dog park hours and/or consider daycare once or twice a week for him to burn some playing energy out. He will need about an hour exercise a day, plus a couple of play sessions and someone who will continue and maintain his training. Just because he is an easy and well-rounded boy does not mean he can be let off scott-free. His training definitely isn't over yet!

Some more pictures of him :)

Beckett finds the many uses of foster siblings. Use #21 -good pillows.

Crew having a nap/Lemon finally looking like a little dog!

Beckett and Vudu playing. Thankfully only Beckett talks while he plays.
Vudu only does a 'come get me' bark.

Good looking little man.

More to come on him soon.
Emily Out