Goodbye, Rudy Moody!

Rudy went home this weekend with a family that I don't think could be more perfect for him. He'll have a back yard, big sister, and loving family. Our friend family will miss him, of course - he had become one of the gang. 

When I asked his new big sister if she knew where he would sleep she said, "He will probably sleep on my belly." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's so adorable that my already-broken heart broke into one hundred more pieces. She also hopes he will ride in the backseat to keep her company on road trips. Rob said he never forgot the day he got his first dog as a 6-year-old, so I hope Rudy's new sister has the same memory. The happiest ending.  

New BFFs

Howl-oween Practice

Rudy tried on his costume last night. He's a stegosaurus (obviously). If he's not with his forever family by Halloween, this is how he will spend Friday night. 

Weekend Recap: GUEST POST

Out of town again last weekend. Rudy had 4 caretakers for two nights - seriously all my friends volunteered (Rudy is that good) so they just took turns. Here is an unedited recap from Mary:
When we got there Rudy was super excited to see us.  

Rudy and Mary

The first thing we did was go to the dog park, which is Rudy and my favorite thing to do.  Rudy was a star at the dog park, hanging with the big dogs, but also playing nicely with a puppy. He was very responsive anytime we called him which was nice because as he could have ignored us being that we weren't his regular owner. 

Rudy at his fav place

Once we got home we fed him dinner and then Uncle Marco came over for the night.  Uncle Marco took Rudy to a tailgate Saturday morning followed by the Terrace, where he flirted with many ladies. 

Rudy & pretty woman I don't know

When we got home, he had a friend, a 10 week old puppy at his house.  They started to play right away and continued to until both pups were pooped. At night Rudy curled up in his bed in our room and went right to sleep.

Getting this text made me want to come home

He was up at 7:00am and we let him in the bed and he would've slept with us for awhile longer, but the puppy barking made him a little anxious, so we all woke up and went for a walk and played.  Playing continued throughout the whole morning until massive cuddle time happened with Kelsey and the other puppy. 

"Massive cuddle time"

At one point Leroy's paws were on Rudy's face and he didn't even care. Finally, it was time to leave and we gave Rudy lots of kisses because he is the best little bugger!!!!

This is so cute it might kill you

Thank you, Mary & Kelsey! Rob took the Sunday shift and sent me this unsolicited text:

Going To Miss This Little Bug

Rudy is pending adoption! 

That means someone filled out an application for him, so once the vet ref and home visit are cleared he'll be adopted. Happy and sad, but mostly happy for him and his new family. 

Excited to see this status every time

Going out of town this weekend so Mary and Kelsey are going to stay with Rudy. He got a bath and unsolicited snuggles as part of the preparation. 

Mary once asked if his paws were dipped in paint

He gets a bath every week because at the dog park and Dog Den daycare he plays without stopping, the result of which is that bigdog slobber ends up coating him. It's his true joy, but a joy that requires washing. He's easy to bathe, if you ignore the disapproving look.  

 

Pulling into the dog daycare, Rudy is laser focused

Paw Prints On Your Heart?

I feel like I see this quote everywhere - if it's true, I'm going to need a cardiologist. I mentioned last night that I have a feeling Rudy is going to be adopted soon, which broke my heart but also made me happy.

I scooped him up and told him I love him about a hundred times like a psycho, then had him to sit so I could take a picture of him and his tiny face looking so sweet. 

Got the third note in about a week's time from the Dog Den (wonderful dog daycare in Madison) about Rudy having girlfriends. The second one is lost, but it actually uses the word girlfriend. He's neutered so whatever. 

Weekend Recap: GUEST POST

Rudy stayed with Rob this weekend while we were out of town. #guysweekend #bestfriends #dogvacation 

I asked if he wouldn't mind sharing how it went for the blog. Here's what Rob had to say, unedited and illustrated with pictures mostly from the internet. Rob also said he's happy to do it again, so that's a great sign. 

"I dog sat for Rudy over the weekend while the owners were out of town. He stayed with me in my apartment complex and was very well behaved the entire time! 

At first he was a little shy and uncertain of his new surroundings, but after about 5-10 minutes he opened up.

He is house trained so there were no "accidents" during his stay, and would wait by the door when he needed to go out. During the day we relaxed on my couch while watching football, and he sat on my lap for most of that time. 

I went out with some friends in the evening and left him alone for about 4 hours. As I left, he did bark when I shut the door behind me (which worried me since technically I wasn't supposed to have dogs here), but the barking ceased after about 5 minutes. Returning later that night I found him just waking up from his dog bed, so I imagine that after he realized I was gone, he stopped barking and took a nap while no one was around. 

Note: this is actually Rudy

That night Rudy slept on the bed next to me, and slept with no interruptions! 

The next day I brought him to a friends house (whom he had never met before) and he warmed up to his "strangers" right away. He even sat on everyone's lap at least once throughout the visit. Afterwards, I had to drive him back home, a car ride which he seemed to enjoy very much.

I had a great time with Rudy and would strongly recommend his calm personality to someone who does not want an overly excitable animal."

Rudy and Rob, real life. BFFs.

Thanks to Rob for hanging out with Rudy and for this very professionally-written, yelp-worthy review.

Strengths and Weaknesses: An Unbiased Evaluation

Here are some less obvious things about Rudy that you may be interested in learning. All the basic stats are in an earlier post (housetained, health issues etc) and he's pretty impressive so don't forget to check those out. Spoiler alert: he's awesome.

Rudy does not beg for human food. Here is a photo of a pizza (from Domino's, ew) and you can see the dog sleeping. He doesn't whine or expect human food. Sometimes when he isn't looking I will put a piece of chicken in his bowl because I am a kind-hearted person and also I don't really like chicken. 

Rudy looks older than 1 or 2. He has gray fur and sometimes wears this serious expression. Our friend Marco said he has an old soul. Well fine, but he likes to run and play and is 100% healthy so who cares. Lorde and Kate Upton look way older than they are (17 and 21 respectively) and they're doing all right. 

He's not scared of stuff. Sometimes rescue pups come with baggage or fears - like all living creatures. Rudy isn't scared of vacuums or blenders or big dogs or strangers or even Sarah in this terrifying bear costume. 

Rudy is a potential squirrel murderer. The no. 1 thing we are working on with Rudy is to chill the heck out when we see an insolent squirrel on our walk. He dreams of chasing them and, I assume, murdering them, so we have to keep a hold of the leash. "That's not unique, a lot of dogs do that." Yeah duh, but I'm just being honest. 

Not Ready For The Circus

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present...

...the undeniable sweet, slightly uncomfortable, and grossly underprepared...

RUTHERFORD the AMAZING Circus Boy!

Look at that balance!

Look at this incredible costume!

Look at this commitment to practicing his craft and improving his performance skills!

What a Hair Day

Rudy got wet in the rain and his hair turned into a total curlscape of cuteness.

                          Straightish                                                      Curlicues

And this one below to prove that the dog does more than curl into a furry sleep ball. I offer this one along with some quick stats for the new readers. Rudy would make a great addition to a family looking for a second canine pal. 

• Age: 1 - 2 years
• Breed: Mix, perhaps poodle, schnauzer, cairn terrier.
• Weight: 12-15 pounds
• Housetrained: Yes
• Sheds: NO
• Good with dogs: YES
• Good with puppies: Yes
• Good with big dogs: Yes
• Good with cats: Unknown
• Good with kids: Yes
• Good with strangers: Yes
• Stays home alone: Yes
• Body-handling issues: None
• Chewing issues: None
• Walking issues: Pulls on leash when a squirrel is present. 
• Commands: Rudy, come. Sit. 
• Neutered: Yes
• Vaccines/shots: Yes

What else do you want to know about Rudy? Leave me a comment!

Wrestle, Snooze, Repeat.

This was a weekend filled with wrestling and naps. Rudy got to meet two friends' puppies this weekend. Leroy, an 8-week chocolate lab, and Harley, a 12-week golden. They played wonderfully all Saturday afternoon, primarily wrestling. In a few more weeks they will probably out grow him! But in the meantime, will shall be sick with cuteness. 

Leroy and Rudy wrestle

And this is what we call a snooze collage. 

Nighttime safety vest, bandanna, naked. 

Watch The Throne.

Congratulations! You’ve just landed yourself access to a pup as sweet and well-behaved as a little prince. No accidents or hair to clean up around this guy – you looking for a dog that poops in the house, sheds like crazy, and doesn't like to be cuddled - keep moving!

Rudy is a 1-2 year old pup that sleeps in his own bed, eats all his dinner, and comes when called - way better than a human of the same age. You won't believe the wheels on this guy, he loves to run and play chase with other dogs. Also nominated for #1 cuddler of the year.

This dog is so cool, you’d better adopt him before Justin Timberlake does.

Film Stars: Dog, Interrupted.

Meet these Hollywood superdogs. On a walk this week some little kids were petting Rudy. The girl said she saw a movie about him. It's a sports movie and Rudy is the good guy - just like in real life. 

Rudy has sit nailed . At least 95%. 

Loving the hi res video here, right?

  

GO TO BED, YOU TINY CUDDLEBUG, BEFORE I HUG-SQUEEZE YOU INTO 100 PIECES. 

Rudy, go to bed!

*****

So you all know Angelina Jolie and her famous cheekbones, right? This Jolie has killer eyes. And unlike that one, this one won't wear a vial of her lover's blood around her neck. Just a collar will do. Like Rudy, she's about 1-2 years old.

She's housetrained, so sweet and loving. Truth moment: she sheds a little, but hey - what beautiful woman doesn't leave a few hairs in the bathroom, amiright? And yes, you can wrap your human paws around her soft little face and tell her how much you love her and kiss her nose and she will let it happen, of course. I was told black dogs' adoption rate is much lower than others. Not cool. 

Monday Edition: Weekend Recap

Rudy spent his free time manning the post for squirrels. If you're a squirrel, don't event think about coming over. Also please note his velvety schnoodle fur. This is one soft doggy. 

Handsome little guy. 

This was a proud moment. But then he went into the other room, found a box of scarves, took them out, put the bone in, and then put the scarves back into the box. 

Stray dog mentality. 

Here is a true highlight. Rudy and Claude (fka Joey, foster dog #1) got to meet at the dog park and hit it off. It helps that they are both America's nicest dogs. 

Please enjoy this video. 

You can see at the end, Rudy deserts Claude for a big dog, his favorite. 

Eskimo kisses, better than handshakes. 

 The dialog at the park after people meet Rudy is usually is something like:

• Is that your dog? He's so fast!
• That's Rudy. He's my foster dog.
• What kind of dog is he? Is he old?
• A schnauzer poodle they think. He's about two. 
• That's it? Wow, he's so cute. Does he shed?
• No. He's great. 
• Is he house trained?
• Yes. He's really great. 
• What's wrong with him?
• Um, nothing. He's not food or toy possessive, he doesn't chew stuff and he loves everyone. 
• Why isn't he adopted? He won't last long I bet. 
• [AHHHHH] 

Rudy is a bullet at the dog park. Then he passes out.

Here is the lowlight. I went to brunch Sunday morning. Rudy wasn't invited. 

Is this how you feel when someone you love doesn't invite you to brunch?

Rudy's Makeover

Cut a lock of hair and stick it in your scrapbook, lady. This puppy had his first haircut. 

The woman at the pup parlor was totally smitten with Rudy. She kept asking, "Who would ever let you go?" Rudely, he didn't answer her, so we're still left wondering. 

Fresh face to the world. 

Before                                              After

 Before                                       After

Fetch. It's Happening.

In addition to mastering his own name, somebody is learning the classic canine sport of...

FETCH.

Also this serious autumn look. High fashion euro pose. 

Rudy the sweetest boy. 

Prince of the Park

Rudy went to the dog park a couple times this week. 

No barking or growling - but lots of butt sniffing. 

En route to dog park

I was relieved to see he got along with all shapes and sizes of other dogs. 

Meeting the tough guys

He was the chasee - he'd speed around and get the bigger dogs to run after him. 

Tiny break

There is a dog somewhere in that bed.