Duke Ellington

Duke E,  age 1 1/2

AVAILABLE

Update 10/15/12:

This peppy young guy appeared as if from nowhere in a nice lady’s yard one September afternoon. She stashed him in her house for safekeeping and began to hunt for an owner – with zero results. “Not the best leash manners, jumps on you, zooms around everywhere, eats cat poop,” she said ruefully, “but he’s very sweet! Just needs a loving home and some training.”

So, off the Duke went to finishing school, er, a GRR foster home. Says foster dad:

Duke is a great dog, a real people dog, seldom leaving your company and always close at hand (and even underfoot!).  Luckily, he is not a barker, though he will get excited enough to let one quick woof fly. But be warned! He is a PUPPY. It has been an adjustment period for the both of us.   Brittany, my 15-year-old Golden who died in June, had me trained to her every whim.  Duke wants nothing but to play and play.  I have been getting up at 6 AM to exercise him with a morning jog around the neighborhood. This is supposed to burn off some of his puppy energy, but alas, it seems merely to energize HIM while wiping ME out!  The first week, he also proceeded to shred every toy hidden around the house.  I knew to expect the squeaker-killing instinct, but he went farther & figured out how to completely skin and gut each and every toy.  Each day brought a new addition to the “hit list.”  I had never seen a dog skin a tennis ball without even getting the cover wet!  After a couple of trips to Petsmart for new and more robust toys (“withstands even the toughest chewer” – ha!), we finally agreed on the empty water bottle toy.

This dog is pure energy.  It is hard to take pictures of this dynamo, except for the few moments after re-entry when he catches his breath or goes on a toy-killing run.

Duke loves going out back and visiting with the next-door dog Ralph, an English Bulldog, and stirring him up to a frenzy.  During this routine, Duke never vocalizes his excitement, but runs in circles and back to Ralph.

This guy really is a gem, but would easily be quite a handful for an unsuspecting family, that is, someone who isn’t used to and prepared for big, active pups.  I am continually trying to further his training and discipline. We ARE making progress, even if in inches instead of yards.  He is learning though, slowly and only after extensive physical exercise.

More updates eventually, as soon as I catch my breath!

Adoption Procedures