Little Rubik is going to grow up to be a very high energy, bigger dog. We suspect that he is a lab possibly mixed with some shepherd. He is going to need a very active family that will be able to support his high energy drive with long hikes, runs and adventure. He will likely need at least 2 significant walks or runs a day in order to keep him happy and busy- even better if he has another active dog buddy to play with on a regular basis.  He absolutely loves attention, lives to crawl into your lap or snuggle in your arms and will need gentle guidance (and lots of treat toys, licky pads and practice)  to learn to be happy when left on his own. 

Rubik will do best with a person or family who is a more experienced energetic dog owner and who already has some appropriate training knowledge. A home with a size or breed limit is not going to work for this boy since we’re not sure how big he will ultimately be. He will not require a home with a fence IF you have a solid plan to make sure he gets enough exercise.

We hope that you are ready and excited about helping Rubik learn to be the best trained, confident, friendly and well socialized adult dog that he can be! Given his possible breed mix, this will be very important (and totally fun since he absolutely LOVES to learn new things! ) As a plus, he already loves most people and kids (when introduced slowly and gently) and is quickly getting used to walking on a loose leash and ignoring environmental distractions. 

This pup came to us from a very high volume shelter in Southern Ohio. He is one of 4 littermates. 2 looked just like yellow labs (and were quickly adopted at the shelter). 

This little guy does best when you approach him with a soft voice and gentle coaxing. He loves treats and toys and you will soon have him trying to bury his head in your lap or curling up right at your feet.  He is quickly discovering that hands can be gentle; that toys are fun and that outside is an awesome place to play, romp and chew on leaves and sticks. 

We will know more about Rubik in the coming weeks but, so far, he has successfully been introduced to wearing a collar and walking with a harness. He goes potty when we take him outside (on a leash) and has few to no accidents inside when taken out every half hour to 45 minutes during the day. Expect a few rivers, though, if you leave him for too long without a potty break. 

Rubik will do best, at first, in a large comfy crate attached to a puppy pen or placed in a room that can be gated off for him until he learns his house manners and your rules. His crate is currently his bed and his ‘happy place’. 

This boy is super happy to sniff, play with and be petted gently by calm kids (ages 5 and up). He lives with a calm kitty in his foster home and has no negative reactions to her so far (just mild curiosity). The chickens he also seems interested in, but can usually be re-directed away from relatively easily.  This  puppy is a very sweet little boy who loves to cuddle, quickly picks up new skills and is very happy to please. He is playful but may take a little while to warm up in new situations and to new people. 

Rubik is currently learning to sit nicely when waiting for his meals and attention; how to be gentle with his teeth and to settle and wait his turn when requested along with walking on a loose leash. 

All of our foster puppies are consistently worked with from day 1 using hand feeding techniques, treat balls with their kibble inside and toys that are designed to encourage them to use their minds smelling and problem solving skills. They love to figure out puzzles and always enjoy relaxing with a good stuffed kong or a frozen licky mat after a  long walk or romp outside.

We work very hard to encourage positive socialization and friendly adaptive skills in our foster pups. To the extent they are comfortable and able to handle it, we carefully expose them to the sights/sounds of a busy family household in a more urban environment. (This includes kids and people of all types, cats, small animals and backyard chickens. As appropriate, we also introduce them to friendly neighborhood dogs and people, car rides, different textures and surfaces and other busy environmental stimuli.)