Description:

 

 

Figgy is a very sweet, extremely feisty little girl who is doing very well learning to go potty outside and loves to cuddle (once she slows down) and play.  She enjoys meeting new people although it may take her some time to warm up to them and start to trust them. 

 

This little girl's Mom is known to be a lab mix and Dad is either a Beagle or Rottie/Lab mix so if you are looking for a food motivated slightly independent, sweet and feisty little pup who is smart-but-distractable, **very** active and also loves to play and go on adventures  then she may be a perfect match for your family! 

 

She was found living outside with no shelter before she was brought into the rescue and has some hair loss on her head that the vet believes should heal up quite nicely with time.  But Figgy will need a loving forever family who is excited about helping her to become the best and healthiest girl that she can be! 

 

When you hold her, she will happily lick your face, your fingers, your nose and anything else that she can reach. Then, when you put her wiggly little self down she’ll head right off on adventures- happy to have you in tow. Although she’ll love being your bestie inside, you may come in 2nd place at times to all the smells she finds in the big wide world- at least initially. Once she is used to those, however, she is very responsive on a leash and it doesn’t take much to get her to switch directions or change her course. She is happy to please if it means more adventures (or food)!

 

Figgy can be comfortable hanging out in a puppy playpen with an attached crate for naps and ‘down time’- but generally only if she’s very tired. Since she really adores attention, she would much prefer being right by your side. She will probably need some gentle help to be able to settle happily in a space by herself and will likely not do well if left alone- at least initially. 

 

Figgy enjoys meeting most new people when they allow her time to warm up. And she much prefers that they be gentle, speak softly and don’t overwhelm her with frantic activity, loud voices or rough play. Shortly, she will also be introduced to several friendly neighborhood dogs of different sizes and ages.

 

For now, Figgy is being encouraged to simply ignore and/or to calmly watch other dogs (animals and people) who may be close or walking by. She enjoys hanging out with the human kids and people (men and women) in her foster home and will usually book it right over for some petting and love- often bumping her littermates aside in the process. Fun fact: We’ve actually noticed her sleeping with one eye open in the off chance that maybe someone might come by and invite her out for some more adventures. 

 

 

 

 A fence is not required to adopt this sweety IF you have a very solid plan in mind to keep this girl active and busy. (A walk or two around the block every day will likely **not** be enough to keep her happy and healthy.) 

 

An active family who loves to spend time with and train their dogs (and who may enjoy participating in agility, herding, scent work, camping, hiking or other dog-inclusive sports) will have a wonderful time with Figgy! 

 

Have a dog already? Figgy could do great with a dog buddy to live and play with- just as long as she also gets a whole lot of 'people time' in too. We’ll soon know more about her play style with new dogs that she meets. With her littermates, she loves to wrestle and play tug and chase and can be quite a bit ‘extra’ with them at times. A play buddy who can match her energy level could be a great match!

 

Figgy is an absolute joy to work with- if you have the patience! She is very treat/food motivated but that motivation is also combined with the attention span of a flea. So you may have to be quick on your feet to compete with everything else she might also find interesting during a quick training session.  She already loves running after squeaky toys and going on car rides to new and exciting places so there should be lots of opportunities for variety! 

 

She is currently working on her recall skills, walking with a looser leash, settling quietly when requested to, waiting for permission to go through doors and other basic manners.    

 

Figgy is doing great going potty outside- often completing her business very quickly with a prompt or two. She also is learning to sit nicely and wait for her food, keep 4 paws on the floor when she wants attention, coming when called over and leaving things alone that she would prefer to eat (like dirty socks, your face, your clothes and your hands).  Since everything is still very new to her, all of this training will likely take quite a bit of repetition, reinforcement (and did we mention patience?) for her to become consistent with. 

 

 

 

A family with calmer kids older than 8 may likely be the best fit for this girl. She is currently going through a very chewy ‘land shark’ phase. Savvy owners may understand how to re-direct her mouthiness into more productive activities (like playing fetch, running through leaves, finding kibble scattered around and keeping her busy, busy, busy). This puppy  stage is very normal for dogs but can sometimes prove very challenging to manage safely with smaller kids.  

 

  

 

Living situations that come with breed, size or noise restrictions will not work for Figgy.  

 

 

 

Apartments/townhouses may work, depending on the type, size and location but please keep in mind that Figgy is a higher-energy pup who has an unknown adult size expectation. She also has a tendency to bark very loudly during play. 

 

 

 

Figgy is coming from a foster home where she has been consistently worked with from day one using hand feeding techniques, treat balls with kibble inside and toys and training games that are designed to encourage puppies to work on self control and to use their minds, scent and problem solving skills. 

 

Consistent work is put in to encourage positive socialization and friendly adaptive skills. To the extent they are comfortable and able to handle it, the puppies are carefully exposed to the sights/sounds of a busy family household in a more urban environment. (This includes interacting with kids and people of all types, cats, small animals and backyard chickens. As appropriate, they are also carefully exposed to friendly neighborhood dogs and strangers, car rides, walking on different textures and surfaces and desensitized to many other busy environmental stimuli.))

 

Please note that our adoption process includes a vet reference check on any current or previous pets you may have (had), a home visit (either performed virtually or in-person) and a 'meet and greet'. There may also be some clarification questions sent for you to answer as well. (These are based on the information you provide in your original application.)

 

All these steps are to help ensure that our pups are placed into families that will be a good match for their individual needs.

 

HDDCR requires a spay/neuter contract by the adopter if puppies and kittens in our care are too young for sterilization. This is a form the adopter signs at the time of adoption, confirming that they will get the pet spayed/neutered by a certain date. We will hold a $50 deposit on top of the adoption fee until we receive proof from a veterinarian that the dog was spayed/neutered. The $50 deposit will then be returned to the adopter.​

 

Happy Days Dog and Cat Rescue microchips all dogs and cats before adoption. Microchips are implanted between the shoulder blades and are another form of identification should the animal get lost. The microchips are registered to    Happy Days Dog and Cat Rescue. The adopter's information is added once the adoption is complete. The adopter is responsible for a    $19.99/Year registration fee or a $45.00/Lifetime registration fee    to change information.   Dogs and Cats still need to have collar with tags should they get lost.