Rufus finds a home for Christmas

I shared the story of Rufus's rescue on Thanksgiving day, link to it here.

UPDATES FROM RAGOM BLOG:
12/05/2013:

Hi all! Rufus here. This is a busy time of year for my FM in her shop so she told me I could go ahead and use the computer if I promised not to lick, drool or chew on it. She's so picky.

Things have been going well for me the last few weeks.

Thanksgiving was great. I got to go to FM's parent's house where there were lots of cousins and two other dogs, a golden retriever and a shih tzu. The GR was very nice and quiet and we smiled at each other once or twice, but that was about it. She's a little too old for me to get rambunctious with. The shih tzu was kind of whiny if you ask me, but I did my best to ignore him. We had our crates lined up in the grandparents house- they have a lot of cream colored carpet and couches and they were using china and crystal that weekend - and I think I did a good job of just relaxing and enjoying a few days of vacation. People kept saying how well behaved I was. Well, duh?!

I love to take my family on walks, but between you and me, they are just so slow!! Don't worry, I pull them right along to pick up the pace. FM keeps saying we need to work on that. I don't know what this "we" thing is, but yes, she needs to get with the program. I've compromised a little. Now she needs to. Speaking of that...FM keeps trying to put this TERRIBLE thing on me called a Gentle Leader. You would think she would get the picture that I think it's annoying. I mean really how long do I have to paw at it before she realizes enough already! I guess persistence will be the key to getting my point across.

Okay, here's a secret, but don't tell my FM. I'm really a very smart boy. I know that I should come when I'm called, I know that I should wait for my food until I'm told it's ok to eat, I know I should not take pens and socks and gloves and baseball mitts and floral arrangements and refuse to give them back, BUT if they are willing to give me a treat in exchange for all of these things, why not use it to my advantage?? I do follow the rules most of the time just to be nice because it really makes my foster family happy and then I get extra pets and butt scratches. Speaking of butt scratches, is there anything better in life?! Oh, except maybe my Kong and my dog food and my treats, but other than that nothing better for sure!

I have a bone to pick with my foster family. Really I love them like crazy, but they insist on me practicing stairs in their house, like every single day. Wears a boy out and I just am not sure it is necessary. I get by just fine living on their main level.

(Okay, FM here, Rufus really does still have a strong aversion to the stairs inside of our home. We have been able to get him to put his front feet on them, but the minute a back foot goes up he realizes what he has done and runs away, back to a safe distance from the stairs. We do work with him almost daily on this and try to make it as calm and rewarding as possible, but as of today, stairs inside of a home are a problem.)

Ok, Rufus here again, just took a break to eat lunch. I still eat three times a day and I can tell I'm getting very buff. I am still a little bit underweight, but feel very strong and healthy and energetic. I like to sleep in my crate at night with my Kong. FM won't let me have a teddy bear - something about mutilation or something like that- so I'm good with just me and my Kong. My family is very inconsistent in the morning. Sometimes my brother gets up at 5:30 for basketball practice before school, sometimes no one wakes up until 9:00 on the weekends. It's all whatever. I just wait until they let me out. I am very quiet. Even when I hear them talking in the kitchen. I just wait. I'm pretty easy like that. Plus, I have never had a potty accident like some other resident dog I know, shhhh.

I may be a "mix", but I do know one thing. I am getting good at using the Golden nudge to get attention. I usually just push on my people with my nose, but sometimes when they are not getting the point fast enough I'll throw a paw onto the lap. That always works! I also have moments where I think it would be fun to be a lap dog. That is usually followed by FM groaning. Guess I'm a little too big for her lap but it's worth a try once in awhile.

Ohhh, I want my future family to know that germs are not a bad thing, really. My favorite game is retrieve the Kong, but it is hilarious to then play keep away when I bring it back. I'm really good at slobbering it all up and then insisting you take it from me, but not before a little game of tug. Sure, I know "drop", but what fun is that? It's much more satisfying to play my way. Keeps my fosters on their game.

One last thing, I know this got long, but if you are anything like me you took ten breaks to do other things before you finished reading it. That's okay. I don't need a sit still kind of family. FM is going to add a picture of me walking on the frozen lake. Ice is slippery and fun, stairs are bad. Thanks for reading my story.

(FM here again, Rufus did a great job, but he's too modest to tell you how stinkin' adorable he is. If you are interested, please contact your placement advisor. Rufus our Big Dufus is a wonderful guy! I'm sure you'll love him as much as we do.)

12/16/2013:
Rufus met a man this past weekend who was very excited to be adopting his first dog ever! I think he picked a gem. Rufus will be going home with him just in time for the Holidays. He will be an only pet to this active young man and will get a lot of one-on-one attention, exercise and the opportunity for play dates with close friends' dogs. I'm so happy for both Rufus and his new dad.

RUFUS BEFORE :-(