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Available Dogs

AVALANCHE 6/8/03
#148

Adopted
8/24/03

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Avalanche's Foster Journey

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Pertinent Information
1 yr. Old White Deaf Male
60 lbs. with Natural Ears and Docked Tail
Neutered and UTD
Owner Surrender
Good with other dogs
Obedience Training Required
Being Fostered Near Willimantic, CT
Adoption Donation $250

8/29/03 - Avalanche is doing GREAT!!!!!  He is loving his new home and his brother Bob.  So far he has meet a few of our friends and warmed up to them very well, including a few guys. he also met his dog sitter and it was an instant connection.  She brought over a basket for Avalanche and Bob full of doggie treats and matching collars.  everyone loves him and he seems to feel the same.  We are very happy with the whole situation.  We didn't think the adjustment would be this easy for any of us, but it has been great. 

8/24/03 - Avalanche has been adopted.
Avalanche went home today with his new Mom and Dad and boxer brother "Bob".  The intro's to Bob were a little iffy at first, but then all went well after that.  They played in the yard, and had a ball getting to know each other.   Both Erin and Jonathan gave Avalanche the time needed to feel comfortable with them and they did wonderfully together also.  He is going to be very well loved.
I would like to thank everyone from interviewing to home visit for the excellent job you all did helping Avalanche get to his forever home.  Nancy

8/21/03 - Avalanche is pending adoption!!

8/20/03 - Hi everyone, it's me, Avalanche, I'm still here at The Boxer Wings Cottage. My foster Mom wanted everyone to know that I am so much better with strangers now than I used to be. I got to spend a couple hours with her at a Boxer Expo, where us foster dogs and other volunteers go to show the public how important rescue is, and how special a lot of us foster dogs are. Me especially, because I'm deaf, I was able to show people that it is only a minor disability, and I am still friendly and loveable and kissable. I meet another white deaf boy while I was there and he was pretty cool too. My foster Mom wants everyone to know that I am her favorite foster to date, and that should tell you all something. I'm a really good boy. I don't pee in the house, or get into to much trouble, even though I'm a young boy, I'm pretty good about my house manners. Okay, so sometimes I do check out what's up on the counter, but I seem to get caught every time, so I'm getting better about that. My friends and I play a lot outside in the yard, and the food is really good here too, but I really want my very own home. Well, I'm off to play with my friends again, talk to you soon. Avalanche

8/3/03 - We decided to take a little trip yesterday and brought Avalanche to visit at a fellow volunteers home who has another little dog, and 2 energetic boxer babies approximately the same age as Avalanche, and a foster puppy. Well add to that mix a couple horses, a huge open yard and his first exposure to not being fenced in, and a puppy who wanted to run as much as he did, made for a great deal of fun to watch and a little anxiety on my part due to the fact that we were testing his willingness to stay with us all. He did beautifully. What a great boy he is. He did get a little to close to one of the horses, and thankfully the horse let him know that this was not acceptable without harm, although I think I got a few more gray hairs out of that one. What this day proved was how much Avalanche does rely on his playmates to warn him of things that may not be good for him to do, and that he will stay with them and play hard, and the best of all, he did always keep me within sight at all times, and came every time I signed for him to do so. We also had the opportunity to meet another cat, and Avalanche went nose to nose with this kitty without incident, until Kitty decided that 3 boxers, 1 Bichon and one boxer puppy were just a few to many for comfort and jumped off the table and ran for cover. Well you guessed it, the chase was on, but at least while the kitty was nose to nose with him, all was well. I must say that Avalanche not only did well with all the animals but the humans as well. He is getting better and better with his shyness, and when Tim joined us, it was a good experience for Avalanche to meet another human male that he did relax enough with to allow physical contact. So, Avalanche just proves on a weekly basis, how very important socialization is with boxers, both hearing and deaf. Whoever makes him a member of their household, is going to have a loveable, kissable companion for themselves and their dogs.

7/24/03 - Okay everyone.....I had the pleasure of going to Nancy's yesterday (had to drop off Raven to be brought in for her spaying :(sniff..sniff) and I got to meet Avalanche...What a total sweetheart.  He is the most laid back, easy going 1 year old boxer I have ever met.  He has everything going for him...He is handsome, loves other dogs, tolerates puppies chomping on him, he is so sweet and leans into you for  some love and he is just so easy going.  We had 7 boxers (6 whites and Ms. Raven who stuck out like a sore thumb in that crowd) 2 of which were puppies all playing in Nancy's yard.  The puppies jumped all over him, the girls kissed him and he played with the boys.  What more could you ask for?  How about a dog that just sits back and takes things in sometimes???  The gang would be moving around doing their sniffing thing and you would look over and Avalanche would just be sitting there watching.  I almost forgot he was there a couple of times.  I can't get over what a nice dog he is...He is the complete package and it certainly does not appear that his lack of hearing has hindered him in any way.  So, if you know of anyone who could use and amazing addition to their family, he just might be the one.  I would love to see this guy find the home that he deserves (although Auntie Nancy seems pretty attached).  I even talked to my husband about him last night but with 2 boxers, a Bichon, 2 kitties, 4 horses and a baby on the way, I think he would not get the attention he deserves...Come on guys...Lets find this sweetheart a home!!!
-Andrea

7/17/03 - Avalanche is in love with the newest foster guest at The Boxer Wings Cottage. His best little buddy is Baby Jewel, and they play for hours and hours. She has no fear, and he learned how to lay down and play with her because of his size. It has been quite the education watching these two play.
We have been having more visitors lately as well, friends coming over to see the puppy and all, and I am so impressed with the progress that Avalanche has made with strangers coming in. Now within minutes he is warming up, and when others beside myself and the Nana person give him the "come get loves and kisses" he gets all wiggly and comes over for his fair share from other people. This is a big accomplishment for him. He just adore kids though, and seems to display almost no shyness at all with them, but still some with adults. Of course until he knows you, then, well once your a friend he is right there for all the attention you are willing to give him. He does now know "Come" "Sit" "No" "Good Boy" and of course our favorite "Come get love and kisses". How smart is that.
Without a doubt, this is the easiest going boxer boy of 1 yr old that I have ever worked with, and I can honestly say that he is also the easiest foster dog I have ever had. Since I have had over 20 fosters, that says a lot about this boy. So don't let his deafness worry you, this boy has endless potential.

7/14/03 - Hey everyone, this boy has been so super this week. We have a new guest here at The Boxer Wings Cottage, a little 9 week old white deaf boxer girl, and Avalanche has adopted her completely. They play and have a wonderful time together. I can't say enough good things about this boy, he is a real gem. He has made great improvement with stangers coming, and if you sit on the deck with us, within minutes he is wandering over to get his share of the pats, hugs and kisses he deserves. Walking on the leash, well, it's still a work in progress, but we are making headway there too. I really can't say enough good things about this boy. He is very special, adapts to everything that changes in my home daily and weekly. He deserves a special home, one as special as he is.

7/8/03 - Mr. Avalanche has totally settled in here at the Boxer Wings Cottage, so much so, that you would never know he hasn't lived here all his life. He is totally housebroken, and such a snuggle bug. His cutest habit is that he loves to sleep under my bed, and seems to have his very own alarm clock, as he wants to go outside for potty time at exactly 6:30am. He has also proven to be trustworthy when leaving the house and him being loose with my 2 boxer kids. Although I would highly recommend that he be crated when you leave the home when he first joins your family, I can also say that he has been a very good boy when left loose for a few short hours at a time. I cannot say enough good things about this boy. He loves kids, he is great with both my dogs, and myself and my 76 year old mother. The only situation that needs improvement are his social skills. He is very, very slow to warm up to strangers, even people he sees every few days. He tends to be very shy. He will quietly bark (believe it or not he is very quiet about it) and back away from strangers. He will lean against my legs or simply stand at least 10 feet away from new arrivals into my home. And if leashed I can have strangers pet him, but he is very uneasy about it. But...he makes absolutely NO aggressive moves, he would just prefer not to have anyone approach him until he is ready. With lots of exposure I know this boy will improve, lots of patience and love is all he requires. Won't you consider this very special boy as a companion for you and your dog....you won't regret it.

6/28/03 - What a week Mr. Avalanche has been having. What can I say besides, this is one wonderful boy. He plays so well with Pace and Robi, he has a great deal of fun running in the back yard, and takes his cue's from them when strangers come or someone is walking their dogs down the road. He will even bark when he sees something that he feels isn't where or what it should be.
Although we have had company come and go this week, Avalanche is still very shy with strangers, and takes time to warm up to people. He tends to lean against my legs when someone new comes over, and will warm up slowly. He is more shy with men than women but he shows no shyness with children at all. We have found what seems to work best with him when he doesn't know someone, is to act as if someones arrival is no big deal, and rather than try to approach him right away, to let him come to you when he is ready. In cases like this, he watches Pace and Robi very carefully to see what they do. Pace and Robi love all people and get very excited when people come over. I'm hoping this will improve for Avalanche, and so far, I have seen him getting better. He is completely house broken, and he is getting much better about the crate. He will go right in with a peanut butter filled marrow bone and Pedigree Marrow bones. He still cries at first, but he does settle down. He is also very good when left loose in the house with Pace and Robi for short periods of time.
Won't you consider this boy as a companion for your dog and yourselves. I promise you he will give you lots of enjoyment and loyalty.

6/20/03 - Avalanche has been doing great on his sign training, and actually understands several signs now. He loves playing with Pace and Robi, and has been getting plenty of excercise running around the yard, even when it rains, he seems not to mind this at all. Avalanche has also now begun to play more and more with the toys here, although I think he was very surprised to find 3 toy boxes full of things to get into that were okay. Although Avalanche is not a "happy boy" in his crate, we have been working on it slowly, and although he will cry when you first put him in, he is safe and does nothing besides clean his peanutbutter bone while in there. On the other hand we have tried short periods of time with him loose in the house while taking very short trips away, and he seems fine gated to the kitchen and dining room, but when given the full run of the house, he has stolen a slipper or 2, but that is the worst he has done, he didn't even chew them up. This is a great boy, and a real love bug. Because he is such a good boy, he is not crated at night but usually sleeps in my mothers room with her at night, and if he needs to go out to go potty he will wake you up. What better manners could you ask for. Okay, well I suppose no counter surfing would be one of those manners we appreciate, but on the few times he has done this, he takes nothing off the counter, only wants to see what is up there. Deaf dogs are very visual animals, so we just keep telling him (or I should say signing him as he is deaf) "No Avalanche Off" That's right, 3 signs and he knows what they mean. Avalanche would make a wonderful companion for a hearing dog, and for you. Think about this boy, he is a love bug.

6/15/03 - Hi everyone, it's me, Avalanche. Boy, have I had a busy week, phewww, I have been playing up a storm with my buddies Pace and Robi, and the Mom person in charge here, has been trying very had to get me to learn some sign language. No what?? It's not so bad at all. I know my name "Hi Avalanche" and "NO" and my favorite "Good Boy Avalanche" and my not so favorite "Off". See I like to check out what is on the counter tops. I don't steal anything, I just like to look, but the Mom person says "No Avalanche Off" with signs. I guess I gots to learn not to do that. Well, here she comes, so I guess I have to let her have the computer now, so she can tell you more about me. Bye for now, Avalanche

Hello Avalanche has been a very good boy this week, and we have learned a lot more about him. He loves to play with other dogs, shows no interest in the neighborhood cats outside, or the squirrels either for that matter. We also found that when he sees something he is not familiar with it can scare him some, and he will bark and run in the other direction away from whatever has startled him, or he runs behind my two dogs and will bravely bark with some muscle in front of him. This is rather funny to watch. Upon meeting strangers, Avalanche varies from being shy to being very outgoing with both male and females. If he sees you coming he is very outgoing, but if he is sleeping and wakes to find a stranger in my home, then his shyness shows itself. So far leash walking is "Okay" but definatly needs work to increase his consistency in this area. Over all, this boy really impresses me, and is a total love bug. He would be a great companion for your dog, or dogs, and a wonderful friend for you. His deafness is not a disability, but just a basic part of his overall character. He is sign trainable and actually looks forward to our training periods. Oh, and did I mention, this boy loves kids. He sees the neighborhood kids come home from school and he gets all wiggly and happy. Do you have a special place in your heart for this boy?

6/10/03 - Mr. Avalanche is back from his neuter, and is doing great. What a good boy he is. He ate a very good dinner of hamburg and spinich with 1 1/2 cups Iams Large Puppy and 1 cup Purina One Lamb and Rice, and ate every last bite. We fed him a little on the light side tonight, because of his neuter surgery, but he had no problem with his appetite at all. He seemed to be having some difficulty navigating with his cone collar that the vets put on him and uneasy with his surroundings. Being Deaf, I decided to allow him the freedom of doing without it, while I could watch him, and he did much better, so unless I see he is having any difficulty with his incision, we will leave this "gadget" off. I have found this boy to be very aware that I am trying to communicate with him, and he does watch my hands. He seems to now understand "good boy" "No" and "Hi" and "Off". And we are also working on a sign for his name "Avalanche". I really think this boy will catch on very quickly, he seems very smart and eager to please so far. I also notice that whenever he walks into a room, he visually scans it quickly then walks thru very relaxed. It's so interesting to watch and work with him, and I'm sure this is one very intelligent boy who shows signs of being a dog who will love spending time with you and your family.

6/8/03 - The Boxer Wings Cottage welcomed a new guest today, a cute 1 year old white boxer boy named Avalanche. Avalanche's owners made a very difficult choice to surrender Avalanche so that he might enjoy a more active home where he would be loved and cared for. He was well loved and shows it, he is happy, friendly and is already playing with both Pace and Robi, shortly after his arrival here. Avalanche has a soft white coat, with tiny brown freckles sprinkled all over his body, and a few black spots on his ears, and the most beautiful soft brown eyes. We did stop for a short time at Covey's Canine Castle before heading home so we took the opportunity to socialize Avalanche with one of the resident boxer girls and they had a ball running all around the fenced yard. He also had his photo session. He is one very sweet boy, who just also happenes to be DEAF. No problem here, as he will learn some easy sign language while he waits for his forever home. Tomorrow Avalanche heads out to one of our vets for his neuter and to be brought up to date on his shots, so we will let you all know how he does. Please stay tuned and watch the adventures of AVALANCHE.