Foster Update 7/5

Maurice is COMPLETELY husky in personality and looks. The only thing non-husky is his short coat. He will have tall, pointy, husky ears. You can see one of them standing in the photo. His left ear is off and on right now, while the right one is almost permanently up at this point.

He is playful, intelligent, sweet, and independent. He chooses when he wants to snuggle (though it's quite often), but he isn't a "velcro dog" which is WONDERFUL. Also, let me tell you how wonderful it is to have a dog NOT react like a crazy-dog when the doorbell rings. SO REFRESHING!

He is such a good little puppy. He loves all toys and moves all of his toys pile to pile around the house. You know EXACTLY where he's playing by where the volume of toys are located. I've never had a dog surround himself with toys the way he does. It's hilarious.

I absolutely love that, right now, my husband came home and all the dogs are going crazy...except for Maurice. He is passed out in the dog bed, ears flailed back, belly up, as cute as ever, after a really hard play session with his stuffed pig. So adorable.

Here are some highlights on Maurice:

Foster Update 6/26

Oh my gosh - Maurice! I know the deaf situation is a little daunting, but stick out this post because this puppy is SUCH A RIDICULOUSLY GOOD PUPPY. And once you get over the knowledge of knowing he is deaf, you'll come to realize that the only real difference between a deaf dog and a hearing dog is that you won't have to deal with a dog going barking-ballistic or the sound of the door bell, car outside, thunder, etc. It's a real plus in my book!

Maurice went to Shampooch today and EVERYONE stopped in their tracks to come greet and love on this boy. He really is a show-stopper and none of his pictures or the video (due to the low lighting) gives his good looks justice. He's got freckles all over his body and ice blue eyes. So beautiful.  Once everyone stopped to admire him, the then got a chance to see what a lovebug and sweet dog this puppy is. He's got a very mellow, submissive personality with absolutely no fear issues. 

Maurice might be the smartest puppy I've had the pleasure of caring for. We have a mirror on the ground for the dogs. I've had several dogs afraid of their reflection, several that love themselves, but he is the first to look at himself, then immediately look behind the mirror to see if "that dog" is behind it. Wow.

Here are some highlights about Maurice:

• Crate trained
• No accidents in the house (so far - we have not had him for very long so I won't say "potty-trained" until a week of analysis)
• Loves squeaky toys and digs at the squeaker like any hearing dog would
• Very alert and aware of his surrounds
• Extremely intelligent
• He ligitimately ALWAYS falls asleep in his food bowl (his paw is buried in it as we speak)
• When you wake him up, he is extremely happy and excited to see you (think "kid on Christmas morning" and you've got his happiness level)
• Loves all people, kids, dogs
• Would do fine with a cat
• Reads other dogs' body language REALLY well and is an excellent and polite player
• Big food drive

Maurice was the product of 2 dogs in a home accidently mating! Poor guy was the last born and the last one to find a home. After his owner found he was deaf she felt she had to keep him due to his "special needs"..but shortly found she did not have the time or money to care for this young puppy! Were hoping to find a wonderful forever home that will understand his special needs and teach him sign language!

Find out more about the Husky breed below:

Characteristics
The Alaskan Husky is essentially a cross between northern village huskies, Siberian Huskies, a dash of Border Collie or German Shepherd, maybe a bit of Inuit sled dog, or bit of hound (German Shorthaired Pointers, for example) for speed. They usually have prick ears, although their ears can droop at the tips, or even not stand up at all. Their eyes can be blue, brown, one of each, or even both colours in one eye. Their coats tend to be dense, but not long, although some sprint dogs have very short and slick coats. Coat colours rage from pure black (like the dog in the photo) to pure white, and everything in between, even the unusual brindle and pinto. Some have curly tails, while others have tails that aren’t even bushy. Some look almost exactly like purebred Siberians, while others barely look like huskies at all. Appearance is unimportant–they bred to be working dogs, not show dogs.

Temperament
Most Alaskan Huskies are very friendly and eager for human contact. Some are shy and duck away when you try to pet them, while others are loud and obnoxious, leaping up to greet every person who passes. Contrary to popular belief, very few are actually agressive. They are a pack-oriented animal, so a fighting dog would be a danger to the musher and to its team-mates. They still have a strong predator drive, so they are not always trustworthy with cats, smal dogs, or livestock. Normally they are good with children, but children should not be left with any dog unsupervised.