BUTTERCUP *7/18 Update!*'s story

　　Buttercup (July 2018 UPDATE!) We dont know why we still have this wonderful young female!

　　Buttercup is approximately 18 months old and weighs about 25 pounds. She loves all people, and is very friendly with strangers. If she has met someone before, she comes running to give them a joyful greeting. Buttercup is super smart and very personable. She will look you in the eye with an intelligence and expressiveness that is almost human. She loves to cuddle, snuggle and be close with her people, and will make someone a wonderful companion. She will need people who are ready to play with and exercise a young dog, who needs some tongue-hanging-out active exercise each day. Her breed is something of a mystery - she has short legs on a well-muscled body, upright ears, with a very dark chocolate coat. We rescued her 2 weeks before she gave birth to a litter of puppies (all adopted). We believe she was approximately 1 year old at the time. Although she was just barely out of puppyhood herself, Buttercup was a wonderful mother to her puppies and even when her time was consumed with chasing them around and nursing, she would always take time to get cuddles from her people. Her fosters often wake up in the middle of the night to find that Buttercup has joined them in bed, snuggled up as close as possible, usually with her head buried under their pillows.

　　Our girl is very bright and is usually very quiet. Buttercup is also very alert, with an excellent memory. She once saw a jackrabbit on a walk, and continues to look for it each time she walks past that spot.

　　Buttercup came to us knowing a few things. She is housebroken and seems to know right from wrong when it comes to household rules. She knows how to sit, and high five or shake, but will need practice with other basic obedience commands, like come and stay. Buttercup wants to be good and do the right thing. If you raise your voice to reprimand her, she will ask for forgiveness by army crawling on her belly to you, while wagging her tail.

　　She also has a few other tendencies that are sure to put a smile on your face. She often uses her paws like hands. Knowing that it makes people happy, when she offers her paw for a high five or shake, she sometimes slips her paw into your hand when you arent expecting it. Although she loves to jump up on people to greet them, she has learned that people dont want her paws on them. She now stops a few feet away, sits on her haunches and reaches out to you with her front paws in greeting. Buttercup loves all types of toys. She will frequently use her nose to nudge a ball or toy towards you to invite you to play. If you ignore her she will move it closer or place it on your lap.

　　She adores her fluffy blanket, and will dig and squirm around in it until its just right for a nap, and usually with just her nose exposed for breathing. Blankets are also a favorite place for to her to hide her treasures. She digs and dexterously uses her nose to tuck away toys and chewies for later.

　　On long highway drives, our girl rides very nicely and quietly in the car. However, because of her initial excitement of a car ride and her desire to see all the activity, when in the car for short rides in town, she will bark at passersby - joggers, dogs and bicycles. Once past the initial urban scene, she will settle down quietly.

　　Buttercup loves to be outdoors and seems interested in all that goes on. She relishes rolling around in the grass or stretching out and dragging her belly across the lawn. She can often be found lying outside, belly up, in a patch of sunshine. As a young, active dog, Buttercup would do best in a home that can provide her with both mental stimulation and physical activities. She is a smart, athletic dog who loves to play. She would love several walks a day, to sniff and explore, as well as interactive play time with her people. She enjoys fetching balls and sticks. A tired dog, is a good dog, and Buttercup is happiest after a long walk or some active running around in the yard. Returning inside, she will be the sweetest pup, wanting to crawl into your lap for a snuggle, some ear rubs, and a nap.

　　When outside on leash, Buttercup is very easily distracted by the sights and sounds of the world. It can be hard to keep her on task, if she is distracted by other dogs or bicycles going past. She is a very young dog who is just discovering the world. She still has some maternal, dominant hormones in her, and a healthy prey drive. Put this all together, and when on walks, Buttercup is always alert and watchful, needing to investigate new smells and potential threats from fast moving things. On leash, she often pulls to investigate bushes or leaves blowing in the wind, and is reactive (barking and pulling) if she strangers, other dogs and bicycles at a distance. However, when people and bicycles come close and stop, she is happy to meet new people. In the evenings Buttercup walks calmly, when distractions are minimal, and if she doesnt feel as constrained by a short, taut leash. We believe Buttercup would do well with a large yard or property where she can work off any pent up energy, and when she becomes more accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the world, much of which currently alarms her.

　　Buttercup would love to be the only dog in a household. Her experience with other dogs and animals has been limited. Because she has spent most of her time inside with her puppies, there have not been many opportunities for her to interact with other dogs. However, while at the shelter before she came to us, she had been living with, and was fine with, several other young dogs and pups. As with most dogs in mommy-mode, Buttercup became more defensive of other dogs after her puppies were born. When she meets other dogs, she uses her body language to them know that she is the top dog, and is sometimes very bossy to other dogs. Her experience socializing and playing with other dogs, as she did at the shelter, needs to be refreshed. We believe that with some practice, she can be comfortable around other dogs once again. Right now, she would be comfortable in a home with a puppy.

　　Currently, Buttercup lives in her foster home with four cats. It took two weeks for everyone to learn to get along. Her urges to chase them have faded and she is now trusted to be left home alone with them. In a new home with cats, she will need reminding that they dont appreciate being chased and that they definitely dont want to wrestle like puppies.

　　Buttercup is a wonderfully sweet and extremely loving companion, who adores the company of all people. She would be happiest as the only dog in a household, where she doesnt feel she needs to compete for her person/peoples attention. She is still very young, and missed out on many learning experiences during her adolescence, when she was in the shelter, then carrying and caring for her puppies. Buttercup will need a loving, experienced leader, who can get her used to all the new things in the world, give her the attention, mental and physical exercise she craves, and with helping her past her reactivity around strange new things, and realizing that she does not need to carry the burden of being the leader of her pack.

　　As with all our dogs, Buttercup she will be up-to-date on her vaccinations, spayed, microchipped and on heartworm prevention.

　　If you are interested in meeting Buttercup, please begin our pre-approval process by completing our online adoption form at this link: http://hittgv.org/index.php/adopt . Email us at [email protected] or call us at (707)

　　with specific questions.