Dr. Strangelove In Memory 🕊️

First Sleepover

Notes from our sleepover last night! Meet Dr. Strangelove, the perfect lap dog and an all-around sweetheart. Whoever gets this girl will have loyalty and love in abundance. Thanks a bunch to Stephanie for recommending her!

She loves to sniff around everywhere, and is very easy to redirect. Hardly distracted at all when passing people. We walked around the park for a while and she had the best time.

Now, she wasn't a fan of ropes or bones, but a squeaky toy? Mandatory. She absolutely goes crazy for one. It was the best distraction during our car ride, though I'll admit it was also very distracting for me. So pros and cons there!

She seemed house trained and never once used the restroom inside. She was a little nervous to eat at first, but a quick 30 seconds in the microwave made the wet food irresistible. So if she's being picky, warming it up slightly is a great go-to.

At the end of the day, she slept on my stomach, cuddled with me while I read to her, and seemed to be a huge fan of Red Rising as well. We both enjoyed the experience immensely. 10/10!

Cherokee Park

She sat calmly with me and my friend while we played Go at Cherokee Park. Many people and dogs passed by without a second glance, even one off-leash who ran right up to us. The only hiccup was a family whose dog had an incredible squeaky ball, chomping away nearby. Doctor Strangelove wanted that ball so badly that the owners thought she was reacting to their dog and got a bit of a heart attack at first.

Overcoming Her Fear of Cars

After a lot of patience and consistency, she has officially overcome her fear of cars!

The process took time, but was super simple. I made sure every experience in the car felt safe and fun. I started by spending time together in the back seat with a squeaky toy, letting her build a positive association on her own terms, ending each session with a long walk. She now eagerly jumps in the moment the door opens, already anticipating the adventure ahead, whether that means playing with a toy right after we arrive or squeaking away the whole ride there.

The first time she leapt in with excitement instead of hesitation? Just as thrilling for me as it was for her! We celebrated the milestone with a pup cup immediately. Watching her enjoy that little treat after such a big breakthrough was a perfect reminder of just how powerful positive reinforcement can be. Small, consistent rewards build real trust, and real trust can change everything!

Car Practice & The Mission

Dr. Strangelove is crushing it in training! 🐾 Her obsession with squeaky toys has turned out to be an incredible motivator. We had a rainy day detour and used the time wisely with some car practice sessions, but lesson learned: keep the field trip bag in the trunk! She apparently decided it was an infinite supply of squeaky toys and pulled a full Mission Impossible, crawling under the back seat cover and through the middle of the car while I was driving to reach the bag on the passenger seat 😅

I'm super excited to play hide and seek with the squeaker next time! This girl is determined, smart, and an absolute joy to work with!

She practiced sit before reaching for a squeaky toy and picked it up in a snap. She's also house trained!

The Long Night

Throughout the day she had a coughing fit every now and again, and that night they became more frequent. I turned the bathroom into a steam room, gave her a little raw honey for her throat, found my humidifier, and put on some classical music. Then we cozied up on a large cushion on the floor. She sprawled right on top of me and tucked her face into my shoulder, and we stayed like that for most of the night. We'd wake with coughing fits, massage her neck, and settle back in until morning came. She's now being treated for kennel cough!

Verdict

The day was good. The night was rough, but bonding. Returning her absolutely broke my heart. If anyone fosters or adopts this girl, I would love to know she has a good home. She's so incredible!

This girl is so sweet. She does so well on a leash, walks right beside you, easy to redirect. She does have an obsession with squirrels 🐿️

She loves to give love. Face licks and wet willies are abundant with this girl. She is a lap dog through and through, cuddles are non negotiable.

Squeaky toys are mandatory. She adores them and will tear them up faster than lightning, so budget for special occasions, trust me, her excitement makes every penny worth it. I'll link the only squeaky toy that has survived more than 5 minutes and absolutely blew her mind.

She's made progress with treats, but this girl is picky, she wants quality. No cheap treats. Not a big fan of pâté, but goes nuts for chunks and gravy heated up in the microwave!

We go to the park all the time and she never reacts to other dogs or people there. She absolutely adores sleeping with you.

Her perfect day would be: a trip to the park to sniff everything and hopefully spot a squirrel to lose her mind over, then home with a brand new squeaky toy, and cuddle the night away.

She loves walks, so even if you have a backyard, I'd highly recommend giving her some exploration time outside of it.

The progress I've seen with Dr. Strangelove has been incredible. Watching her confidence slowly emerge has been one of the most meaningful things I've ever done. I'm so grateful this program exists and that I got the opportunity to help!

This pup is so incredible