360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
My husband and I, along with our dog Honey, adopted Sadie from Pugalug at the beginning of November and we've never looked back. Sadie is an absolute doll and she has settled in beautifully to our little family. Her sunny disposition and mischievous ways entertain us daily.
She is madly in love with my husband Jeff and nothing else matters when he is in the room. I must say that the admiration is mutual as he is already calling her up for a play or a cuddle before he even sits down. It's quite funny that now I am always the one who has to get up to get something as not to disturb Sadie when she's snoozing on his lap. (They are in cahoots)
She really gets a kick out of taunting me by stealing my shoes and parading around with them right in front of me. She doesn't chew or damage the shoes -- she just likes to rub-it-in that "she found them and isn't it funny that I forgot to put them out of reach." I swear she even winks at me as she passes by.
Sadie loves to go on walks with us and her weekday group outings with her fellow canines and our dog walker. From all accounts she is the life of the party and is not satisfied until she has played with everyone.
Her separation anxiety is really not an issue and this is testament to the hard work and time that her foster mom has invested. Slowly we will start working on her isolation disorder and we will get professional advice to help us build up her confidence. She is quite the athlete and can jump as high as any Olympic high- jumper so some fun agility sessions will be in her future once the weather gets a little better.
Sadie gets along with her new sister Honey quite well. Honey is around 8 years old and we've only had her for a year. When we got her, she was quite laid back and had little interest in anything active. Well Sadie (just like any pesky little sister) pestered and pestered her to engage in play. It worked! Now Honey is the happiest little girl playing and romping around with Sadie, her tail is always wagging and there's a definite new spring in her step.
Thank you Pugalug for allowing us to adopt Sadie. She has made all our lives (including Honey's) a lot brighter. She fills our house with such joy and we love her with all our hearts.
Sadie is a lovely, healthy, and very active little girl. She is now almost one year old (birthday is October 18th) but does not seem to be slowing down a bit. Sadie will happily run, play and jump all day. Due to her amazing jumping ability, extra care must be taken to keep dangerous items out of her reach.
Sadie's isolation distress is still a concern despite the remarkable progress she has made in this area. There are still initial vocalizations and a short period of distress but she does settle fairly quickly. Her panic and excitement barks are very high pitched. Unfortunately, these associated vocalizations mean she is not suitable for condo living. She will also not do well in a home where she is left alone for long periods.
It is important for Sadie to have another dog in her home. This aids in managing her isolation distress. She will be more settled and much happier with a canine companion when her people are out of the house. Sadie loves to play and will bring a lot of joy to a new sibling who is similar minded.
Sadie's house training has gone extremely well and any accidents result from rainy days and the very common pug fear of...gasp...wet feet. I suspect snow will also be an obstacle.
Sadie loves going for walks and runs at the park, but it occasionally feels like we are walking a grasshopper. Her skills will improve greatly with a little more work here. We use a front-clip harness exclusively to help with the little non-stop ball of energy. Sadie is still quite spooked by headlights and she will bark at novel people and things.
Sadie does not enjoy having her nails done and although we have made progress, she does better having them clipped by a patient and gentle groomer. This will have to be a regular visit unless she can be positively conditioned to the process at home.
Overall, Sadie is a fantastic little girl who is full of life. In fact, Sadie is usually the life of any dog party. She showers people with enthusiastic smooches and loves to cuddle in bed. Sadie has stolen our hearts and will make some lucky family very, very happy!
Sadie is still a sweet ball of energy. She and her younger foster brothers continue to be non-stop playing companions. Their current favorite game is house tag where they run in circles over and over and over again through the rooms. Needless to say, Sadie fits in here very well!
We have made really good progress with both her house training and with her isolation distress. Sadie has made huge strides in doing her business outside. However, this will require consistent reinforcement since she has trouble finding the perfect spot. This search for perfection can lead to her wanting to go inside before she potties. We have even better news with her isolation distress. Although Sadie still frets when she is first left alone, she can eventually settle after a relatively short period of time. This improvement is huge! Nonetheless, Sadie would likely never do well in a home where she's left alone for long periods of time and without other dogs to keep her company.
Sadie still barks at all new things, especially on evening walks. She gets spooked by busy streets and headlights. It would take a lot of work and counter-conditioning for Sadie to live on a street that's bustling with activity. As such, she would be happier in a quiet neighbourhood. She has recently discovered the beach and finds the sand endlessly fun to charge through. Sadie is thrilled to wade into any body of water, climb over any fallen tree, and jump onto any rock in her path. If only there were pug Scout badges - she'd have them all.
Sadie has charmed every person she has met. In fact, her foster grandmother often calls to request Sadie visits (her other grand-pugs aren't sure how they feel about this preferential treatment). She is just a fun, lovely, adorable pug and has truly stolen our hearts!
Sadie is one beautiful, hilarious, and exuberant little girl. She is still extremely active and her jumping abilities are truly amazing. She could probably be an agility star. Unfortunately the elderly foster sibling in her previous foster home was not impressed with these skills so Sadie is now living with a new foster family, including two (age-appropriate) pug foster siblings.
Sadie definitely enjoys other dogs and gets along wonderfully with her new foster brothers. They spend much of their time playing tag and "gonna get your ankles" - a pug favorite around here. Sadie is endlessly patient with all their quirks and nuttiness. However when all the puggy play is done, her favorite sleeping spot remains the back of the couch behind your head.
We have been working hard with Sadie on her training. She still likes to put things in her mouth first and ask questions later. Luckily, her "drop it" is pretty great. Since one management fail could result in tragic consequences, we always keep any dangerous items far out of her reach. Sadie is still somewhat skittish on her walks and barks at anything new or loud. We have been doing a lot of counter conditioning and things seem to be improving here. She has also put on some weight from all the work we've been doing so we're going to have to count calories for the next little while.
Although the reasons aren't entirely clear, Sadie has developed isolation distress and panics when she is left alone. She has had a consultation with a separation anxiety certified trainer who has put together a plan to try and help deal with this issue. Hopefully, things will begin to improve in the near future. We will keep you updated with our progress next month.
Overall, we are all totally in love with this girl who is sweet, fun, and absolutely adorable. She will make some family very, very happy!
Welcome to Pugalug, Sadie! This beautiful 8 1/2 month old spayed fawn female just came into rescue and is in great shape. She had her first vet visit last week and it went extremely well. She weighs 18 pounds, is tall and lean and extremely active. She loves to run, jump, and surprisingly, climb. When she is not active, she is snuggled up with you or laying behind you on top of the back of the couch. She prefers to lay or sit high up on something. We have to keep a sharp eye on her so that she does not jump off a high place and possibly hurt herself. Sadie is also very curious and everything in sight, whether in a bag or not, requires inspection and may or may not end up in her mouth. We can't stress enough that all items, especially food, medications and small toys must be put away or placed high enough so that it is out of reach where she cannot jump or climb to reach it. She is a very determined little girl.
Sadie is not fully house-trained, which is completely normal for an 8 month old pup. Essentially, she does not let you know that she has to go out, but we have been taking her out on a regular basis to avoid any in-house accidents. So far it has worked. Once outside, it takes her a little time to find the perfect spot to do her business, but eventually she does.
Even though Sadie has not been with us long, it's clear that she will require a high energy family. Although she has no problems with children, because she is so busy and so young, she will be best with older children only. If you are a jogger/runner, Sadie would make a great companion. Also, she would excel in agility training due to her love to run, jump and climb.
Sadie is a bit skittish and tends to bark at strange noises, the TV, dogs and people she does not know or recognize. Therefore, she is not well-suited for apartment/condo living. Sadie would also not be happy if left alone for long hours and would prefer someone to be home with her as much as possible. When left alone for short periods, she should be crated or restricted to an area where she cannot get herself into any trouble.
Sadie has graduated from basic puppy training, but hasn't quite mastered her listening skills yet - again, completely normal for a puppy her age. She knows how to sit and has just learned the command to come down off something - an important one for her. Further training and socialization will be required to make her a happy and well behaved puppy.
As a result of her lean body and long legs, Sadie is quite good at jumping over a gate that is 24 inches high. Thus, she should be watched very carefully when both indoors and out as she will likely improve her high-jump abilities over time and cannot be trusted to remain within the confines of any gated or fenced-in area. Also, due to her abundance of energy, a home with a fully fenced yard is a must so that she can safely have the freedom to run and run and run.
When travelling, it is best to put Sadie in a crate as she tends to become excitable if permitted to wander in the car. Although she is not a fan of being put in the crate, she does calm herself eventually. In lieu of a crate, she could ride in the back seat as long as she is secured in a pet safety belt.
All in all, Sadie has a lot of love, cuddles, kisses and energy and cannot wait to share it all with her furever family.
