Rufus
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***Rufus is not a CDR dog and has not been evaluated by CDR. This is a courtesy posting for Rufus’s parents, who will make all decisions about Rufus’s placement. To apply for Rufus, fill out an online adoption application and the rescue folks will forward it to my parents, who will be in touch!***
My name is Rufus and I am an awesomely handsome, loving and playful fluffy, fuzzy mixed dog!
- Quick Fact Sheet:
- Gender: Male
- Age: 4 years old
- Breed: Not sure but Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd are good guesses!
- Size: 50-55 pounds
- Good with People: Loves you once he knows you!
- Good with dogs: YES!
- Good with cats: YES!
- Good with kids: Probably fine with older children!
- Bonus: Completely housebroken!
Background:
I was adopted almost 2 years ago from CDR after my original parents split up. I was approximately 2 years old and had spent most of my life in a small fenced in kennel with not much attention, care, or training. My present parents are semi-retired and have lots of time to spend with me walking, taking car rides, and just hanging out….important things to do with me because of my energy level and my love of their attention!
Personality:
I am a lover, first and foremost, and love being near my people. I am happy to relocate to whatever room you are in so I can be near you (because I love it, and also so I can make sure nothing bad happens to you). My mom thinks I go a little too far when I want to hang out with her in the bathroom (!), but I just think that is our special one on one time.
I love affection and petting! My favorite places to be petted are my belly, head and ears—they love to be rubbed. I also looooove hip massages, which is good, because it’s part of my physical therapy (see medical section for details)!
They tell me that I am 4 years old, but to see my in action, you’d think I was a 10-month old puppy (or a teenage boy)! I like to run fast, play rough-and-tumble, chase, pull, and wrestle! I am embarrassed to admit that I still use my mouth like a puppy does too, meaning-- everything goes in it…even your arm (but in a playful way)! They tell me that at my age, I maybe should be thinking of acting more dignified and calm, but I think another option would be for me to have a dog companion to play with, and then I wouldn’t have to play like a dog with my humans!
I am very, very sweet and loving and affectionate and adorable, but do also have a strong willed and excitable side! I am very smart, so with the right guidance and some patience and consistency, I am sure that I will mature into a calmer, more elegant version of my current exuberant self! That said, I certainly also have a very chill side…. I am an excellent night time sleeper, enjoy sleeping in, and am often the last one out of bed in the morning!!
Why I’m looking for a new home:
I love my parents and they love me. The problem is that we aren’t an ideal match right now. First of all, I think I might be happier to live in a home with another dog to play with and keep me company. But most importantly, a wonderful grandchild has entered my parents’ life (their first!) and they are pretty worried that I don’t understand what it means to be careful and gentle with a baby who is starting to crawl around. Everyone is worried that I will knock Little E over or start to play with him with too much exuberance. My mom helps with the baby’s daycare and has decided it is safer to watch the baby in his house than ours, but when the baby comes to my house, I usually have to stay in my room, which makes me anxious and my parents sad. Since this is a long term issue, and there is likely to be more grandchildren, it might be best for all involved for me to find a home where I don’t have to be isolated. My mom and dad love me very much, and this has been a very difficult decision to make, but they feel that it would be better for me to find a new home where no one has to worry about keeping me away from a child.
Cohabitation:
I currently live with a cat and that’s A-OK, but she can’t play with me like a dog buddy would. I had dog friends 2 years ago in my CDR foster home which I loved, and when I have gone to doggie day care, I have had a blast! I would either love to live with another playful dog, or would love it if my new family had friends with dogs with whom I could play regularly!
I love my people very much!
Favorite Activities:
- ***I love, love, love going for car rides! But I really want to have a window down partway so I can stick my nose out. If you forget, I will bark at you to remind you to put it down, please!
- ***Going for leashed walks! Especially on trails! I take a couple short walks (around a mile) every day. My favorite place to walk is Upper Buttermilk Falls, but I really enjoy all of the beautiful trails around Ithaca. I am good on leash most of the time, but occasionally get distracted if I am excited about getting to meet up with a friendly dog or if a squirrel runs in my path.
- ***Getting attention, affection, and massage time! I would LOVE someone interested in doing positive training/clicker training with me. I bet I would make you proud!
- ***Chewing on Bones and Kongs! At night I enjoy chewing on my treat filled Kong and gnawing on my Nylabone. My toys have to be built pretty rugged, because I am a strong chewer. I have a cool squeaky bear that I have had for a year now, and I am very proud of myself that I have not torn him up! He’s my buddy!
- ***Running in a safely fenced yard off-leash!! I have a large yard now with an invisible fence. It worked great for a while, then I started going through it, so the company had to up the charge, and now it’s working again. I’m a smarty about trying to get out of a fence so I can go have adventures, so you have to make sure any yard you put me in is truly secure. I can’t go off-leash anywhere, even on hikes, as my prey drive will make me take off.
Medical:
I had FHO (femoral head osteotomy) hip surgery followed by several months of physical therapy 2 years ago. The surgery was successful, but they tell me that it’s best if for the rest of my life, I do moderate (rather than intense) daily exercise (i.e, shorter walks, not runs or long hikes), and take joint supplements and fish oil every day. I will no doubt get arthritis in that joint when I’m older, so keeping my weight just right, and keeping me on supplements and not doing “weekend warrior” intensive outdoor exercise is my program!
Summary:
I am a wonderful young guy who is full of incredibly joy and love and exuberance and affection! I would like to be adopted by someone who has lots of time to spend with me and has the training skills to help me refine my manners and give me a calm, supportive and consistent environment, as well as lots of affection. I’d love a dog sibling, or to visit other people’s dogs for playtime!
If you are interested in adopting Rufus, please fill out an online adoption application and live close to Ithaca , Syracuse, Binghamton, or Elmira. We do home visits on every applicant, and can't do home visits where we don't have local volunteers.
