Wilhemina-adopted!

Update 5/19/08: Willow's enthusiasm for life in general has returned full force after she adjusted into the routine at her new foster home. Everything she does is with vigor and energy - it's the terrier way! She plays well with the resident dog, enjoying chase games the most, and will also play with the resident cat. The cat will hide behind things and pop out occasionally and swat her so she'll chase him, which is a great game!

Willow earned a nod of approval from the obedience instructor's assistant at her first class, and she was told what a good dog she is, sweet and smart! The first week is going to be dedicated to walking on a loose leash and sitting on command the first time, both of which she is figuring out rapidly.

She has shown herself to be a very people oriented and affectionate dog. She loves being patted and praised. Although her jumping has greatly decreased, this little lady will jump on you to get your attention then swiftly sit down for your affections! Willow enjoys jumping on the couch to cuddle, and in the car she prefers to be patted than look out the windows.

She is a fantastic dog, and will be a wonderful family member. Her foster mom is bringing her to obedience class (bonus for whoever adopts her!!!) and Willow is proving to be a smart, energetic girl. She needs to be physically and mentally stimulated and is NOT a couch potato. She would be a wonderful dog for a runner, or a family who likes to do Frisbee or agility. She’s a gem!

Update 5/13/08: Hi! My name is Wilhemina but my foster moms have always called me Willow. I think it describes me! I have long graceful legs and a beautiful and delicate face. Through no fault of my own I have been moved around a bit since I came to Maine, but I'm back with my original foster family and guess what! They are going to take me to an official obedience class starting this weekend! I'm very smart and I already know a few commands, but the structure of a formal class will help me bond with my foster family and learn to work with distractions. Every pup should go!

I am a very good dog and I am very nice and respectful towards kids of all ages. In my travels I have met several new dogs and children have been okay with everyone. I have a very sweet nature and get along with just about everyone, even the cat. I am very happy living with another dog that likes to romp and play and run with me!

I am part Jack Russell Terrier (also called Parson Russell Terrier if you want to look it up! www.akc.org is a great resource for breed information about me!) which is a lot of my personality. I'll be honest, I think I'm misunderstood! I am a very smart dog, and because I am so intelligent I need to have mental and physical challenges. I do like to snuggle on the couch with people, I just like going for walks or playing first! Now that I have been put in a small harness instead of a collar I walk beautifully on a leash. I think one or two short walks a day would be great, and I saw those backpacks that you could put water bottles or rocks in. I think that would be just the thing for me. I could keep my girlish figure and be useful at the same time! My foster mom also said something about teaching me to walk on a treadmill! I'm not sold on that idea, but I'm a game girl so I will probably give it a whirl.

Because of my intelligence I am going to be on the lookout for a family that will treat me firmly but fairly, just like you treat your human kids! I need boundaries and I will test them, but once I learn I won't get away with something I will learn good habits. I don't have any destructive habits at all!

Right now I'm settling into the routine with a foster family, but for sure there will be more updates of how I'm doing in obedience class, and more pictures will be coming very soon!

Update 4/17/08: Wilhemina is full of happy puppy personality. She loves to play with dogs and kids alike, although very young toddlers might feel overwhelmed by her exuberance. She has done great with her foster family's three year old grandson, and we think she would make a wonderful family pet.

Wilhemina is an athletic, high energy dog. She can sprint like a greyhound, and romp and play and keep up with just about anyone. She needs a home that will allow her lots of exercise. She's just not cut out to be a couch potato. She might make an excellent agility dog.

Wilhemina's foster mom has been teaching her to walk on a leash, now that the snow has melted and the sidewalks have re-appeared. She tolerates her crate and sleeps there at night. She is house trained. Because she is still puppyish, she likes to have some toys to chew.

If your family is active and high energy, and you're hoping to find a dog who can keep up, ask about Wilhemina today.

UPDATE 3/10/08: Wilhemina is an exuberant, high energy 1-year-old puppy who loves to romp and play. She's quite an intrepid little explorer and gets into things if she can, but she does seem very trainable. She responds well to direction and knows hoe to "sit" on command. She hasn't had a lot of formal training, and would benefit, like so many rescue dogs, from obedience school.

Wilhemina needs to find a wonderful forever family with lots of patience and understanding. She would probably not do well in a home where she ahs to be crated for long periods of time. She has too much energy for that, and she will need regular, daily exercise.

Wilemina loves to play with her foster family's resident dog, and she thrives on human attention, too. If you have an active lifestyle that's missing a friendly, fun medium-sized canine companion, ask about Wilhemina today!

UPDATE 3/5/08: Wilhemina is available for adoption and is here in NE! She is about 25 lbs, and sleeps in a crate that is about 25 inches tall. She is VERY sweet, loving, playful, and is housebroken! She is relatively high energy so please be ready to regularly exercise wilhemina if you want to adopt her. She is a typical terrier puppy and will need to go to training to learn her manners.

Her foster mother had a lot to report. They call her Willow because Wilhemina is too long. Willow is a very good dog with a terrier personality and tons of energy. She's not destructive and the family never had to move anything out of her reach. Willow had no shyness issues upon arrival and her foster mom actually had to teach her that she didn't own the place.

Willow's foster mom likes to say that Willow exhibits symptoms of what she calls "Little Dog Syndrome" - little dogs get away with everything because it's "cute."

Despite her Little Dog Syndrome, Willow learned to get up on the couch only when she was invited, which was plenty, and to sit to be petted instead of jumping up.

At first Willow wasn't happy with her smallish crate, but when her foster mom switched to a large crate to accommodate those long legs, Willow was more than happy to go into her crate with the "in your house" command.

Smart as a whip and fearless, Willow can jump over just about anything, go under and around obstacles, and has no hesitation about going through a tunnel made of a cardboard box. Translation? Agility! Flyball would even be a possibility but this little girl definitely needs mental stimulation as much as physical exercise.

Willow didn't hesitate to play with a dog much larger than her (and try to be the boss) and after a little while even enjoyed playing in the snow. Willow and the resident cat play frequently, but Willow's interest in the cat makes her foster mom think that a cat not used to dogs might be intimidated. And a cat that runs away Willow will chase.

Once Willow had a few days to settle in there was no agressiveness or possessiveness over toys, food, treats, etc, either with the cat or the resident dog.

Willowhas behaved well with the foster family's two six-month-old daughters and when one of them grasped her ear she didn't flinch, just patiently accepted it. Willow's foster mom believes that children of all ages who can be respectful of her would be safe with Willow.

Willow is sweet and affectionate and loves to snuggle. Again, because of her Terrier (and possibly Border Collie, not Italian Greyhound) lineage she does need a somewhat active home, she is NOT a couch potato!

2/16/08: Willy has arrived and is in a foster home in Maine! She's sooooo cute. she's small, but solid. Stay tuned for updates!

Wilhemina was brought to the shelter on 11/19/2007. She is appx 11 months old, HEARTWORM FREE, and weighs appx 20 pounds. She is black and white in color and just love life! She has a great personality and likes other dogs as well. Please help us find her a new home! UPDATE: As of 1-18-08 I’ve been in a foster home. I am great with the kids, leave the cat alone and am very affectionate. I am starting off a bit on the timid/shy/unsure about things side, but I do come around and love to petted and known that everything is going to be alright. I do like my dog chew toys (rawhides, pigears etc.). I don’t like baths, I tried to escape out of the tub a few times but foster mom just tossed me back in. I’ve been on a couple of walks since I’ve been here. I did send my foster mom in a panic when I got out of my harness in seconds. I just ran out to a farmers field, went potty and then came back (I did have to sniff the rear end of a deer statue that was in the farmers lawn on my way back to foster mom). I also am a car chaser, the 1st time a car went by I crouched down in a ditch and then jumped out to chase the car. The 2nd time a car went by I bark and tried to chase it. By the 3rd time foster mom knew what was going to happen and corrected me before hand. I’ve been at the shelter for a few months and being a house dog is so new and exciting for me. I’ll be back to give you an update has I become more comfy in my foster home. I am hoping so much to have a forever home soon! UPDATE: 1-24-08 I've been in my foster for almost a week know. I've really opened up and love being a family house pet. I have tried to entice the cat into play but she just isn't interested in me. I can be playful or just plan loving. I want nothing more then to be with you.

All known information is listed here. If it is not listed here, then we do not know if this animal is good with cats or kids. Before sending an inquiry, please read our "How To Adopt Page & FAQ" pages of our website. http:www.almosthomerescue.net."

Or Click HEREto visit our site.

This dog is available unless it is marked as Pending, meaning "pending adoption".

If this Dog is marked Urgent, it is because the Arkansas shelter where he/she resides is overfull. Please do not ask local shelters to take this dog in, there are many reasons why they cannot. Please also do not send us letters about why we euthanize, AHR does not euthanize, but the shelters we work with do. We are a rescue and we pull as many dogs as we have foster homes and funds for. We, like the shelter, do not have unlimited resources. Please, please: foster, adopt or sponsor a dog to help save their lives.

FOR PUPPIES: HOMES CONSIDERING PUPPIES MUST BE PREPARED FOR:

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES FOR POTTY TRAINING-THEY CAN ONLY "HOLD" IT FOR ONE HOUR PER MONTH OF AGE.

CRATE TRAINING FOR THE NEXT 10 MONTHS TO KEEP THEM FROM CHEWING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT.

SUPERVISION WITH CHILDREN, AND OBEDIENCE TRAINING.

SOCIALIZATION-A GOOD DOG MUST BE EXPOSED TO ALOT OF STIMULUS AS A PUPPY SO THAT NEW PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENTS DO NOT INTIMIDATE THEM AS ADULTS. THE MORE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES -IN AND OUT OF THE HOME- AS A PUPPY, THE BETTER.

HOMES THAT WANT TO HAVE GOOD DOGS, MUST BE PREPARED TO PUT THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO TRAINING A PUPPY. IT IS ALOT OF WORK!!! THEIR BEHAVIOR AND STAGES ARE EQUIVILENT TO A 2 OR 3 YEAR OLD CHILD. IT TAKES A FULL YEAR TO HAVE A CALMER, WELL ADJUSTED DOG! PLEASE DO NOT CONSIDER ADOPTING IF YOU HAVE NOT THOROUGHLY THOUGHT THROUGH THE PROS AND CONS OF A PUPPY...SO MANY PEOPLE END UP RETURNING THEM IN 3-5 MONTHS BECAUSE IT IS CHEWING, JUMPING AND HYPER. THIS IS NORMAL PUPPY BEHAVIOR.

PATIENCE, CHEWIES, SOCIALIZATION, SUPERVISION AND OBEDIENCE TRAINING IS A MUST!!

. We pay a Transportation Service from Arkansas to bring the dogs to New England. The adoption fee is $250.00 for altered dogs. $350. for unaltered puppies, with $100 refundable after spay/neuter. All Senior dogs 6 years or older have a reduced adoption fee of $200. This includes vaccinations, spay/neuter and transport from Arkansas to Maine on a USDA approved transport with a Health Certificate. All dogs are quarantined 14 days prior to leaving Arkansas. All dogs will be tested for Heartworm prior to adoption. Almost Home Rescue will process your adoption. Applications can be found at www.almosthomerescue.net and can be e-mailed attention of Jill to wynne_ahr@yahoo for this particular dog. Click HEREto visit our site.