Zuke

Wanna play?

This is Zuke, for Zucchini. Like his namesake, there will be times when his family thinks they got too much of a good thing and would like to foist him off on the neighbours.

Of all the pups, he is the most energetic – a perpetual whirlwind, a cheeky, mouthy, rambunctious, never-slow-down pup. He is a chewer, a puller, a nipper, a jumper, a pouncer, a humper, a tugger-of-tails, a chomper-of-toes, a mischievous, devilish, smart-as-a-whip little pup.

Zuke may look black, but he is actually a reverse brindle (the black more prominent than the browns) or "seal" as it is sometimes called here in Canada. His brindle pattern shows well in the sunlight and is becoming more noticeable as he grows. One of his paws has a small white blaze, as does his chest, and he has a hint of a few white hairs on his chin.

Zuke's overall physique is quite different from the other pups. He is the most slender of the dogs and has long, long, long, legs. Did I mention he has long legs? Like an adolescent boy whose body has grown more quickly than his brain, he trips over his own feet and falls flat on his face a dozen times a day.

He also has a long whip-like tail. Once he is a bit bigger, he will happily keep your coffee table free of clutter with his tail, and no doubt those long legs will help him keep your counters free of food. He is already just over nine pounds, so will likely be a fairly big, tall dog. He is a beautiful, sleek, slim and leggy boy, who doesn’t stand still long enough for a photo to do him justice.

Zuke’s family will have to subscribe to the notion that “a tired dog is a good dog” -- unless they are prepared to give him lots and lots and lots of high-energy activity, this boy will drive them to distraction. At the same time, when he is finally worn out, he does like to cuddle,though not without nibbling and chewing on whatever part of your anatomy or clothing is within reach.

A beautiful dog for a very active family. Tornado might be a suitable non-squash name for him. Batten down the hatches, there's a storm heading your way.

I is NOT a tornado - see how nicely I'm sittin'?

I can play wiv mah kong now pwease?

I'z got long legs an' tail!

I be cute in de basket

Kin ah go now pwease?

Me an' mah mama

(Zuke is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is being featured in a seperate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog.)