Phoebe

2/14/2025

Phoebe got to go on a brief walk this week, which she did well on. She is SO excited to get out, walk with friends, and watch things fly overhead. We are working on maintaining her focus because she will notice planes, birds, and whatever else may fly overhead. She will usually start to hold it together after a few minutes, but I would like her to be composed from the initial hint of a walk. She is a VERY SMART pup, so we will get there! Phoebe’s down stay is just about PERFECT. We are still focusing on attention.



2/7/2025

This week since it has been pretty muddy out we have been working on a lot of our training and homework indoors. We have been working on Phoebe’s focus when there are other dogs around and also down stay, as well as roll over. She is getting much better, especially when there are cookie treats involved or her training treats. She really enjoys the Train-me training bites! We just have to work on her using her paws to try to cheat and knock them out of my hand, LOL.

1/31/2025

This past Friday we took all of the dogs on a walk down to laundry to get their weight. Little Miss Phoebe was a whopping 55 lbs of CUDDLE and MUSCLE! She is in fantastic shape. She eats three solid meals a day, along with her healthy snacks while getting a bunch of exercise. Her little bouts with Hailey give her more than enough cardio, but she is starting to really enjoy chasing a big blue ball around the dog yard. I did let her have a “cheat snack” this week…some peanut butter cookies – she was in Heaven!

She is also getting better walking with others on a leash…meaning she is listening to people other than me on leash!

1/24/2025

Sometimes when Phoebe and Hailey are out playing in the dayroom we will give them a fruit box to play with. They are a bit bigger than a box used for a ream of paper. The two of them typically tear the box into little pieces and play tug, which is pretty funny! Phoebe likes to play keep away like I have mentioned. She did it with the top of the box this time. She had us all but rolling on the floor because she couldn’t see with the box in her mouth. So she was moving in reverse, wiggling so she could try to see all the while running into things LOL. It was priceless!

1/17/2025

We have had a GOOD and MESSY week of play because all the snow on the ground has become muddy. Phee loves the mud but is not a big fan of the bath. Now she will take a bath and won’t give you an issue, but she will break your heart with the look in her eye when you are spraying her with water LOL. You may even hear “In the Arms of an Angel” by Sarah McLaughlin, haha. So, she had a bunch of fun playing in the day room with Hailey and all of her human friends… she has a lot! She’s also getting much better with tug and release.

1/10/2025

As you know we had a bit of snow this week, and our little Phee was in HEAVEN. She was out rolling in the snow with Hailey and chasing snowballs. I was chasing her around in the dog yard kicking snow up in the air, which she would jump and bite at. The real fun came on Tuesday when the snow came ALIVE and started to drift. Phoebe lost her mind when the particles of snow started coming after her! She was standing on her hind legs and pouncing down on the blowing snow… it was brilliant!

Phoebe is doing really well with her play with the other dogs and people!

1/3/2025

Phoebe has been great. We are working on catch and release with the ball and chuck-it stick. See, one of Phoebe’s favorite games is keep away. It all started with me chasing her around the dog yard saying, “you gimme that!” so now she always wants people to try to take her toy away. It’s funny because you can see the look in her eye when she carries a toy out in the day room, like “who wants some?!”

She is also getting much better with “leave it” when it comes to debris and floor spots.

12/20/2024

Phoebe is doing quite well with her training and socialization. She is SUCH a social butterfly! She loves all of her human friends and meeting new ones. Everyone seems to love her as well. She has also been having her daily play times with Booker and Hailey where she wrestles around with them. We had some more fun in the snow this week – Phee was running and jumping to bite the snowflakes out of the air! I was throwing snowballs to her that she was catching and chomping on. Hopefully we get more snow!

Phoebe is doing well with attention and focus and also not reacting to other dogs and watching me…she has a lot of positive energy!

12/13/2024

Wow, we had some wet days this week and Little Miss Phee does NOT like the rain at all. She does, however, enjoy the snow! She wasn’t sure what to do so she went crazy jumping back and forth chomping at the snow in the air and on the ground, then she started a game with me when she saw snow piled on my shoes running after my feet…it was funny! When she goes out in the rain she will try to back away from it, not understanding that it is all around and falling from above…also very funny!

12/6/2024

I failed to mention that Phoebe got to go on a walk-a-bout last week and made new human friends. She was a big hit in the offices – she got a lot of compliments on her muscular physique, which she works hard at. They were also impressed by how social and smart she is! She loves to show off her brain too and let everyone know she is not just a pretty face! Phee also likes to play with ice out in the dog yard and break up freezing water with her paws. She is not really a cold weather pup being that she has no fat on her and short fur, but we make the best of the short trips in the cold.

Phoebe is also doing well with “look at me” and maintaining her attention.

11/29/2024

Phoebe, also known as “Fee” (like the Phish song – let’s call her “Phee”), is always making me laugh! When she starts playing keep away with her chuck-it stick and making her little noises, we all laugh! I also love to spy on her when she is hiding toys in her cage under the bed. When she sees me she acts like she was just making her bed and not hiding toys. She is also continuing to wrestle and play with her best buds, Booker, Hailey, and Ellie. Phoebe is doing well with tug and release. She is also becoming less interested in gloves!

11/22/2024

Phoebe has had another busy week with playing and training. She is still being silly and chasing her tail and bouncing up and down wanting to play with the geese! She doesn’t realize that birds don’t want to be friends. She passed her level 2 obedience training this week also! She is getting REALLY GOOD at walking on her hind legs while turning in circles trying to earn her cookie treat reward. She really enjoys meat stick treats! Also, she is getting to be effortless to walk on a leash. She just has occasional excitability with running, but we are working on it!

11/15/2024

So this week Phoebe has discovered her tail and how much FUN it is to chase it! Let me tell you, it is epic. She will reach some pretty crazy speeds, sometimes switching directions after falling over! Other times she will stop and look at me for my approval, which I always give her. She will then stumble off and lead me over to go look for her mouse friends like a drunken sailor. She has also been feeling much better, so we are very happy about that!

She is getting REALLY GOOD at walking on her hind legs and doing spins!

Phoebe has a tendency to go after feet when we run during play or just joy. I am also trying to teach her not to go after gloves and not everything in a person’s hand is a toy!

11/8/2024

Phoebe had a bit of a rough week. She was a little under the weather with quite the stomach bug. Needless to say, we have been taking it a bit easy to nurse her back to health. She made a new friend outside in a little mouse we have yet to name. Since the initial meeting we have to go straight to the flowers where it lives to say hello. She is SO sweet that I think she just wants to check on it. I don’t think she has it in her to hurt it. Phoebe is getting better at recall and coming off the fence too!

11/1/2024

We had a good week of training and playing! Phoebe passed her level 1 obedience and is making progress towards her level 2. She is an extremely smart pup and picks up on things quickly. On the play front, she can’t get enough of Booker and Hailey. She will play and wrestle with them for HOURS. It is fun to watch! She is also great when she has no pals around. She will keep herself busy with chew toys and LOVES to chase the Kong!

10/25/2024

Phoebe has had a fantastic week! She is getting REALLY good at tug. We have been working on her release of toys and giving items that she is holding. Right now we are bartering with treats or another toy, but she has come a long way! She still likes when I chase her around but she knows when it is time to listen. Also, her new favorite snack is hot dogs…she goes NUTS!

10/18/2024

Phoebe has had a great time this week playing with her pals, Booker and Hailey. She has TONS of energy and will play until she collapses in the grass and rolls over onto her back to rest! She can’t get enough attention from people or other dogs. She enjoys sitting in the grass like a groundhog and watching people walk by and birds fly by, hoping to play! She even tried her best to get a red-tailed hawk that was sitting on the side of the building to play with her!

10/11/2024

Phoebe is such a true JOY to be around! She just wants to be loved and get attention from her people and her doggie friends. She really enjoys wrestling around with the other puppies and laying out in the grass to sun her belly. She DEMANDS all of the focus when she enters the room waiting to get pets and give kisses! She is very quick to give kisses and lick glasses (if you wear them!)…she’s a LOVER!

09/27/2024 

Phoebe found a new friend in the Program, it’s Hailey! She plays with Hailey great off leash and they will play on leash for HOURS if we’d let them. I’m trying to calm her down for pulling on the leash, trying to get at her thinking that its play time EVERY SINGLE TIME she sees Hailey. And Phoebe is a strong puppy!

We’ve been working on her recall though and it takes her a couple seconds to get it, but she’s getting it and starting to come back faster and more often (unless Hailey is around). We’re also working on leaving her out of her crate when I leave for short time periods. Usually when I come back, she’s taken something of mine and is cuddling with it in her crate. This week its been my blanket and she was curled up, sleeping with it, like its always been hers. She’s quite the character!

09/20/2024

This is my second week with Phoebe and let me tell you, every time I go somewhere and leave her out of her crate I come back and find something of mine in her crate! So far she’s taken my pillow, sweat pants, a sneaker, my slippers and hides them all in her crate! She doesn’t shred it or chew on it, she just wants to keep it with her in there. She also seems to have lost a couple baby teeth this week too.

As far as training goes, she has learned down and paw! She’s also playing well on leash with the other dogs in the program too. She’s such a friendly puppy!

09/13/2024

Phoebe came into the HOPE Program last week and for the most part she’s adjusting well! She’s a little hyper being that she’s still a puppy, but when she gets too hyper I can calm her down. One of the things that’s gets her really going is seeing the other dogs but I think that she only wants to play with them. When I let her run the fence link with them in the yard, its 100% fun and games. She’s already ran the fence with all the dogs too! She did really well with Booker, all they did was run and lick each other’s faces, then roll around in the dirt! They did this for hours and it was too cute to stop it!

09/06/2024

Phoebe joined HOPE on Friday, September 6th and was settling in nicely by the end of the day.  She kept her handler on his feet, as she needed to go everywhere and see all the things, not to mention the people on her first day!  We look forward to learning more about this spunky girl and helping her become the best ambassador to her breed as possible!