| MEET: Houdini |
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| STATE: NY
AGE: 8 years DOB: Unsure WEIGHT: 71 lbs SEX: Male NEUT/UTD: Yes/Yes COAT COLOR: Fawn DOCKED TAIL: Yes CROPPED EARS: No CHILDREN UNDER 4: No CHILDREN OVER 4: teens & up SEPARATION ANXIETY: Yes OTHER DOGS: Yes CATS: Yes CRATE TRAINED: No HOUSE TRAINED: Yes LEASH TRAINED: Yes OBEDIENCE TRAINED: No MICROCHIPPED: Unsure ADOPTION FEE: $150 (fee waived if you adopted from SCBR before!) |
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| UPDATE 6/10/10 - I don't know what more to say about Houdini. He is absolutely perfect! He is so active and playful that it is really impossible to believe he is 9-1/2 years old. He loves playing at the beach, in the water with his ball, and he absolutely loves his Kong Frisbee--although we have gone through 5 so far! I have a picture of him as my screensaver the day that I adopted him, and he has gotten a bit more gray in the last year, but don't tell him that!
He does not like the cold or snow at all, so the winter months were challenging. He would enjoy a walk or run, and would play if it was a nice sunny day, but if the weather was the least bit windy or wet, there was no way. I signed him up for Doggie Day Camp and took him just once a week just for something different for him. He didn't really play with the other dogs much, just kind of sat off to the side and watched. A little bit of interaction but not much. All the counselors said he was their favorite boxer though! I said, I KNOW! Ha-ha! Houdini had an ulcer in his left eye that took about 4 months to treat successfully. We had to travel from Rochester to Buffalo every couple weeks to take him to the Ophthalmologist, but eventually it was healed! Unfortunately, just last week we found out he now has one in his right eye, so here we go again! Houdini is a great watch dog and protector. He is very protective of me and concerned about me. My husband travels a lot for work so I am home alone a lot, and having Houdini has been a great comfort. One time the power went out in the house so all the lights went off and he did not stop growling under his breath until the lights came back on. Sometimes we'll be outside playing ball at night and my husband will pull in. He runs over to the driveway barking up a storm being Mr. Mommy Protector and all. Then he realizes that it's Daddy, and he kind of comes back with his head down, all embarrassed looking! I don't think he sees to well at night! I bring him everywhere with me! He LOVES to ride in the car. He looks so sad and shocked at the same time when I leave and don't bring him with me. Everyday we go running at 4:30 AM, and he is not much of a morning dog at all, but there is no way he's going to let me go without him! All in all, adopting Houdini was by far, one of the best decisions I have ever made! UPDATE 12/13/09 - Houdini continues to be an absolute pleasure. He has fit in so well here and is such a good, good boy. He is going to be 9 years old in January, and still acts as though he is a puppy. I cannot believe how much he wants to play. We do everything together--not that I would be allowed to do anything without him--ha-ha! This past week he had an eye injury that I unfortunately did not witness, so I'm not sure how it happened. He has scratched his cornea. He should be fine according to the veterinarian. We have about a week of ointments that need to put into his eye before a follow-up appointment. He's been a trooper through the entire ordeal. He was so good at the vet and seemed to look to me for approval before allowing the vet to do anything to him. I know I'm being extremely redundant, but he is such a good, good boy, and I'm so glad we found each other! UPDATE 8/26/09 - Houdini is as wonderful as ever! He just completed his 8-weeks of obedience training and did so well. He actually won 2 of "challenges" the trainer had him do! He is such a good, good boy. He actually went swimming not too long ago--not voluntarily--but accidentally! He thought the green lily pads and moss on top of the water was grass apparently and jumped right onto it! He came up panicked, but knows he can swim now! I don't think he will be doing that again anytime soon! We are so proud that he made the front page of the website, and have sent the link to everybody and anyone who I could think of! I'm sure everybody is getting a little sick of me bragging about my "son!" Oh well, I'm just a very, very proud mom. I cannot imagine my life without him! He makes me strive to be the person he believes I am! UPDATE 7/23/09 - Houdini has been an absolute pleasure! I could have never imagined what an easy transistion this would have been for all of us! He is such a good, good boy! I cannot even remember (nor do I want to) my life before him. He is such a joy. He is a huge clown, the star of his obedience training, a companion, and I truly feel honored to have been selected to adopt him. Up until about 2 or 3 days ago, I would have had to make up something negative about him. The only complaint that I can even possibly come up with is more of a "hmmm, I wonder why he is doing this now, and hasn't up until now." In the last two days, he has wet his bed. I cannot even say for sure if it is urine as it doesn't smell at all like it, but his bed is soaked. I know he had an enlarged prostate and had been on medication prior to me adopting him and am wondering if this is an issue related to that. Additionally, he was on Prozac up until about 2 weeks ago. My vet wanted me to finish up his prescription and then see if there was any difference with the separation anxiety. So I am also wondering if this is maybe related to him no longer receiving the Prozac. I'm not sure, but plan to discuss with my vet. Houdini loves to go for car rides. When you ask him if he wants to go for one, his response is so appreciative and childlike! He literally hops off all fours like a jumping bean. Every morning at 4:30 I wake up and go to the gym to work out. He would much rather be in the car waiting for me than at home without me. If anybody ever needs an ego/self-esteem boost, Houdini is the only medication they will need. I have never felt so special, needed and appreciated. Houdini appears to be so overjoyed to have found his forever home. I swear he knew from day one that this was it. Sounds crazy, I know, but I believe it to be true. I cannot wait to get up in the morning and wake him, and I cannot wait to get home in the afternoon/evening to see him. The excitement I see in his eyes when he sees me is equally--if not more--important to me as it is to him!!! I could have never imagined the joy he could have brought to my life and how much my life has changed as a result--all good! 6/21/09 - Houdini finally found his perfect match! 5/13/09 - Houdini continues to be a pleasure and very much a shadow; I guess he thinks he will miss something if he is out of my sight. I have been calling him “Dini” only because it’s easier and it sounds so much like his name that he comes to it readily. He had his follow-up appointment with the Vet and she doesn’t see any need for him to be on Proin as it seems to have “fixed” the enlarged prostate problem. He is still on Prozac for the separation anxiety even though he is getting much better, but the Vet likes to keep them on it for 6 months. Again I must mention that he doesn’t at all act his age, he is so active and wants to be in the middle of anything that is going on. He is waiting for a phone call about his forever home! Operators are standing by! Call now!! 4/10/09 -This is Houdini, my Foster Mom says that it’s time for me to tell everyone how I am doing in my foster home. Well, last weekend seemed to be the end of this nice quiet house, all of a sudden all these people came thru the door and stayed, they played and played with me. I got so that I didn’t even growl when they came thru the door. My favorite thing to do is play fetch; if you will throw a ball for me I will bring it back and wait for it to be thrown again! Sometimes a big black thing that they call a cat will jump out at me but I don’t pay any attention to it, why does he do that? And then there’s a little dog that always waits for me to finish eating so she can see if I left anything for her, no way…I don’t leave anything. My Foster Mom takes me in the car for lots of rides, I love to look out the window but I don’t bark if I see another dog or anything, drive thru’s are fun cause I usually get a treat. Yesterday I had to share the backseat with twins that are 7ys old, I started out in the way back but that wasn’t any fun so I jumped over and sat in-between the boy & girl, I was very good but I really wanted to get in the front with FM. It would be nice if I had a permanent home, my FM says that someday someone will come and get me and take me to their home and spoil me, I am a very good companion and very loyal. 3/2/09 - It’s been a while since I updated Houdini as he has an idiosyncrasy that we’re working through with basic obedience. It seems that I overindulged him because of his past circumstance. He is such a good boy and doesn’t act his age at all, he has very little gray on his muzzle. He is very smart and is learning quickly. The other two residents are very satisfied with him being here and continue to “boss him around”. More on this boy as we progress. 1/29/09 - Houdini has been in the household for 2 days and he is a perfect gentleman, he would like to have free-run of the house but no introductions have been made with the other canine, the cat is very confused as to why he doesn’t chase him! Houdini was living in a car with his owners for a time (not sure how long) so he just loves to go in the car, for probably not having the best diet he really is in good shape physically. He has an appointment for the “snip” on Monday. Will keep you posted on his progress. 1/27/09 - Here is Houdini, a very big nice boy and may I say very confused. He is intact (for now), loves to ride. That’s about all for now have to get him settled in & know him better. |
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