Welcome Callie: Welcome Yoshi

Resident dogs Miles and Missy in the back. Foster dogs Yoshi and Fifi up front

Mr Yoshi has been with us about a month now. He's just such an easy guy I've been in no rush to create a blog about him.

I first met Yoshi as he was making his way from AL to WI. Fluffy Dog has a partner organization in AL called Alabama Rescue Relay and they are the ones who bridge the gap between the AL shelters and the northern rescues. They transport probably moves about 60-100 dogs out of AL each week. Fluffy Dog is lucky enough to get a handful of those saved souls each week.

I volunteer about once and month and meet the AL driver in the Chicago area. The driver then goes to a hotel to sleep while I take the van and cargo on up to WI. It's a day I look forward to each month. Yoshi happened to be riding shot gun the day I drove the van about a month ago. In the van full of about 50 dogs in crates, there was Yoshi just hanging out riding free in the van. That impressed me and when our last foster was adopted I chose Yoshi to join us in our home.

He is a wonderful little guy. We have two resident dogs here and almost always another foster. Yoshi has been wonderful with all of them. He's easy going with the other dogs and submissive.

He's also been wonderful with all the people he has meet. Young, old, small, big, male, female, etc, he's been good with everyone. I have two teenage daughters and Yoshi has been great with all the friends that come in and out.

He has a really nice balance of being playful and being chill. He loves fluffy toys and will play fetch and will carry them around with him. But, unlike so many other dogs I know, including my own, he doesn't tear out the stuffing. He leaves those fluffy toys...well....fluffy...just as they should be.

We've had fireworks in the neighborhood and a number of summer storms roll through and none have phased Yoshi. He's been good with all of it.

He doesn't shed! He was matted when he came to the rescue so was shaved down. His hair is starting to grow back now and he's getting cuter by the day. My daughters tell me often "Mom, he's so cute." And he is!

He is good in the car. He's small enough that he fits on my lap while i"m driving (shh...don't tell). Eventually though he moves to the passenger seat.

He is affectionate and loves to the cuddle. At night, he sleeps at the bottom of my bed and doesn't move bit. Even if I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night it doesn't disturb him. He just keeps right on sleeping.

He is good on a leash and really enjoys walks.

He's quiet in the house and not interested in what's going on outside.

I work from home and he finds a place to nap while I'm busy.

So, what doesn't he like? Well, he doesn't like crates or being kept in a small room. He just gets anxious. He pants and gets stressed. That's probably why he was riding free in the van that day a month ago. When we leave the house we give him free roam and he does fine. He doesn't get into trouble at all.

Also, he's had a few accidents in the house. He does his potties outside but he's not 100%. I haven't been able to figure out why he was having accidents so a few weeks ago I decided that I would try putting down a potty pad. And, low and behold he's been using them. Now, that said, yesterday we were gone about 6 hours and he used the potty pad for both 1 and 2. But, today, we were gone about the same time and he didn't have to use it at all. I know he can hold it because he makes it more than 8 hours at night. So, could he transition fully off the potty pads and to using the outside? Quite possibly. But, hey, if you live in an apartment or condo and don't have frequent access to the outside he's already trained on the potty pads!

He's a fabulous little guy with a super personality!

Thanks for reading and thanks for thinking rescue!

This is shortly after Yoshi came. Charlie Chaplin was our other foster and here Yoshi was letting him have the bed

He's almost camouflaged!

He tilts his head when you talk to him. So stinkin' cute!

Button nose and button eyes!

I took him the Dog Days of Summer festival in Libertyville last week. He was a good passenger.

This how the dogs come up from AL. The tags are color coded by rescue . Yoshi was permitted to ride up front with the driver when he came from AL.

Sometimes the van goes to MN. On those days the dogs get a potty break in the Chicago area . These volunteers spent their Saturday morning helping to get the van unloaded, the dogs pottied and then all back into the van for the final leg to MN.