Our growing boy,
56 pounds in this photo:



Shown here with
Mama Dot:

The Story of Ditto and Dot

According to Dot and Ditto, “Every dog has his day” and sometimes a dog just needs some luck in the lottery of life!

Their luck came in the form of an ADS volunteer who spotted this momma dog and her puppy on a hot summer afternoon, traipsing down the side of a deserted highway, no home or businesses in sight for miles and miles. Our volunteer stopped to feed and water these two, and being survivalists and very smart dogs, they thought maybe they should take advantage of an offered trip back to Georgia with this lady and her 2 dogs.

When they found she had more food and water and some cozy beds in her car, they wondered what luxuries they might find when they got “home?” They were pleasantly surprised that they’re allowed into the house, get fed 2 square meals a day and got rid of their fleas and worms, which sure made a guy and his mom feel much better! It took some coaxing to get them to try the deck steps, but once they got the hang of it, they set about exploring their new surrounds-“Look, Mom, no cars or trucks!”

Squad Dog Ditto

At just 11 weeks old, Ditto is almost as big as his momma and has huge feet. He will probably be a big dog. He might be a Lab/Pointer mix, has Pointer markings on his chest and feet. For all his size, he is very sweet and gentle. Ditto is ready for a new life with a family who will make sure that he's always cherished and protected. Now that Ditto and his mom have won the lottery once and have joined ADS, they know that their lucky days have just begun.

See what Ditto's foster mom had to say about his progress:

Ditto is your typical Lab puppy-smart, sweet and fun-loving. I don't think he had any interaction with people or other dogs until this past week but he has made amazing strides.

He has not had a single accident in the house and is learning to ring a bell when he wants to go out. After a short lesson, he now accepts the leash and collar and walks as well as my adult dogs. He goes into his crate with some coaxing (a Kong with some peanut butter in it!) and stays there quietly.

Like a typical puppy his age, he likes to chew and we keep him supplied with toys and bones. He is still a little shy with strangers and other dogs, but we walk him twice a day and he's getting used to being made a fuss over by friends and neighbors. He loves his momma and my dogs and there is some serious wrestling going on a few times a day. Our best guess is that Ditto is a Lab/Pointer mix and from the size of his feet, will probably be a big dog. He is a very special little guy and from what I've seen so far, one of the smartest puppies I've ever had.

Update from Ditto's foster mom:

Ditto ( also known as "Mickey") is a sweet, submissive boy, extremely bright and easy to train. He walks well on the leash and knows "sit, stay, shake, heel and kennel." Right now we're working on "down." He is completely house-trained, goes into his crate easily, and has his own little basket of toys and bones that he plays with on and off all day. He loves other dogs and he and my two girls have great fun running around the yard, most of the time playing "tug-of-war" or "tag-you're it." Right now he's about 45 pounds but the vet estimates he'll be a big boy someday, probably 75 pounds. Fortunately, he has never been a jumper-he would much rather shake your hand!

Our best guess is that Ditto/Mickey grew up "on the road" and before coming to our home ( at about 8 weeks), had little to no contact with humans. So everything he has faced has been new and frightening to him . One by one he has overcome his fears: strangers, the collar and leash, traffic, the garage door, the broom, vacuum, etcetera. He's still a little wary of the car and we coax him in with a treat and right now we're trying to overcome his fear of loud noises, especially those made by groups of young children. Since we have no young children around, we take nightly walks to the local park and day by day, we see improvement. Recently, our four year old grandson came to visit. At first Mickey hid in his crate, but he slowly came into the room and within a half hour, was sitting beside our grandson and licking his face.

Mickey is a very calm puppy, very low key in the house, happy to lie on his bed and chew a bone or just snooze. We crate him when we run errands during the day but he sleeps on his bed in our bedroom at night. He loves his walks and based on what we know of him, we think he might make someone a great jogging partner. With a little time and patience, someone will have an affectionate, incredible dog who will make a wonderful addition to their family.

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