[dazydaizee]

I was on a waiting list for a Standard Poodle from a breeder when I met this adorable 10 year old poodle mix named Chispa at the shelter. I'm a dog groomer and often groom dogs for the shelter, so she also got a little hair cut before I took her home yesterday.

This is her before the trim:

And after:

And then at home (she's penned off from my other dog until they've bonded a little more)

And here she was sleepy but it's a good profile picture.. you can see her huge nose:

She's supposed to be a cocker/poodle mix, but she seems much more poodle-like than the "cockapoos" I've seen. She's very leggy, though it's tough to see in the pictures, and has a long narrow muzzle, poodle-y ears, etc. The family who surrendered her also thought that when she had pyometra (infection of the uterus causing it to fill with pus), that her "bladder exploded".. so who knows what her mix actually is..
She's such a great dog and acts like she's 3 years old despite her age, she's so happy and energetic. She LOVES people and is great with dogs. My other dog is fear aggressive and can be dog aggressive, so I've never had a dog that just anyone can approach and pet, or one that could play with other dogs. This is a huge change for me and I'm thrilled with her. I can't believe how well she's settling in after only a day.

 

[Harley_chik]

She is beautiful and very lucky to have you! How big is she? Her face reminds me so much of a Maltese. Is is possible she is a Maltipoo or maybe part Westie?

 

[Cdnjennga]

Congrats on the new pup! And good for you adopting an older dog, I'm sure she's thrilled to have such a wonderful new home.

I love the transformation from the first to second photo!

 

[Keithsomething]

shes adorable!!!
I love her all groomed up
I'm sure shes loving having all that hair gone

 

[flyingduster]

lmao, she actually reminds me a little of "Falkor", the dragon from the movie 'The Never Ending Story'!! heh. She's gorgeous.

 

[Spoofer]

She looks like a "cuddle bug"! What a cutie! My parents had a cock-a-poo... one of the smartest and sweetest "little" dogs you'd ever want to meet. He was also a "rescue puppy" and the joy of their lives for many years

 

[MericoX]

She looks like a Schnauzer/ Poodle mix to me (maybe Standard Schnauzer) due to her face and body.. but especially her face!!

Adorable though! I like her expression!!

 

[Olie]

I think she is so cute. I love the white, why did the original owners get rid of her? It looks like she has been taken care of. Did you go off the breeders list then?

One last thing as she is an older dog I HOPE you can handle both dogs (one being DA) I cannot imagine how much she can tolerate with an aggressive dog you know?. Maybe seek a behavior specialist or trainer for the other dog in the house. I wish you lots of luck!

 

[ArreauStandardPoodle]

Awwwww...she looks like a precious soul. It alway breaks my heart when I see old dogs being given up. But thank goodness there are folks like you who will give these old babies a wonderful home to spend their golden years in. Congrats, and all the best for many healthy years together.

 

[dazydaizee]

She's about 20lbs, my other dog, Mimi, is about 35lbs, but short and stocky so Chispa is actually taller. I'm waiting to be sure everything works out before going off the breeder's list (the pups aren't born yet, so it's not a huge rush right now).
Mimi is actually 8 years old and when I say she can be dog aggressive, it's mainly when she meets a new dog face to face, especially if she's on leash, and especially if it's a larger dog. So she's been really good with Chispa. Mimi used to live with a fox terrier who was extremely dominant and learned to get along with her without any fights or injuries. Chispa used to live with a lhasa and got along fine with him and was very submissive. So I think this will work out pretty well, but I'm taking it slow. They are fine together off leash in the yard, and with careful supervision in the living room.. but the bedroom is tighter quarters and Mimi's "territory", so we keep them separated while in there for now.

The previous owners' excuse for giving up both of their dogs (the humane society splits them up from the start and they go in separate cages, I didn't meet the other dog) was that they were moving. I know that in some cases there are situations where there is no alternative.. but in MOST cases, I think dumping a 10 year old dog at a shelter because you're "moving" is a crap excuse for irresponsible owners who don't really care about their pets. We just had a client come in yesterday who was at the humane society when Chispa was surrendered. She said the people didn't seem upset or anything and were very nonchalant about leaving the dogs. Whether they truly loved their dogs or not, I think this was the best outcome for Chispa and she seems very happy here.

On the breed subject.. I do think she has that "maltipoo" look, too, but she seems too big and she's got that giant nose! She doesn't resemble any of the schnauzer/poodles I've seen, either. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but she does have a buff or cream look, she's actually not all white. And yes, she does look like Falkor! In the before picture, haha.
We had a snow storm today, so here's Chispa in the snow:

And an embarrassing picture of her squatting with my other pup, Mimi, running over:

 

[KPoos]

She is beautiful and very lucky to have you! How big is she? Her face reminds me so much of a Maltese. Is is possible she is a Maltipoo or maybe part Westie?

Yeah she looks like a westiepoo. She's adorable and I like how you groomed her. It compliments her longer nose.

 

[jester's mom]

What an absolutely lucky dog Chispa is! How nice of you to open your heart and home to an elderly lady who would have spent Christmas in a kennel with other barking dogs not knowing why she was put there!

She is adorable and I hope you are able to get her aggression situation under control.

LOL.. Yes, she DOES look like Falkor...that is just too funny, how adorable!

Merry Christmas to you and your new girl!

 

[dazydaizee]

Thanks guys. The grooming was a "quick" job.. she was matted and though she was really good for grooming, I didn't want to stress her too much the first day I had her, so she's not perfect, but it's a big improvement..

Jester'sMom, it's not Chispa with the aggression issues, it's my other dog, Mimi. Mimi has come a long way in the 4 years I've had her, but she's always going to be a little different. She's great with dogs & people she knows, she is just very slow to trust new people & dogs. But Chispa seems to be a great match for Mimi, they just need more time together to bond.

Chispa was WILD outside today, you'd have no idea she's 10. She sure can run.. must be those long legs

 

[BFF]

She is adorable! The first two pictures say it all. She looked so sad and forlorn in the first one. Then in the second one, it's like she 'knew' you were going to save her from that place and really love her.

I don't know that the previous owners could have loved her as much as you have the last few days. She is going to have a great friend in Mimi. It sounds like they will keep each other young at heart for years to come.

 

[spoospirit]

What a wonderful gift for Chispa to have found you and your family! I think she is lovely in the new clip you gave her. I love her look and she does look like Falcor. I loved that movie.

I love the pic of her in the snow. She looks like she is very happy there. Best of luck to you both with the settling in.

 

[nab]

Aw, what a lucky girl. She looks so happy. Great groom job.

 

[dazydaizee]

Well I officially adopted Chispa yesterday and I trimmed her up a little better (the groom was just a rough cut to dematt her and make her a little more presentable.) She was with us for Christmas today and did so well. She's so incredibly sweet.
I also got her records and found out that she is definitely a "cockapoo" from a "breeder" AKA puppy mill. Her previous owners bought her from a horrible pet store at the mall in 1999. Her birthdate is 2/28/99 (mine is 2/24 ). So she's actually almost 11 years old, though you wouldn't know it.
She's going to the vet tomorrow for a checkup and senior screen bloodwork to make sure she's healthy and there's nothing I should be worrying about. She's doing great with the other dog, Mimi. Here's a picture from yesterday with Mimi (in the middle) and my parents' dog, Molly (a wire fox terrier. She's a little damp, she got a bath a little while before.)

And here she is laying with the shoes.. she decided it was a good place to sleep despite her memory foam bed in the living room.

We also groomed two more dogs from the humane society yesterday and Chispa was CRAZY playing with one of them. I thought it must be her "brother" that she was surrendered with, but as it turns out it was just a friend from a playgroup she'd played with a few times at the shelter. Sadly, the dog she was surrendered with was euthanized. He was 13 years old, deaf, and had some other medical issues and a bite history. Lucky for her, she got out in time... but I feel bad for her brother.

 

[flyingduster]

ohh she's adorable. I know exactly what you mean about how Mimi is, my lil foxy X is the same, and can be touchy and a bit dog agressive with dogs she doesn't know, but at the same time she's currently asleep curled up with Paris in the same crate! It took a long time, but they play and are happy in each other company now, but she'll still snap and snarl at a strange dog.

 

[Marian]

Chispa and Mimi are both very lucky girls.

Merry Christmas, dazydaizee!

 

[WonderPup]

Awwwww what a sweetie!! Best of luck with her!