Dash’s parents’ happiest memories of adoption day were doubly delightful: meeting Dash for the first time and seeing how beautiful he was, and watching him run from room to room in his new home with his tail wagging, sniffing and familiarizing himself with the place.
Agile, athletic and always up for adventure, Dash especially enjoys running, chasing squirrels, and taking long, daily walks through the neighborhood – provided he picks the direction. He also enjoys finding a sock, t-shirt or shoe, standing in front of his parents, growling, his tail gaily wagging, urging them to chase after him and play his favorite game of “Give me that thing!” Then there’s his passion for gnawing and chewing on any one of the countless toys that fill up his toy basket. Last but certainly not least, Dash loves going for rides in the car in their immediate area on what is fondly known as a “sniffing safari.”
When his parents are eating dinner, Dash sometimes stands and watches them for several minutes, then gets a tennis ball or a stuffed animal and drops it in their laps – in an apparent exchange for whatever they’re eating. As a negotation technique, it doesn’t work, but it does make his parents laugh.
Happily for Dash, they frequently visit his mom’s sister’s family who have a yellow lab named Jenny and a swimming pool. Within minutes of their first visit, Dash began diving into the pool repeatedly to retrieve tennis balls and continued until his family stopped him so that he wouldn’t wear himself out. It’s no surprise then that Dash loves visiting Jenny, particularly if it means staying there when his parents go out of town for a few days.
As for his most endearing qualities: Dash is highly intelligent and keenly observant, staring into his parents’ eyes knowingly. Every morning routine, he gets a sock or a shirt, his parents get their cups of coffee, and they sit on the sofa together, petting him and waking up slowly. Dash approaches everyone he meets on the sidewalk, assuming they’ll want to meet him and fawn over him, and he’s clearly offended when someone’s not a dog person.
Originally not the best mannered dog when encountering other dogs, Dash worked diligently with his parents on learning not to lunge or pull and has mastered the “leave it” command. Now he’s much better behaved and can be trusted to meet other dogs without being overpowering.
In the words of his devoted parents: “We are very well bonded with Dash as a family. He’s adorable and well loved, and he knows it. Thank you for introducing us to Dash.”
