Meet Wrigley!

It's time for another installment of HERE'S...MY....DOGGY!!! *trying to sound like a game show host*

(BTW, thanks for the nice comments about my Mojey Pojey. And yes, absolutely, everyone should feel free to use this on their blog for their own dogs [or cats! or guinea pigs! or whatever!] I would adore that! It would be a hoot to meet the special little creatures in your lives.)

Wrigley 

(aka Wriggles, Wrigs, WrigaMaJig, Wrigaroo, and 

WRIGLEY JAMES!! when he's in trouble)

The 411

Breed: He's a Terrier Casserole. Can'tcha tell? (More Rat than Jack Russell, if you ask me. But others have disagreed.

Age: 3-ish we think.

Fur Color:  Mostly white, with a few liver polka dots...and some great freckles on his shnozz.

Fur Type: Short and wiry. He sheds the kind of hair that digs itself into your clothes (or upholstery) and then holds on for dear life. *sigh*

Eye Color: Brown

Size: He's smaller than MoJo but weighs more! He's almost 16lbs! He's pretty stalky...but we do watch his treat intake because the vet warned us he was getting "too round." Of all the nerve! *haha*

What's your favorite thing about your dog? Aw Wrigley. What's not to love? He really is quite a charmer...making every single person that enters this house feel as though they are the only person he has ever loved. He rolls over in your lap and gazes up at you as if you were singing him a love song. I also love how well he gets along with both MoJo and Cubby. I call him the "Glue Dog," as in the glue that holds us all together. (Obscure White Squall reference anyone?) It's so cute to see how much they both want to be with him. They almost fight over him. *haha*

What's your least favorite thing? The same quality that makes him so sweet: he's SO stinkin' needy! There always seems to be this extreme urgency in his desire to be near you. He doesn't respect personal space AT ALL.

Those are MY legs! Told ya, no personal space.

Background

Where did you get him? He's from a shelter right outside of Oklahoma City called OK-Save-A-Dog. We found him through Petfinder.com.

Runt of the litter?  Wish I knew! 

Any special details? Of course silly head! In February of 2007, we started thinking MoJo needed a friend. This time around I knew I wanted a rescue dog, but other than that the only qualification was that it be another male, young and close in size. Breed didn't matter to me.

We found his profile the week of Valentine's Day and I made a mental note of him, but I was still extremely surprised when I got home from work Valentine's Day evening and Jeremy met me at the door with a suitcase. He told me we were taking a little roadtrip to OKC and were going to meet Wrigley (then going by "Tyro") the next morning! He'd already bought another crate, leash, colloar...the whole shebang. So I guess you could say Wrigs was my Valentine's Day present. :)

The next day when we went to meet Wrigley, we were smitten with him instantly. It was a FREEEEEEZING cold day and the poor little guy was just shivering like mad. I picked him up and he nuzzled into my chest. He was dirty (there was mud and snow on the ground) and painfully thin. I know you're supposed to do a full-blown examination of a dog before you adopt them, to make sure you don't end up with a "lemon." But from the minute I held him I just wanted to sweep him off into the car. And that's basically what we did (after we paid the lady, that is). I wrapped him up in the blankets Jeremy had thoughtfully brought and blasted the car heat on high. He looked up at me with that patented Wrigley look...and I knew we'd done the right thing. Here are pictures of what he looked like when we first got him home:

So sad, isn't it?? And to think he's now being accused of being "too round!" That's what getting into our family will do for ya. *wink wink*

Where's the mother? Wouldn't really know, now would I? *haha*

Spayed/Neutered? Yes. The shelter spays and neuters every animal before it's adopted.

Any injuries or illnesses?  The only thing that's ever happened to this poor fella is when he ripped his dewclaw in half. (The story's here, if you wanna read it.) He was a super trooper about it, though.

Training

Does he bite? We've never been bitten by Wrigley. Now...if he gets really into a bone he will growl and bare his teeth and make all sorts of evil noises. But he doesn't follow through on it. *haha*

Does he jump on people? This is a yes on all our boys. :(

Is he house-broken? Yes! The best of the three. I can't think of a single accident he's ever had in the house...not even straight from the shelter.

Has he chewed up anything special? Nothing "special," but he is a bit of a chew monster. He destroyed the tray that used to sit in the bottom of his crate (which now sits on a plank of wood so he won't chew a hole in the carpet). And he shreds any blanket, pillow or towel that is put in his crate. Plus he can "kill" a stuffed toy and have the squeaker out in record time. I haven't been able to find a toy he can't destroy. But he's never chewed anything up around the house, like shoes or furniture or anything.

Does he bark? Yeeeah. The terrier in him demands that he bark at anyone who comes to the door or any furry creature that passes his way. He also barks in protest when he's first crated. But he's fairly easy to shut up.

Fetch? Kinda. He likes to fetch a few times but then decides he'd rather chew up whatever we're throwing. *haha*

Did he go to obedience school? No but I wish we would have. 

Does he play nicely with others? Yes! I can't imagine him not getting along with anyone. Oh wait....

When we first brought him home, he and MoJo were no love connection. I think it was mostly MoJo's fault, but it was still very frustrating! We had to keep them completely separated for the first WEEK. I was starting to think Wrigley was gonna have to find a new place to live, but then we saw on the Dog Whisperer a similar situation. Cesar (our hero) simply took the dogs on a walk together, conveying to them that they were "in the same pack." We decided to give it a try and AMAZINGLY it worked!  We brought them home and they ran around the backyard, playing like they were best buddies. It was nothing short of a miracle. :) This picture was taken shortly thereafter:

(Look how much he'd already fattened up. Just in a week!)

Has he ever humped your leg? No. But he does like to play that "game" with Cubby. Especially when we have company. I think he's just trying to get our attention, cause we always go nuts trying to stop him. 

Any special tricks? *haha* No. Wrigley is the sweetest thing, but he ain't the brightest crayon in the box. He can sit on command and after about 2 months we managed to teach him to shake. And anytime you try to teach him anything new...he just keeps puttin' that paw up in the air like, "I can do THIS! I can do THIS! I can do THIS!" :)

Preferences

Where's his favorite place to sleep? Curled up next to me, under the covers. During the day, since he's always cold, his very best friend is the portable space heater I use. He follows it wherever I put it and basks in its glow.

Favorite food? I think he'd eat anything...but lately he's really into apple cores. 

Favorite toy? Anything with a squeaker!

Favorite place to run around? Backyard.

Favorite owner? I know he has plenty of love for me, but I'd be crazy not to admit he's a Daddy's boy. The evidence is overwhelming:

Personality

Is your dog calm or hyper?  Fairly calm. We've coined the exceptionally clever name "Crazy Wrigley Time" for when he does go nuts. He runs up and down the stairs, around tables, on and off of couches...the whole time making these "Rooroooroooroo!" noises. It's pretty hilarious. He also enjoys a good romp with Cubby. They love the wrestle.

Explorer or Couch Potato? Couch potato. He's always the first one ready to come inside.

Does he learn quickly? Ahuh, no.

Stubborn at all? Not really. He's easily intimidated so he doesn't stick to his guns. And he's eager for affection so he'll stop whatever he's doing if you'll pet him.

Does he like to swim? I doubt it. He has come to enjoy bathtime, though. Being covered in hot water while being massaged can't be that bad, right?

Is he a cuddler? Yes! His joints are very stiff, though, which makes him awkward to cuddle sometimes.

Some Favorite Photos 

Happy face!

I'll do anything for you, Mommy.

Loungin' around in a t-shirt.

All dressed up with nowhere to go!

"If you leave me now, you'll take away the biggest part of meeeee!!! OOOOOOOOH baby please don't gooooo!"