Adopting a New Puppy | Meet Heidi

Introducing our newest family member...Heidi!

The day we met; love at first sight.

I'll answer a few of the most frequently asked questions now!

Where did you get her?

Mommy & Me Rescue in Mount Carmel, PA. They pulled Heidi's pregnant mother from a shelter and fostered her and the entire litter of 8 until they were weaned. Then everyone went up for adoption!

What breed is she?

Well she's a rescue, but mom looked an awful lot like an Australian Cattle Dog, ACD for short. So we're pretty sure Heidi is part cattle dog. Would LOVE to do a dog DNA test on her to learn about her breeds, but it's rather expensive.

Did you choose a deaf dog on purpose?

Nope! I had no idea she was deaf, and neither did the rescue. I found out while conducting a few tests to determine her personality and see if she would be a likely candidate to enjoy our unique lifestyle. Our dog trainer we work with, Laura from DoggyU, suggested a recovery test. You purposefully startle the pup to see how they react. It's okay for the dog to be scared at first, but you want a puppy that recovers quickly when they realize they're safe, and then becomes curious and investigates whatever startled them.

So I dropped a metal dog dish on a hard floor not four feet behind her while she wasn't looking. It was quite loud, but she didn't react at all. It was pretty obvious she couldn't hear, and the next day, the vet confirmed it.

While we weren't seeking out a deaf dog, we're very happy to have one. It gives us a lot to learn and she is already very special to us.

Will she be in the show?

That's the goal, yes! Our dogs are family first and cast members second, but we very much chose her because we thought she'd enjoy having the kind of job we can give her. Cattle dogs are a high energy working breed and like to be mentally and physically challenged. Heidi is a great fit for us.

In fact, she's in the show already...Check out Heidi's first (ADORABLE) trick in the video below!

If you have more questions, please send them to me! In the meantime, here she is snoozing with Dextre and Mabel backstage.

Surveying her new territory in a sweater two sizes too big for her.

Dying of the cute.

We picked up a bunch of puppy essentials from amazon. In fact, I may have gone a little crazy shopping for her. Here are some toys we recommend (these are affiliate links).

* Pet IQ Interactive Treat Ball
* StarkMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Dog Toy
* PetSafe Twist and Treat
* PetSafe Busy Buddy Barnacle
* Kong Wobbler
* Nylabone Puppy Chew

A tired puppy is a happy puppy.

Heidi is an absolute delight. We're so grateful to have her. She's a very clever girl, so keep an eye out for new routines from her in the circus show soon!

If you'd like to support the blog and the circus for free, just use our links to get to amazon for your regular shopping. We'll get a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you, even if you don't buy whatever crazy thing we link you to! Thank you!

Stella eventually ate this pumpkin!

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