For today's post, I was excited to meet someone who had adopted from the Delaware Humane Association (who I'm working on a project with soon, stay tuned!!!)—and so for your viewing pleasure, meet this little cow spotted Pitt Bull named Iris!
Iris' owner, Chris, had just moved to Delaware from Nebraska with his fiancé last September, and were thinking about getting a dog.
Chris said he went on Facebook, and the Delaware Humane Association had done a post about some Pit Bull puppies they'd just got in, so he and his fiancé went in to check some of them out.
Upon getting there though, they thought more about how much of a handful puppies can be, and decided to check out some of the other dogs up for adoption.
That's when Chris spotted Iris, and was struck with nostalgia when it had reminded him of his dog growing up:
"I saw Iris, and she kind of reminded me of a Jack Russel Terrier named, 'Wiggles' we had for like 15 years. She kind of had the same patterns and stuff, kind of like a white canvas, and black ink."
It came down to just Iris and another pup, but Iris calmer disposition was a better fit for Chris and his fiancé, so they decided to take Iris home.
After signing the papers, Chris and his fiancé decided to take her to Petsmart for some supplies—but realized shortly upon leaving DHA that Iris didn't really want to walk anywhere, so he ended up having to carry her around. She was okay inside DHA, but from what DHA told her about Iris' backstory, she had most likely come from a puppy mill due to some physical ailments, and the fact that her elbows were incredibly calloused from being in a kennel for a while.
Chris said it took some time for Iris to learn how to just be a, "normal dog". Her fear of new places/walking continued after they brought her home, and for the next few weeks Chris had to carry her around for parts of her walks.
It was a transition for Iris to feel comfortable in her new routine, but with Chris' help and patience every day got a little easier. Iris and Chris really bonded well during this first month they had her, and now thankfully she's much more comfortable with new lifestyle:
"We got really luck with Iris. Everybody loves her there over at the apartments…she likes meeting new people. When we go in the elevator, I have to hold her back because she wants to jump on people to say, 'hello!'"
These days, you could maybe say Iris is a little, "too comfortable", because it sounds like she likes to call some of the shots around the house:
"It's funny, when my fiancé and I are sitting on the couch next to each other, Iris will get in-between us, try to push my fiancé out of the way, as if to say, 'Daddy, pay attention to me!'"
Full Name: Iris
Favorite Toys: Kong bouncy ball and she likes to play rope
Favorite Foods: "Pretty much anything she can get a hold of. Yesterday we had some leftovers of some pasta, and my fiancé was talking on the phone so I put it on the counter, and then before I knew it she put her paws up onto the counter and finished the plate. Sometimes in the morning I'll have a breakfast bar, and as soon as I eat all of it she will snatch the wrapper out of my hand and lick it, or even yogurt. Usually at night we give her a little treat bone like rawhide or a bully stick…Training has been easier because she likes her treats."
Tricks: Sit, down, lay, kennel, stay, shake
Big Chewer!: "She will chew up everything. in the bathroom she's chewed up razor blade handles, and a couple of body wash pouffe balls."
