Untitled Dog Project

after applying to Hearts and Bones rescue and others to adopt a dog, after going to an event and meeting some dogs but not the one that makes your heart sing, after 2 more weeks of scrolling through dogs daily, after learning another great looking mixed breed dog with 1 blue eye named Marnie was already taken (and maybe that was good because she was probably like 80 lbs) I finally saw this dog pop up on their page and I got that tingly feeling and texted Jen and we were first on the list to see him that Saturday at their event. Heart's and Bones has a texas connection so that morning 45 min before we met him, a bunch of dogs in a big van arrived from Texas ready to be adopted. The process was easy, we paid our $450 or $500 fee walked him around a few blocks, and of course couldn't say no. We were walking on pins and needles and wanting him to be ok with us so badly. He was very docile and gentle and we thought we won the dog lottery (this is the honeymoon period that usually happens before a dog shows their true personality).

our hearts were singing. Just look at him! Fast forward 1 year later and I still feel like this everytime I see him. 

We did many things wrong including letting him get right onto the couch without being invited. I guess you're supposed to invite them up so they know the boundries. A lot of dog training seems like taking the joy out of having a dog. for example you're not supposed to let them greet you all excited when you come home. You're supposed to just pat their head and go on with your business for 5 min and then come back to them for a welcome home celebration. 

This post is called untitled dog project because we couldn't decide on a name for like a week. We considered Frank (as in frank sinatra aka ol blue eyes), Polu (blue in hawaiian), Maui, Dubuchim (Korean for fried tofu cuz he's brown on top white on the bottom).

he was very emaciated when we got him which you can't tell very well in these photos.

we got a crate from my parents last time we were there, is it too big? will he poo and pee in it cuz its too big? does he want these blankets does he want it to be covered like a den?

Jen was invited to her co-workers Xmas party and the dog was all chilled out so we said ok even though its the first day we've had him we should go. When we came back 4 hours later there were signs of the distress in the crate, tons of drool, everything moved around. We were very dumb and didn't know anything 

he didn't chew his paw pad off the first night but the second night he did. peeps think this is out of stress and new dogs do this sometimes. So I took him to the vet for the first time and he had to get the cone of shame so he's stop chewing on it which he would if he got a chance sometimes. 

this sock and duct tape was the solution until we saw the vet

its heartbreaking seeing your new dog in this

I bought these at the pet store next to the vet so his raw paw wouldn't be on the ground but they are impossible to get on and I was so mad

the cone life sucks

he's not falling off the couch, he's doing this on purpose

the synology disk station finally arrived

we didn't know anything and kept the cone on him even at TV time. Later we'd take it off when we could supervise him

yes waiting in the car for alternate side street parking to be over does suck buddy

Jonathan Bartlett was the first person to meet our new dog. Places like Korean K9 rescue make it mandatory that no new people or dogs can meet your dog for 30 days and they tell you to not show affection for 3 days and you can't leave your home radius for 3 months and during that 120 day trial period they can take the dog back if it looks like abuse. and its mandatory to get a dog trainer. Hearts and Bones didn't do that but more on that later

his shoes finally arrived and he didn't struggle too much but after his paw healed we stopped using them. 

you can't tell that well but he's pooping over the railing. He likes to poop on elevated things and not the ground. so there are many architectural features around park slope he'll try to poop on instead of the flat ground

the night before driving upstate to the parents house he got a plastic bag wrapped around his foot and his first taste of snow.

final painting for the SpokeArt x PowWow Hawaii moleskin show. It was bought by a famous Korean American actor at the show in Honolulu!

Finally he's no longer an Untitled dog project, we decided on Dubuchim, Dubu for short. Dubuchim is fried tofu in Korean because he's brown on top white on the bottom. No one gets this and are surprised by his name and can't pronounce it but whatever thats ok. We love you Dubu