On a brilliant fall day, Ralphie and his foster siblings dive into a big pile of leaves. Rustling through the colorful heap, they resemble an enthusiastic little herd of truffle pigs, right down to the snuffling and snorting. But, rather than the coveted fungi, their prize is a big blue ball. Ralphie is right in there, scuffling with boyish enthusiasm and competing to get the ball first.

Who is this Ralphie? He is a handsome lad with soft fur and beautifully expressive amber eyes. Sensitive and reserved in the beginning, he soon warmed up to his foster mommy, rewarding her with his loyalty. He makes her laugh out loud with his tough guy face – she can tuck his top lip into his bottom teeth for a truly unique look. Then, he moves her heart by whimpering ever so slightly to come up on the couch where he snuggles sweetly in her lap. When she scratches him under his chin, his eyes get all squinty with the pleasure of it. Sweet smelling and clean, he is a loving companion.

A very special frog, Ralphie is destined to make his new family proud and happy. He is worth the little bit of extra work required to care for his needs. Ralphie sustained a spinal injury, and though he had surgery, he must use a cart or scoot to motor around. His previous owner loved him very much, but a divorce and career demands meant he could not provide Ralphie with the proper care. Thanks to his generous donations and our volunteer’s dedication, Ralphie has been able to go to physical therapy and have acupuncture treatments. He has shown improvement, but only time will tell how far he can go. During hydrotherapy, he is very food motivated and swims enthusiastically toward a treat and his foster mom’s encouragement. The ideal forever home for Ralphie will be able to continue with his therapy so he can realize his full potential for mobility.

Caring for Ralphie is really easy. He does not have control over his bladder, and it needs to be expressed four to five times a day in order to prevent urinary tract infections. Doing this is not as daunting as it sounds; it can quickly be learned. His foster mom will teach you, or one visit to a vet will do the trick. Many folks express their dog’s bladders right over the toilet, so there is no clean-up at all required. Ralphie has limited bowel awareness. His bowels are expressed, also easily, and this can be done over the commode. When left alone or at night, he stays very quietly in a large crate. If he has a movement, it is firm, not messy. Then, he moves to the other side so as not to lie in it. He is an extremely neat, clean dog. When the bladder expression is done correctly, he has no leakage at all- no dribbles! Ralphie has no need to be diapered – he wouldn’t hear of such things!

No fence required for Ralphie! He needs daily walks in his cart for the exercise and fun. He cannot do stairs at all, so a one story home with easy access to the outside will make life simpler for all and avoid accidents. His foster mom will send him with little scootie sacks so when indoors he can pull himself around. Tile or hardwood floors provide a nice slippery surface while he is in his sack, but carpet is the best surface for him – nice and soft. His feet and underbelly must be checked regularly for friction sores.

Laid-back with his people, Ralphie is okay with dog-savvy cats too. He plays rough with other dogs, though. He will jump into a ruckus started by another dog and enjoy vigorous play. One other doggy companion for Ralphie, his size or smaller and submissive, should be fine -- he has shown a preference for the ladies. In foster care he has shown great progress in his relationships with other dogs, licking faces and generously sharing the prized space heater. His transition from being a spoiled only dog to pack member was a bit rocky at first, but through much dedication on the part of his doting foster mom, Ralphie has adjusted with flying colors and has learned to be a member of a pack. Ralphie will try to dominate another dog if given the opportunity and is possessive of his food and “things,” but with proper management Ralphie has been consistently appropriate with his foster siblings. He is never the aggressor, but Ralphie is not one to shy away from confrontation either. Any potential adopter must be a confident and consistent leader who establishes rules with Ralphie in order to further his dog interaction progress.

Very pleasant company, Ralphie would be a great go to work frog. Give him some tough Nylabones to work his jaws on, and he will enjoy the day by your desk. Tell your co-workers to watch their toes when he rolls by! If you work part time and can have someone come in to help with taking him out and expressing him, that would be fine too. You will be welcomed by Ralphie’s happiest expression, ears laid back with delight at your return. He clearly says, “Where have you been? I’ve missed you so.”

Ralphie’s original owner was a man, and Ralphie really would like to have a dad in his life. He is drawn toward men. Thoughtful children who are respectful of his back and can help with his care can learn a lot about life from Ralphie with his “can do” attitude. This little guy’s disability does not affect his joyous existence at all.

As his foster mom tells us, “Ralphie has been a very special boy to us. He obviously has a great zest for life and it shows through in his eyes. His special needs don’t hold him back one bit. I would love for his forever family to be willing to continue with his exercises and therapy, in hopes that maybe he will continue to improve on his way to walking again. In the meantime, he’s perfectly happy in his cart and doesn’t notice his handicap at all.”

“His forever family MUST HAVE a space heater – his “bum furnace.” He parks in front of that thing and roasts himself all day! He also must have access to sunbeams coming through doors or windows – another of his favorite spots.”

“I would like for his forever family to see past that cart and into his sweet, warm eyes. Expressing his bladder is as easy as a visit to the vet to learn the process, and same with expressing his bowels... The important thing for his urinary health that is that his bladder be expressed 4-5 times per day – 3 is not enough. His urine should be checked every 2-3 months and whenever it seems suspect, just to be sure. First time Frenchie people would be ok, but I would prefer that they have owned a flat-faced breed before.”

“I would like his forever family to keep in touch with me to let me know how he is doing, hopefully they will live somewhat close by, but if his perfect family is further away, that’s ok too.”

So, order that little heater and submit your best application. Ralphie is making funny faces and you are missing them. He is a wonderful little Frenchie waiting for you in Maryland, and he most certainly will not be shipped.

Apply for me here!