My name is Thorin Plopperpaw!

Thorin Plopperpaw is everything a puppy should be - funny, curious, affectionate, trusting, happy-go-lucky and eager to learn - all in a XXXL pockage! He's set to develop into to be a goofy wannabe lapdog who will happily accompany you on all your adventures.

HISTORY
The Plopperpaws' rescuer found them on the side of a country road near the Tri-Cities, in Eastern Washington, on a hot day in early June. They were scared, skinny and very thirsty. She cared for them and fed them up while searching for their owner, who denied dumping them but didn't want them back. He agreed to release them to HART in return for having their mama, a large purebred Doberman, spayed.

We don't know who papa was, but we know he was large. Thorin is substantially bigger than his brothers, both in height and weight. Based on his size and overall appearance, as well as his mellow temperament, we believe he may be part Great Dane.

All three Plopperpaws are thriving in foster homes in Kennewick, Eastern Washington, where they have been since mid-June.

SOCIALIZATION
Thorin has developed into a confident, friendly pup who is devoted to his foster family. He quickly warms up to new people. He has not been introduced to any young children, but we would expect him to be friendly. However, because he's a BIG, clumsy, playful boy who has a way to go before he's grown into his feet and learned to be gentle, he may not be the best fit for a family with young or fragile family members.

He shares his foster home with four older dogs. He loves to play with them, but he also annoys them with his puppy pushiness - and he's not always as polite as he should be. He would not be a good fit for a home with a small-breed senior, for example - although he's love to join a family that includes a playful, friendly dog of compatible size who can help him burn off energy while teaching him manners.

He has encountered a kitty and a flock of chickens in his foster home. He is young enough to be trained to mind his manners, but he clearly has some prey drive and at this stage would very much like to chase. He ignores the horses and cattle at his foster home.

TEMPERAMENT AND BEHAVIOR
Thorin is a mellow, laid-back pup who willingly settles down for a snooze if you're not available to play, but he's no couch potato. He needs a good workout every day, and is looking for an active family that will give him plenty of mental stimulation, training, and exercise. It's important to remember that he won't be fully mature until he is at least 15 months old. Until then, exercise needs to be focused on free play, training and controlled walks, because working him too hard while his bones are soft and growing could cause lasting and painful damage. In the long term, however, we'd expect him to keep up with you even on strenuous hikes.

He's a playful boy who loves to play tag and keepaway or just run zoomies with other dogs. He enjoys toys, especially ropes or a good chew stick or kong, and he loves water - Thorin will splash in his water bucket if his paddle pool is dry.

TRAINING
Thorin is reliably house trained, and will bark to be let out to potty. He tends to want to relieve himself in the same place every time, so it will be very easy to teach him to do his business in a spot that's convenient for you.

He is crate trained, and is used to eating and sleeping all night in a large wire crate. He is also comfortable with being crated for periods during the day when his caregivers are out or after any visitors have had enough puppy time.

It's important to remember that the Plopperpaws are PUPPIES. Please don't apply to adopt a Plopperpaw unless you are sure you have the time, energy and desire to put work into ensuring your pup grows into their very best self. Thorin can sometimes be mouthy - gentle chomps with his giant jaws are his love language - but his foster is working on that and he's learning. He's getting the hang of behaving like a civilized dog, but he does still sometimes chew things he shouldn't, and the occasional digging session is a great way to while away an idle hour outside. He's learning not to jump up on people ... but bouncing on his foster mom if he's let out of his crate while she's still in bed is definitely his favorite way to start a new day.

Because he's going to be a big, powerful dog, it's essential that his adopter be fully committed to ensuring he is fully and reliably obedience-trained. But Thorin is a highly intelligent pup who loves praise and wants to please. We'd expect him to respond well to school.

PHYSICAL & HEALTH STATUS
Thorin was born on March 14, 2023 (we have reliably confirmed this date), and at 20 weeks of age he weighed 63 lbs. This suggests he could weigh over 160 lbs when full grown at around 18-24 months. He appears to be in good overall health, and has been vaccinated, treated for intestinal parasites, and microchipped.

HART does not support pediatric spay and neuter. We believe, based on current research, that pups develop best when they have an uninterrupted supply of sex hormones for at least the first five months of their lives - and in the case of large breed dogs they should be allowed to mature even longer. The Plopperpaws adopters will be contractually obligated to ensure that their pup is sterilized between seven and 12 months. HART will refund a portion of the adoption fee equivalent to the cost of sterilization by our usual veterinary clinic when you provide proof that Thorin has been sterilized.

ADOPTION INFORMATION
The Plopperpaws are in foster care in private homes, and will be available to meet you after your adoption application has been approved. Please email HearthfireART@gmail.com to request an adoption application form.

Please note that the Plopperpaws are living in Kennewick, Eastern Washington, not in Woodinville. We do not ship our dogs or allow third parties to transport them, and we prefer adopters to come to the Tri-Cities to meet them. However, we are willing to transport our dogs to committed, approved adopters throughout the Pacific Northwest. (We may require the adopter to cover the cost of gas, and, if the home is more than five hours from the Tri-Cities, to contribute toward other travel costs as needed.)

For more pictures of Thorin, please see his Facebook album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.575821908032236&type=3