Puppies and dogs in Hoquiam, Washington

Cosmo is a very sweet and loving boy. He loves fetch and chewing bones. He must be the only dog or have significant training. Cosmo was abandoned in the park near our home. We took him in when the temp started to drop. He was in very bad shape, infested with fleas and mange, missing half his hair, and starving. Animal control was going to put him down and we made the decision to try to keep him. He has had a full medical work up, shots and is now neutered. Sadly, he has begun to have issues with our other young male dog. He has bitten him on the ears and neck, he is very possessive over toys and anything he thinks he owns. It is very sudden. We have to keep him muzzled or separated and closely supervise any time they are in the same room. This is not sustainable for us long term. We are looking to rehome him with to someone ready for a high energy, young dog full of love. Cosmo needs some training on manners but is very smart and catches on quickly. He would be a great hiking partner!

This handsome fella is entering the FREEDOM TAILS program in December and will graduate in late February. More information coming soon!Find out more about our Freedom Tails program at https://pawsgh.org/freedomtails/12/12/34Hello, my name is Beau and I am a dog handler for Freedom Tails. I have decades of experience training dogs and working on shaping dog behavior. This big handsome boy is Lenny. He’s a little over two years old and weighs about 80lbs. He’s most likely a mix of Red Mastiff and Chesapeake Bay Retriever based off of his handsome features. He’s 100% an athlete. Lenny is very attentive and curious. HIS EYES! His eyes are captivating and will be focused on you when you meet, that’s guaranteed! Lenny loves to run, jump and chase toys when he’s outside playing. Inside the house he’s a lazy snuggle bug. 12/19/24Hello, Beau here! I’m Lenny’s handler this time around. I plan on teaching Lenny how to be a little more patient and how to not get too fixated on things… Lenny will be learning the following cues with both a verbal and visual (hand signal) command - Sit Down Stand Come Wait Look Place Kennel Crate By me Go see Find it Drop it Back Up Off Stay Lenny is already potty trained and loose leash training is another thing we will focus on this time around. 12/26/24Hello, it’s me Lenny and I wanted to share a little bit about my experience with you. I was adopted from PAWS a little over a year ago as a Freedom Tails graduate. I had a wonderful life with people who understood me and were putting in the time and effort to help me through life. The thing is I love to play. I love to play sooooo much, I can be a little bit much for small kids and well, my humans are having a baby! Since I was no longer a perfect match for my humans, I came back to my Freedom Tails family. It’s been great! I got to see some of my favorite people again and I definitely recognized my new primary handler Beau. We had a lot of great times together when I was here before. I’ve been busy brushing up on some of my cues but mostly working on not being too excited when I meet people. Well, off to work I go! LENNY01/02/25Fact. Lenny is a sweet and sensitive boy. Fact. Lenny can jump right onto anything that’s 4ft or below. Fact. Strangers need to approach Lenny calmly and with respect. Fact. If not approached calm and respectfully, Lenny will have that stranger backup using his voice. Fact. Lenny LOVES TO BE EXCITED! One of my favorite things about Lenny is his size. I love big dogs and Lenny is a big guy! He’s 25 inches tall at the shoulders and is in great shape at 80lbs. He is a machine! He can run and jump and play all day long. I would imagine he’d also like the water. The other thing I love about Lenny are his intelligent eyes. Lenny can have a crazy level of energy outside when it’s play time, but he’s a huge SNUGGLE BUG when we’re inside. Lenny’s favorite treats are pieces of pig ear I hide in his Kong. He also loves a lick mat with peanut butter smeared all over. Both provide mental stimulation and oral hygiene. Lenny is very eager to please everyone, but especially his people.______________________________________________________________________________01/09/25The cues Lenny and I are concentrating on this week are wait and stay. He’s getting wait down very well so we are working on applying it to any citation that comes up. His stay is improving as well! The cue’s he knows well are sit, down, stand, by me, look, kennel, crate, place, find it, up, off, give, drop it, take it, and go see. We’re working on back, leave it, and focus. He is great on the leash unless something really captures his attention. But don’t worry, we’re working on that as well. Lenny is fully potty trained.______________________________________________________________________________Lenny 1/23/25Lenny would thrive living with someone who will let him be by them all day, so he can keep an eye on them. He can be trusted alone but he just wants to be with his people. He can be great with some other dogs but he can be too much for some. There are dogs he is too interested in that he flat out should not be around. Also, there are some he just doesn’t like. Same with people. Lenny can be so sweet to people he knows and is comfortable with but can be standoffish with strangers or people he knows that are acting out of the ordinary. Lenny thrives when learning even a simple little game of having him interact with an object in a certain way. For example, he knows how to touch things with his nose or paw at them with his paw. You can pick a random object and teach him to interact with it, after teaching him the name of it. He loves picking things up that you drop, including his leash to give you the handle. Lenny is ALWAYS up for any mental stimulation and LOVES a good treat- especially one that he has to work out of a kong or another similar toy. Lenny is an athlete and needs exercise. Even a good long walk with plenty of things to sniff will do. I would recommend looking up all the advice/warning of having a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. These sites will give you an idea of Lenny’s needs perfectly. I am sure he is a mix of one in both looks and temperment.Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org

Canelo is new to PAWS and we are still getting to know this fluff ball of a dude. Here is what we know so far: He likes humans but he will bark at new faces sometimes. It's not aggressive, just alerting. He shows very friendly body language around other dogs and will get the play jumps and zoomies through the fence in our play yards (no play sessions yet).No cats! He will chase.Knows how to sit when cued, as well as when he sees a meal coming his way.Basic training has begun here at PAWS but further training once in a home will be a must for his success.He loves to hang outside in our dog play yard. Sometimes he's just relaxing and other times he's tossing toys and zooming around. He has energy to burn so an active home would suit him best.He is a big boy and his manners are not the best yet. He jumps up on people so younger kids might not be ideal as he may knock them over or accidentally hurt them while playing.Overall he seems like a very happy young pup just looking for some guidance and a loving home!Canelo 1/9/25In the first week Canelo has learned cues:SitDownStayComeplaceCanelo is a very smart dog and learns fast. He is potty trained and lets you know when he needs to go. We are still dealing with his behavioral issue of playing too rough. He wants to do this when he gets “Turned Up.” At times it seems like it’s getting better; not.Canelo is a work in progress!!____________________________________________________________________________Canelo 1/9/25My name is Eben BerrinultThe dog is named Canelo.He is 1 year 9 monthsHe weighs 78 lbsHe is super cool. Running towards you he looks like a brown bear. He is food and toy driven. He gets excited and wants to play. Very mouthy. He can play rough and hard to make him stop. He is a work in progress. ____________________________________________________________________________Canelo 1/23/25Hi, my name is Canelo. I’m a happy boy and was brought to a place called PAWS that was at first scary. I came to really like the nice people there. The same nice people brought me to a prison! Who knew a prison could be such fun, I get to play ball all day. My handlers give me lots of treats and belly rubs, even when I’m a bad boy, but they are working on my manners because I came from a home that wasn’t ready for a big dog. I hope to become a family dog again and with even better manners. Please come see me and throw a ball for me! I might bring it back!____________________________________________________________________________Canelo 1/23/25My name is Eben Berrinult, we have a dog named Canelo. He is the best dog EVER!! He thinks he is King Canelo and treats me like the court Jester.He weighs 78 lbs, 1 year 9 months old. He is a big bushy beast that loves to play, he can get a little rough sometimes. We are working with him to be more gentle. He is coming along and is a work in progress. ____________________________________________________________________________Canelo 1/29/25Canelo is loving and intelligent, so much so, that I am beginning to think he has been subtly training us to feed him treats. Fluffy and energetic, he has a playful passion for life that gets you excited to go out and play with him. I once heard it said that dogs don’t have bad days. With Canelo this is especially true. Best of all, when we are out playing, neither do I. I can’t say the same for his favorite toy, that poor rag squirrel. ____________________________________________________________________________2/6/25Working with Canelo is a joy. To see his progress not only uplifts me but him as well. This week we get to work on “leave it” and “back”. We have mastered “place”, “kennel”, “come”, “sit”, “stand”, “down”, “wait” and “by me”. This amount of progress shows how smart Canelo is but like any smart dog, he can be stubborn and his stubborn streak is a mile-wide sometimes. His loose leash walking is coming along really well. Canelo will sometimes walk ahead but will come back when called, I chock this up to his adventurous spirit. Canelo is potty trained, has had NO accidents. Overall he likes to listen and this dog will warm your heart, so come see him!____________________________________________________________________________2/12/25 One of my humans is old and tired: we play tug and he doesn’t last long. My other human plays a lot more with me: he is younger with more energy. Their favorite toy is the TV. I taught my handlers to give me treats and they always want me to walk them on a leash. My favorite thing about my handlers is that they are patient with me, because I act like a big puppy sometimes. My handlers do have a weird habit: they follow me around and pick up my poop. I wonder what they do with it, maybe they make things out of it???____________________________________________________________________________2/19/25 Canelo is fun, he loves to play and goof around. His favorite things to do are play, eat and sleep. Loves to work for treats. He can get excited and jump on you but with a stern “no!” he will stop. Canelo would thrive in a home with another dog to play with, a big yard to run in and an owner who would interact with him, playing “tug”, chasing him and throwing a ball. He just wants to hang out with you, gets up when you get up, curious and wants to know what you are up to and is always willing to “help out” with whatever it is you are doing. A great and loving dog: that’s Canelo!____________________________________________________________________________2/26/25 When we first got Canelo he was afraid of stairs. No amount of coaxing would get him up the stairs, tempting him with food…nothing worked and of course we live on the second tier - stairs gotta happen! We put him in a crate and carried him up for a couple of days….then other people in the pod were like, “what the heck?” and were worried we had the Hannibal Lector of dogs or something. We dubbed him “King Canelo”. A couple of days later he was running up and down the stairs like a champ!____________________________________________________________________________3/6/25 In my big fluffy dog head I would say the biggest thing my humans taught me was how to go up the stairs. I started out terrified of stairs, was carried up in a crate for a couple of days. After my humans taught me not to be scared, I really can’t believe I was even scared of the stupid stairs. The stairs are nothing now and I trust my humans to know what’s best for me.____________________________________________________________________________3/12/25 Canelo has taught me so many things, the biggest being it’s not the end of the world to have some hair on me or the floor or maybe even on my bed. I have learned patience and forgiveness. Running into him during my work day and the look of joy on his face at seeing me gives me a warmth in my heart. So yeah, I would say he has taught me to feel a certain kind of peace and I feel like a better person for knowing him. ____________________________________________________________________________3/19/25Canelo has mastered many gues, some of which are sit, down, by me, look, wait, kennel, stay, place…..The brightest and endearing thing about Canelo, he has a cute face that makes it impossible to stay mad at him.The way this dog is different from my last dog is that he is very dog friendly and loves to play.What I miss most about all the dogs is the companionship, fun times and learning and growing together.What I hope for Canelo is to go to a loving family.Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org

Hello new friend! My name is Cooper. I am a young pup with so much love to offer. I'm still learning all of my big boy manners but I'm trying my best and learning every day. I know how to sit and lay down but there is still so much more I am willing to learn! I love to play with any and all toys but sometimes I'm naughty and find my own "toys" when I get bored. I enjoy the company of any and all humans. I am still learning how to make doggy friends as some dogs don't enjoy playing and wrestling with my goofball self but I'm learning how to tone it down a bit. I just get so so excited when I get to make a new friend. After I have the chance to run, jump, play, and wrestle some, I enjoy a nice cuddle session and tons of belly rubs. I also enjoy walks around the town but I won't lie, it will take us a long time to make it back because I have to sniff EVERY blade of grass and all the leaves I can find. Would you like to be my new adventure buddy?? Let's go smell the world together!***Please note Cooper has started to display signs of resource guarding***He is entering the Freedom Tails training program starting December 5th and graduating at the end of February. His training is focused on resource guarding along side other basic manners, tricks, and skills. A completed and approved application is needed to schedule a meet and greet. Stay tuned, more info coming soon!_____________________________________________________________________________________________12/12/24 Hello everybody,My name is DJ and I am Cooper’s handler. Cooper is roughly about 13 months old. He’s a pit/ Boston Terrier mix who weighs in at a whopping 53 lbs. Cooper has pretty sea green eyes and a face that could melt any heart at first glance. Day one, Cooper came right up to me as friendly as could be for a warm hello. He is a lover of all people and dogs with a drive for social interactions that will take him far! He has quite the backstory but his future looks bright. So if you're looking for a cuddle bug who NEVER seems to smell like a dog, even when he’s wet, please consider this guy to be the newest member of your home! Stay tuned for weekly updates! ______________________________________________________________________________12/19/24We are going to teach Cooper “off,” which uses the visual cue of flipping your hand over while saying off when he jumps. “Stay” so that he will stay in one place while his person leaves and until they return. For this we hold our hand palm up facing out while asking him to stay. “Leave it,” which will be good specifically for Cooper as he is under the impression he must eat all the grass. The hand cue for this is hand down, palm toward the dog's face with side to side motion at the wrist between the dog and the object. “Take it” so he knows to pick something up or when it's ok to eat something. Cooper is tuned in, he knows when we say go ahead that we’re referring to taking his food. ______________________________________________________________________________12/25/24Hello everyone, My name is Cooper and I’m here to give you some of my background story. I’ll fill you in on my experiences leading to my time here in the Freedom Tails program. I was born in a litter with 8 other siblings, one of which actually made his own journey through the Freedom Tails Program and found his forever home upon graduation. I was adopted when I was 3 months old to a nice young lady who took me with her off to college. Sadly it was a little much to manage school and take care of me all at the same time so after 5 months I was brought back to PAWS. About a month later I was adopted again by a family, but was returned the next morning because my new dad thought he was going to have some help from his family but I guess they all were busy. Oh well, their loss. After that I was adopted again on 9/19/24 and I lasted a few days in my new home! But then I started to show off and may or may not have table surfed at my new house and then tried to reenact my favorite WWE wrestling match ever while my new dad was sitting in his recliner. I was just so happy! I also may have started claiming things I maybe shouldn’t have… I did mention I have 8 siblings right? Well sometimes you have to fight for what you want when your family is as big as mine was, or at least that’s the way I thought it was. I began resource guarding things in the house and would get overly moody when I had to give those items back. I have no bad intentions when I do this! I just know that when I would do this to my siblings when I was little they would back off! I thought the same technique would be perfect for humans too. Don’t get me wrong, I love you all! I haven't met a human I didn't want to run up to and get a nice belly rub from. Since my last family didn’t know how to heal with my behavior I was again returned back to PAWS. It wasn’t their fault! They just didn't know what to do or how to teach me… I sat again at the shelter from 8/14/24 - 11/2/24. Ms. Allie from PAWS walked into my kennel one day and asked if I wanted to take a trip and of course I said “YES!” We loaded up into the car and ended up here! We had to walk through a bazillion fences first. When we got through there was this man waiting for us with a big smile and leash in his hand. I pulled my way right up to him and pressed my body against his legs and demanded he pet me. This man turned out to be my new handler, “DJ” He started laughing as he bent down to give me a nice belly run, clip his leash to my collar and stood back so I could take a look at him. I looked him in the eye and with a couple of nudges on his hand, I let him know we were going to be best friends. We walked all the way to what will be my home for the next 12 weeks, stopping so I could smell this or that. There are so many humans here all wanting to say hello to me but since I was so new, I wasn;t able to say hello back even though I really wanted to. There are so many other dogs here going through the program too! I love them all. Sometimes I can’t go say hello because they’re busy with something else so I start whimpering…. I don't want any drama with my new canine friends! I made it inside to where I would be living with my two handlers DJ and Treven. I have to say, I don't know what all the fuss about prison is about. I have my own crate with a nice soft bed inside, my own shelf stocked with lots of toys and tasty treats and all of the attention a dog would ever ask for! Yup. I'm going to like my stay here. Oh! I almost forgot to mention, I also got a bath today! I LOVE THOSE! The warm water feels so good so I just stand there like a good boy while I get washed and dried afterwards. All I need now is a wonderful home to head to after graduation! I hope my story has been compelling enough to keep you interested. Stay tuned as we follow my journey though Freedom Tails! Much love, Your Pal Cooper ______________________________________________________________________________12/30/24If I had to list 5 endearing facts about Cooper I would say my favorites are - He is very friendly with humans and other dogs. He snorts and grunts when he eats. You couple probably rent him out to a sci-fi movie to do the sounds for a scary monster when he is eating. He rarely sheds his fur and when he does, it's almost invisible! He loves eating grass and mud. He seems to stay away from flowers but weeds don't stand a chance. He might be part goat. He is very smart. He focuses so intensely on you! He’s always trying to figure out what I want when I work with him. Cooper has a moderate amount of energy and is content with a few hours of play throughout the day. He loves stuffed animals and toys and I think his favorite treat would be literally anything you handed him. He loves food. What I love about him is how affectionate he is with complete strangers. He is very eager to please and will work the attention he wants from you. The fact that he never stinks like a typical dog is just the best cherry on top! I can’t say the same about his farts though… Oh boy…. ______________________________________________________________________________1/09/25 This week I am working on Cooper’s recall. He gets distracted sometimes and will take a little longer than I like to come, but he is getting better with every session. So far Cooper has mastered kennel and crate. He will also drop what he is doing the moment he hears either of these cues. His leash walking is still a work in progress. He tends to stray when he sees someone he knows but will bounce back as soon as he realizes we have stopped. He only tends to pull when he is looking for a place to potty but who can blame him for that?! On that note, Cooper is 100% potty trained and will let you know when he has to use the bathroom before having an accident.______________________________________________________________________________1/15/25Hey Everyone,I thought I would step in and let you all know how things are from my perspective. I was asked about my handler and how I feel about him. Let’s see, I really love it when he plays with me. He throws a ball, a stick, or any toy and I just love to run and get it. I really like when he lays on my bed with me to snuggle and talks to me like I’m a person. I don’t always understand him, but I try my best to nod and look him in the eyes to let him know I’m paying attention. He eats bananas and sometimes he even lets me have a bite or two after a cue of course. I have taught him to meet new people. It’s simple really, you just sit and when they reach in you lean into them and raise a paw. When they scratch your belly, watch and try it, I promise you will make tons of friends in no time. My handler loves to growl at me as a game, now I growl back. He isn’t the most active, but he isn’t a sloth either, so it fits my personality pretty well. I am pretty attached but that will happen when I spend a lot of time with anyone really. All in all, he is a good handler who pays attention to all my health, mental, and physical needs. I really am going to miss this guy.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cooper 1/20/25Cooper will thrive in almost any sort of home. He is great with other dogs and lives to make new friends. Cooper is a resource guarder and is still learning but for the most part it is narrowed down to his food bowl with food in it. There are simple steps you can take to avoid any bad behaviors such as allowing him to eat in peace once he is given food. Having him eat in a separate room where he feels comfortable is a good idea. Cooper needs plenty of love and patience to be successful in a home. He loves soft toys but will go extra hard on them if unsupervised. Hard toys are the way to go with Cooper if he is unsupervised. Cooper loves to be with his human, but can do fine for longer periods of time alone. If he has another dog in the home, or even available close by to play with, it would be ideal. A deciding factor would be to find at least 1-2 hours a day to walk him and let him explore. He loves to meet people, perfect to be introduced to everyone to keep his social tank full. Oh yeah, above all else, love him and he will love you back.Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org

Meet Mini, a diamond in the ruff.If you believe in second chances, patient hearts, and the joy of watching a shy soul blossom—then you just might be the person Mini’s been waiting for.Mini is a beautiful, sensitive girl who is still learning what it means to feel safe and loved. She came to us with no training and a heart full of uncertainty—but day by day, with gentle encouragement and positive reinforcement, she’s showing us just how bright her light can shine.Though Mini is fearful around new people and needs time to warm up, once you’ve earned her trust, she becomes your most affectionate, loyal shadow. She doesn’t understand personal space—because to her, love means slobbery kisses and full-body cuddles. 💕Mini is a work in progress, and she needs a home that will continue her training with kindness, structure, and lots of yummy treats (her favorite!). She’s incredibly food motivated and smart as a whip—she’s already mastered “sit,” “lay down,” and is proudly learning fun agility-style tricks like jumping, balancing on targets, and even weaving between legs!She absolutely loves to learn—it’s how she connects and builds confidence. Her ideal home will be patient and understanding, helping her grow at her own pace while celebrating each little win along the way.Right now other dogs can still make her nervous so she’ll need slow introductions and understanding when it comes to new furry friends.Mini may not be the kind of dog who runs up to strangers with tail wags and kisses right away—but if you give her the gift of time and compassion, you’ll get to see her beautiful heart unfold. And once it does? You’ll wonder how you ever lived without her.Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org

Meet Naro, a young and friendly dog with a personality as cool as the character he's named after, Naruto. Naro is a staff favorite, charming everyone with his gentle, funny, and smart demeanor. He's independent, yet loyal, and while he can be a bit shy at first, he quickly warms up to show his true cuddle bug self. Naro's intelligence shines through in his quick learning and problem-solving abilities. Don't let his stubborn side fool you! His loyalty and gentleness make him a wonderful companion, and his humor is sure to brighten any day. Naro is ready to bring joy, loyalty, and laughter into a forever home. Adopt Naro, and gain not just a pet, but a true friend.*Naro has a certificate of completion from our Freedom Tails training program*Please apply to adopt at: http://www.pawsgh.org