Meet Lizzie's new little brother. His name is HAL and he's a 9 week old mix of we-don't-know-what. Update: He's a Texas Heeler! He and his 9 litter mates were found on the side of the road in Pflugerville, covered in scabs from multiple flea bits.
Rescue Puppies
A nice person took them to Town Lake Animal Shelter where they were nursed back to health and sent to live in foster homes until they were old enough to survive shelter life. Our neighbors, who have been fostering puppies for a while, took home 4 and immediately started socializing them. They brought the puppies out every day to run around in the front yard and play with the kids on the street. One of those kids was Fuzz, and of course she fell in love with HAL. His name was Oreo but Fuzz changed it to HAL after HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Lizzie
In the back of our minds, we thought it might be nice to take in a puppy; but Lizzie was an issue. She's top dog around here, and picky about who she'll associate with. She'll play with older, bigger dogs, but generally does not like puppies jumping in her face.
So HAL sneaks up on her from behind. He's a quick learner and while he's cautious of Lizzie, he's made a hobby out of trying to be her friend.
And Lizzie's starting to like him. She's still a little bossy, but she shares her toys and doesn't attack him at meal times. They're both pretty into food and love lying around the kitchen....
....and in the grass.
HAL is not house broken yet and my goal every day is to tire him out so he'll nap and I can get some work done. When he's up and about, we all have to keep an eye on him.
We're not sure what breed he is, but if you have any ideas let me know! He's definitely part Australian Shepherd Border Collie and has kind of a half tail. The vet said he might be part Sheltie because he has a super soft coat, but his back legs remind her of a terrier -- maybe even a Jack Russell. I'm thinking about getting a dog DNA test but not sure whether those things are legit.
Update: New Puppy HAL is now 10 years old
HAL is now (almost) 11 and lives in North Carolina. He's a great dog, and super smart! He's also really good at relaxing, which is interesting considering his mix of breeds.
Tracy says
OK, it's been awhile since I checked in. I missed the Hal announcement! He's so cute! I give you a lot of credit -- I've wanted a second dog for ages but the hubbie says no way.
Fuzz says
I love HAL so much now that we have him! He is really happy here with my parents and Lizzie. HAL thanks you for all the comments!
Sheila in MD says
Oh my...HIGH cute quotient! Before I read the part about him being part Aussie, I was going to post and say definitely part Australian Shepherd! I wouldn't call him a tri though...he has too much merle in him IMHO..not that it really matters! I wondered about some terrier as well but more as I thought his coat looked like it might be a bit harsh but you say it is soft...not that a terrier can't have a soft coat! My first dog of my own was a very hairy mutt that I would have LOVED to have known WHAT was in him....best guesses were definitely some Beardie (Bearded Collie) and clearly some terrier of some kind as well. He tested on sheep very well...at the ripe old age of 13! Thought he had died and gone to heaven when in the pen with them! I so loved that boy who I had found abandoned in the inner harbor in downtown Baltimore when he was about 5 months old (vet's guess at age). He led me down so many paths...including becoming obsessed with competing in dog agility (maybe Fuzz would like to train HAL? VBG!)..and became my introduction to my breed of choice...beardies (now have two of them:-). ENJOY! Puppies are such great little sponges for learning!
Cakelaw says
HAL is adorable - I look forward to seeing plenty more of him.
Kerstin says
Awwww, he's adorable, congrats on your new addition 🙂
Joyce says
Awww, so Lizzie is a big sister now! Hal is so cute. Your description of Lizzie sounds so much like our Maddie. Our Maddie is also top dog around here.
Carlyn says
Hal is absolutely ADORABLE!
And your little story reminds me almost exactly of my dogs! We got Missy (that corgi-esque rat terrier of mine that made an appearance on your blog:P) years before we got our second rescue dog, Tyson (who is a black and white rat terrier). Tyson was found out in the street after being abandoned by his owner and being mauled by another dog so badly that his guts were hanging out of one of his sides. ANYWAY, Missy was (and still is) "Top dog" so Tyson, being playful and a tad naive, had to quickly learn his place 😛
Tyson has now given Missy a little bit of a "new youth". Instead of lying around bored all day as she used to do, she now romps around with Tyson and is much more energetic!
Sorry, that was a random little story, but I thought it seemed rather similar to your situation, haha 😀
Cathy says
Here's a link to an NPR story about doggie DNA tests. I think the tests are more for the entertainment value than actually finding out for sure. My friends did it and were going to do a party with a 'guess what kind of dog' theme to it.
http://www.npr.org/tablet/#story/?storyId=127563468
In any case, HAL is a cutie which in the end is all that counts!
Krista says
YAY! He's adorable. You know own my 2 favorite dogs! Jealous!!! this city gives me puppy fever so bad, but Kyle put a cap on our pet adoptions 🙂
Enjoy! And good luck with the potty training!
nancy k says
Sooo cute. I would guess Hal has a bit of Border Collie as well as Aussie Shepard and possibly Sheltie....all very smart dogs. In any case, he looks like he has lots of herding dog DNA and will need lots of exercise and possible a "job" to keep him occupied. It might be fun to see if he would be interested in agility work. Your daughter might really get into training him.
Kerry says
Oh he's so gorgeous!! What a lovely cheeky little puppy! So pleased for you guys
Gina says
Hal has adorable facial expressions! He's lucky to have found such a loving forever home. He looks like a perfect little kitchen helper. And the fact that he's a mysterious mix adds to his charm. 😉 It's like trying to figure out what ingredients go into a tasty recipe - the fun is in the guessing. Congrats!
Stephanie says
What a total cutie. Read you every day but never commented. You're going to have blast with him, once you get through the house training, etc. Bless you for taking in a rescue.
michelle says
He is adorable, what a face! Rescue dogs make the best pets! He is definitely a herding type, maybe blue heeler or cattle dog? They have those speckled markings. Congrats!
Heidi says
Oh my word! Hal is just the most adorable! We recently (December) got an Austrailan Shepherd puppy - our first. His name is Blue and although he is sooo cute and can be so sweet, he is an EXTREME handful. I know what you mean about having to constantly watch them. I'm telling ya, if I don't hear him for a couple of minutes, then I'm searching for him because I'm certain he is up to no good. He has chewed up so many nice shoes, blanket, toys...the list goes on. I love him though and I know that puppies chew and potty wherever they want! Does Hal have those herding instincts? Love his little tail. I can't wait to see more photos of him. You are sure going to have your hands full with 2 dogs!!
Jess says
He's adorable! And HAL is a great name.
Gloria says
Adorable puppy-Hal won the lottery! It shouldn't, but it still does surprise me how cruel people can be.
Michelle says
Congratulations on your new addition! He is beautiful, reminds me a little bit of my brother's border collie.
C L says
So glad Lizzie is dealing well with not being an "only" dog anymore. 🙂 Welcome, HAL! Love the story of his name. Fuzz is one smart young lady, very creative! Best wishes to all the Ginsburgs! 🙂
Fallon says
So cute!! What a great story to share.
HeartofGlass (Chew the fat) says
Two herding dogs in the family=off-the-charts canine IQ!
And how nifty that your daughter named him HAL after 2001!
Samantha Mockford says
Congrats on the new addition to your family! I love your blog, but this is my 1st time commenting. Just speculating... with Australian Shepherd and possibly jack russell terrier, you probably have a canine genius on your hands! Her big smile and speckled features are ADORABLE 🙂
Lisa Huff says
SO cute!!!!
Adam says
Very cute :). As soon as I read HAL I was really hoping it was a 2001 reference (what else could it have been?) but would have never expected your daughter to be the one to choose it :). Bravo to her for watching it :).
"What are you doing, Dave?"
Janice says
Hal,
Welcome to the CM family!!
Anna, glad you are back in the saddle (so to speak;-))!!!
Carole says
Welcome to your new home, Hal. Your new family, including Lizzie and the cat, will shower you with love. And, your human mom will bake you dog biscuits
Kim Fluck says
Always wonderful to adopt a pet in need. Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Hal is a cutie for sure.
Katrina says
Aw, sweet! Before you even said so, I could tell Hal was an Aussie, since our Chip is, too. But yeah, I have no idea about what else he might be since Chip is pure bred. They are called Black Tri Aussies (since there is white, black and brown). Hal is shorter haired than Chip, so he's definitely got something else in him, too. 😉 Ah, the potty training. Yep, when we're not sure if Chip will go or not, still, we put him in his crate for a while to get things done. And we have two hallways blocked off so he can only go in a certain part of the house (the living room kitchen, where I'm almost always at). Welcome, Hal.
Stacie @ Imperfectly Healthy says
Awwww! I love puppies so much!! He's adorable!
Sue says
He's adorable!!
I've wondered about those dog DNA tests too, but on the up side our old vet who was very much on the up and up had a sign for that test in her office so maybe it's legit?
I don't know enough about dogs to venture a guess at his background.
VeggieGirl says
AWWWW!!! Welcome, Hal! 🙂
Kelly says
Awww. I am always such a sucker for a puppy. I love their oversized paws. So cute. My dog's the same way; in my imaginary world I like to think about getting a second dog, but he's definitely top dog as well and I don't know how he'd take to this.
Roberta says
Whatever Hal is, he is a cutie! We recently got a rescue dog too (a mix of boxer, lab and maybe 16 other breeds) and she's a handful but definitely worth it. Enjoy!
Caroline says
What an absolute cutie-pie! Kudos for giving this puppy a loving home! I'm sure he'll be well worth it!
Louise says
I can see why Fuzz fell for HAL. Such a cute puppy. Based on his paws, he doesn't look like he'll grow into a huge dog.