# Cutest Dog I've Ever Owned!



## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

Meet Radar, straight from the shelter into our hearts in less then a week.

Radar is most likey a Chihuahua/Papillion mix and I think there's some Sheltie mixed in there somewhere. What ever breeds came together to produce this sweetie, they did a darned good job. He's the cutest dog I've ever owned, if not the cutest dog I've ever seen. And he's a poser, as these pictures attest to. 

I have just one worry. Radar really needs to put on some weight and he's such a picky eater I worry about whether he's getting enough to eat. Other then that, he's the best little dog on the planet (of course I might be a bit partial  )


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## BrittanyG (May 27, 2009)

Totally love him. I'm first in line if you ever need to rehome.


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## Sakima (Apr 8, 2010)

Awww! What a cutie.


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## IowaDogLover (Apr 8, 2010)

Oh he is VERY cute!


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

Thanks guys!

Brittany, I'm afraid you'll have to fight my neighbor for Radar if I ever (and I'd never) have to rehome him. We were outside working in the garden last night when she came by walking her lab and she absolutely fell in love with with him and offered to take him off my hands there on the spot.

Radar just loved her Lab too but then Radar loves everyone.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

He's gorgeous!! Wow, just gorgeous.


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Whatever he is, he's absolutely gorgeous!!! Congrats on your new adoption


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## Jod-dog (Mar 28, 2010)

How cute! I love his ears!


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## MonicaBH (Jul 5, 2008)

It's a good thing you don't have your location listed! I'd hit the road to dognap that little cutie in a heartbeat!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

He really is a very cute boy! I love his chocolate coloring. All four of my dogs have chocolate noses- it's something I absolutely insist on. lol


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

MonicaBH said:


> It's a good thing you don't have your location listed! I'd hit the road to dognap that little cutie in a heartbeat!


LOL Monica! I'm sure I'd feel the same if he weren't already my dog. He'd be worth breaking the law for. 

After a lifetime of some pretty misfit dogs (all very much loved) I have to admit I'm vain enough to be thrilled to own one who elicits such responses from others. His good looks, as much as his good nature and habits, have endeared him to me so much! It actually makes me worry about how I am going to handle anything happening to him, including time and old age. This is one dog that might make the expression "it is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all" totally untrue, and that's scary.

All I've got to say is he'd better live a very long life!


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## 123fraggle (Feb 20, 2009)

That is one cute pupper! You are right, it shouldn't matter how cute they are but the cute ones really do steal your heart. By the way, his weight looks good from the pics, though not having put my hands on him , it is hard to say. I am very paranoid about over weight dogs though, so I may not be a good one to judge lol.


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

He's a beautiful little guy! Great colors, too.


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## mrslloyd09 (Jul 12, 2009)

So I want him. Badly. He may be missing in the morning but don't worry he'll get lots of loves and have plenty of playtime w/ his new sisters.


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

LOL Mrslloyd...looks like it's going to be a race between MonicaBH (she was the first to threaten dognapping) and you. Guess it depends on which one of you lives closest and has the fastest car. ;-) Then your still going to have to get past me.

He's already got an older brother...much older in fact, since Pierre is 14, but he'd probably love to have some sisters too. 

Fraggle, you're right, in his pictures he looks like he's a good weight, but believe me, that coat hides his thinness. I can feel all of his ribs, count all his spines and feel both his hipbones, without a problem. I can't seem to find hardly any meat on him at all and that worries me. 

Pai, all the colors in his coat, expecially when out in the sun, is one of my favorite things about him.


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## LaurenE (Mar 16, 2010)

Oh I just <3 him!!! I promise I won't dognap him but do you think you could clone him for me? Thanks!


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## Reacher (Jun 3, 2009)

I am not generally a fan of small dogs but he is adorable.


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## Cinch (Mar 23, 2010)

Every once and awhile you see a dog that no matter what you are doing makes you smile. Those ears on that dog... man I smile every time I see that first picture. They have to be bigger that his head. I love it.


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

Lauren,

I've always been against breeding for breeding's sake, but I have to honestly say that, had this guy not been nutered by the shelter, I'd have actually considered hunting him a Papillion mate so I could, hopefully, make more of him. He has all the traits anyone would ever want in a small dog. Smarts, No Shedding, Hardly Barks (except at other dogs because he wants so bad to play with them), he loves everyone, kids, adults and dogs alike, and he's certainly a head turner. Not that I'm keeping count but I've already had 3 people who've said he's the cutest dog they've ever seen (and one came close by saying he was amazingly cute, perhaps one of the cutest she's ever seen). What more could one want.

Alas, though, breeding is out of the question. Cloning, however, that's an avenue I'd not considered...mmmmmmmm? 

Cinch, yes, the ears do overpower the head a bit, but, they are actually down most of the time and only pop up when he's totally attentive on something, like getting his favorite toy away from you (that makes him easy to post). It's those ears (and this forum) that gave him his name, Radar.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

I love the great big smile (and the ears, of course)! Just cuz I'm curious...I'm sure that at the shelter there was a line a mile long for this cutie. How'd you get him before he was scooped up?


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

GottaLuv, I asked myself the same thing, and I have come up with a theory. It probably had something to do with the terrible mug shot taken for Petfinders and his unusual shelter name.

I'd been watching Petfinders, and he showed up on Monday of last week. He caught my eye because it said Papillion/Mix and I loved Papillions. However, the picture didn't put me in the car and have me driving 40 miles there and then. Fortunately for me, it didn't put anyone else in the car either.

Wednesday I decided to visit area shelters. Radar's shelter was the farthest away, about 40 miles, so I put it last. It was late afternoon when I got there and by all rights this fellow should have been long gone. He would have been, I'm sure, had someone taken a proper picture of him and had they given him a cute name like Radar (thank goodness none of that happened!)

Someone had named him "Wild Man Winslow". I have to admit the name gave me pause. Was he overly hyper and hard to control and that's why he hadn't been adopted? He was in a pen with other dogs and he sure acted hyper (they all did). Thinking this may way have turned more then a few visitors off. 

He was just so darned cute I had to give him a chance. I asked if I could take him out and walk him. A volunteer took us outside to an enclosed area. After he ran around sniffing and did his business, he calmed right down and came strait to me. I picked him up and he stole my heart! 

Here's the Petfinder picture from his shelter file. They printed it in black and white, but the color picture on Petfinders wasn't any better. Can you believe they chopped off his beautiful ears? I'm just soooooo glad this is such a poor picture of our new sweet boy, and that he had a crazy name, because now he's OURS FOREVER!


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Dustie said:


> GottaLuv, I asked myself the same thing, and I have come up with a theory. It probably had something to do with the terrible mug shot taken for Petfinders and his unusual shelter name.
> 
> I'd been watching Petfinders, and he showed up on Monday of last week. He caught my eye because it said Papillion/Mix and I loved Papillions. However, the picture didn't put me in the car and have me driving 40 miles there and then. Fortunately for me, it didn't put anyone else in the car either.
> 
> ...


Wow, that name and picture certainly don't do him justice. You know, I wonder if they did that on purpose so they wouldn't be flooded with people wanting to adopt him.

I was curious because I sort of lucked out, too, in adopting my mix over a year ago. Her pic on petfinder (below) was good, and I was absolutely convinced that she'd be spoken for before I ever even called about her. But she wasn't. I think it was because she was from a start-up shelter, it was in the middle of nowhere, and they only showed dogs by appointment. On top of that, they charged more than most shelters and insisted on a home visit. I'm sure people didn't want to go through the hassle.


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## Dustie (Apr 2, 2010)

GottaLuvMutts said:


> Wow, that name and picture certainly don't do him justice. You know, I wonder if they did that on purpose so they wouldn't be flooded with people wanting to adopt him.
> 
> I was curious because I sort of lucked out, too, in adopting my mix over a year ago. Her pic on petfinder (below) was good, and I was absolutely convinced that she'd be spoken for before I ever even called about her. But she wasn't. I think it was because she was from a start-up shelter, it was in the middle of nowhere, and they only showed dogs by appointment. On top of that, they charged more than most shelters and insisted on a home visit. I'm sure people didn't want to go through the hassle.


No, I don't think they did it on purpose. If that was the case they just didn't have to put him on Petfinder. I think someone was in a hurry and Radar was probably squirming. That could be when they named him Wildman too...LOL.

Your little girl is a beauty too! I love her coat, it looks so soft and the black markings are striking! Yes, I'll bet it being a small rescue and requiring the home visit..People who have made their mind up to get a dog, usually want it soon and don't want to have to wait. How long did the adoption process take in your case. In my case, even though it was a city shelter they wouldn't release Radar until he was nutered. I filled out the application on Wednesday and wasn't able to pick him up until Friday after 4:00. Not too long but those two days seemed like a long time to me! I had fallen in love and worried about the poor boy being stuck in that shelter. I wanted him home here with us, where he belonged.

So what is your mix, have you figured out? How old was she and what's her size? Did she grab your heart the way Radar grabbed mine, right away? 

Looks like we were both very blessed with our little rescued fur kids!


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

Oh he is ADORABLE. I love the name too.


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

He is adorable for sure. He looks like such a smart little guy. Love his expressive eyes and ears. 

Edit: I just had to add, that picture is ridiculous. I have always said a picture can make or break it for an adoption of a shelter dog. Taking a picture like that suggests they rush through their promotion of their dogs in that shelter. open door, snap picture. I wish there were more photo savvy volunteers at shelters. 

Many shelters don't even open the cage doors they shoot through the bars with glare and everything. Just sad. Doesn't make people want to come down and look at the dogs. 

God bless you for adopting this sweet little pup. It sounds like you are already being paid back 10 fold for your kindness in adopting him.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

I agree with Inga, it's a shame that shelters don't take better pics. You know you've found a shelter/rescue that cares when there's 3 pics of the dog up on petfinder. At rescue websites, I've seen dozens of each dog.



Dustie said:


> Your little girl is a beauty too! I love her coat, it looks so soft and the black markings are striking! Yes, I'll bet it being a small rescue and requiring the home visit..People who have made their mind up to get a dog, usually want it soon and don't want to have to wait. How long did the adoption process take in your case. In my case, even though it was a city shelter they wouldn't release Radar until he was nutered. I filled out the application on Wednesday and wasn't able to pick him up until Friday after 4:00. Not too long but those two days seemed like a long time to me! I had fallen in love and worried about the poor boy being stuck in that shelter. I wanted him home here with us, where he belonged.
> 
> So what is your mix, have you figured out? How old was she and what's her size? Did she grab your heart the way Radar grabbed mine, right away?
> 
> Looks like we were both very blessed with our little rescued fur kids!


Actually, Kit's dark spots are brown (or sometimes it's called red in border collies). I think she's BC x pointer. She's 40lbs and was around 7 months when I adopted her - now going on 2. 

From start to finish, Kit's adoption took 9 days. I saw her pic on petfinder late on a Thursday night and fell in love (I think it was her eyes). I called on Friday and made the 2 hour drive on Saturday. After meeting her, it took me a couple of days to call back and say that I would adopt her - she was pretty wild and I wasn't too sure. After that, the home visit kept getting delayed, so I didn't end up getting her until the following Saturday, but they brought her to me. Same as you, I was worried about her being stuck in the shelter. They were at capacity, and she was in a kennel with some extremely aggressive dogs who stole her food. She even bit a shelter employee who was reaching for her food, because she thought it was one of the dogs. (Since then, she's never exhibited any resource guarding issues and I can't imagine her ever biting anyone, no matter what the circumstances.) On top of that, the "shelter" was not actually a building at all, so the dogs were exposed to the elements, and it was January. As it turned out, though, I think her time there was good for her - she learned how to get along with any dog, no matter what.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

He is adorable! I want him too!


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## Angellore (Jan 24, 2012)

Hi Dustie! Radar is sooo beautiful! I do believe he might be a mix between a chion and a shelillion. That is a pap+chi / pap+sheltie mix. Just look at this handsome dog, Frodo who has those genes: 










The third picture on this page:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/mixbreed/muttphotos38.htm

Maybe Radar has some pom in him instead of chi, but i think pom's have smaller ears than does chi's, and Radar really has big ears  I do think that both chi and sheltie has the "solid color" gene so mixing them in this way could produce this color but mixing a pure pap with a sheltie / chi / shelilion etc couldnt give this color, right??

Oh PS. I'd love to see more pictures of Radar!


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Welcome, Angellore. This thread is about a year and a half old, and Dustie is long gone, I think. Sorry.


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