6 Adorable Puppies in Dallas to Adopt for Christmas

Bring Home a Furry Family Member for Christmas

We love our furry friends, and so many great dogs are just waiting for their forever home! We’ve rounded up 6 adorable puppies in Dallas to adopt for Christmas! Some were surrendered by their owners to rescues or shelters and others were pulled off the street. No matter where they came from, these dogs deserve a chance for a happily-ever-after.

While a couple of the pups on our list are less than a year old, most are adult dogs. They have a harder time being adopted because people want puppies – and who can blame them? Puppies are cute and their little faces make you melt. But adult dogs are perfect for the right family. Most of those on our list are high drive working dogs. Is one of them destined to be your adventure buddy?

Adopting a pet gives a pup a second (or third) chance and takes some of the strain off of shelters. However, it’s important to remember that after the new-pup excitement wears off, you’ve still made a lifetime commitment to your new friend.

1. Chance, 10-Month-Old Belgian Malinois

Meet Chance, a 10-month-old Belgian Malinois. He loves to play with both humans and fellow pups. Chance will need an owner who has plenty of time to exercise and run around with him, as he is quite energetic. The rescue would prefer him to go home with someone who has experience with the breed, or a similar breed, like German shepherds. Chance has had professional training, and the trainer is going to help his new family learn to work with him!

This breed is known for police work, military service, and search and rescue, but their original purpose was herding. The Malinois is a high-drive, highly intelligent working dog that requires at least an hour per day of mental and physical exercise. This breed does not do well if they’re left alone all day. If left to their own devices, they may become destructive. A Malinois can become aggressive when their needs aren’t met, but they’re lovable when they get what they need. These dogs are always ready to go, and their minds revolve around work. The more work, the better. A Malinois can be an agility dog, tracker, guard dog, drug sniffer, or jogging buddy! If your family is ready for a pup and has the time to work with one of these lovable lunatics, fill out the application for Chance at the Abandoned Pet Project in Dallas.

• Breed: Belgian Malinois
• Age: Ten months old
• Contact: Abandoned Pet Project
• Profile: Chance

2. Tito, Adult Poodle/Golden Retriever Mix

Another gorgeous dog who needs a home is Tito, a golden retriever and poodle mix. Tito is also with the Abandoned Pet Project in Dallas and is ready for his fur-ever family. He’s a happy boy who will make a great family member this Christmas. Tito is still quite young, somewhere between a year and a half to two years old. He has beautiful yellow brown fur from his retriever genes and big brown eyes. He is about 65 lbs. and most likely close to his full adult size. If you can’t make the commitment to adopt Tito, he may be in need of a temporary foster.

Golden retrievers were originally bred in Scotland as gundogs that retrieved waterfowl. These dogs are hardworking, solidly built, and excel as guides for the blind. They also love being with their families! They need a fair amount of mental and physical exercise but not as much as other working breeds. Golden retrievers are generally healthy, but can be prone to skin problems and hip dysplasia. Widely known as one of the smartest breeds in the world, poodles were originally bred for hunting and are highly intelligent. However, they can be destructive when left to their own devices. They’re pretty healthy overall, as well as hypoallergenic. Poodle and golden retriever mixes find great success in agility and as service dogs. They need a job to be happy, even if that job is as your travel or jogging buddy. Apply at the Abandoned Pet Project to make him part of your family.

Breed: Poodle/golden retriever mix
Age: One and a half to two years old
Contact: Abandoned Pet Project
Profile: Tito

3. Sammy Ray, 3-4-Year-Old Lab/Boxer Mix

Sammy Ray spent over a month running around the ultra-busy Sam Rayburn Tollway in McKinney, Texas. A good Samaritan finally earned enough trust to get her out of harm’s way and into a rescue. The people at Duck Team 6 think she’s a mix of Labrador retriever and boxer. This means she’s a high-energy girl who’s happy to be alive, and happy to do anything with her human. The beautiful Sammy Ray is crate-trained, spayed, vaccinated, and walks well on a leash. She loves to play fetch and would do best in a home without other dogs.

Labs are water-loving waterfowl retrievers that excel in sports like dock diving and can also be great service dogs. They’re known chewers and often need very robust chew toys, but they’ll play with toys for the rest of their lives. Boxers are about as goofy as they come. They’re bouncy and fun, despite originally being bred as protection dogs. However, boxers can be prone to eye problems, likely because of their shortened snout. This breed has an endless fountain of energy and will be your best friend, always ready for their next adventure.

If you are interested in this adorable girl, email the folks at Duck Team 6 at [email protected].

Breed: Lab/boxer mix (male)
Age: Three-four years old
Contact: Duck Team 6
Profile: Sammy Ray

4. Sophia, 2-Year-Old Husky

Beautiful blue-eyed Sophia is still looking for her place in the world. She is crate trained and walks well on a leash, so you won’t have to worry about pulling behaviors. This girl gets along great with kids and could easily live in a home with human siblings. She also loves being around other dogs. Sophia is a husky, through and through, and will need an eight-foot fenced yard in her new home. The folks at Duck Team 6 say that her new family needs to have experience with huskies or a similar breed to help her become her best doggy self.

Similar to the Alaskan malamute, Siberian huskies are all-around social butterflies that aren’t generally good watchdogs. Huskies have endless energy and are fantastic family dogs but have a strong prey drive and may chase smaller animals. These dogs don’t sit idly by while the world chugs along. They must be part of that action and can escape from nearly any fence – huskies need lots of running room and a tall fence. Their extreme athleticism means they need a diet that supports it. They’re not large dogs and rarely exceed 60 pounds, but they’ll eat their weight if you let them. High-quality food and rigorous exercise are their best bets for long-term health.

This gorgeous girl is waiting for her forever home – are you ready for a new friend? If so, contact Duck Team 6 at [email protected].

Breed: Husky (female)
Age: Two years old
Contact: Duck Team 6
Profile: Sophia

5. Lewis, 11-Month-Old Pyrenees

If you ever thought, “Gee, I want a big white cuddly puppy!” then Lewis is your guy. This sweet puppy is a gem waiting to be uncovered. Lewis will do best in a home with another large dog to play with. He loves people just as much as he loves fellow canines. In fact, this sweet boy will frequently lean up against people for rubs and scratches. Lewis is estimated to reach about 90 pounds, so he’s on the smaller end of the Pyr scale but still a large dog. Fosters say Lewis has been a breeze to care for! He walks great on a leash and is fully housetrained. He also rides great in the car and isn’t much of a barker.

Great Pyrenees dogs have heavy coats that require regular brushing – if only to keep the shedding to a manageable amount. They usually do well with children and are very loyal to their family. Bred for nighttime guard-duty, this breed will alert their family to intruders. Their drive to protect and work means that they do well with some sort of job such as guarding or obedience competitions. This is not the dog to leave outside all day. Pyrenees may try to escape in pursuit of suspected predators, and they need a physical fence to stop them. An electric fence won’t be enough because they have a high pain-tolerance. These dogs are independent and do best with plenty of space to patrol and a minimum of 30-40 minutes of exercise per day. However, they overheat easily. So, owners must be vigilant when the weather is warm.

If you’re interested in meeting Lewis, contact Saving Pyrs in Need at www.spinrescue.org and fill out an application.

Breed: Pyrenees
Age:
Contact: Spin Rescue
Profile: Bob Lewis

6. Christine, Adult Husky Mix

Christine, we love your different-colored eyes! This baby girl is a husky mix whose favorite things to do is play! She loves playing with both toys and her people. Christine is a mutt, however, the folks at SPCA believe she’s at least a good part husky. The rest of her DNA is a mystery! Those husky genes means that she has oodles of energy to burn. She will do best with an active owner and plenty of space to run around.

These dogs were bred to run, and run they do! There’s nothing a husky loves more than a good play session followed by a marathon! Huskies are one of the oldest of the primitive dog breeds. They are independent and creative, and that sometimes presents a bit of a challenge. These dogs aren’t known for their obedience, but they are extremely loyal, and good family companions. Their high prey drive may get them into trouble, and they may chase smaller animals, like cats and smaller dogs. For this reason, making proper, gentle introductions is vital.

Meet Christine to see if she’s a match for your home. Make an appointment with the SPCA of Texas in Dallas and fill out an application.

Breed: Husky mix (female)
Age: Unknown
Contact: SPCA Texas
Profile: Christine

Fosters Help Ease the Pet Crisis

Here in Texas, we’re in a crisis. Shelters and rescues in all the major cities are overflowing. They all need fosters, volunteers, and adopters. Rescue workers say they have not seen this many owner surrenders and strays at one time in years. Many are taking in nearly double the number of animals that they did only a year ago.

If you are in a position to foster an animal for a few weeks or months while the rescue matches them with a family, or if you can adopt a dog, please consider doing so. If that’s not a possibility for you at this time, consider giving a donation. Most rescues are non-profits, so any amount given will be tax-deductible.

Next Up:

• Best dog toys for fetch
• All about Great Pyrenees
• Best Calming dog beds

The photo featured at the top of this post is © magicovice516/Shutterstock.com