We told you some months ago, “Eli’s coming, better hide your heart.” Well, the time is now, dear reader. Eli has arrived on the” Available Dogs” page. It is time to take out that vessel of love wherever you have had it stashed and prepare to fall for this great little boy. While you are at it, dust off your keyboard and apply for him today. We don’t think he will be waiting for a forever home long.

At eight months old, Eli is all happiness and puppy sunshine. He loves other dogs and people of all ages. He’s got tons of energy and is a little rascal to boot. Like a kid brother, he loves to run, play and pick up sticks. Exactly like your kid brother, he noodles and pesters other dogs to play with him or give him the comfiest pillow. Sometimes this is fun, and other times they get a trifle annoyed with his pesky persistence. “Hey, ma,” his foster siblings complain, “Eli won’t leave us alone!” He would love to have one or two playful, fun-loving doggy siblings in his forever home. They need to be submissive enough to tolerate him, but with sufficient gumption to tell him when they have had it. Older, intolerant canines would likely find him pretty annoying, truth be told.

Full of boundless enthusiasm and energy, Eli requires plenty of daily exercise. His ideal home would have a nice, big yard with a secure fence. His recall is nonexistent, and if he escapes somehow, he will run merrily away not realizing the tremendous danger. The same goes for open doors or a dropped leash – let Eli go and he will be gone. His foster mom has been working with him on this, but for now the world is more interesting than a treat.

Eli needs daily walks in addition to his yard time to work off his energy. He walks well on a leash when accompanied by another dog, not so much when alone. In his foster home, he has access to a doggy door. With this convenience, he is housebroken, but his skills may need fine-tuning if he has to signal to go out. Not as ideal, but still doable would be apartment life. A ground floor unit would be best. A downstairs neighbor might not be amused by the constant pitter-patter of his busy little feet on the ceiling if he were on the upper floor.

Eli would love to go to work with you and meet everyone there. But, if he has to stay home he needs to be kept in a safe place, gated or crated. Puppy see, puppy chew don’t you know? Nothing is tastier than the leg of a table or chair for idle-time nibbling.

You may remember, dreamboat Eli was taken to an emergency clinic for lameness and diagnosed with a broken elbow. A surgeon performed the surgery to repair the fracture. Then his foster mom, who is an experienced vet, cared for him during his recuperation. When he continued to limp, the screw and all pins except one were removed in another surgery. While he has improved a great deal, he may always have a little limp. A glucosamine supplement will help delay the creakiness of arthritis as he ages. He also had a minor skin infection recently, treated with antibiotics. In general, he is a healthy Frenchie who may have some mild allergies and, like most frogs, needs to watch out for heat and humidity.

Lovingly, Eli’s foster mom describes this golden frog, saying, “Eli is a wonderful, happy little dog. He is sweet and loves to play and play. He does get scared in new environments but gets over that quickly. Walks are fabulous times, with lots and lots of friends and things to see/smell. His antics are adorable and an empty toilet paper roll is a great distraction for a short time. I will truly miss my fun, playful little friend.”

When a puppy is as cute and sweet as Eli, it is difficult not to spoil him. And if spoiling means the best in life and plenty of love, we are all for it. But, Eli is a bully boy for all of that, and needs to be raised with firm, consistent leadership so he can grow up to be happy and well-balanced. If you think you have what it takes to give this little dickens a happy home forever, please finish up that application and click, “Submit”.

Blue claw crabs and Eli – it couldn’t get any better. He’s counting his applications in Maryland and will not be shipped.