This is Elmer, a Japanese Chin, and the staff at Dog Day Getaway are so excited for you to learn more about him. He is our June 2021 Dog of the Month, lets discover more about this spectacular, handsome boy!
Let’s Find out more about Elmer the DDG June DOTM!
What is your dog’s name? Elmer B. Mudd
- How did you pick his name? He was named Elver when I got him from the rescue, which I didn’t know any history about him or the name, so I thought Elmer would be an easy transition. The B stands for Buscemi, because of his eyes, and the rest is after Elmer Fudd, because they both have big heads and Elmer the dog loves to eat mud.
- When is your Elmers birthday? I’m not sure! I got him June 2012 and I think he was 5 or 6 then. He was at a shelter in California (where we both lived at the time) on the euthanasia list. I think he was a backyard breeder dog because he is such a rare breed, his fur was full of mats, he had poop matted around his butt, and he was intact. I think he was kept in a kennel all the time except to breed, and they dumped him when he started having seizures. I don’t have any actual history about him, that’s just based on what he was like when the rescue got him. So I’m so happy they picked him up because we have had a great 9 years together so far!
- What is his breed? He is a Japanese Chin
- Does he have any nicknames? Elmo!
- What is his favorite place to be scratched? In the crease behind his nose ????
- Does he have a favorite Toy? He loves his little Lamb Chops squeaky toy
- If Elmer could eat any human food what would it be? Any kind of meat and cheese for sure, but he also goes crazy over fruit and cream! We lived on a goat farm and the owner would leave out a bowl of goat milk for the dogs, cats, and sometimes the chickens and ducks to enjoy, and enjoy it he did!
- What is he most afraid of? The chirping of a smoke detector when the battery is low, thunder, and Sinclair gas station dinosaurs.
- If he had a profession what would it be? Cat food taste tester
- If Elmer drove a car what would he drive? A turquoise Vespa
- Who’s his favorite mom or dad? Mom for sure but he also really loves Nanny (my grandma)
- What’s the naughtiest thing he has ever done? He scratches doors to be let in and out, at our current house he at first would scratch a lot on my bedroom door when I left him alone to go to work. So I tried all kinds of baby gates to try to keep him away from the door. One day I came home and tried to open the door and almost couldn’t, because he had jumped over the gate and was now in the space between the door and the baby gate! I gave up on the gates after that! Lately he likes to jump up on my desk chair and onto my desk, to lay on my clean clothes that I put up there to try to keep his fur off of, so I gave in and made a perch in the corner of the desk with a bed so he can lay in the sun from the windows there.
- Is he a floor or bed dog? Rarely the floor, he is more of a princess and the pea type, he needs several layers of cushions to be happy! Usually on my bed, on top of a few pillows as well.
- What’s your favorite thing to do with Elmer? Tricks! He knows the usual sit and lay down, he also does hi-5, talk, rollover, and dance!
- Is he a face to face greeter or a butt greeter? Face for sure! He will get his little smushed nose right up in your face and sniff, then usually snort spray all over your face (I call that an Elmer kiss) and then growls at you to play with him. He does NOT want you to kiss him and he will NOT lick you unless you have a treat though!
- What’s a day in the life of Elmer? Elmer is pretty old now, I think coming up on 16, he has epilepsy, a heart murmur, arthritis, and only a few teeth left. So most days he spends sleeping. He does love licking the cat bowls after they’ve eaten, he likes laying in the screened in porch watching the neighbor kids play and barking at the ducks in the pond, and he gets super excited if we are going in the car to “school” as I call DDG. In the summer we go to the Alimagnet dog park and he loves trying to boss the big dogs around and jumping in the swampy pond.
- Describe Elmer in 3 words? Adorable, Hilarious, Smelly
- Does he have an Instagram page? No but he should!
- One thing you would change about Elmer? One thing they would change about you? I only wish he didn’t have to suffer from the health ailments he does, luckily he is happy 99.9% of the time, and besides that he is perfect! I’m sure he would change that I would never have to leave to go to work and that when I make myself a meal I would give him the bowl and myself just a bite, instead of the other way around.
- What are his favorite hangouts? The sunny spot on the chaise lounge, my desk, the top of the couch like a cat, and DDG of course! We used to live on a farm in California, and believe it or not, he’d run wild and free in the woods with the big farm dogs all day long and come home at night to sleep. He doesn’t realize how fancy he is supposed to be!
Dog Day Getaway Dog of the Month photography is brought to you by Kasey and Tyler Rajotte of Studio Twelve:52/Twelve:52 Pets. They have 5 rescue pups of their own – (all fittingly named after Marvel comic book characters) – who also love coming to DDG. So, chances are your furkid(s) and theirs have played together! This is their 11th year documenting wagging tails, nose boops, and slobbery puppy kisses – and when they aren’t doing that they are photographing weddings and families. Follow them: @StudioTwelve52 / @Twelve52Pets