Boat

* This dog will be at the Palo Alto Pet Food Express on Saturday, October 24th from 12PM – 3PM (unless adopted prior to the event). 3910 Middlefield Road
All DPS Rescue dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, flea/tick treated, and microchipped prior to adoption.

Adoption fee: $650
Canoe & Pontoon: Small Boats, Big Personalities

All aboard for puppy love! Canoe and Pontoon are two of the four Boat puppies, rescued from the shelter with their mama, Marina, when they were eight weeks old. Now about 10 weeks old, these scruffy little sailors are ready to launch into forever homes of their own!
Mama Marina weighs about 25 pounds and looks like a Maltese mix, and our best guess is that the puppies are Maltipoos with soft terrier-like coats, fabulous personalities, and an impressive ability to turn an ordinary afternoon into a puppy party. While purebred Maltipoos are generally allergy-friendly, these guys may not be suited for those with serious allergies.

Canoe: Your Personal Lap Boat

Canoe takes his duties as a lap dog very seriously. At roughly 3-4 pounds when his foster checked in, he is a tiny package (and most definitely the runt of the litter!) with an enormous affection budget. His preferred destination for any nap? Your lap. His preferred activity once he arrives? Snuggling closer.
Canoe absolutely enjoys racing around and playing, but he also makes time to sit quietly and soak up pets. A belly rub can bring this busy little boy to a complete stop—except for one back leg, which keeps kicking away in appreciation. Whether he grows into a champion couch companion remains to be seen, but he’s already putting in some excellent practice.
Pontoon & Canoe: The Backyard Recreation Department
Together, these boys run a very busy recreation program. There are balls to chase, rope toys to wrestle, plushies to investigate, and squeakers that apparently require repeated testing. They’ve enjoyed exploring a variety of toy textures, sounds, and smells, and rotating the selection keeps their little puppy brains busy.

They also have plenty to say during play! Expect enthusiastic puppy commentary while they wrestle with each other or invite the resident dog to join the fun. Like typical teething puppies, they sometimes mistake fingers, shoes, or clothing for potential chew toys, so their families should be ready with appropriate toys and patient redirection.

Their foster home includes Scout, a 35-pound mini Golden Retriever who has politely declined a position on the puppy entertainment committee. Both boys eagerly invite Scout to play, but they do a lovely job of reading Scout’s signals and accepting “no, thank you.”

A Day Aboard

Their daily itinerary is straightforward: sleep, play, eat, repeat.

The boys wake around 6 a.m., head outside for a potty break, and fuel up with breakfast. The morning brings backyard adventures and a nap around 10, followed by more play before lunch at noon. An afternoon snooze usually arrives around 3, with a snack at 4 and another rotation of play and rest before dinner at 8 p.m. After one final round of evening entertainment, they settle in for the night.

Meals, naps, and overnight sleeping happen in their indoor puppy pen in the living room. Their crate is available inside the pen, and they often choose it as a cozy sleeping spot. When their fosters go out, the puppies have been comfortable resting or playing together in their familiar space. Each will need help adjusting to a new home and learning to spend time independently.

Little Explorers, Learning the Ropes

Canoe and Pontoon enjoy brief outings in their doggy stroller, where they like to prop up their paws and sniff the world going by. They’re comfortable wearing harnesses and have watched passing people, dogs, and cars without barking. About 10 minutes of sightseeing generally meets their current cruising requirements!

Ready to Find Their Home Ports

These boys are looking for separate forever homes, where each can build his own