Bite waiver must be signed.
This is the formidable Ziggy Stardust. He came to the S.N.O.R.T. program because he was having some troubles in his original home with young children. He bit them. Then, without Ziggy knowing why, he went to live with the grandparents. He was happy there and with the resident dogs, but they could not keep him. Ziggy came to his foster home on a long transport and he was beside himself. He was lunging inside the crate and was very very scared. Let’s just say first impressions aren’t everything. He suffers from fear aggression and low self-esteem so he was clearly not happy and confused when he arrived. His foster family took it extremely slow with him. They didn’t even take off his leash, letting him drag it around, till they knew he was going to trust them. Today he is already such a different dog but still needs lots of training and support. The key, for Ziggy, is to help him become desensitized to his fears.
In his foster home, he has been working very hard at building his confidence and that people are to be respected and that he is loved. He is housebroken (but does have the occasional excited pee when he sees a foster mom – pure glee). He is fantastic on the leash and goes for walks 2 times a day. This will be imperative for his new owner. He needs the constant positive stimulation. He needs a strong leader that sets up structure and boundaries and he will respect them.
He has been with his foster family for 9 weeks. There have been ups and downs - he bit one of the foster moms (no stitches or doctors runs) ( and lost couch privileges for it) and has almost nipped the other when he was having a dishwasher is a prize issue, but each day shows positive growth as he gets more and more confident with less and less reactive behavior. He will need his new owner to have the patience to give him the chance to adapt to his new life.
He would do great with one confident strong dog to play with or would be perfectly happy as an only dog. He craves attention but knows he has to earn it. He barks when it is appropriate (great to scare off solicitors) and he is quiet when in his room if his foster family has to go out. He likes his own space (don’t we all?)
When he arrived to his foster home, it was said he had resource guarding issues and although it is evident he did, he has worked very hard. He eats in his own space which works great. Treats and toys are earned. His resource guarding is almost all gone except for the occasional – random thing he thinks is a prize. One day it was the dishwasher – hasn’t happened again. Another time it was a metal spoon that fell to the ground. It has not been with food.
He is looking for a person who can work with him to be the best dog he can be. He would do well with one on one training classes to help bond with his new owner and would enjoy learning tricks and agility. He knows sit, give paw and then give the other paw. Ziggy loves, loves and we mean LOVES to play chase/hide and go seek with you. He will run real fast and you can see the pure joy as you come around the corner and “catch him”.
Ziggy is 34 lbs and quite a tall chap. He is healthy and neutered and although he has been doing so good in his foster home, he is still not a fan of strangers coming up to him in his home or when specifically paying attention to him outside. (When walking by he doesn’t even flinch – perfect gentleman). So to help him with his occasional quirks, he has been started on a low dose of Fluoxetine to help him adjust to the outside world.
As we mentioned he gets nervous in new situations, and in fear, he can react in an unfamiliar situation. He needs to be in a home with someone who is dog savvy and French Bulldog knowledgeable. Oh and he is a close smeller. If he wants to smell your leg – his nose will be jammed up to it. It's actually pretty funny.
His ideal home is one or two adults who have experience with fear aggression (maybe one is a dog trainer or veterinarian), a nice fenced in back yard, a confident friendly dog or two that like to play, a lot – but this is not a must– he would actually be ok on play dates with a dog he gets to know. He will need someone who enjoys going for lots of walks and offers a routine structure with boundaries. He needs at least 2 walks a day to keep his mind busy. He is a big ole love bug when he is secure and confident. We want to find him his forever home that will give him all of that and more. If you are dog training experienced, a strong leader and patient, Ziggy will reward you for the rest of his life. Submit a S.N.O.R.T. adoption application today. He is worth it.