BEAR25 IS A SENIOR DOG BEAR25 (which is what I called him since I have sooo many dogs named bear I can't keep track) arrived from Alabama back in Sept of 2020., Some super kind folks saved him from a rough situation with an AH who had Bear. He was HW POS back then but he is now HW NEG after we treated him. He also had some basic skin issues oriented around food and really bad nutrition and care which have now all been resolved. He was adopted out in August of 2020. Here is what was originally written about him: Bear25 is a handsome black and tan neutered male GSD. He is no longer under weight and he is in pretty good shape. He jumps well, is active and engaged and affectionate and curious. His hips look really good and his gate and ability to walk and jump are excellent. We assess him as about 7-8 years old. HE IS NOW 10 YEARS OLD AND IN GREAT SHAPE. His teeth are excellent and his temperament is one of the best we have had in a while. Bear was adopted to a family with a few young kids in Naples where he has been for the last year and 7 months. He has been great with their girls and seems to have a greater affinity to women and girls then men. In the recent past he has become far more attached to the 2 girls than to the young boy in the home. He has had 2 incidents with the young boy where the boy was bitten, not seriously, but enough to make the determination that we need to extract him from the home. He is truly loved and taken care of. He is a sweet dog but from this point forward NOT TO BE HOMED WITH YOUNG CHI;LDREN. He is fine with cats and dogs but becomes overly protective of young girls. The reason he is being returned is because has has become very protective of their one daughter who he perceives as the weak member of the pack. He is a mess when she is around, not knowing just what to do, but it's a cross between being excited and being frustrated with how to 'protect her'. When the 11 year old is present he engages completely with her. When she is not there he is a perfect well adjusted dog. When she is not around he can go to stores, parks, walks, rides etc without any incidents. When she is there he stay in between she and everyone else. This behavior is focused on the person and NOT on the dog. He does NOT like the kids on their bikes or on the swings. He tends to want them to be still and OFF the equipment. He has been herding the kids more when she is around. Since he was never trained in any way nor given the rules, he basically made them up himself and acted accordingly to protect the weakest pack member. WE RECOMMEND HE GOES TO A FAMILY WITH NO SMALL KIDS AND TO A FAMILY WITH A STRONG LEADER OR A SINGLE ADULT (SENIOR) PERSON. Bear25 is by no means anything other than a great dog but he needs to go to a home with out little people and bikes and swings. He needs a calm situation where he can be a great companion and family member. He needs to get basic obedience skills and is is NOT too old to get this form of socialized training. He would be best in a family who has the time for him and the desire to have an active dog as part of their daily lives. Bear is going to be fostered by his adoptive family until we can find a suitable placement. He is fine with other dogs and as they had 1 cat, and good with cats. If you are looking for a great companion please consider Bear25 as a candidate.
12/5/2021 HIS FOSTER WROTE: Here are the updates about Bear:
Bear is an absolute sweetheart! He is well trained and will listen to his commands. He knows come, sit, stay, etc. He doesn’t enjoy NO, but he obeys. He sits on his bed (on command) before we feed him. He visited the vet on 11/29 where he met with the Dr. and had his nails clipped. He should be muzzled for a nail trim by either a vet or a groomer as he can be difficult with his paws. He will allow me to touch his paws and nails and let me gently file some of the rough edges. I’ve been trying to get him more comfortable with his feet being touched so I rub his paws every day and he doesn’t mind it. He is 98 pounds and the vet suggested he lose around 10 so he has been going on daily walks. We have been feeding him one dry cup of kibble with a half a serving of wet food mixed in twice a day. He is picky and will not eat only dry food.
He doesn’t try go on any furniture, although I’m sure he would be happy to if he was invited up. It’s so rare to have a dog that doesn’t do that so we didn’t want to start him on any bad habits. He likes being brushed and will sit and relax when I groom him. We have taken him to work with us and he loves meeting people and getting attention. He doesn’t seem bothered by other dogs if we see any on a walk but he has not been introduced to any yet. He is highly possessive of his toys, probably as he has been the sole animal in his previous homes. He also has destroyed even the highest rated toys, and takes real pride in presenting his defluffed victim about 20 minutes after it is given.
The only hang up we have come across with Bear we think is related to his weight and lack of nail care. He was having trouble bearing his weight on his front legs, and moaned when standing up or attempting to jump or climb. He has progressed since we had his nails trimmed, but he is still tender in his front joints and does not welcome assistance. If we attempt to pick him up he will get vocal and show teeth. He is only warning us, and has never attempted to bite. I believe this will all continue to improve as his weight drops off and he has time to gain trust in his owners. He ran today for the first time while playing fetch.
Bear has settled in better than we could have imagined, and made quick work of turning our house into his home. He is a cuddler and will expect attention from everybody in the room before he lays down to relax. We love hosting him so if a good family doesn’t come his way, we would consider adopting him. We are still a couple of weeks away from determining if we could adjust our work lifestyles to accommodate. We do not want to hold up a great family taking him in, so just let us know what you need from us.
Kind Regards, Marissa and Beez
Bear is sweet. He is a cuddler. He will sleep on the floor. If invited, he will lay on the couch. He asked to cuddle with me in the bed twice last night. I allowed it because my dogs sleep in bed, on the hassock, the floor, their crates, wherever they please and Bear seemed to need the comfort and attention cuddled up under the covers against me. He didn’t stay all night. Bear is calm and alert. He enjoyed a pack walk yesterday and met my neighbor and her retired service dog. Bear did well. He needs to learn to heel. The pinch collar was unpleasant for him. He yelped even with a gentle correction. I am going to try his regular collar today. I don’t want him to hurt while training.
He eats like he has never been fed. The bowl the rescue owners provided was neat but didn’t really slow him down a lot. He got a second helping of kibble in a regular bowl with canned mackerel and the packing juice. He loved that. Later today, he will get canned tuna and egg with his cup of kibble. I am considering feeding him 3x a day for a bit.
Bear drinks like he has never had enough water. I have to stop him.
He likes stuffed animals. He will play tug with me. He likes large, long, empty marrow bones. I have a graveyard around here. Scout took it from him last night, and Bear did not argue.
Bear got a bath when we got home. He walked into the shower and was easy to bathe. No fighting it. He felt so much better physically and mentally. I used a colloidal oatmeal shampoo for dogs with skin infections and itching.
He will not let me clean or medicate his ears and doesn't like his feet touched. He yelps if I even try to access the inside of his ears. He won’t let me put the cleaner or the meds in. Bear does not care about a lawnmower. I cranked up my push mower while he was beside me. No reaction. He hung around me while I mowed the lawn a bit. Then he went to lay down on the back porch.
I am thinking he would be happy being an only dog or with one other older dog. He seeks no attention from the pack but shares the space with them.
He met my granddaughter today (Sunday). She was gentle. He kissed her. He was tired and had been laying with me on the couch for hours. He didn’t get up. She will be with me all day all week. Good test run with a 4 year old.
Bear shouldn’t have cheap squeaky toys. He destroys them to get the squeaker out. Scout does the same. Bear found one that Scout hadn’t gotten to.
Fair warning, Bear will lift the toilet seat to get water.
He ate 3 meals today. He loves to eat.
That is all for Sunday.
pictures are dated from back in sept... new ones will be added this weekend
