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Foster Stories from AGR Foster Parents (Volunteers)
(Written by Paul & Joan Athey)
Nadia, you’re not in Kansas anymore. Nadia is a very shy, sensitive almost 7-year-old sweetie who has adapted very well to life outside the kennel. She will require some extra patience to bring out her loving nature, and a more laid-back home with another dog would probably be best for her. Her house manners are excellent - she lets us know when she needs to go out and she has done fine when we've left her alone in the house with our grey when we've gone out for a few hours. She does really well on lead, enjoys walks, going to the dog park, and rides well.
We think Nadia will make a wonderful companion in a household where she has patient humans who will help her build trust and confidence. An ideal situation would be for to have another grey companion.
(Written by Carol Sampson)
Campbell is a very loving dog and attaches to his people. He doesn’t exhibit any signs of separation anxiety and is house trained. Campbell is also cat tolerant.
When a siren goes by he starts to ROO, and our other dogs join in too. I wouldn't call it a bad thing. Campbell barks very little and likes to go for car rides.
Campbell only uses a crate at night. He recently had his teeth cleaned. He is extremely affectionate, knows his name, and will come when called.
(Written by Cindy Hall)
The first thing you'll notice about the big Kahuna are his ears! He has these big floppy ears that are usually never going in the same direction. Kahuna is a big, happy boy. He recently had to have a portion of his tail removed since he had 'happy tail' and it wasn't possible to save it. But he still tries to wag the 4 or 5 inches that remain, and it certainly has not affected his personality.
Kahuna has 'interest' in small dogs. I believe it is prey-driven and I would not feel comfortable having him anywhere near small dogs. He was very good with a medium sized dog at the vet the other day. She was a 6 month old retriever mix and he surprised me in how 'non-affected' he was by her- he allowed her to sniff and play with him. But when a small terrier came in, he immediately became agitated and definitely went into 'prey' mode. At this time I wouldn't feel comfortable having him go to a dog park where there are a number of unfamiliar dogs around- perhaps with training and time, he would learn to handle the variety of dogs.
He was indicated as not cat-safe when we took him in, but we have 3 large male, 'strong-willed' cats. At first, he showed some interest [his ears would perk up and he would look like he was going to go after them, but he never actually did]. We were very swift with our "no's" and Bob [the cat] once gave him a swat that sent him running out the doggie door. He seems to now have 'respect' for cats, but, again, I think it depends on the situation. I would be wary of going so far as to say 'cat-safe', but definitely with work, and the personality of the cat, he could learn to live with a cat[s]. Also, our cats have access to a 'kitty condo' that he cannot reach. So they do have a place to retreat.
It seems like his interest in small dogs is greater than his interest in cats, but we have not given him the exposure [and thus, training] around small dogs.
It should be noted that he does gulp his food and he will then try to eat the other dogs' food. Also, he has received some 'special' treats like Dairy Queen occasionally, since he's had to make so many trips to the vet, we felt he deserved it. He is getting better at rushing to eat his food. At first he acted like he was either ravenous or thought someone would take his food away. Now he has slowed down a bit and grown to trust that no one is going to take it away. He will try and finish his and then eat the other dogs food, but he's much better than he was, and I'm sure he will 'calm' down even more as he learns to trust.
Kahuna is such a wonderful dog. I honestly don't think there is a negative thing I can say about him. He is smart and easily trainable, he is such a 'people dog', so he would do best in a home that has time to spend with him, or other dogs [preferably greyhounds?] if owners work. He currently weighs in at 86 pounds! So needless to say he is big- mostly tall at this point, but working on filling out his bony frame! I have to say he is just one of those dogs that we have fallen in love with. He is a big goofball. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body, but I also don't think he realizes how big he is- and he likes to lean on people, so I would definitely recommend a home that can handle his size. In just the past two weeks, he has definitely found 'home life' very much to his liking. He loves his pillows, has discovered the joy of 'squeaky toy', plays with the kids & dogs, and will gladly roll over so you can rub his belly.
Click to view all the available dogs for adoption. If you would like to experience the joys of being a foster, please contact the foster coordinator.
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