Bart

ADOPTED! September 2, 2015

Bart is a 4-5 year old non-shedding Havanese male. He was surrendered to us by a family a year ago that could not keep him and then was quickly adopted by one of our applicants. Bart’s owner had a recent job change resulting in leaving him 12 hours per day and felt it was no longer fair for him to be alone that long and had no other options but to contact us to surrender him back. Bart is crate trained but will bark and will need to be re-trained if his new owner wants to keep him crated. He would do well in a home with other dogs and probably enjoy that more than being the only dog. His former owner recommended a home with kids 10+ due to his stubborness. We will be sending him to a foster home to learn more about him.

Bart is eating a grain free diet due to allergies and is taking a daily allergy medicine (Atopica). His former owner did report hair loss and had tried several medicines before finding the one he’s currently on that is working. He is currently eating Kirkland (or Diamond brand) Sweet Potato and Turkey formula food available at Costco or local pet stores. If you have questions about the cost of the Atopica 50mg per day please consult your veterinarian for pricing.

Bart gets along with dogs and has been groomed since his arrival. Bart recently moved into a new foster home and we will update his profile accordingly. We are also trying out a less expensive allergy medication for him.

FOSTER HOME REPORT:

Here is our experience so far with Bart, but please note it has only been about 5 days at the time of this writing.

Prior to fostering Bart, we met him at two outdoor fairs.  He was very affectionate and friendly.  The day before we picked him up, I took him for a walk around Lincoln Park.  He was very happy, gave “kisses”, was easy to walk with no excessive pulling on the leash.  At the park a child approached him and played with him.  His behavior was excellent.

On the day we picked him up, he drove in the car for 30 minutes sitting on my wife’s lap.  He was very content and calm.  He seemed to enjoy the ride.

The first two days in our home, he basically slept the whole time.  I think he was exhausted from the normal stress of being in a shelter, no matter how good and well treated he was.  We let him relax and sleep as much as he wanted. He had intestinal distress, diarrhea, and was not eating regular food.  Reports prior to us picking him also suggested he was not eating, so clearly he was not feeling well.  He would gladly eat plain chicken and loves baby carrots but would not eat the dry or wet food provided to us. On our walks he seems to like to eat some grass. (Our previous dog would eat grass whenever he was not feeling well.)

He did growl a little at me when he was trying to sleep, but it was understated, no snarling, no snapping, just a low “please leave me alone.” This does not seem to be a serious issue. After having no interest in his current food for two days, we tried another grain free wet food from Merrick. He loves this food and after a bit of time it seemed to bring him out of his distress. His diarrhea resolved and he became more affectionate and playful and generally more alert.

As time goes on, Bart remains affectionate and happy to just relax/sleep anywhere we happen to be (including our laps).

A friend stopped over unannounced with their big dog. The doorbell did not disturb him. He just walked over to the door with me, no signs of nervousness due to sudden sound. When we opened the door, staring through the screen door was their dog.  Bart initially barked at the dog but it was not an aggressive bark, more a “who are you and what do you want” bark.  Asking him to go for a walk, he eagerly went out and we quickly caught up with our friend and their dog.  They were immediately fine together and we walked around the block twice with no issue.

Overall,  Bart seems to be housebroken and has very good bladder control. There have been no signs of separation anxiety or chewing things he should not.  So far he sleeps through the night, on the floor near our bed (and in his own bed).   We have seen no signs of him attempting to jump into bed, he seems to know he sleeps on the floor.  Bart is vocally expressive and will “talk/sing” to let us know he is hungry or wants attention.

We have taken him on a few walks in the neighborhood and he is easy to walk. On these walks he has met young children and other dogs and has shown very good social skills. Virtually no sign of aggression in public, he seems thrilled to be out among other people and dogs. On one walk we ran into a couple with a small yappy dog.  Their dog was growling and snapping but Bart was completely unfazed by it and gently walked up to the dog and the owners.  They all exchanged greetings and we continued on the way.

I don’t know how he would be with cats as I have not seen him in that situation.

It has been only 3 days but it seems as though he is not a high maintenance dog in terms of behavior. I think he would do well with another dog in the house, he would like the companionship.

His biggest problem seems to be is his food allergy, but I hope the return to the original medicine will help.  (I also wonder if the “allergies” are stress induced?).  I would imagine his skin itches and makes him a little irritable. But he seems a little better already since we first got him. We give him eye drops twice a day and it has been a non-event. We give it to him when his is resting and he hardly even registers that it was done. To give him his allergy pill, we successfully “cheat” by wrapping it inside a small piece of plain chicken.  So, no issues there for him taking it 🙂

He also seems to take direction pretty well.  When we walk to the fridge he sometimes comes over excited hoping for some treat.  He will start to jump (just once basically) and we say ‘no’ and he sits down.   I have also tried to place my hand level to the ground and make a downward movement while saying “down” and he will willingly go down on all 4 paws and stay there (but still excited and attentive). He does like to jump on the couch, but for us that is not an issue (in fact we like to have him next to us).

Overall Bart is a sweet, calm dog but on a few occasions when I (Ed) approached or tried to touch Bart, he has lightly growled at me.  In this regard he seems to be slightly feline in nature. By this I mean if Bart wants to have attention then he is all dog and you can snuggle him, pet him robustly, etc.  and he is happy.  But if he is lying on the floor resting or near sleep, then he seems to want to have “alone time”

and will tell you so. I don’t know if this behavior would subside over time once he fully adopts his new owners and trusts that they are a family.  I suspect that it would.

~ Susan & Ed

We are not a traditional shelter, we are a cage-free facility. All dogs are temperament tested and must get along with other dogs to stay here. Appointments must be made in advance to meet our Secondhand Mutts. Please call 216-664-9660 or email rescue@secondhandmutts.org to set up a time. We prefer to adopt to local families but will consider long distance adoptions.

Dog Adoption Fee $200