Hyde

Hyde came to my home approximately three weeks ago, picked up as stray. It has taken a few weeks but he is very slowly adjusting to home life. Hyde still has a long way to go but with the steady direction, patience and love of a forever human, I believe he and his special person can enjoy a close friendship.   

Since his arrival, we’ve worked on remedying some of Hyde’s more pressing health challenges. He appears to be physically feeling better. One issue he suffered from was irritated skin. After a much-needed allergy shot and a medicated bath, he is biting and scratching less and tolerates petting much better than he did when we first met Hyde. In fact, he rather enjoys petting and attention…on his terms. However, when it comes to petting and handling, he can still be easily scared. I always approach Hyde   from the front and let him come to me because I do believe sudden movement and touching can frighten him, otherwise. If and when he does get scared, he will give a nice warning growl with some teeth. He has cataracts, as well, so his vision is not what it used to be. I also try to keep in mind that it’s difficult for him to see.

Generally speaking, Hyde appears to favor woman companions. He is not particularly fond of male presences in the household. He follows me around and nudges me for pets and snuggles, again, on his terms. He likes to be under foot and very near his human at almost all times but he doesn’t appear to enjoy lounging on the couch or being held for long periods of time. He is not a furniture jumper so he needs to be physically picked up and placed on a chair, couch, etc. That said, he hasn’t shown lap dog tendencies with me, yet. He gets easily bored up on the couch and when he’s satisfied with the amount of attention received, he’s off and running (he can jump down on his own!)    

Speaking of running, Hyde’s energy level is what I would consider high for a fellow of his age. To further explain, he is constantly moving and is what I’d classify as somewhat high strung and nervous. In order to help keep him calm, he does take Trazadone, as needed.  Also of note, he has yet to be neutered. I believe neutering will help further calm him. Back to his current energy level–when Hyde’s not following his human (me) around, he’s playing or pacing. He can keep himself very entertained with his favorite toys but he also likes the company of other dogs. He equally enjoys running and playing in his fenced yard with the other dogs. Though he can live with other dogs, I feel he might actually do better as a single dog or doggie duo but perhaps with no more than two dogs in the home. Multiple dogs, I believe, could be amplifying his anxious tendencies.  And, honestly, he just requires and expects a lot of attention from his human companion!

Hyde hasn’t shown any destructive behavior inside the home. We have left the house for long periods of time with him baby gated in certain areas of the home in the company of the others dogs. At other times, we crate him when we are gone.  We are still working on inside manners when it comes to house training and the leg lifting and he will need help. Currently, he wears a belly band inside. Here again, I think neutering will help with the training efforts.