Cleveland, OHADOPTED! March 26, 2014
Last summer this small black Poodle/Cocker Spaniel mix was found running on the Cedar Rapid station train platform by a Cleveland Police officer driving under the bridge on Cedar. According to several passengers of the train, the dog had been on the platform all day. One of our volunteers was there and helped the officer keep the pup calm and from running off the platform until animal control came and picked up the pup. The pup was not aggressive, but very scared. He was fairly well groomed and appeared to be well cared for. He even had a flea collar on, as well as a canvas orange collar, but no tags. The SHM volunteer who helped the pup called the Cleveland Kennel and they said that so far, no one has claimed the pup. After offering to help with fostering the pup if we could help, we agreed to meet the dog to see if he would fit into our program.
He passed all of our evaluation tests and we waiting to see if his owner was going to claim him. The 3-day hold expired and he was transported to our facility last Saturday.He was adopted shortly a few weeks after he arrived in mid- September to a wonderful local family. They have a female dog at home and were wanting a companion for him and chose Max. Max is under 2 years old, he is neutered. Fast forward to today and it has been a trying experience for his adopters and their dog. They reached out to us before the end of the year notifying us they were having some difficulties with Max’s behavior and we referred them to Antony at The Mutt Hutt Dog Training Center. Through several training sessions progress was made, behavior was improving, but ultimately the progress occurred when the owners original dog was removed from their home (as a test) and in fact Max was a different dog when he was a solo dog at home. The decision was made with our support to respect the dog and bring Max back to find a new home.
As odd as it is for dogs in our program, we stand behind our determination that Max needs to be a solo dog. He will be just fine going to dog parks and meeting dogs in social situations. Dog daycare facilities do stress him out but in small doses he could learn to have fun (in time). If you do not plan to add another dog to your life Max is a great fit. He is also very weary of men and we would stress that this is a dog that will take time warming up to men and to please not push this issue with him. It is quite possible he strayed from an abusive situation when he was first captured.
FOSTER HOME REPORT:
Max is a sweet and snuggly pup with lots of love and affection to give. He’s got LOTS of energy and loves to run and romp around outside, especially in the snow, but he is definitely happiest snuggled up on the couch with someone scratching behind his ears. He knows all of his basic commands (and listens unless there are too many distractions) and walks well on a leash. He’s been left out at home on long work days (9-10 hours) without any accidents, and sleeps peacefully on the bed curled up at our feet all night. Stuffed animals and squeaky tennis balls are his favorite toys to run around with. Loud noises like thunder and fireworks don’t bother him a bit, and his favorite spot in the house is one where he can sit and watch out a window. He’s a good eater without being too food- or treat-driven, and he definitely enjoys the occasional bite of “people food” without any problems.
Since Max was picked up as a stray, we don’t know his back story, but know that there are a few things that make him a little growly: he doesn’t like to be surprised (who does?), and does not really like being picked up. Max will do best in a forever home where he is the king of the castle, as he is most definitely an alpha male. With other dogs in the home he can be aggressive (towards the humans and dogs alike) and likes to mark HIS territory, so it’s important that he be the only dog of the house. He will growl and sometimes snarl when challenged by men in general, something we assume was brought on by an abusive past. He has not been exposed to cats or small children. He gets a little bit anxious when he’s left at home (he’ll jump 2-3 feet in the air while growling at the door after you leave), but he’s never destroyed anything in our house other than the wayward napkin or tissue. And when you return home, he’ll shower you with lots of kisses and butt-shaking tail wags.- he really is a lover!
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 are closed on Sundays. We prefer to adopt to local families but will consider long distance adoptions.
2013 Dog Adoption Fee: $200
Adoption fees cover your dog being fully vaccinated, heartworm tested, spayed or neutered, health checked, temperament tested, micro-chipped and socialized
Photo by: Tim Kyrnak
