Cleveland, OHADOPTED! September 26, 2014
Zorro is a 6 year old NorwegianElkhound/Shepherd mix. He was adopted 5.5 years ago from us when he was just a youngster and Secondhand Mutts was just starting out. We received a call a few weeks ago from his owner saying she had a change in life plan and neeeded to find Zorro a home. We were surprised to say the least but dedicated to our dogs and Zorro is family. Zorro has been attending daycare regularly in the Macedonia area so we were pleased to hear his socialization skills were kept up. He lived with another dog and has been moved to a foster home for further evaluation. He is currently living in a home with 2 male Shepherds, a female Shepherd and Secondhand Mutt Sammy. He is also being exposed to the resident cat. All of the dogs are getting along great.
Zorro does not require a crate but he likes his crate and feels comfortable being in one. He is on a prescription anxiety med (prozac) due to some anxiety issues his former owner had with him but working with his veterinarian (Gateway Animal Clinic) his levels have been balanced and he’s in great spirits. His prescription costs less than $10/month and will be something his new owner can evaluate to see if it needs to continue. We felt it was important to keep him on his medicine during this transition time and not upset his routine more than it already is.
Zorro is up to date on shots and neutered.
Former Owner Report
Getting a rough start in life has not held this guy back. Found abonded at approximately 6-8weeks old and quite sickly, Zorro triumphed back to health with the help of the wonderful staff at Gateway Animal Clinic. The only residual from all that is a heart murmur, that by no means can slow this boy down, even if you try. He love to run, jump and play hard. He will chase a ball or play rope tug until your arms fall off if you let him. With this energy and level of activity, he would best be served in a home with kids of at least school age—he does love kids!!! Although he grew up with kitties (they went to heaven 2yrs ago), and he did great with them, he now has decided that kitties are “toys”. He will chase them endlessly and not sure what would happen if he did catch one. That being said, I would say NO CATS!
He is completely house broken. Has been free from his crate since approximately 2yo. The crate remains up with the door open. He uses it often throughout the day. Zorro LOVES to go for walks and car rides. He has attended cage free daycare on a regular basis his whole life, with glowing reports. He knows when we are going and can hardly contain himself until we get there. He does get anxious with thunder and fireworks. He just needs extra TLC, some close contact and extra snuggles and he does just fine.
Zorro is sweet and loving with a sensitive personality. He is quick to pick up on your emotions and respond. His ultimate favorite is THE BELLY RUB!!! Do this and you have a guaranteed best friend for life. Zorro is a very loyal just Love him and his Heart is yours.
COMMANDS:
COME, SIT, STAY, LEAVE IT, LAY DOWN, GO BYE BYE (will wait by car door and not jump into car until you tell him this, then will jump in), WAIT(used for many things, but I used it mostly so he didn’t bolt out the door, had him wait even if door was open until I said “okay lets go”), TAKE A NAP (I usually only used this when he was little and still using the crate. He would run right into his crate when I said it), TELL ME (ask him and he will bark if he needs to go out), GO POOP, GO PEE PEE ( sometimes he just gets busy playing in the back yard and forgets to go potty, so if you remind him surprisingly enough he knows), BRING IT, (when play fetch).
DIET:
*FOOD: 4Health Chicken and Rice (Tractor Supply Co. Store Brand—it is basically the same as Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice). I went thru several foods with him, he seems to be somewhat sensitive to corn, wheat, and soy foods
*2 cups/ day Evening Dinner—dry (sometimes he doesn’t even eat the whole bowl)
*Has Never Had People Food
*Can Food mixed in sometimes- Wellness Brand the 99%, Chicken or 99% Salmon kind only
*TREATS: He will eat most any doggie treat. He may be a bit of a “cookie” snob, he is mostly used to the higher end treats since I avoided the ones that would upset his belly. He does like hard bones-smoked or plain, and an occasion all natural rawhide. Zorro may be a bit spoiled—I do still treat him each time he comes in from potty. He gets so excited, runs in after his business, sits right down on his rug with eyes fixed on me waiting for the cookie
HEALTH:
*Shots up to date, Heartworm and Flea treatment
*Heart Murmur: no treatment required, does not cause him any issues.
*Anxiety: Diagnosed at approx. 3yo , started on medication. Huge improvement within 2-3 weeks. Doing fine now. However, is afraid during thunder/ fireworks—he does ok with reassurance and comfort measures like close contact and petting. MEDICATION: Prozac 40mg every morning. He will sit for medication, I place it in his mouth, close his mouth and he swallows it fine. I will give a couple treats to help prevent any upset tummy or vomiting ( he did vomit a lot in the beginning until I did the treats)
GROOMING:
*Brushing: LOVES to be brushed!! Good thing he sheds quite a bit. The challenge comes when he keeps laying down so you can rub his belly.
*Nails: Not a fan of this task, but he will tolerate it. Does much better with a sanding type tool.
*Bath: He does great, I think he knows this means brushing is right around the corner.
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.
Adoption Fee $200
