Liberty

My story

Dog Name: Liberty Breed: Mixed Sex: Neutered Male Age: 16 mos. Weight: 48 lbs. Medical Needs: None. Housebroken: Yes, uses a pet door. Crate trained: Mostly. He goes right in for a treat at night and walks in for his meals. He will occasionally whine for a few minutes, then settle down. He does have crate anxiety which can be helped by him having a view of his dog pal or his people. Good in the car: Yes. He loves car rides with his head hanging out the window. Good on a leash: Overall, he does great. I do use a prong collar to help with the excited pulling when he sees a friend, squirrel, or cat. Energy level: Medium. Liberty has some energy, which he releases by playing/chasing/zooming with the resident dogs. After a good play or walk, he sacks out for at least an hour or two. Need a fenced in yard: Yes. Liberty spent his first few months of life in a kennel. It took him some time to feel safe/comfortable doing his business in a fenced yard – right up against the fence. He still needs the fence to feel safe outside. Dog Friendly: Yes, but he can be selective. He is fostered in a home with dogs of all sizes and ages. However, he didn’t do well with a senior dog in an adoptive home. He loves to play and expects it. He can be rude about it, pestering a dog to get him/her to play. A young, medium/high energy dog would be best. His current playmates are a 20 lb. drama queen and a 50 lb. lab, both of which are bossy and keep him in line. If yes, does your foster need another dog in its adoptive home? Preferable, but not necessary. He has always been with other dogs, except in his first adoptive home, so it will take an adjustment period and you giving him the activity/exercise he needs. He will definitely need some good walks and playtime if he is an only dog. He proves that an exercised dog is a tired and happy dog. Cat Friendly? No. Even though he is fostered in a home with numerous cats, he alerts on them if they walk in the room. Outside, he barks at them and chases them if given the opportunity. We have been proactively working on his reactions, but everyone would be happier without one. Kid Friendly: Yes, but can be a little much for smaller children. If yes, what's the youngest child you'd recommend he be placed with? 10. He has been very gentle with children (ages 2 & 3) and seems to understand not to jump on them. However, he is an energetic, larger dog, and gets excited when he thinks a kid wants to play with him. He should be fine with an older child who knows not to put their face in his while playing. When settled on the floor or couch, he is a total sweetheart with kisses for anyone close by. Special traits that make your foster special or that we need to know about them? Liberty spent the first four/five months of his life in a shelter with no outside kennel time. He had to learn all the normal dog behaviors – scent-sniffing, playing, doing his business outside, and trusting he wasn’t going to go hungry. He enjoys playing with squeaky toys, chasing and playing with dog pals, and playing fetch or tug-of-war. Liberty does love to eat, so to prevent him eating the other dog’s food, I feed him in his crate and leave him there until all his pals are finished. Even though Liberty may have some sort of hunting dog in his mix, he will never be one. Liberty is timid, and expects you to protect him rather than him protect you. If he hears a loud noise or becomes fearful, he’ll jump on your lap and shake with fear until he feels safe again. This behavior means his adopter will need to have a gentle but firm approach to him. Even though he is timid, he can be stubborn, but he is treat-motivated and will do anything for a few. It is also important that his adopter follow through on the shutdown/acclimation period. Liberty needs that time to feel safe and adjust to his new home. He will need consistent training to be a well-adjusted, secure, and happy dog. He does understand “Place,” which has been helpful in controlling his desire to chase the inside cats. He is a loving, sweet dog who is looking for that special person who has time and energy to give him the security and activity he needs. He literally smiles when he is happy. Between his smile, doe eyes, and happy tail, your mood will be lifted when you arrive home to his happy yapping. He’ll jump in your arms to give you love and happy tail wags -- the perfect reward for giving him a forever home. Fosters Location: Harrington, DE Application can be found here: https://www.grrde.org/adoption-application (if you already have an approved application on file email GrassRootsDE@gmail.com and ask the app team to pull your app ##2453697##

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Liberty, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.