My name is Mike!

We don't know exactly what breed little Mike is.  He looks like a miniature Pointer, about the size of a Beagle.  He is a young boy, unassuming and taking whatever is given him in his stride.  Slowly as he has learned that he is safe and loved, we have seen him coming into his own more and more each day.  He is an extremely gentle little dog who needs a quieter environment, with a family that will continue to help build his confidence, gain a good weight and love him.  He kind of reminds me of Eeyore :)  He will do whatever you want of him but he really hasn't yet figured out that he is worthy of all the love he is getting.  Mike is approximately a year old and is up to date on his vaccines, is neutered and has had a healthy vet check.

Here is what Mike's foster family had to say about him:
Mikey is a very easy going, loving boy.  He is always looking for someone to snuggle with. Not much phases Mikey.  He is happy to do whatever his people are doing. His happy place is being snuggled under the blankets with his people.   Mikey was severely underweight when coming into our care. With a steady regime of 3 meals a day he has been putting on weight and starting to fill out. Considering his past he has beautiful pearly white teeth. And the softest coat.   Generally he is low energy in the home however, every so often he gets his burst of energy where he tears around the house doing what we call “zoomies” bouncing around with excitement and pure joy! As his weight gains and confidence builds, I would think he would become a more moderate energy level!  He has a beautiful coat and sheds very little.

Mikey has been amazing with everyone he has met. In the beginning he was very timid and submissive when meeting new people. He would just submit and be complacent. But now that he has learned this is a safe place and we are trustworthy, he excitedly greets new people of all ages.  He can grumble when being moved in the night but nothing more than a grumble then he adjusts and falls back asleep!  Mikey has been great with our dogs, but he is more focused on the people. He was cautious of the dogs at first, as they are large dogs for the most part, but again once he saw no one was here to hurt him, he was ready to make friends. I feel his ideal forever home would be on his own as he is more engaging with his people and appreciates the attention of his people most.  I am unsure if he understands that the cat is not a dog LOL! He is very playful yet respectful with our dog savvy cat! 

We crated Mikey in the first 2 days he was with us to let him rest after his journey. Since then, he has not been crated at all. Typically someone is always around, but when we do leave he stays curled up in the same spot on the couch and is normally in the same place when we return. He is such a calm, easy going guy.  When he is nervous about a particular situation, you will see him become aloof and complacent.    Mikey loves to carry around what we call his babies.  He is so loving to his stuffed animals. He does take the kids stuffed animals but is never destructive towards them, he just wants a cuddle buddy.  His favourite things to do are snuggle, nap and eat.  He is a very calm lovable boy.  When he does play its so sweet & gentle you can see the sillies washing over him! After he has his goofiness he’s looking for a snack and to be cuddled up.  As he settles into our family, we have watched as he has come out of his shell. He is very, very quiet but has started to find his voice. Once in awhile he will bark with the other dogs.  I feel that Mikey would enjoy a quieter home with adults or with older children 9+ .

Mikey is fairly well behaved in the home and generally doesn't take anything that isn't designated as his.  We have two children aged two and one that leave toys about and sometimes Mikey thinks they are his as well.  So long as they are put their toys away, he doesn't take them. He has tried a handful of times to counter surf but he knows this isn’t accepted behaviour and has been very respectful otherwise. Any of his undesirable behaviours are due to his lack of being in a home.  He is not destructive in nature and just learning the boundaries. He is a quick study and often doesn’t need to be told more than once. 

Mikey is by nature a very well behaved dog,  He didn't know any commands when he arrived but is steadily learning.  Of course part of the problem could be a language barrier where is now having to relearn what the commands are.  So far he has learned to sit, look at me for meal times, and to drop it.  Mikey is a very clean boy. He isn’t very vocal about needing to go out so you will need to make a habit of letting him out after meal times. He will sit by the door and has been starting to scratch to go out. You can tell he does not want to be a bother.  Mikey is crate trained and is very quiet in the crate.  However, we haven’t had a need to continue with his crating as he is such a good boy in the house and finds a quiet place to curl up and wait for your return.   Mikey is nervous on leash.  We have been working on building his confidence to bring him to a point he enjoys his walks. He becomes complacent  and walks with you nicely, as he thinks that is what you want. When the warm weather comes I feel he will enjoy his walks more and more! He has never tried to escape and isn't likely to ever bolt of the door or bolt anywhere for that matter.  We have always had him in someone's lap, where he will just snuggle and take a look around while riding in the car. 

Mikey is aching for a family to call his own, to spend years of cuddling and loving one another. He loves to bury his head into you and have you tell him how much you love him. He is very eager to be your good boy and please you.  I don’t think there is an unpleasant bone in this boys body! 

If you think Mike would fit well into your family, please visit our main website at http://www.uglymuttsdogrescue.com and submit an adoption application.