Phoebe - Basset Mix - young (10 months as of February) - female/spayed - 40 pounds - black and white short coat
With her hopeful big smile, her floppy ears that look as if she dipped them in a can of paint, and a movement style that her foster mom describes as “lumbering, clumsy, literally no grace to her movements”, Phoebe is as irresistible as it gets.
This sturdy, long, low-rider came into care after inspiring a torrent of concern in rural West Virginia. Since then she has melted hearts with her gentle, sweet nature and her abject love of snuggling. Training-wise, Phoebe is what we call at Hedgesville Hounds a “blank slate.” This only means that she was never taught. But she is an eager and willing learner.
Character-wise: Phoebe possesses wonderful traits that we cannot “train” into a dog. She is inordinately gentle, loving, responsive, and kind by nature.
Adopter-wise: Phoebe will flourish with adopters who understand her need for consistency, security, safety, and encouragement, and will themselves find joy in guiding her. What does this mean in practical terms? It may help to start with Phoebe’s back story.
Phoebe was abandoned in rural West Virginia in the depth of winter. She was cold, hungry, and sick, but she eluded capture by the very people she longed to approach for help because she was also frightened, and she did not know how to “bridge the gap” and get to safety. Eager to help a struggling dog who could not come to them, dedicated Animal Control officers set a humane trap, and Phoebe, who was very hungry, entered it. It is hard to imagine what might have gone through Phoebe’s mind when officers approached the trap once she had been captured. And for us, that moment exemplifies the most touching part of Phoebe’s character. The dog who emerged from that trap was…. grateful. Overjoyed, relieved, and grateful to be warm and to be held. Cuddling and snuggling are mainstays of what we call Things Phoebe Wants Most in the World.
Phoebe is a beautiful example of a dog’s capacity to trust and love humans even after those bonds of faith have been broken. At Hedgesville Hounds we marvel every day at the courage and faith that inspire both dogs and people to bridge the gaps of broken bonds, to begin over, and to learn together how to build a lasting bond. Phoebe’s adopters will need to be that kind of special people to this wonderfully special dog. They will need to continue to support Phoebe and guide her development in bridging gaps.
Training-wise, Phoebe understands “sit” and “crate”. She is not keen on “crate” but she bravely cooperates. She is working diligently on her house-training skills, which she never learned because it was not possible for her. At the time of her capture, Phoebe suffered from a severe and aggressive urinary infection of longstanding, as well as Lyme disease, both of which we are treating. We suspect that whoever abandoned her might have confused her medical condition with a behavioral issue, and imagined that she was too stubborn to learn manners, and that may be why she was dropped off. Phoebe’s UTI has now resolved and the Lyme disease is responding to treatment. She was recently spayed and is fully vaccinated.
Phoebe loves the dog and cat in her foster home. She has not yet met any children, but her foster mom is confident that Phoebe’s sweet and gentle nature would apply to children. Probably not to pet rodents, based on observations of Phoebe’s reaction to squirrels and rabbits.
Her eye contact is open, soft, and direct. Phoebe’s energy level is fairly low indoors, and moderate outdoors when playing with her foster home’s resident dog.
Ideally, Phoebe’s adoptive home would have a fenced yard, as she is still learning leash skills and she loves to run and play. Her humans ideally would be at home more than they would be away from home, and would lead a fairly consistent and quiet lifestyle. By this, we don’t mean that they need to whisper and tip-toe, but they will need to be aware that Phoebe is soaking up training while she relies on “reading the room”. She instinctually recognizes the difference between happy loud laughter and angry or mean human exchanges.
We do not recommend that Phoebe reside in an apartment or townhouse because her bark is a big, bellowing howl. She does not use this voice often or excessively.
Phoebe is currently welcomed on the sofa, and the reassurance that she is joyfully and lovingly welcomed there is translating into her confidence to make longer, braver forays into the world of new people, with whom she is sometimes initially timid.
Phoebe rides well in a car and enjoys going on adventures with her people. Her leash skills are coming along. She pulls minimally but still needs time and repetition to understand expectations. She will need continued exposure, reassurance, and training as she builds this confidence and understanding.
What we know for certain is that Phoebe will love her new family with immense devotion. And that her sweet and gentle nature will reward a positive and patient training style. In many ways, Phoebe is still a very young puppy with all the vulnerability and innocence that implies. For an adopter who sees her honest, eager, responsive, and incredibly loving heart as an opportunity to build a lifelong bond, Phoebe guarantees that she is willing to keep bridging the gaps.
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