Dog Name: Christopher Robin
Breed: Boxer/Bulldog mix
Sex: Male
Age: 1 year
Weight: 43.6 pounds
Medical Needs: None.
Housebroken: Mostly. His lapses tend to be when he’s confined when we leave the house. When we’re home and he has free run of the house, he rarely has accidents inside.
Crate trained: He has had past bad experiences in a crate that need to be overcome. We are working on making the crate a positive refuge for him, so I feed him in his crate and I leave his crate door open most of the time. He always has a Benebone in his crate and will go into his crate to eat or when he needs a break during the day. He sleeps in my bed at night. Be forewarned — he snores!
Good in the car: Yes, he’s a good car traveler and rides in the back seat. (Initially, I crated him in the back of my SUV until he built up his trust in me and his comfort with being in my car, and would recommend his adopter do the same.)
Good on a leash: Yes, he is very attentive and takes his queues from me, and stays pretty close to me. He still is a bit “to-and-fro” while walking and will “pancake” if he gets nervous, but he likes to go for walks.
Energy level: Medium. Christopher Robin likes to run and play with the other dogs. He also settles well and is happy to “sploot” and quietly chew his Benebones. He can be pretty hard on stuffed toys, though.
He paces himself well to the activity level of the other dogs in my house. If they are playing, he’s game for a romp. If they are snoozing, he’s in the middle of the pile — all in for a good nap.
Need a fenced in yard: He needs regular opportunities to get outside to go potty, so if no fenced yard, he’ll need leash walks every few hours. He will tear around and play with my other dogs, so the yard is handy to let him spend his energy, too, especially if you don’t want too much active play in your house.
Dog Friendly: Yes.
If yes, does your foster need another dog in its adoptive home? Yes, another dog pal in the home would be good for Christopher Robin. Having a social outlet to interact with other dogs is a must for him. He loves to play with the other dogs in my home and is learning so much about how to be a dog from them that I think it would help him acclimate more easily to his new home. He has “packed in” well with my dogs and enjoys going to doggie daycare when they go.
Cat Friendly: He has only had limited interactions with my cats, but has given them a wide berth. So far, he’s been much more interested in their food than in having any interactions with them.
Kid Friendly: Unknown.
If yes, what's the youngest child you'd recommend they be placed with? Dog savvy, quieter, respectful kids who are old enough to understand they need to go slow with him (age 10-12+). He still gets nervous in new situations, so a loud active household would be too much overstimulation for him now — although I think he’d be ok with more activity once he settles in a little more.
He is VERY hand shy and tentative when approaching new people. Sudden approaches or people bringing their hands down to pet his head reinforce his fears from previously being hit, so any kids would need to be old enough and respectful enough to learn how to approach him slowly and bring their hands from below so they don’t trigger his fear of being hit.
Special traits that make your foster special or that we need to know about them?
This sums up our boy, Christopher Robin, in a nutshell —
“I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood”
Christopher Robin came to the shelter under nourished, undersocialized, neglected, and clearly beaten. He is socially awkward and is still learning how to be a dog. When he’s nervous, he sometimes vocalizes to let you know he’s unsure of the situation. He may always need his trusted human to be his advocate and help him navigate uncharted waters.
He was under-sized and underweight when he came to the shelter and has gained 13 pounds since his intake. His GI system is still trying to acclimate from the months of neglect he endured, and he is doing better now that he’s on a “digestive diet” and probiotics. (Giving him people food quickly sends him into a bout of diarrhea.)
Despite his past, he’s a happy cuddler who loves to give wet, sloppy kisses to his favorite people. He has come so far in his foster home and will continue to improve with patience, love, and consistency.
This ‘goombah’ is such a sweet, goofy, resilient guy who also happens to have the cutest underbite! We are looking for a patient home that will help him thrive and grow into the awesome dog that he can be!
** Multiple meets will be required so that he can build trust with his new family before going home. **
Foster’s Location: Wilmington, 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).
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