ROY - 2 years, 44lbs, Lab/Boxer Mix, Neutered
PLEASE NOTE: Roy needs a home outside of the city - true suburbs or beyond. He is not a fit for urban living.
Is eligible to join our foster-to-adopt program. Please email fostertoadopt@socialteesnyc.org with the animal’s name in the subject line if you are interested! Want to straight up adopt? Submit an adoption application at socialteesnyc.org.
His Foster says: "Roy has melted our hearts. He plays hard and loves hard. He is a super chewer (just like our dog) and has made it his mission to remove the arms and legs from all of our plush toys. He and our pup then play tug of war with the scraps until they're exhausted. When the novelty of the plush toys wears off, Roy is content to raid the toy bin for all of our old half-consumed antlers. He loves to collect them all in his bed and hoard them.
After he burns off his energy, he switches his mindset to cuddles. He has an adorable way of getting into position that can only be described as somersaulting into a full spread eagle position for belly rubs. Even though he has zero sense of personal boundaries and space, his style of coming in for cuddles never gets old.
He has two high-energy phases: Early morning, and evening. Evening is the more intense one, and is often where he needs the most attention and correction (especially when playing with our dog as he can get a bit extra). We've been able to temper his energy with a lot of training sessions. Tiring him out mentally happens much faster and lasts longer than just letting him run amok. During the day he is a complete couch potato, finding himself a nice sunny patch to snooze. When I take him for a mid-day potty break, he tries to nap in the yard. He seems to be a big fan of the Spanish-style siesta.We've found a lot of success being highly structured and consistent with our routine, and focusing on training core skills. As Roy settles into our household, it's becoming apparent that he knows more commands and skills than he lets on. It seems like he just needed to develop some trust that he was in a safe environment. Now he's beginning to pick things up very fast — especially on walks where he can walk in heel extremely well. Having space seems to be beneficial as well. He was very hyper when he first arrived, but has calmed down quickly. Out in the burbs, we have space for the two dogs to play indoors, as well as to get away from one another when need be. Our walks are also calm and quiet. An odd dirt bike or garbage truck are the only loud noises, and Roy needs some reassurance with the motorbikes. We feed him treats as they are approaching, and while they are passing. He's slowly getting used to them. We usually spot a few other dogs on our walks, and have been working on keeping Roy engaged on his human through food lures. Keeping him moving and focused is helping him feel more secure, and our proximity to other dogs is slowly decreasing. However, he still has a long way to go before he will be able to maintain composure around other dogs.Roy seems to be quite sensitive. When he first arrived, he looked visibly upset when corrected or if he didn't get what he wanted. We've been careful to gently correct and follow it with a change-up to something enriching shortly after. As his trust with us grows, I've noticed more engagement and willingness to work. I would stop short of describing him as a dog that really enjoys training, but he's slowly getting there. Bottom line is that he has a ton of potential and great traits... but he really will benefit from a family that wants to put in the time and effort to help shape him into a well-behaved doggo."
Level of dog ownership experience needed:
INTERMEDIATE: This dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day. The adopter must have relevant primary care experience with a similar breed, temperament, and/or energy level. (Primary care experience includes ownership, fostering, or dog sitting as an adult, not a dog you grew up with.)
Energy level
HIGHER: Needs a daily 90 minute walk or window of quick paced exercise (minimum) in addition to potty break strolls (10-30 min each). Also needs significant socializing opportunities outside the home and mental stimulation at home like tricks training practice, chew items, and puzzle toys. (This is regardless of dog size – many small breeds were designed for lots of activity and will exhibit unwanted behavior when they’re understimulated.)
Potty trained?
Yes!
Cuddle Bug Level:
High - LOVES physical contact!! A huge cuddle bug.
Comfy with strangers?
Yep -- Wants to be friends with everyone who walks by, super social butterfly, loves anyone who will stop to say hello.
Social with other dogs?
Yes - has been in a foster home with a dog previously. And is currently in a foster home with a dog. Does best with dogs that want to play with him or a dog that is secure in itself. He is working on his leash skills/greeting other dogs outside (he's too enthusiastic). But he's not dog aggressive or bad with other dogs just learning his manners and to control his excitement.
Social with cats?
Yes - has been in foster homes with cats before
Comfortable with children? (ALWAYS requires adult supervision)
Teenagers and Up - Not a good fit for a home with little kids, he doesn't know his size.
Mouthiness:
Lower - Doesn't go for human objects, is respectful. Is rarely mouthy with humans.
Jumping on People to Say Hi?
High – Very excited to greet everyone and has no idea how to do so politely. Jumps up on most strangers or other dogs that go by. In the puppy phase or wasn’t trained as a young adult.
Okay in the city?
No - suburbs and beyond is the best for him
Separation Anxiety:
Lower - might cry for a few minutes but settles down and is okay home alone
Crate Trained:
Yes - Roy is getting the hang of his crate nicely. We feed him breakfast and dinner in his crate, and give both dogs 2x naps in the crate during the day. Each nap is accompanied by a high value treat, and Roy now associates his crate with rewards. He sprints down the steps and dives into his crate with gusto. It's really adorable to watch.
Place/Spot training is more challenging. He has his own place, but we're still training him to understand the expectations for when to go there and to stay put during times like meal prep and when humans are eating. This will simply take time and consistency. He does seem to be learning it more quickly than our dog did when she was that age.
Medical status
Healthy as far as we know. Up to date on their DHPP, Bordetella, and Rabies vaccines; heartworm negative; spayed/neutered; microchipped; treated with dewormer upon intake
How this dog ended up with Social Tees:
Most of our dogs come via partner groups who help us save them from shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia in Tennessee or St. Thomas. There are very few spay/neuter resources there and many more animals in those areas than there are people to adopt them. Rescue groups like ours bring them to the northeast where the desire for pets like these allows us to save their lives.
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee any breed mix, exact age, or full grown size (if the dog is under a year old). We do our best with very educated guesses though!
This animal is not at the Social Tees office, all are in foster homes.
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