***If you are interested in Charlie, be sure to read his entire bio. We have included a lot of important information about the home that Charlie needs to be successful.***
Charlie is a beautiful Poodle / Havanese mix. He is 2 - 3 years old and weighs 15 lbs.
Charlie is a sweet soul who’s had a challenging start in life. Found on the streets of Texas, Charlie arrived at the shelter frightened and unsure of the world around him. But since his journey to Colorado and settling into a loving foster home, he’s started to blossom, showing glimpses of the wonderful dog he’s meant to be.
Charlie will need a forever family with patience, kindness, and an understanding that trust takes time. He’s looking for a calm and secure environment where he can continue to grow at his own pace. A quiet, kid-free home would be ideal for Charlie, and it’s essential that he goes to a home with another dog (or dogs). He absolutely adores other dogs, and their companionship helps him feel more at ease and adjust more quickly.
To help you decide if you’re the perfect match for Charlie, his foster has put together detailed notes about their experiences with him. Please read on to learn more about this sweet boy and see if your home could be the safe haven he’s been waiting for.
From Charlie's foster:
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"Charlie is a special pup who has been through a lot and will require a patient, understanding adopter. In the short time I’ve been fostering him he’s already made remarkable progress. He’s gone from being too scared to approach us to letting me hold him, pet him, and even bathe him by day 7! That said, Charlie is still learning to trust, and it’s important to respect his pace.
* Charlie’s ideal home --
Charlie absolutely adores other dogs and being around my dogs definitely helped him warm up. They’ve helped him come out of his shell, and he truly thrives in their company. For this reason, Charlie must go to a home with at least one other dog to help him feel secure.
* Charlie will be a flight risk AT FIRST--
Full disclosure: Charlie escaped from his first foster home when he was let out into their yard (on his first day with them) with only a 3-foot fence and not on a leash. He was lost in Boulder for three days until we caught him with a dog trap. Since he was caught, he's been home with me. For the first 6 days of fostering him, I didn't even take him out into the yard on a leash because I wanted to wait until he was fully comfortable with us first. It's so important that he fully decompress and warm up before trying to take him outside.
I know it's not ideal to not be able to take him outside to potty at first, but with a dog scared like he was the first few days, you really need to do it at his pace, even if that means he potties inside for the first few days - week. His adopter should be prepared to use potty pads initially and wait until he’s ready before introducing him to the outdoors. This took us 6 days until he was comfortable enough for us to leash him up and take him out to potty.
When he is ready to go outside, for the first month (or possibly longer), he should only go outside on a leash — even in a fenced yard!!
Charlie should NEVER be left unattended in a yard, no matter how tall your fence. This means he can NOT go to a home with a dog door, or with anyone who leaves their dogs outside or with access to the outdoors when they are not home.
* Building trust --
Charlie is a sweet dog who just needed time to feel safe with us. On his first night with us, he was scared. He would growl if we tried to come too close, but after about 2 hours he started wagging his tail and cautiously approaching us, though he’d run if we moved too quickly. Each day he would get more confident with us (and from day 1 he was always happy to play with our dogs!)
After about 4 days of patience and allowing him to come to us on his terms, he started willingly asking for pets and lets us pick him up.
After a week, he's almost a totally normal dog with my husband and I! We can bathe him now, hold him, and he gives us kisses! But just remember that getting to this point took 6 days of slow and patience. We have not tried taking him anywhere farther than our backyard, or tried introducing him to strangers yet.
* His adopter must be willing to: --
- Respect his boundaries and let him adjust at his own pace.
- Leave his harness and collar on at all times to simplify leash training when he’s ready to go outside.
* Eating: Charlie eats well, enjoys treats, and happily finishes his meals. I feed him separately from my other dogs because they would try to eat his food, but I haven't seen any signs of food guarding from Charlie.
* Crate Training: He sleeps quietly in a crate and stays in a crate when we leave the house. I think he would be fine left out, but his crate has been his safe place as he warmed up, so for now he doesn't mind it.
* The Sweet Side of Charlie --
Once Charlie feels comfortable, he’s a super affectionate and loving guy. He’s happiest inside, surrounded by people and dogs he trusts. While he may take time to blossom, his sweet personality shines through every day. Just remember not to force affection while he's first warming up. He will show you when he's ready to give and receive it!
With patience, consistency, and the right environment, Charlie will become a wonderful family member! "
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We would like to have Charlie join a family that is retired or works from a home-based office.
Charlie will be up to date on his vetting/vaccinations to be in line with our commitment to adopting out only healthy dogs. He has also been neutered to fulfill our commitment to a euthanasia-free future.
Charlie is available for adoption now. Applications are currently being accepted for this very sweet, loving and loyal best friend. An application can be found at http://farfels.com/farfels-rescue/adoption-form/. If interested, please fill out completely and submit.
**PLEASE NOTE**. If you're truly interested in adopting Charlie, please be sure to submit our adoption application. It's the only initial tool that we have to determine a great match for this very deserving dog. We're sorry, but in many circumstances, we're unable to get back to those that don't submit a Farfel's Farm adoption application. Thanks very much for choosing rescue.
