Otis

PROFILE:
good with kids 12 yrs and up
good with female dogs only
not sure if good with cats

Otis Needs: quite home with adults or children 12 years and older, he's not a dog park dog. He's afraid of new dogs especially males. He needs structure with positive re enforcement . Otis would do well with a laid back female dog to keep him company and help him with his confidence, a fenced yard so he could run.

Update 04/09/2012
Otis is just a big lovable cuddle boy! As his confidence grows, he really is turning into a gentle, silly, happy boy! He has two favorite things.. playing with his foster sister, and his people. Otis is a true Velcro Dane and is usually with his foster Mom or Dad with his head in one of their laps looking for some hugs and rubs! If one of his people are out, he will sit by the window and watch for the car to come down the road. Then he will greet you with big wiggles and wags! He has gained some needed weight and is a beautiful shiny boy. He is still a bit shy and needs to go slowly, at his own pace, with new situations. He loves going for a nice quiet walk or car ride. He has also decided that he loves to be around the rabbit in the house. Every day while the cage is being cleaned, the rabbit comes out and sits between Otis's front legs. Otis will lay with his face down next to the rabbit until the cage is done. Otis is a smart, alert boy who is very eager to please. He learns quickly and happily. He is thriving in a quiet home with routine and structure. Otis is going to be a treasure for his forever family.

Update 03/17/2012
Otis continues to be a sweet and goofy love bug with his people. If you're sitting, his head is in your lap. He has really become quite the cuddle boy. He is now doing very well walking on a leash. He gets excited when you first clip the leash on him, but in a few minutes he settles down and walks right beside you. Unless something gets his attention, he rarely needs any correction. He's still a shy boy with strangers, but has stopped trying to run from the situation. If left at his own pace, he will investigate the new people, and with some reassurance, will say hello and wait for some rubs. Otis is also becoming less sensitive to having his ears or tail touched. His foster Mom can clean his ears without much of a problem. He still has a ways to go with having his feet touched. That is still a work in progress! Otis continues to enjoy playing with his foster sister. They are great buddies and love nothing better then to chase each other in the back yard. Otis also loves to play ball with his people. He will "talk" to you until you give him the ball! He knows all his commands and continues to respond to the tone of your voice on all corrections. He also is still very attached to his crate..Otis is a sweet and gentle boy who needs a quiet home with someone who has patience and will give him some extra time and extra care.

Update 02/10/12
Otis has been in his foster home for almost 3 months and he continues to try to get past his shaky start in life. He has made remarkable progress and bears little resemblance to the dog who first arrived. He loves his people and will jump straight up with all 4 feet off the ground to see out the side window if one of his people is out in the yard. He is very energetic and loves to zoom around the yard with his foster sister. He still ignores the 2 male dogs in the house, and prefers to have nothing to do with them. Otis has become quite vocal and will "talk" to you when he is playing! He has also started to "spin" when he is playing. He goes so fast, he will make you dizzy! He knows all his commands and has learned "back up" this past week. He's a smart boy who learns commands quickly. He's doing better on the leash but prefers to walk through the neighborhood rather than through town. His foster home is in a rural area so the neighborhood is very quiet. He has had some struggles over the past few weeks. He doesn't like his feet, ears, or the base of his tail touched, but his foster mom is working on these issues. With all things considered, Otis is doing very well, and is turning into a happy, goofy little boy. If you're looking for a seamless adoption, Otis may not be the right boy for you, but if you're willing to take the time to show this silly boy how wonderful his life can be, then you will have a loving companion who will be a welcome addition. Otis would so best in a home with a playful but submissive female dog. He needs his crate as that's his favorite place to nap, play with a toy or eat. He respects the gates in the house but really enjoys his crate for security.

Update 01/14/2012
It's been almost 7 weeks since Otis came into his foster home, and the differences in him are remarkable. The things that sent him running for cover, the vacuum, the garage door, wiping him off in the rain etc, no longer phase him at all. He is starting to look and act like the 2 yo he is. He is playful and silly with his people and just last week began playing with his foster sister. She is a 1.5 yo bloodhound who's smaller than Otis and very gentle and submissive. They have quickly become inseparable. They play inside and out, they lay together and will chew their nylabones together. This would have been impossible just a few weeks ago. Otis is still nervous around the 2 males in the house, a 1 yo Saint and a 6 yo Dane. He avoids them and is not interested in being around them. He is doing better on the leash, but is still nervous if people approach. When he pulls, he will stop with a correction. He is very in tune with your tone of voice and listens to all corrections immediately. He respects the gates in the house and is still not counter surfing. He is still struggling with new situations and new people, but is improving. We're working on the "stay/wait" command and he's doing well. Otis absolutely loves and needs his crate--its security for him. He will go in for a nap, to chew his toys or just to take a break. He's doing well in a quiet home with routine and structure. If allowed to go at his own pace, with lots of love and encouragement, Otis is going to be a sweet and goofy boy!

Otis is a 2 year old black male with natural ears. He came to rescue as an owner turn in. When he first came in to his foster home, he was terrified of everything, especially the other dogs in the house. After 2+ weeks he is starting to relax and realize that he is in a safe place. If he gets anxious about anything, he will go in his crate or seek out one of his people for some comfort and assurance. Otis is a sweet boy who is trying to get past his questionable beginnings. He knows his commands "sit" "down" "shake/paw". He is housebroken and crate trained and comes when called 100% of the time. He has not counter surfed and loves a ride in the car. When Otis is a bit more confident, he will go on his first walk in town. He's not quite there yet but he is OK on leash in the yard. Even though Otis is still not comfortable with the dogs in the house, he's getting surer of himself every day. He loves to run outside and he is doing remarkably well with his people. Otis is living in a quite home with 2 adults and his canine foster pack. He's insecure and will play with his foster parents for a little while then he needs to be reassured that its ok. A quite home with older children 12 plus would be the best for him. Otis has been left alone for 3-4 hours in his crate with a chew toy and he's fine. He doesn't have any separation anxiety but he does get very excited when you come home and gets the zoomies. With some patience and time, Otis is going to be a wonderful companion!

Otis came to MAGDRL in November 2011.

Note: We have evaluated these dogs to our best abilities. MAGDRL and its volunteers can not be held responsibile for any inaccuracies or omissions in dog evaluations. A dog may react differently in each situation.