Please note that this post is for information purposes and does not guarantee that these animals are yet or still available for adoption at Texas Humane Heroes. Please check the date of the post and call Texas Humane Heroes for further information on any of the animals.
Meet Dr. Bill!
Dr. Bill was turned in to the shelter for chewing on electric cords, furniture, bedding and paper in his former home. However, his foster has observed that he has not touched anything inappropriate at their home. It is possible that this desire to entertain himself stems from lack of exercise. He will pick up stuff that lies around though but drops it immediately when told so. He should be either supervised around the house, or crated.
There is a lot of clownery and attention seeking behavior. He will benefit from confined downtime after play time/exercise in order to learn that there are times when he has to be calm and self-sufficient.
The previous owner also said that Bill would not walk on a leash. He walks nicely, but gets nervous close to traffic, around loud noises and very excited when passing other dogs. All this can be managed well by not catering to his anxieties and excitability. He recovers quickly.
Dr. Bill does well in a crate and sleeps through the night (8-10hrs). He has not had any potty accident with his foster parent. It is obvious though that he would prefer to do his business without spectators around. Potty breaks in a yard and off leash work best at the moment. His foster parent also do not react when he eliminates (no excitement, no praise). The less fuss about the whole thing, the quicker he’ll get back to normal.
Bill gets worried when people approach him directly & quickly or hover above him. This can cause submissive urination. He might also urinate when he has been left alone and is eager to greet his person. Let the excitement subside before releasing him from the crate. Walk away after opening the crate and greet him when he is calm. If that does not prevent sprinkling, a male wrap/ belly band might help to avoid house soiling. Bill will probably mark in the house if another male dog lives there.
For house breaking accidents the general rule should be not to show any emotion, remove the dog from the room for clean up (enzymatic cleaner) and then feed and play in the same spot. Dogs keep their sleeping quarters, play area and feeding spots clean.
Bill is more open to unknown women than men. He remembers his foster dad though and is cool around him. Bill is scared of kids and gets startled by high pitched noises or shouting.
Most important for Bill will be structure and consistency to make him understand what humans expect from him and what we consider pleasant behavior.
Bill is friendly and playful with other dogs of all sizes. He displays excellent canine social skills and does not seek any confrontation.
If you are interested in Bill, please email Lindsey Thompson at lthompson@texashumaneheroes.org! Be a hero…adopt!
