BHRR's Rambo is headed to the Vet with me on Saturday for a new weight!
If that weight is anywhere near where I think it may be and where I want it to be; this boy shall be ready to be placed up for adoption!
HE has so thrived here at BHRR. He is no longer that super confused and emotionally messed up boy. He is a high energy, toy crazy, tug of rope, playful, affectionate and loving sweetie!
Do not get me wrong; he is a strong minded boy and any home of his is going to have to understand that if he is fearful; you have to take his collar in one way(gentle, passively reassuring) and if he is acting 'tudeman; take his collar in another way(positive, firm yet gentle and calmly confident). YOU have to know the difference with how he is communicating wit you! YOU cannot manhandle him and as we always say; BHRR does not support nor will have our dogs in homes that believe in any form of punitive or harshly corrective methods.
He walks nicely(still can pull and tug) on a flat buckle collar, is very responsive to commands, eager to please, very talkative(still loves to have conversations with his food bowl once it is empty), continues to share the water bowl very well, is fully integrated with all the dogs here; is not a dominant sort at all with the males here(once he learnt to be more like a dog; instead of trying to control all that was around him in the face of such instability in his past before coming to BHRR; he has settled right in). He is such a handsome smaller male and while he still plays quite rough; he has been learning self-control with the power of his play and mouth.
This boy in the right situation will be a fear biter out of sheer feelings of having to be defensive to try and protect himself. NO question. He is never to ever be set-up for failure that he would feel like he had to be that way. He has had so much stress in his short life; that it has taken much time to get him to destress, relax, enjoy life and not be so tense. He is a real class clown and character and one has to pay close attention to his nonverbal cues; to note when he may feel uncomfortable; which these days; is not with much and usually involves correcting him for counter surfing or garbage raiding or running off with the kids clothes or towels or yup; good ol' paper towel roles thanks to BHRR's Dana! SHE wuvs him! LOL You tell him in a clearly open communicative manner 'No Rambo' or 'No Garbage Rambo' etc. and if you have to go get him as he is a young dog, in training and growing/maturing and testing; then you take his collar positively, never threateningly and you do not drag or pull or force him. AND you have to be careful still about the eye contact during moments like this. YOU do not stare him down. That just intimidates him and worries him. You look 'at' him' and catch his eyes; yet you do not stare.
This boy is finally learning that we are the leaders, we are going to take care of him, we are going to protect him and his job is to be a happy, affectionate, playful, wanting to please(AND boy! DOES he ever want to please! An obedience dog he can be!) dog. Just that simple.
He has learnt that he shall be fed and on time and with enough food, that we are not going to allow him to push other dogs around(gooberhead when he first arrived!) and that we are also not going to allow other dogs to want to push him around…..right Brick? 😉
He has dominant tendencies and we have worked hard to ensure that his confidence is properly shaped and directed and is totally responding. I am so impressed with him!
He is a vocal one and one could mistakenly think he is being aggressive when he is just talking and expressing his feelings.
He will ONLY be adopted to a very experienced dog home; Doberman experience wonderful yet not necessary(his last home before coming to BHRR was suppose to be a Doberman experience home; yet; BHRR's Rambo was allowed to grab at his leash and collar when it was being put on and that was a set-up for failure – excitement issues).
He can go to a home with older children, cats are unknown, another right matched personality fit dog or dogs are great(he gets along with both males and females), a home that works full time or parttime or from home or semi retired or retires are all possible. A home that is active yet; not so packed full of activities that he becomes over stimulated and loses focus and the self-control slips.
He is so versatile in so many ways in respect to the type of home for him. On the other hand; only the right matched personality fit home shall do!