BHRR’s Agatha is AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
Health Status: HEALTHY! The recommendation is to keep her on one cc’s of B12 monthly for the next four months. Gwen(Vet Tech) has purchased the B12 and can either show the home on how to administer it subcutaneously, or the right matched forever loving adoptive home can have their Vet Hospital demonstrate.
Weight: ~70-75 pounds – still relatively lean & with her petite frame, she is at an ideal weight and body condition now. As she matures, she will put on more weight and muscle mass. She is not a BIG Great Dane.
Type of Home Ideal For Miss Agatha: She is an active and intelligent girl. She loves her walks, small hikes, and car rides and interacts well with people she meets, yet, she needs a quiet, socially low-active level home. A residence that, while visiting family plus friends and has people over, is not hosting BBQs or gatherings frequently of large groups of people. That is not Miss Agatha’s lifestyle or preference. She is quietly social and needs a home that is like her. She would adore cottage life; glamping over camping – she is a wee bit of a princess are things she enjoys. Visiting pet stores and pet-friendly places are great too. A home that understands and shall continue to help her learn about this big fantastic world that we live in. What we want is for her to live a quality, filled, wonderful life rich with experiences.
We want her to be happy, to live her best life every day. We want her to reach her full potential! We do not wish to see her kept in a bubble, yet there is that balance in ensuring that she is not overstimulated and then feels overwhelmed. She will then tune out. One could mistake it for stubbornness. That is not what is happening in these situations. Does she have a mind of her own? 100%; and we have encouraged her to be able to stand on all four paws too. However, it has taken a long time to have her decompress and settle.
She can be in a home that works ft; pt works from home is semi-retired or retired, etc. She is another versatile BHRR dog! She will ONLY go to a prepared home to ensure that she receives the balance she requires with proper exercise, socialisation, etc. She will only go to a dog-experienced home, one that remains committed to her obedience, structure, consistency, and to be patient, kind, and understanding, and while not hermits, they are not doing a hundred things each day.
The home does not have to be Dane experienced, yet they must be dog savvy. She is smart. She was once a bully and resource guarded items – yes, as a puppy – we know why this is the case and a big reason why she will not go to a home with children under the age of 12. We will consider a home if they have the right mature child, as young as 10. No more than two children in the home. A home without children is our first preference. Exposure to responsible children is good for her; having them give her treats is something she enjoys. We have exposed her to understand better that while children are fast, flighty, unpredictable, spastic, loud wee beings, that she is safe, and that children can be fun, with helpful, kind, caring hands! We are also happy to converse on the phone more about her past to help that right-matched personality fit home and understand why she is the way she is. She is not only genetically predisposed yet, but her environment before coming to our home/rescue has also shaped her. We have since used the environment to modify her behaviour plus help her understand how lovely the world is! We understand why she came into our home/rescue this way and have worked extensively with her. She now readily shares the communal water bowls and toys and understands that no human or dog is going to take her high-value food. She is fed in a quiet place – usually her colossal Crate and is not ever felt like she has been teased, bothered, or threatened. She knows that she will be fed enough food, fed on time and that no one is going to take her food away. She has been brilliant in figuring out many food puzzle toys and feeders! She now sits wonderfully with the other dogs at treat time and, while still a bit ‘mouthy,’ is so much better about taking the treat calmly without worry that another is going to take it away. She is excellent on her taking treats if she is by herself, and we have been working with the pack being around her for obedience reward treat time.
Per the above, she does not have to specifically go to a Great Dane-experienced home. Yet, she does need a dog experience home. A home, as mentioned, that is not over the top social is our preference for her. A home that has anxious owners is not suitable for a dog that has been working through her own level of discomfort. She is a very confident girl is so many ways, and she needs a quietly confident owner(s) that shall continue to help her reach her awesome potential. If you baby her, and do not have rules, structure, and consistency, she will step up and rule your home as she tries to create order in her life. That is not in her best interest! She needs a human leader(s) that will help guide, direct, and instruct in a positive, balanced manner that demonstrates to her that she is ok, and that we, as the humans are the ones to take care of her.
She loves home, her friends – she needs canine friends! She also loves to explore, go on small hikes, walks, car rides, and visit people/places that are not over the top busy. We are not advocates of dog parks. She needs a home that will give her new positive and great safe, memorable experiences. If you are a home that likes to take long slow infrequent walks/hikes/strolls, Miss Agatha is not for you…she is active, busy, and needs to be kept emotionally and physically stimulated. She is a young, healthy puppy. She will never be a marathoner and is not meant to be a running partner, yet she is lovely to have as a great companion to get out into nature, explore and even enjoy the beach!
Personality/Temperament: Loving, affectionate, goofy, calm, quiet inside the home yet loves her canine friends to run/play outside – some play rumbling is had in my home as I have a Dane only a week younger than her. She needs to be emotionally/physically properly stimulated, uber-sweet, social, active, gentle, plus kind. If not handled properly – she has the potential to develop SA behaviours, as do most dogs. She thrives with consistency, structure, routine, plus clear open communication so that she understands exactly what is being expected of him. Confusion causes her to worry a bit, and we have spent so much time with her so that she knows what is expected or being asked.
Previous Dog Experience: Previous dog experience is required per the above. While we would ideally like to see her in a home with at least one right-matched personality fit dog – it is not a deal-breaker. She needs a strong doggie friend network. That is so important for her. We have friends, she needs friends too. She adores her canine friends! She has gotten along with every dog she has met to date. Going to a responsible doggie daycare once a week for play dates would be wonderful for her too. She may not like it at first being a strange new place, yet, we want her to be more than a homebody. In a proper responsible daycare, she will be provided with additional enrichment, time away from home/owners to continue to properly build in the right direction her self-esteem and confidence.
Good With Cats: Unknown. Has been fine with our clinic cat yet, Mr. Chippy is a force to be reckoned with!
Good with Pocket Pets: Unknown.
Good with Children: NO small children. Children are fast, flighty, unpredictable, spastic, plus loud. We will consider homes with responsible children 12+. We will consider a home if they have the right mature child, as young as 10—no more than two children in the home. A home without children is our first preference.
Grooming: She is fine to wash and do nails. She needs a soft bristle brush on her coat once a week, and we recommend a monthly bath.
Car: She has also come SO far with car rides – getting in and out of the vehicle and enjoying the ride! She is learning that the world has so many fab adventures to experience!
Housebroken/Crate Trained: She is housebroken and Crate trained – she sleeps in a colossal crate. We never recommend that any new addition be given too much freedom to start. It can be very overwhelming plus too stimulating for them.
Obedience: She requires a home that will be consistent and dedicated to continuing to help her become the best dog that she can be. Her potential is enormous! Her leash manners have come a long way. She can pull at times, yet she is learning. A harness is an excellent tool.
Activities Suited For Her: Obedience
She excels in being a clown, loves toys, and running free in our safely fenced-in 3+ acre yard. She loves her friends….chasing, being chased, tug of war!
Loves & Bad Habits: She can still be a bit snatchy when taking treats. Occasionally she will still try to boss another dog around. She knows her mind, and if a dog or human is going to let her push them around, she will take that mile!
She loves treats – Benny Bully Liver treats are the best! In general, she loves food!
Like any dog, she is not perfect. She is perfect in all of her imperfections, though! NOT to mention stunning!
She is a super fantastic girl!
Anxieties/Worries: It is integral that the right matched personality fit home and does not spend 24/7 with her. During this pandemic, we still need groceries; we should still go out and walk about; we should still get in our cars and go for a small drive to go somewhere to do something! Time has been spent having her learn to not only like yet enjoy her own company. As we need our alone time, she must do too. She is a solid and stable dog, yet anxiety does brew under the surface as we work through her genetics/past.
As we have stated for over 26 years now, we will NEVER rush any dogs’ rehabilitation journey, we do not flip dogs, and we are not desperate to adopt them.
We will always place up for adoption the dogs that can be adopted and safe haven all others that cannot be placed up for adoption due to medical and/or behavioural reasons.
We do not take in hundreds of dogs yearly; we only took in 6 dogs in 2021 as it is about helping the next in need of us, giving them top-quality care, and not about taking in numbers. In 2022, we have ONLY taken in 10 dogs to date.
After 26+ years, we know that we cannot please everyone, which means that BHRR is not the rescue to be followed, supported, and believed in by everyone. We remain small plus mighty, and as we go through this next transitional stage for BHRR, we shall continue to operate with a zero-tolerance approach, plus providing up and beyond care to the animals.
Our mandates have never changed, and they will remain the same as long as we are around; the animals shall always be done right by as our priority.
Our adoption success rates remain second to no other group out there – 100% for over ten years of operating, and now 99% as we go through year 26, and we are excited as we go through this slow transition for BHRR!
You have come so far, Miss Agatha, and we are delighted you are making your special announcement!
