AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
BHRR’s Simon is AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
Health Status: HEALTHY! We would ideally like to do a transitional adoption with Mr. Simon to ensure that he is not anxious or stressed. He internalizes his worries which then can manifest with him doing excessive grooming. We had to place him on a very low dose of Trazodone to help him from self-comforting by licking his feet/lower legs.
Age: ~3.5 years old!
Weight: ~105 pounds – still relatively lean & could use a bit more in muscle mass/weight
Type of Home Ideal For Mr. Simon: He is an overall chill, calm boy. He likes his walks and interacts well with people he meets, yet, he needs a quieter/peaceful physical activity level home. A home that understands that he once used to live in a barn and to help him learn about this big fantastic world that we live in. He has come SO far with sights, smells, and sounds! His current foster resides in Kemptville, so he sees/hears/smells many incredible things. They live off a busy road – the 43 –, and he does great. What we want is for him to live a quality, filled, wonderful life.
We want him to be happy, to live his best life each and every day. We want him to reach his full potential! We do not want him kept in a bubble, yet there is that balance in ensuring that he is not overstimulated and then feels overwhelmed. He will then shut down. It has taken a long time to have him/Mr. Lewis, too, decompress. He can be in a home that works ft; pt works from home is semi-retired or retired, etc. He is another versatile BHRR dog! He will ONLY go to a home that is prepared to ensure that he receives the balance he requires with proper exercise, socialisation, etc. He should go to a dog-experienced home, one that remains committed to his obedience, structure, consistency, and to be patient, kind, understanding, and not hermits.
He does not have to specifically go to a Saint Bernard experienced home. A home that is not over the top social – he can alert bark when people first arrive at his foster home. He has been given treats, then passively ignored, and even placed in his Crate to process the new arrivals. Gwendilin Boers was over recently, and this approach worked excellently by meeting first outside, then going inside. He made only one soft ‘woof’ in his Crate, and when he came out, just a calming word, passively ignored, given lots of treats, and they were fast friends. A home that has anxious owners is not suitable for a dog that has been working through his own level of anxiety. He needs a quietly confident owner(s). He is not be babied or felt sorry for. That is not in his best interest. He needs a human leader(s) that will help guide, direct, and instruct in a positive, balanced manner that demonstrates to him that he is ok. He loves home, yet; he also likes his walks. We are not advocates of dog parks. He needs a home that will give him new positive and great safe, memorable experiences. If you are a home that likes to take long slower walks/hikes/strolls, Mr. Simon could be for you. He will never be a marathoner, and is not meant to be a running partner, yet he is lovely to have as a great companion for way more than a block or two of walking, etc.!
Personality/Temperament: Loving, affectionate, calm, quiet inside the home yet can be vocal when visitors arrive. He needs to be emotionally/physically properly stimulated, uber-sweet, social, active in his way, gentle, plus kind. If not handled properly – he has the potential to develop SA behaviours. He is not an overly active dog. He needs consistency, structure, routine, plus clear open communication so that he understands exactly what is being expected of him. He has mastered the lawn rolling, is figuring out how to play, and is still learning what a dog bed is for!
Previous Dog Experience: Previous dog experience is required per the above. While we would ideally like to see him in a home with at least one right-matched personality fit dog – he has been OK with both males/females, yet leaning more towards a female, it is not a deal-breaker. He lives in a foster home with a female Newfx, rabbits, and a cat who thinks he is a dog(Gwennie LOVES this cat!) and interacts well with them!
Good With Cats: His present foster home has a cat. Integration is always crucial.
Good with Pocket Pets: His current home has pocket pets & operates a Rabbit Rescue.
Good with Children: NO children. Children are fast, flighty, unpredictable, spastic, plus loud. We will consider homes with responsible teenagers 16+.
Grooming: He is OK to wash and do nails. He needs to be brushed regularly, and we recommend a few sessions yearly of professional grooming – with an experienced groomer – to keep his gorgeous coat looking its best.
Car: He has also come SO far with car rides – getting in and out of the vehicle. He is learning that the world has so many fab adventures to experience!
Housebroken/Crate Trained: He is housebroken and Crate trained – he 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: He requires a home that will be consistent and dedicated to continuing to help him become the best dog that he can be. His potential is enormous! His leash manners have come a long way. He can pull at times, yet he is learning.
Activities Suited For Him: He is calm plus has fantastic manners, and to us, he is low maintenance.
He would excel in being an incredible loyal family member.
Loves & Bad Habits: He can drool. He does bark when visitors arrive.
He loves treats – Benny Bully Liver treats are the best!
Like any dog, he is not perfect. He is perfect in all of his imperfections, though! NOT to mention gorgeous!
He is an exceptional boy!
Anxieties/Worries: It is integral that the right matched personality fit home does not spend 24/7 with him. 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 him learn to not only like yet enjoy his own company. As we need our alone time, he must do too. He is a solid and stable dog, yet anxiety does brew under the surface as we work through years of being kept in a barn. It shows up with him licking his feet/lower legs. He BONDS fast to his humans.
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 out.
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 5 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, Mr. Simon, and we are delighted that you are making your special announcement!
