Finch (fka Buckshot)'s Story

This pup is 9 months old and a serious Wiggle Butt. But he wiggles his whole body. He is such a happy boy and gets along with every dog in my household. 

He is a work in progress when it comes to get him to go into his crate by himself. I have been giving him the command “kennel up”, which doesn’t work so well.

Since he was an outside dog, living in a kennel run 24/7 with other dogs, and he is a puppy (57#), I don’t see a problem with your dogs, grandchild or with you cats. I don’t think he has ever seen a cat before, he might have seen mine through the doorway.

He is two toned right now as he is shedding his kennel coat. He is a sweet boy with no fetching up. Just take things nice and easy and use a calm voice when talking to him. He has not had an owner be nice to him.

Adoption a success – New family Dan & Erika report on Finch’s introduction into his new home. We have been so happy to welcome him into our lives and frankly impressed to see him adjusting to so many new things so quickly.

We have been overjoyed with our new family member so far. While he certainly has his moments of nervousness, which we expected and were prepared for, we have been delighted to see him adjust quickly to his new home, schedule and activities.

After meeting him the first time, Susan, his foster mom, had informed us that he had very little experience being on a leash, or in a vehicle. We were able to work with him briefly during our visits to Colorado Springs and both of those things were apparent. His ride home was naturally a stressful experience for him, but he did eventually settle down. He was nervous to get into the vehicle the first day or so and had to be helped and encouraged, now he gets in and out as soon as he is prompted. We have been taking short daily and has become a great calm rider. I'm happy to report that while he was unsure of himself and was nervous the first few times out of the house, he has settled down dramatically and is becoming more confident and relaxed with every trip outside. He used to withdraw at the sight of a leash, he now seems quite comfortable with the leash and recognizes our outings a positive experience. Lots of patience and positive reinforcement have been key factors.

Thanks to his foster family's dedication, he has been an absolute dream at home.  Characteristic of his breed he loves being close at all times (except when he is napping in the sun on the back porch). He has been quiet for the most part and very settled in the apartment. He wasn't too sure about noises outside the front door at first as the neighboring children romped down the breezeway, but we have been working with him and he has made great strides in that department as well. During dinner time, he doesn't beg for food while we eat at the table (though he does love to stay close by).

The work your organization did to crate train him has been a great benefit while feeding him and bed time. He happily complies with the sleeping in the crate at night, but only after we convince him to give up his favorite spot on the couch (read as half the couch, he has long legs he just loves to stretch out in front of him).

Additionally, we are working on changing his name from Buckshot to Finch. My family had a wonderful dog named Buck who passed away a few years ago and we feel it is just a little too close.

Again we wanted to thank you for all you and your organization do for the amazing breed. You and any of your organization is more than welcome to come see him anytime we are available, especially Susan and Larry. I'm sure it has been a difficult week for them after saying goodbye to their furry family member. Please be sure to give them a special thanks from us for all of their work and dedication, and allowing us to visit with him multiple times before we could bring him home. They did a great job fostering him.

Thanks again,

Dan and Erika