Rescue Tails / Louis

Contributed by Tara McFarland, Director of Operations

He had a sweet salty grey face with big brown round eyes that sat under soft floppy ears. His small body was propped up by long, thin legs and he had a beautiful light brindle coat. Louis was afraid, his eyes wide, head tucked and unsure. Louis was being surrendered to our Marathon Campus due to behavior issues, specifically for trying to bite people and even other dogs. Having ruled out any underlying medical issues, his family decided they could no longer keep him.

Many small dogs get a reputation for having a bad attitude which can vary from barking to biting. For many the reason behind the attitude stems from a combination of genetics, anxiety and a lack of investment. Most owners of medium – large breed dogs invest in their pets, beginning at a young age with a focus on basic training. These dogs are taught basic commands such as “sit”, “lay down” and cute tricks like “paw”. In contrast, small dog owners tend to let their dog do as they please, missing out on an important opportunity to build a better relationship with their pet.

We generally see these behaviors take hold around 2 years old, the age that a dog reaches adulthood. This is why so many shelter dogs are 1 – 2 years old. They’ve hit their teenage to young adulthood stage, beyond the cute puppy phase, when “suddenly” the lack of investment, training and relationship building has accumulated into behavioral concerns. So, staring at Louis’s grey face was quite surprising. Rarely do senior pets come into the shelter for behavior problems.

It took Louis a few days to decompress and begin to trust staff. At the time he was with us, we had several small dogs at the shelter he was able to befriend for companionship. Despite being told he was trying to bite other dogs, we never saw an ounce of aggression towards the younger, more energetic pups. Instead he was patient and gentle, even offering appropriate corrections when warranted.

We wanted Louis to thrive in a new home, and concluded that the best possible outcome would be a quiet home, one with no small children or frequent visitors. We felt that in this environment Louis would feel much more comfortable allowing him to relax, let his guard down, and enjoy his golden years. As if our dreams came true, Louis found exactly that with his new mom Kristie. She recently sent us this heartwarming update: “Please let everyone know that Louis is doing fine. He is a model citizen. He reminds me of what real dogs are supposed to be like. I’ve had so many shelter dogs that have mental trauma that I almost forgot what it was like to have a normal dog. He’s a gentleman, he sleeps right next to me and he’s always up for everything! When I come home he just leaps in the air like 10 times to welcome me.”

There’s something extremely special about adopting a senior pet. To honor our beloved grey faced pets we’re celebrating that November is “Adopt a Senior Pet Month” by waiving adoption fees for all pets aged 6 and up all month long. You can view all of our adoptable animals, see their photos and check their ages at both our Key West and Marathon Campuses by visiting us at https://fkspca.org/adopt/.

Thanks!

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