Boomer
Maltese/terrier Mix | male | 3 Years Old | 12 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Can free roam when alone! ✔️ Good in car! ✔️ Walks well on leash! ✔️ Good for beginner dog owner! ✔️ House broken! ❌ Some separation anxiety
Updates
Congrats to Boomer on his adoption August 20, 2020!
Boomer sleeps in his crate overnight, and is excited to greet me with a tail wag and a big smile when I wake up in the morning. We get up around 6:30am on weekdays, but he's happy to sleep in a bit later on the weekends. When I let him out of the crate in the morning, he runs downstairs and grabs a toy to play with right before I take him outside. After a walk and some more playtime, Boomer eats breakfast and lazes around while I work from home. We usually end up taking 4-5 shorter walks during the day. After those walks and some playtime, he loves watching Netflix and cuddling on the couch at night (bonus points for belly rubs!). Although I can tell that Boomer would happily cuddle in bed with me at night, he has started going right into his cozy crate at night to sleep there.
He does bark when the doorbell rings or when new people come to the house, but once they come in and he realizes they're okay, he really likes them. While he's definitely more focused on his owner, he'll happily play with others and get pets and attention from them. He did well at a sitter's house for one night, jumping right into their routine. He hasn't met any children yet that I know of!
Boomer is a medium energy dog who loves about an hour of walk time total per day. Boomer, although he is friendly overall, is kind of a nervous dog. He tenses up if he sees another dog while on leash. He does well in a heel position while on leash, so it's easy to redirect him if I see a dog in the distance. I've also been working on clicker training with him to associate the clicker with tasty treats, and treats/the clicker with other dogs while out on walks. Due to there being a lot of dogs in my neighborhood, I've been taking Boomer on shorter walks more often.
In the morning and at night after work, Boomer loves to play with all sorts of dog toys! He'll play independently some times, but he loves it even more if I play tug or fetch with him. He'll usually tire out after about 10-15 minutes of playtime.
Even though Boomer is nervous about other dogs while out on walks, he has done amazingly with my resident dog (5 lb neutered male) in the home. They're about the same age and energy level, so will snuggle and play together sometimes, or mostly ignore each other. Boomer doesn't even mind when my dog is a jerk and tries to take toys or bones away from him. Since I don't have any cats, I can't speak to how Boomer would do with one. Fetch can cat test Boomer if needed.
Boomer's nervousness shows when he is left alone, as he is a Velcro dog and would prefer to be with his human(s) as much as possible. He does fine while left free roaming in a smaller room while I'm gone, as he gets nervous and whines/barks while alone, but is not destructive at all. Especially as he's settled into his routine with me, he has begun to calm down more quickly while being left alone. A fun toy or tasty treat helps with that too. I've been working on teaching Boomer some more tricks and some boundaries to increase his confidence, and that's shown in how well he's improving both while being left alone and while out on walks. I also ignore him anytime he whines, so he's been learning that sitting nicely will get him way more attention than whining will.
Boomer was neutered later in life (a month ago) so he does try to mark some things if he's in a new home. He does fine with a belly band on, and doesn't need it after the first day, but it's something to keep in mind!
One thing that potential adopters should know is that the vet did note a grade 2-3 (low to moderate) heart murmur. He was taken in for an echocardiogram, where they did not note a heart murmur, and noted that found normal heart structure and function. However, since one vet did notice it, it would be something to discuss with your vet and keep in mind for the future. He is not showing any effects of a heart murmur right now and may never, but it could also be something that pops up later in life.
Despite his nervousness, Boomer is a very sweet boy who has made so much progress in terms of confidence in the few weeks that I've had him. He's adjusted to my routine so well, and we both really love cuddling on the couch at the end of the day. Any home that can commit to working on his confidence, giving him time to settle into a new routine, playing fetch, and giving plenty of belly rubs will be rewarded with a sweet, loyal, fluffy companion.