Hamlet
Great Pyrenees Mix | DOB: 10/17/2023 | MALe | 45 LBs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Good with cats! ✔️Good with kids! ✔️ Good in the car! ✔️ Walks well on leash! ✔️ Could live in an apartment! ✔️ Deaf dog ✔️ Enjoys doggy daycare! ✔️ Running buddy!
Updates
Hamlet is a typical puppy in all the best ways. He loves playing with his toys and other dogs, working on his training (mostly because of the snacks!), and sniffing around the neighborhood. But he's not a typical puppy in other ways. He's 95% housetrained (just make sure he goes out first thing in the morning and after naps) and he can sleep for a solid 7 hours so he won't wake you up in the middle of the night. He's also deaf, but that doesn't slow him down one bit!
Hamlet has been with me for about a week and he's been working on his training much like any other puppy. He just needs a bit of extra patience. He knows "sit" and "come here" and we've been working on a few other basics. He also is being trained with a vibration collar to help get his attention in more distracting environments. When Hamlet goes outside for walks we use a retractable leash and use the button on the leash as a way to let him know when he needs to focus on me because we're stopping or going in a different direction, but his leash manners could be better.
His typical day starts between 6 and 7 when he goes outside for a short walk and then comes back in for breakfast before we go to work. He comes to the office with me and will play with his toys or sleep in between trips out to the dog run for potty breaks and exercise. Hamlet loves meeting other dogs in the dog run and likes to share their toys and play chase. In the evening he gets dinner and we work on his training (right now we're focusing on self-control and calming down) and hang out with his cat buddy. At first Hamlet was extremely interested in the cat wanted to play, but when he got excited he pawed at the cat a bit so the cat doesn't like to engage. Now they mostly just take naps in the vicinity of each other. He likes to chew on things and sometimes confuses shoes and couch cushions for his toys, so he does need to be supervised in the house or crated when left alone. He goes out one last time for the day at around 11. He doesn't love going in his crate (but he's working on it), so he needs a little bit of extra coaxing and a treat. He settles quickly, and sometimes has an adorable snore. Given that he's deaf, once he's asleep, he's usually out for the full night, no matter what is happening in the house.
He has been a great dog to have in a downtown condo building because he isn't bothered by the sounds in the hallway or outside. He does get excited when he sees dogs and people on walks, but half the time that means he just stops in his tracks and sits and stares at them. The other half of the time I just have to distract him and then he moves on with his walk. He's a lot calmer than many of the other puppies I've fostered.
I think Hamlet would love to have a dog friend in his new home, because he gets along so well with other dogs and also because he's been much easier to work with on training after he's a little tired from playing. He's a sweet dog who just needs a little extra patience to show you how smart he is and how much he wants to learn!
3/24 - after a few more weeks with Hamlet, his personality is really coming out! We learned that he and his brothers are 51% Great Pyrenees, 40% Australian Cattle Dog, and a mix of other breeds including Chow Chow and Anatolian Shepherd. He definitely has the chill attitude of a big dog with the intelligence and curiosity of a cattle dog!
Hamlet is now in daycare and LOVES it. He has made lots of friends there, and regularly falls asleep on the less than 15-minute car ride home in the evenings. And since he doesn’t hear the garage or car doors when we get home, you might have to have to wake him up so he can get out of the car. When we get home he eats dinner and then he often sleeps for a bit more. When he naps on his blanket on the couch he likes to be tucked in. He also now goes to bed a bit earlier. I take him out one last time between 8:30 and 9:30 and he goes in his crate on his own as long as he gets his bedtime treat (a peanut butter kong or a small long-lasting treat chew). He still wakes up between 6 and 7.
In addition to hand signals for “sit” and “come” he’s learned ”leave it” and is getting better at “stay”. We’ve also worked on his leash manners with a prong collar and regular leash, and he has improved immensely. For the most part, he is now using a regular collar and leash and walks close to me without any tension on the leash. He still gets a little distracted when we see people or dogs, and he still just sits and stares. If Hamlet can find just the right stick, he will carry it with him for a few blocks.
He’s also become best friends with the cat and they look forward to every morning when he is let out of his crate and they are reunited. I still think he would be very happy with a dog or maybe a cat friend in his house, but daycare has been a great substitute!
