Happy
ridgeback/shepherd/terrier Mix | male | 1 year Old | 75 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ Housebroken! ✔️ Good in car! ✔️ Walks well on leash!
✔️ Could live in an apartment! ✔️ Good for beginner dog owner! ❌ No cats!
Updates
Happy found a home of his own on August 28, 2021!
PUPDATE 3
Happy is probably the easiest foster we’ve ever had. He’s content with two walks a day, but won’t chew the arm off your couch if you have to skip one. Speaking of chewing, aside from one incident with a pillow, he does not chew things he’s not supposed to and can be left to free-roam while you’re gone. He hasn’t had a single accident in the house.
I took Happy swimming recently and he had a blast trying to chase ducks and frogs. He’s spent a little more time with kids recently and has generally done well. With small ones, he sometimes knocks them over just because he doesn’t know his own strength and he’s kind of a klutz! He stayed with a sitter for a few days and did well with their 3 small dogs and had so much fun playing with their teenage son (also they mentioned he was “delightful” to have around!).
Happy recently went to a Fetch event as an ambassador dog and met loads of people and loads of dogs. He’s not a fan of other dogs getting really up in his face, but his corrections are appropriate. With all the chaos of people and dogs coming and going, he was actually really relaxed! A busy household wouldn’t bother this guy one bit.
Really Happy’s only “vice” is his mouthiness. He doesn’t bite, he just likes to grab your hands/arms in his mouth when he’s excited. It’s fairly common in dogs as a way of asking for attention. It’s gotten better (he almost never jumps up any more) but it’s still a work in progress!
PUPDATE 2
Happy has been in our house for a few weeks now and I really feel like he's settled in and we've gotten to know his "true" personality. He's not bothered by loud noises, i.e. the vacuum, thunder, fireworks etc. Happy met the neighbor kids on-leash and he did well--he was excited to meet them but was still pretty gentle. I haven't gotten a chance to take him swimming yet but he does enjoy biting at the hose water!
He's met a few dogs now and he does great with smaller males and all female dogs. With males his size or larger, he needs slower intros but once he gets to know them he does totally fine. He'll play with other dogs that want to play but he mostly just ignores dogs that don't want to play.
Happy does bark at people that come into the house/yard, but once he gets a chance to sniff them he's fine. Also, his favorite job is "squirrel patrol!" He loves to just sit in the front yard on a tie-out, stare up into the trees and observe the neighborhood goings-on. Overall, Happy is a super easy guy and would be perfect for a beginner dog owner or a great addition to a family with dogs!
PUPDATE 1
Meet Happy! This gentle giant was found as a stray in Texas and has made his way to Wisconsin to begin the rest of his life!
Happy usually sleeps crated or out in our bedroom. During the day while we work from home, he hangs out in our home office, on the couch or on his dog bed. His favorite thing to do is watch for wildlife out the windows. He’ll have random, short bursts of energy where he’ll get the zoomies or want to play with his toys, but then it’s back to nap mode. Happy LOVES walks but only needs one or two a day to meet his exercise requirements. Pulls a little bit on leash but is easily corrected with a prong collar. He’s a medium-energy guy—he likes to run around outside but is content to chill inside. He also really likes car rides and is great in the car. He likes his toys but so far hasn’t chewed anything he’s not supposed to. I think he would do fine being left out while you’re gone, but we haven’t tested it yet.
Happy currently has one canine foster sister, who he does very well with. She’s a grumpy old lady who doesn’t want anything to do with him, and he figured that out right away and now they peacefully ignore each other. Allegedly he needs slow intros to other male dogs (we haven’t met any yet), but he lived with a male dog in his previous foster home and reportedly did great! Happy should absolutely not go to a home with cats; he thinks cats are furry chew toys. He has a high prey drive and loves to chase squirrels and bunnies—if you’ve got vermin eating your veggie garden, he’ll take care of that for you!
Happy loves all people he’s ever met. To my knowledge, he’s never met kids and while I think he would love them, he may also knock them over or accidentally mouth too hard during play. I think he could live with kids but of course all interactions between kids and dogs should be well-supervised. He likes to “mouth” your hands when he gets excited; this is something we’re working on! He knows sit and down, and we’re working on stay and come.
Happy is 100% potty trained and has never had an accident in the house. He’s currently about 80 lb but could stand to lose a few—his ideal weight is more like 70-75 lb. He previously had heartworm but just completed treatment for it (and never had any symptoms of disease anyway). Happy was treated for anaplasma with a round of antibiotics. He will most likely need a dental in the next 1-2 years.
Miscellaneous things about Happy:
He sits like a total weirdo (see pics!)
He has an adorable giant bowling ball head
LOVES to de-stuff stuffed toys. He’ll rip a hole in the toy and then vigorously shake it until all the stuffing flies out. Still working on getting him to clean it up afterwards…
He’s got freckles on his feet!
Doesn’t bark much
Overall Happy is a cheerful, easy-going guy who is just looking for a person/family to shower with love!