Oliver
Oliver's Story:
Oliver is a 1-year-old male PW Corgi who was surrendered to rescue at less than 1 year of age due to a habit of biting
Adoption experienced dog owners only; NO young children and no other dogs - no exceptions!
Training:
Oliver is completely housebroken and crate-trained. He does not always like to go into his crate and sometimes requires a treat or lure to encourage him to enter. He occasionally wakes up at night needing to go out but takes care of himself quickly and settles back to sleep without fuss. One “quirk” we have noticed is that he will relieve himself on concrete – there seems to be no preference for grass, even when it is readily available. Oliver rides in the car well. He rides quietly and without fuss, and seems to enjoy trips. He does sit (unreliably) and we have been working on all his basic commands. His leash training needs work. He enjoys walks and does not fight the lead but is easily distracted and will lunge at passersby if allowed to do so.
The Vet:
Oliver has had a lot of experience with the vet for a dog his age. Unfortunately, none of it seems to have been positive, at least from his perspective. At about 4 months of age, his previous owner pushed his away for biting and he suffered a fracture to the 5th metacarpal on his left front paw. He endured weeks of bandage changes which may attribute to his dislike of being handled. He enjoys the visit up to the point of being touched for an exam – he likes greeting the staff, getting petted and getting treats. However, he knows what it means when someone reaches for his head or his hindquarters and is strongly reactive. He will bite if given the opportunity. We are experienced with vet-reactive dogs and had been warned in advance of the possibility with him. We found him rather easy to manage having been armed with this knowledge. A small dab of peanut butter was used to encourage him to put his muzzle on, and we recommend that he not ever be seen at the veterinarian without one for both his safety and the safety of the veterinary staff. Our veterinarian recommended Tramadol prior to appointments to help curb the aggression. We personally have used this technique with one of our canines with success. I would also add some “vet training” if possible – light visits where he goes to the office to get weighed, fussed over, petted and handled a bit without any invasive procedures, to help desensitize him to visits.
Personality:
Oliver is a typical young corgi – happy and active. He does all the typical corgi things – frapping, splooting, etc. He is quite independent and does not snuggle, although he is curious about us and what we are doing (and have in our hands). He will show affection by jumping up and giving you a touch on the cheek with his nose. He is a power chewer and needs to have plenty of toys that will stand up to his powerful little jaws. He does limit his chewing to appropriate items that he has been given for the most part and does not seem to steal shoes and other items that are not given to him to chew. He particularly enjoys the Kong toys and will toss them and chase them on his own to play. Oliver knows how to fetch and return and will keep the game going for 10 minutes or so. He also enjoys a game of tug-of-war. He does entertain himself well and being on his own for reasonable periods of time does not seem to bother him. He does play “Corgi rough” and we have kept a close eye on him to ensure his play does not get out of control due to his history of biting.
Socialization:
Oliver has not been socialized to other dogs and has very rude manners. He likes to playfully nip and bark in the faces of our older dogs, who have all let him know they are not amused. Our youngest corgi has made some play overtures to him, however, and we have been working with him on his behaviors. Walking with the others seems to help, as he learns by observing how they behave.
Overall:
Oliver does best when he is being kept busy. He was surrendered for biting, but in the time he has spent with us we have not had any issues. He becomes “nippy” in play very quickly unless a toy or ball is used to refocus him. When we notice that he is becoming “mouthy” we have been careful to end the game immediately and give him a time-out if necessary, so that he learns that playing rough ends the fun. We have done some things with him that he has not liked – lifting him when he would rather be down; putting him into his crate when he’d rather be out, removing something he wants but should not have, etc. – and he has not tried to bite at all. I wonder if he was biting out of fear but am unwilling to put him into a frightening situation just to test the theory. We would recommend a home with an experienced corgi person who would include Oliver in leading an active lifestyle; one without other dogs (due to the current lack of manners) and one without children due to the history of biting. We have treated him calmly and firmly, given him plenty of yard time and exercise, and he has responded well.
Oliver is neutered, current on vaccinations and on heart-worm and flea/tick prevention. His adoption fee is $275
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