BUCK

BUCK AB#19-123 – M, 7 Years

Gender: Male

Age: 7 years

Size/Weight: 49 lbs

Color: White & Orange

Breed: English Setter

Socialization/training: Buck spent the first 7 years of his life living outside or in a garage with not much socialization or training. He learned sit quickly and is so proud of himself when he does it. He sits for meals, prior to going into the crate, and we are working on sitting before he comes inside. He’s learning down and not to counter surf as well. He was quick to pick up not jumping on people. He’s a sensitive boy and seems eager to please. He’s very gentle taking treats and doesn’t exhibit any food guarding. He’s super food motivated which is great for training.

Good with Children: Yes, but I would recommend a home with older kids that won’t pull on him.

Good with Dogs: Buck is good with known dogs after a careful introduction as long as they aren’t dominant. He’s learning how to play appropriately and gets along well with my dog. They like to wrestle, chase and can also be mellow together. He is dog reactive (excitement) but doesn’t seem to be aggressive as I have never seen the hair stand up on his back and his tail is usually wagging. However, he does have a big overly excited bark for dogs who bark at him from the other side of the fence and he can bark and lunge on leash at new dogs when on a walk. He doesn’t initiate fence barking, but does bark back. We are working on desensitization for fence barking and he gets lots of practice with the neighbor dogs. He would be perfectly fine being an only dog so he could get all the attention.

Good with Cats: He hasn’t been tested with cats.

House trained: Buck has only had a couple of peeing accidents in the house. We go out regularly and he gets lots of praise when he goes potty outside. He will go stand by my back door when he has to go potty. He hasn’t exhibited any tendencies towards marking in the house. He doesn’t chew things he shouldn’t and is learning not to counter surf.

Crate trained: Buck goes into a crate easily with just a treat. He stays in his crate while I am at work and has been sleeping in his crate as well although I imagine he’d be a great bed cuddle buddy if allowed. He doesn’t seem interested in chewing anything he shouldn’t, so once he’s 100% house-trained I wouldn’t see any reason he’d need to be crated.

Leash trained: He is working on walking nicely on a leash, and for never having been walked (I assume anyway) he’s definitely not the worst I’ve ever encountered although he does pull some. He’s come a long way in the few weeks I’ve had him and seems to respond best to a no pull harness with the leash clipped in front. He loves his walks, but best to be cautious when approaching strange dogs on walks right now due to his excitement/reaction until he learns how to properly say hello. He responds well to correction and checks in to make sure he’s doing the right thing.

Activity Level: Buck is the best of both worlds. He’s got plenty of energy to romp around the yard exploring or playing chase with my dog for a while and then will lay down for a rest. He’s relaxed inside and will plop down at my feet and sleep. His favorite thing is rolling in the grass.

Fence: Hard fence at least 5 feet tall would be required.

Behavior: Buck has missed out on 7 years of love and attention and he’s eager to make up for lost time. He adores being touched and brushed and tolerates baths. He wants to hold your hand. When you pet him, he nearly melts into you, flops over and offers his tummy for rubs. He also thinks he should be a lap dog. At the same time he’s not attached to my side. He will go relax on his own. He doesn’t bark at every little noise - it takes a good reason for him to bark and he rarely does.

Medical History: Buck is neutered and is current on vaccines. He was great at his vet visit – flopped over immediately for belly rubs when the vet bent down to examine him.

Foster Comments: Buck is a total lover, an expert fly catcher, unphased by fireworks and other loud noises, a polite car passenger, very friendly with new people, smart and a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Once he learns what I want him to do he’s great at checking in to make sure he’s being a good boy. He has some neck sensitivity – the fur was gone from the underside of his upper neck when he was picked up from the shelter, possibly due to a too tight collar or being tied up in his past life. Sometimes he is startled by someone grabbing at his collar – which is the reason I wouldn’t recommend him going to a home with small children. I keep a leash on him that he drags so I can grab the leash or step on it should I need to. However, he also LOVES being scratched on his neck – it’s probably one of his favorite places to be scratched and he offers it up regularly. He is learning how to control his excitement/reaction around unknown dogs and he’s made big improvements in the few weeks he’s been with me, but his forever family should plan to continue working with him on this.

Adoption Fee: $250

Foster Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Volunteer transport can be arranged in the Continental US within a 1,000 mile distance between adopters & foster home. Typically, we are able to transport your adopted dog to within 2 hours of your home. *Dogs can be adopted outside the 1000 mile transport distance; however, adopters must be willing to either fly their adopted dog, drive to a location within the 1000 mile transport range, or make independent transport arrangements for their adopted dog. Transports to far West states, from Eastern states, may have additional restriction