OREO HAS A BITE HISTORY

Oreo is a wonderful dog with lots of love, strength, and a joy for life. She was surrendered by her owners because she was aggressive with their other dogs. She bit her owners when they would try to break up the dogfights she started, and they finally felt they needed to find her a home where she could be an only pet.

About 10 days after Oreo came into FBRN, her foster mom found her trembling in her crate, unable to stand. Oreo was rushed to the emergency vet: three bulging discs had put pressure on her spinal nerves and caused paralysis. She underwent surgery to remove parts of the discs and spent several weeks recuperating and getting physical therapy. Her outcome was better than we could have hoped: she has recovered 80-90% of her abilities and will continue to make improvements over the next few months.

So what does all this mean for Oreo’s future? Physically, her back needs to be protected. There is a small chance that her disc problem could reoccur. To help prevent this, she must not be allowed to jump up or down from the furniture, the car, etc. She will need a forever home with few (if any) stairs. She is 90% housebroken and is still regaining her control in this area. Her new owner should expect some accidents in the first few weeks as she adjusts to her new surroundings. She is crate trained but she will bark when she is lonely or wants to go out.

Oreo needs strong pack leaders to help her understand that she is not the boss. She loves to play and gets very excited. In foster care, she has not bitten anyone, but she is mouthy when she plays. Experienced dog owners are required for Oreo, especially those who understand how to draw the line between play and unacceptable behavior. In her foster home, Oreo has made it clear that she will chase and dominate any other creatures she can (dogs, cats, squirrels, small children, etc.) especially if she thinks the pack leaders are not looking.

Oreo would be happy in any type of one story house or an apartment with an elevator. She should not be allowed to roam unsupervised in any place that she could jump from. She is quite well behaved on leash, so a fenced yard is not required for her. She is not a good candidate for the dog park since she is so bossy, but she would love to stroll around the neighborhood with you. She would not be good office dog as she barks a fair bit and would not get on with other dogs there. She would be best for someone who can give her a mid-day potty break or be home with her part time.

Her foster mom says, “Oreo is a sweetheart! She really just needs a strong leader. She loves to spend time with her people. She is a good watchdog in the classic Frenchie style – she’ll bark when she hears a noise but would play with a burglar! The perfect home for her would be someone who wants a canine companion to go on lots of walks with. (She is regaining her strength so she can do short gentle walks now, and will have to gradually build up to longer walks.) She gives lots of kisses, and plays gentle games of tug and fetch with me. I’m trying to teach her not to jump up on people, but that is a work in progress. She would be the perfect dog for empty-nesters or semi-retired folks who have the time and energy to do things with her. The most important thing is that she has strong, experienced pack leaders who will not let her get too big for her britches. When she understands she is not the boss, she is a great dog.”

Oreo is being fostered in the autumnal splendor of Upstate New York, and is looking for a forever home for the holidays. She will not be shipped.

Apply for me here!