Are you looking for a handsome Frenchie boy to be your one and only? Are you able to provide guidance and structure to a boy who can be a little naughty but desperately wants to please his human? And do you want to be the “happily ever after” for a dog whose life has been anything but a fairy tale so far? If so, then you just might be the perfect match for our resident brindle hunk, Jake.

Jake was rescued by a Good Samaritan who noticed that he was being kept outside 24/7, night and day, rain and shine. All those years spent outdoors meant that Jake never learned how to be a pet. He wants to be a good boy—he really does!—but he’s still figuring out what that means. Fortunately, Jake’s foster mom has patience in spades, and she gave Jake as much time as he needed to adjust and come out of his shell. During his first two weeks in foster care, Jake spent most of his time in the safety of his crate, emerging only to eat, go potty, and occasionally play with his favorite yellow ball. Slowly but surely, he began to warm up to his foster mom, and the challenge then became to gently show Jake what types of behaviors are acceptable (and not acceptable) for a pet dog. Fortunately, Jake is a smart boy who thrives with one-on-one attention. His new family should continue a training regimen, both as a bonding activity and as a way to help Jake feel more secure. The better Jake understands his place in his household, the more comfortable he feels, so firm but gentle leadership from his people is a must.

Jake’s most significant behavioral issue is snapping, particularly in new situations or when someone tries to touch his ears, paws, and belly. This makes some sense, since Jake suffered from severe untreated allergies and chronic ear infections before his rescue, and must have been in a great deal of pain and discomfort (poor boo). This reactive behavior decreased significantly as he became comfortable with his foster mom, but his new family should expect similar behavior as he adjusts to a brand new home. This is another area where continued training will greatly benefit both Jake and his people.

Fortunately, Jake’s previously poor health is well on the mend. His severe allergies (and resulting ear/skin infections) are kept under control with a special diet and regular medicated baths. Jake also had successful surgery to widen his nares and palate. Before surgery, Jake could barely walk five minutes without gasping for air. His breathing is much improved now, but it is still essential that he be monitored for overheating during his not-too-long walks, and it’s harnesses only for this boy—no collars and certainly no chains.

Jake’s dream home is one with adults only, and no other animals to compete with for attention. This is especially true when it comes to cats, birds, and other small animals, as Jake has a high prey drive and will attempt to make a snack out of anything he thinks he can catch. Due to his snapping behavior, he cannot be around children, although a household with older, responsible teenagers might be okay. Jake would love to have a fenced yard where he can sniff to his heart’s content and play with his beloved squeaky toys, but it’s not mandatory. And while his behavioral issues preclude him from being a take-to-work dog, he’s happy to spend the day snoozing in his crate, especially with some relaxing background music to keep him calm. And if your office is at home, all the better! More than anything, Jake needs a family who can demonstrate patience, leadership, consistency, and love. It will take considerable time and effort for Jake to take root in his new home, but once he does, he will certainly bloom.

It took Jake close to 6 weeks to feel comfortable with his foster mom, but once he did, he became (in her words) a “sweet little teddy bear of a pup.” Jake isn’t a particularly needy dog—he doesn’t attach himself to his person’s legs, and he’s fine hanging out in his crate or playing with a stuffie on his own—but he certainly loves human attention. He’s also not shy about asking for pets, and has been known to crawl into his foster mom’s lap or put a paw on her knee when he wants some scritchy-scratches on the head. Jake is also an absolute fiend for squeaky toys, and will drop whatever he is doing if he hears that telltale squeak. Sunning himself on the patio is another favorite pastime.

No one knows Jake better than his foster mom, and here’s what she has to say: Jake is a cautious, skeptical, sweet little boy, shy and unsure of new humans because of his original owners and living situation. However, he has shown by living with us that he hasn’t lost faith in humanity. He has regained his love for humans, and deserves a great, patient, and understanding family to love him forever!! It took about 4-6 weeks for him to fully warm up to us. But once he did, he turned into this loving, playful, quirky little boy. My favorite thing to see him do is rest his chin on his human while sitting or standing near them.”

If you’ve got the patience, know-how, and love to give Jake his well-deserved happy ending, then click on the link below and tell us why the two of you would make the perfect match. Just be prepared to travel, as Jake is currently chewing on a squeak toy in the great state of Texas (DFW, to be precise) and will not be shipped.

FBRN dogs are in foster care in people’s private homes. For the foster families’ safety, we do not disclose specific locations, and we don’t set up meet and greets prior to applications. For detailed information about the dogs in our care, please read the extensive bios on each dog.