He may not be a famous Italian plumber from Mushroom Kingdom, but Luigi from FBRN is ready to make a name for himself on the available page! This six-year-old, brindle-pied beau was surrendered when his former owner had difficulty managing his separation anxiety and reactivity to other dogs. Luigi is now ready to race his way into the hearts of his new family.

According to his foster, Luigi is the perfect companion because he’s the best of both worlds (and we’re not talking about the cartoon world). He loves being with people and snuggling but he also absolutely adores playing fetch with rubber balls and will continue until exhausted. And as long as he has something durable to chew on, like Nylabones and Kong-type chews, he’s a happy camper! He is housetrained, crate trained, knows basic commands and, if a treat is involved, he’s all in and ready to learn. Because Luigi is so people-focused, he does have a strong desire to please.

While his reactivity to the resident dogs in his foster home was pretty severe in the beginning, his foster family has worked hard with behavioral recommendations from a specialist and Luigi has greatly improved! After much patience and slow introductions, Luigi now gets along very well with the resident dogs and even plays and rolls around with the Frenchie puppy. He has shown some signs of resource guarding toys and treats by snapping at dogs who get too close so he must always be monitored around those things and other dogs. He is fairly dominant with other dogs and prefers to be in charge so potential adopters with a canine must be prepared to work through any initial reactivity and perform slow introductions into the household. He shouldn’t go to a home with cats as his behavior around them is unknown. And while he hasn’t been around children in his foster home, he could do well with older children who won’t try to take away toys or treats and who have some dog knowledge and respect.

Not only has his dog reactivity greatly improved, but Luigi’s separation anxiety has also decreased. He used to whine and cry quite a bit when left alone but now he rarely shows any signs. This improvement is likely due not only to his foster family’s commitment to the behavioral recommendations but also to the 20mg of Prozac he receives every evening. He must continue on this medication under the guidance and management of a veterinarian and it must never be stopped abruptly. We can all use a little extra help sometimes and if medications help Luigi, we’ll take it! Because of his behavioral history, potential adopters with previous experience working with reactivity and/or separation anxiety are preferred. His new family should plan on working with a trainer to help him adjust to his new environment and continue with all of the wonderful improvements he has shown while in foster.

So what does an ideal home for Luigi look like? Obviously, if he were reviewing the applications, he would prioritize any stay-at-home/work-from-home people. But, his foster parents work outside of the home and he has been adjusting quite well with a midday break or time with a dog sitter. They are home most of the time outside of work so he does get quality companionship. Given his history of reactivity, a calmer household might suit him best. If you are lucky enough to work in a dog-friendly environment, he would love to go to an office. He loves meeting new people and is well behaved. He would also like for his new abode to have a fenced yard, if possible, because he prefers getting his exercise from playing fetch as opposed to going on walks. He doesn’t particularly enjoy the harness and he will stop walking when he feels he has gone far enough, even if you aren’t home yet.

His foster parents want interested applicants to know, “We just want Luigi to have a family or person that will see the wonderful potential and amazing personality within him that we have seen. He is an absolute joy to be around once you give him time to adjust and find his place in a home. He’s come to fit in perfectly with our pack. He’s the best snuggler and loves to lightly nibble ear lobes. He has the most beautifully unique coloring and stocky Frenchie build. His smile lights up a room.”

Luigi is too big to fly but enjoys riding in the car so if selected, plan your road trip to Arizona. You won’t even need snow tires!

FBRN does not ship dogs as cargo, so adopters are expected to pick up their dogs from their foster family.

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.