Foster update: I'm sure we all have a friend, or at least know someone, who is introverted with a strong personality. They don't always enjoy meeting new people. They much prefer smaller group settings and if they have to attend an event with a large number of people, they aren't going to be friendly with everyone. If someone over steps their boundaries, they might even react poorly to them. But if there is one attribute this friend has, THEY ARE LOYAL! They'll never leave your side (maybe needy at sometimes) and they will always be there for you.
Now picture that friend with four legs, and you have Omega! Introverted with people he doesn't know, and until he has a relationship with a person, he might not want them near him. He's not much of a people person, but he can handle himself well as long as his boundaries are respected. Men tend to make him uncomfortable.
He thrives on a good relationship with his handler. He has very good manners, he listens well, and loves attention! He loves other dogs but would do best in a home with a confident dog who is also tolerant. Omega can be pushy to play at times and he plays rough! He is a huge toy dog and is good at keeping himself occupied with them. He is always down for a good hike and running around the yard.
Omega was surrendered with his sibling earlier this year. You can tell neither one had much socialization outside of their household. He lacks confidence in situations he is unfamiliar with, but who can blame him? He was left at a shelter, where not long after his sibling found placement, so everything he knew was gone. His life got flipped upside unexpectedly and he didn't understand what was going on.
He is house broken and crate trained, although the occasional accident in the crate does happen. He doesn't always appreciate being left alone, so a durable crate is needed. He would do best in a quiet home as he will not do well with a constant flow of people coming and going.
Omega is desperately looking for a committed foster, rescue, or adopter! We unfortunately aren't able to commit long term fostering for him since we could move at any time. He completely shuts down at the shelter and none of us want to send him back to that environment. He's grown so much since I brought him home and he deserves a loving home. He may be socially awkward, but he is loyal and so loving ??
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Foster update: Want your own painted dog? Omega is a gorgeous 2 yo pup who is playful with other dogs, very devoted to his people, and overall a very good boy.
- housetrained & cratetrained
- good with dogs (his foster homes have 1, 3, and 6 other dogs in them and he came from a home with another dog)
- happy to share toys with people or other dogs and no signs of guarding food from either (though he is fed separately from other dogs in his foster homes since, well, that's the smart thing to do in multi-dog homes)
- good with the kids and dog-savvy people he's met
- very attached to his people (and open to expanding the circle--he circulates between 3 foster homes and has developed a close relationship with the people in each)
- neutered, HW negative (on preventative), and UTD on vaccines
- affectionate, smart, and eager to learn
The AKC's webage describes Catahoulas as, "a multi-purpose working dog that is ...serious while working and playful at home. ... [T]hey can be independent, territorial, and protective. For the same reasons, they do not allow mistreatment and will assert themselves in self-defense. Once they know their place in the family unit, they are affectionate, loyal, and gentle."
This fits Omega to a "t" (now I need to look up the history of that expression, lol). While he's curled up next to me snoring right now, he's up and ready to go as soon as I stand up and loves his hikes and play time with dog friends (in the video he and my male are starting to learn to play together).
Omega needs a person who will be confident and respectful, provide non-force-based leadership, and be affectionate with him (in that order)--stand over him before he knows you, use punishment or force, or try to make him submit, and he will become uncomfortable (barking, backing up, not trusting you). But ask him to "work" before he gets privileges (ie, sit and wait while you get settled before you invite him on furniture, sit at the door while you leash him)--give him a job, boundaries, and positive rewards--and he flourishes!
What Omega is not:
🚫 a good fit for a person who uses dominance techniques on dogs--he needs a partner and confident leader, not a master
🚫 a dog that can spend time at the shelter--he becomes very depressed and degrades quickly
🚫 a good fit for a home with cats--he does chase them and we don't know what would happen if he caught one (and don't want to find out), even though when he first got to his foster home with that has cats he ignored them so maybe he's just being playful? Still, we think it's too risky for the cat to place him in this situation.
🚫 a happy solo dog--he much prefers to be in a home where there's another dog and he does better crated in the same room as a dog for company
🚫 an apartment dog. At times he has...opinions...and hasn't yet learned to whisper. (He's mostly quiet but if he thinks something is unjust--like being crated when he knows you're still around and just not with him--he will let you know.)
I love this dog and want him to find a great home, but like all of us he needs someone who will love and respect him for who he is, not just what he looks like.
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Temporary foster update: Omega has been in a temporary foster home with another dog, Harris, for about 9 days, and they have become the best of friends. Omega has medium energy. He enjoys being outside but likes to just hang out indoors as well. His favorite game involves being chased by another dog. He quickly learned just how to talk Harris into a game of tag with the balls. He's house trained and super dog friendly. He's also affectionate once he gets to know his people.
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Update: Meet Omega, The Amazing Water Eating Dog! 💦
Omega looks like a mild mannered guy (in fact he hides in the back of his kennel-he's intimidated by the noise until he has a canine pal), but he is a SUPER 🌟 when it comes to water eating and chilling with another friendly pup.
Stop by to meet this great guy!
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Omega and Alpha came in together and share a kennel. They were new and understandably uncertain about being at the shelter. They barked at their kennel gate, but once they were in an interaction pen, they were friendly, sat for treats, and enjoyed pets. I had them in interaction pens next to one another while I took pictures, and Omega really wanted to be with his brother. Both are sweet, handsome dogs.
