Meet Bahama Mama (a.k.a. Bama!)
Bama is a lovable, playful, beach-camping, sunbathing goofball who's ready to bring a whole lot of joy into your life. At around five years old, she's the perfect blend of mellow and energetic-happy to lounge most of the day by your side, then burst into zoomies and tug-of-war mode in the afternoon. Her foster describes her as a total velcro dog with a heart of gold. She adores face pets, belly rubs, and napping wherever you are (ideally on the couch with you, but she's perfectly respectful of boundaries and will stay on her own bed when asked).
Bama is fully house-trained and has been left alone during the workday both crated and uncrated without issue. She settles in her crate with ease and will even hang out in there on her own if the door is open. During the day, she naps through work calls and calmly follows the rhythm of her foster home. She's picked up the routine quickly and is easy to manage-even with a little afternoon spike in energy, which she channels into playtime.
Her playstyle is fun and engaging: she loves tug of war, fetch, and tossing toys around herself. Around 3pm each day, she flips from nap mode to goofy, playful pup, looking for someone to romp with. She'd love a dog sibling who enjoys rough-and-tumble play, and she's been doing great with the resident dog in her foster home. On walks, she ignores most dogs but cannot resist squirrels-they're her biggest temptation, and she's working on leash manners to curb her pulling when she sees them.
Bama recently proved she's more than just a homebody-she's a camping and brewery pro, too! On a weekend beach trip with her foster family, she explored the sand and campground, handled crowds, children, and other dogs like a champ, and calmly curled up in the tent at night. She also visited a bustling brewery and stayed calm and polite throughout, taking it all in like a seasoned adventure buddy.
While Bama showed some stress behaviors in the shelter, her foster reports that at home, she's an entirely different dog-easygoing, sweet, and eager to please. She's food-motivated and quick to learn, making her a great candidate for continued training. She's already picking up on redirecting mouthy play to toys and is learning that sitting gets her more love than jumping up. She's not a barker, but she may alert you if something truly unusual happens (like contractors entering the home).
Because of her love for afternoon zoomies and play, Bama would thrive in a home with space to move-either a yard or regular access to a dog park. She'd also enjoy a playful dog sibling to romp with. While she reportedly lived with cats in a previous home, her strong prey drive for squirrels suggests she may not be the best fit for a home with small critters. But if you need a squirrel patrol officer for your garden? She's your girl.
Bama is ready to be someone's loyal sidekick, affectionate cuddle buddy, and adventure partner. She's made so much progress and is ready to keep learning with the help of someone who believes in her. If you're interested in meeting Bama and hearing more about what a wonderful house guest and companion she's been, email dogfosters@barcs.org to get connected with her foster family!
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A dog's behavior in a shelter can be very different from how they act in a home once they have time to relax. In the shelter, dogs spend a lot of time isolated in their kennels, meet new people constantly and are surrounded by other loud barking dogs, new smells, new sounds and new routines. This environment can keep their stress levels elevated for days or even weeks, which can cause them to act out in ways they wouldn't in a home. Because of this, what we see in the shelter are just observations and not promises of how the dog will behave later. A dog's true personality often shows up once they've had time to settle into their new home-that's why fostering and adopting is so important!
The following are the observations of my challenges in a shelter environment:
High Energy: High-energy dogs are very active and often need plenty of daily physical and mental stimulation to stay happy and healthy. These dogs will more than likely benefit from structured routines and handling. If the dog remains high-energy at home, they may need regular exercise and playtime, along with puzzle toys or training exercises to keep their mind engaged.
Dog Selectiveness: Dog selectiveness is when a dog may get along well with some dogs but might have a poor reaction or be avoidant with others. Selective dogs may need carefully managed interactions, intentionally selected playmates to ensure compatibility, supervised play with other dogs, and avoidance of situations where they feel threatened or overwhelmed.
Prey Drive: Prey drive refers to a dog's instinct to chase and capture moving objects, such as small animals or toys. If the dog exhibits a strong prey drive in an adoptive home, they may need complete separation or controlled, supervised play with appropriate toys and training to manage their impulses and ensure safety around smaller animals.
Separation-Related Behaviors: Dogs with separation-related behaviors may become distressed when left alone, leading to barking, whining, destructive chewing or house soiling. This behavior stems from their fear of being apart from their family. To help, gradual routines, positive reinforcement and crate training can provide security. In more severe cases, professional training or behavior-modification medication may be needed to support the dog's adjustment or as a life-long solution.
Jumpy/mouthy: refers to behaviors associated with energetic, playful, stressed or anxious adolescent or adult dogs. A dog who shows jumpy/mouthy behavior may jump up, put their mouths on people (usually people's arms and legs), and may even grab at clothing and/or the leash. See Mouthy. Mouthy: This commonly refers to behaviors associated with energetic, playful, stressed, or anxious adolescent or adult dogs. A dog who exhibits mouthy behavior may put their mouth on people (often hands, arms, and/or legs), and may even grab at clothing and/or the leash. This same behavior can be normal play between dogs.
