Meet Pluto, a brown eyed babe! Pluto is a year and six months weighing 56 pounds, he arrived to BARCS as a stray. Right now, he's a little shy as he settles into his new surroundings, but he's taking it all one step at a time. He prefers slow, relaxed walks and moves at his own gentle pace. Pluto takes his treats gently, and knows "sit." He has beautiful leash manners and checks in with his human on walks too.
While he is a shy boy at first when settling into his new surroundings, he is slowly getting comfortable showing his cuddly and loving side. When you sit down, he comes closer for some chin scratches and head pets (and maybe a treat!). Pluto has a calm and kind spirit behind those eyes just waiting to shine. With a little patience and love, Pluto is sure to blossom into a loyal and loving companion.
Pluto has met other dogs at the shelter, he is a social playful boy!
Come down to BARCS and meet Pluto.
**I'm on BARCS' VIP Urgent List. Why is My Status Urgent?**
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:
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.
Humping/Mounting: Humping or mounting is a behavior where a dog may attempt to climb on people, objects or other animals, often due to excitement, assertiveness or stress. If humping or mounting continues outside of the shelter, the dog may need redirection to appropriate behavior, increased exercise to burn off excess energy, and consistent training to discourage the behavior.
Fearful/Nervous: Fearful or nervous dogs may react poorly or give other warning signs when they feel threatened or scared, often to get a person or object to back away. If the dog continues to display fearful behavior, after the proper acclimation/decompression period in their new home, they may need a continued calm, supportive environment, with gradual exposure to their triggers and positive reinforcement to build trust and reduce anxiety.
