Bear

Bear is an extremely handsome black Labrador Retriever/Chow mix boy, about 4 years old and 65 pounds. He came to the shelter on 9/8, after spending most of his life being neglected and ignored... consequently, he is a real affection hound! To Bear, having people rub his belly is the most AMAZING and WONDERFUL thing, you can tell he actually feels lucky to be a shelter dog, awwwwwww. He is very attentive and treat-motivated, and has already learned to sit for liver chips!

The people who brought him to the shelter said he was cat-aggressive, but he seems completely indifferent to the cats at the shelter - he sniffs noses with them when they are out on their "kitty condo" porch, but doesn't fixate or lunge, and in fact, seems mostly uninterested. To be safe, we'd recommend a home without cats, just in case it's only certain cats (if any) that trigger a prey response in Bear.

Since he hasn't had any formal training in manners, Bear will need a strong and affectionate pack leader, someone who can help him curb his enthusiasm and teach him to walk well on leash (he is a STRONG boy, and still pulls quite a bit, especially at the beginning of his walk), and to behave well at home. He tends to jump up, and can be "mouthy" so will need reinforcement of the correction we are doing with him at the shelter. ("Mouthy" dogs are those that try to put their mouths on your body to tell you what they want you to do, or to get your attention - it is not acceptable behavior, but is not the same as aggression, and can be corrected by a consistent and firm pack leader).

He is very sensitive to loud male voices, they sort of "deflate" him, so no yellers for Bear, please... firm but matter-of-fact direction works best for him. He does appear to be quite well housetrained - he tries REALLY hard to never use his kennel as a toilet, and hangs his poor big head in shame when he hasn't been able to hold it between volunteer visits. However, he did decide to "mark" the vet's office when he went in for neuter, so may need to be watched for marking behaviors in his new home.

Bear is definitely a boredom chewer, and will need much supervision and redirection during his training in his forever home; if you have plans to go off to work for 9 hours a day and want a dog to hang out in the house and wait for you to get back, Bear would not be a good fit for you... but if are an experienced dog person, you have lots of time to spend with your dog, want a loyal and loving companion who will do everything he can to please you, and who is eager to listen and follow your instructions, you couldn't ask for a better fuzzy buddy than Bear.

He is energetic and fun-loving, and has a heart full of joy in spite of being left outside and ignored for so long. He comes with the flaws that show his lack of training, and is very frustrated at the shelter, but we are confident the right person will be able to teach him all that he should have learned as a puppy. He doesn't even understand what toys are!

Bear would do really well as an only dog/companion/protector for a place with some land. He is an alpha male dog and will challenge other males; he seems pretty indifferent to female dogs. Bear absolutely HATES to be tied up/tethered; he has to go on a tether for about 10 minutes at a time while his kennel is being cleaned, and he complains and strains against it the whole time, so no tie-outs for this dog, ever, please. He would prefer to have a big outdoor kennel, or a safe indoor room, for times when you are away. He should be pretty easy to train to stay in his yard - he spent his 4 years before joining us sticking closely to a small area, even though he was being neglected, so that indicates he is probably a bit of a "homebody" rather than a big wanderer. He would love to be part of a family where he can learn to go for walks/hikes/runs with his person, and stick by them without use of leash.

Bear would prefer a home with no one younger than teens, as smaller kids tend to make him nervous.

Are you the dog whisperer type who can show Bear how wonderful life with humans can be, and teach him how to be the best dog he can be? Like all our adult pet placements, Bear comes with a 30-day money-back trial adoption period.

Here is a short video of this gorgeous boy.

Neuter, worming, microchip and all age-appropriate shots are always completed before placement, and are included in the adoption fee (suggested "BIG BLACK DOG" minimum $55; more gratefully accepted!) Can't come to Republic? Don't let that stop you! We have monthly transports to both the Seattle area and Spokane, delivering adopted pets to their new owners. If you can add a little to your donation to help us cover our volunteer driver's expenses, that would be great!

see next transports to Seattle area and Spokane on the homepage

If you would like to know more about, or think you might like to adopt, Bear
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