* Morrie found his forever home with wonderful people! *

Morrie and several other dogs and cats ended up at Hamilton Animal Control when they were removed from their home due to the poor conditions there. Thankfully, other than fleas and some matting, Morrie was in pretty good health when he arrived at the shelter. And he has a lovely, happy personality! We rescued Morrie from HAC and took him straight to the vet. At his vet visit he got a clean bill of health. We had him neutered, and he then went to his foster home.
Morrie has had some challenges adjusting to his new life, and his foster family have done a wonderful job helping him get ready for his forever home.

Here’s a note from Morrie’s foster mom:
“I don’t quite know how best to describe ‘Morrie’, rescued by Ladybird on November 1st. Morrie has been in my home since November 2nd – so almost a month as I write this. He is handsome in a funny-looking sort of way. He is quirky and “full-of-beans”. Morrie is an athletic 22 lbs, still a little on the lean side but gaining nicely. The furry, fuzzy cute guy that I picked up from the vet that first day was a bundle of very loud energy (!). Morrie was clearly stressed – as waking up from being neutered can no-doubt do – and still reeling from being removed from what sounds to have been a pretty chaotic environment. But that was what he knew. Morrie took several days to settle enough to take a breath from some very pronounced, near-continuous barking! Those first few days were a challenge for sure. In the four weeks since, Morrie’s barking has decreased, but it remains his ‘default’ behaviour: excited, anxious, meeting new people – in particular of the male variety – riding in a car, dealing with change: Morrie barks. Morrie is a vocal guy for sure; when not barking, the most interesting sounds can emit from his mouth – his attempt to tell me something profound I am sure ~ Morrie’s vocal nature does mean that he really would not do well living in an apartment, townhouse or multi-family dwelling – this guy needs a single-family, detached home.

Morrie’s initial presentation was that of a pup who has never known boundaries or been taught to be polite! Morrie was described by shelter staff as a pushy guy who became easily over-aroused; he showed this in spades that first week or so. Morrie would jump on furniture, jump onto the top of his crate (purposeful – I had put a desired toy up there!), chase the cats, race around the yard and house even after a good, vigorous walk, blast through baby-gates, push through doorways, ‘mouth’ the hands that were trying to put his leash on, attack the leash, try to steal food – and of course, bark whenever the answer to his demand was ‘no’. Walking on –leash was an athletic event with Morrie trying to make it first to the finish line. Calmness and patience seem to have had a good impact on Morrie. Ignoring the ‘demand’ barking has significantly reduced it. Morrie has quickly caught on that the leash will only go on when he is still. That his food bowl will only be placed down on the floor once he takes a step back. That an opening door closes when he tries to charge through. It is so much fun watching Morrie make these connections in his mind! He is a smart dog with so much potential – he clearly enjoys learning (as well as the treats that reward each step!). Morrie will do great with on-going learning opportunities in the form of fun training with his chosen person.
Morrie is demonstrating a desire to chase ANYTHING that moves – cats, squirrels, balls, cyclists, leaves that blow in the wind. Morrie may always need to be kept safe via a leash or a fence as opposed to off-leash roaming in unfenced areas. Even though Morrie came from a home with apparently many cats, it’s not known what kind of supervision was there and his obvious high prey-drive means that he is not a good candidate for living with cats. It has taken careful management and close supervision for Morrie to share his foster home with two kitties and two rabbits. Likewise, although Morrie’s previous home also contained many dogs, Morrie’s social skills with other dogs needs some work; Morrie is not seeming confident in his interactions with other dogs. The trainer who recently dog-tested Morrie is feeling at this time that while Morrie might be able to have dog-friends and walk-mates, he would have a harder time sharing his home with another dog.
While Morrie’s ‘demand’ barking has decreased, barking in situations where he feels less confident or anxious does continue. Morrie has been showing some of this anxiety in the car and will bark pretty much for the length of the drive; we are still trying to get a handle on this.
Another situation where Morrie is showing some stress is when males approach him too quickly or try to engage with him before he decides he is ready; some early visits with unfamiliar males did elicit some growls and snapping. Morrie is needing a very ‘hands-off’ approach with new people, men in particular, and the space and time to decide who he wants to get to know. He is doing well passing by men and women alike while out on walks and is fine with the ladies saying hi – just generally not the gents. Morrie’s adoptive family will need to take this into account. Morrie will likely do better in a home where his ‘go-to’ person, at least in the early days, is female, and any male family member is an individual who will patiently step back and be willing to work with gaining Morrie’s trust at his pace. A busy home with lots of visitors in and out would likely not be a home where Morrie can feel at ease. Working with a trainer or behaviourist should be made a priority. Since an inherent part of being a kid is being unpredictable and having friends over who may not adhere to the plan, Morrie’s ideal home should be child-free.
I’ve had the pleasure of beginning some early work with Morrie and a trainer who utilizes an event marker (a clicker) followed by a reward. Morrie is positively thriving with this teaching style and it is my hope that his new family will continue the work that we have begun. Our focus right now is to build new ‘default’ behaviours that Morrie can turn to when he is feeling anxious or unsure. Morrie is so excited to ‘work’ through the training plan that his trainer has developed and his enjoyment is contagious! We love to do our homework everyday. 

I don’t want to paint a picture that Morrie is a nervous or timid dog – he is not. Morrie is effervescent – he glows. Despite some hesitancy in meeting certain people, Morrie generally seems to be a social guy – especially with the ladies – and really would just like to hang out, play with his squeaky toys and chew his Kong toys and chew sticks all day long. Morrie is for sure a would-be snuggle bug (learning some manners has meant we are not yet having quite as many cuddles as he clearly would like). Morrie is struggling a bit with change, but that is not surprising since he has experienced so much of it in a relatively short period of time. I suspect that Morrie’s previous world was pretty small, and he just needs patience and support as the world now opens up for him. Morrie is doing so well with boundaries and consistently-enforced house-rules, and I expect that in time he will have his polite behaviour down pat and will be ready to earn more freedom to enjoy the niceties he so clearly wants. Despite the many gains that Morrie has made, his new family should anticipate that he will regress somewhat at least temporarily when he experiences a transition to a new home.

Morrie took very easily to crate training, although his preference is definitely to be around his main person – he will plant himself wherever you are and happily relocates whatever activity he is in the middle of so that he can stay close. Morrie has been dealing with apparent allergies and the culprits are not yet fully known; this will no doubt be an area that will take more time for his new family and vet to figure out.
Despite his rough start – Morrie arrived fully house-trained! He has been 100% reliable. Morrie is truly a great little soul. He is fun and full of life. He needs a family who are committed to helping him become the very best version of himself. He is not necessarily an ‘easy’ dog, and that barking of his can be quite trying at times – but Morrie clearly has so, so much
potential and is just waiting to shine.”

Please adopt Morrie!

Thank you Paw-la’s Pride and Groom for donating your time to make Morrie look and feel his best with a bath and grooming!