Barron #1408–Adopted April 2012
Posted in 2012 Archive, Archive
Male
Age: 10 (DOB–9/02)
Weight: 54 lbs
Being fostered in Illinois
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Exposure to children? Yes
What ages were the children? 4 – 18
Describe the dog’s reaction to children: Barron has been exposed to children on his walks and at the dog park which he attends daily. He seems to be drawn to kids, loves the attention, has never appeared nervous or anxious. They pet and hug him with no problems.
Good with other dogs? Yes
Comments about behavior with other dogs: Barron is great with dogs at the dog park. He HAS developed leash aggression which I am working on using a gentle leader and “find it” treat diversion with progressive success.
Good with cats? No
Comments about behavior with cats: We have encountered cats on our walks and Barron would love nothing better than to chase and catch the cat.
Good with birds, parrots, etc: No
Comments about behavior with birds: Barron has a very strong prey drive and would not be good with small pets in the house.
Good with other pets: Yes
List type of pets, and comments about behavior with other pets: Barron is great with my adopted Basset.
Can climb stairs? Yes
Comments about stairs: Barron can climb stairs but may not always be able to do so. He has arthritis in his back legs with obvious trembling. This problem hasn’t prevented him from climbing stairs but might be a problem in the future.
Pulls on a leash? Yes
Comments about pulling on a leash: The gentle leader has helped tremendously with Barron’s pulling.
Food aggressive? No
Has allergies? Yes
List allergies and any related comments: Barron has seborrhea on his back and requires a weekly back wash with medicated shampoo. He LOVES his back wash and comes into the bathroom when called, assumes the position over a mat of towels and stands patiently while he gets his back wash. While this sounds like an annoyance please think of this as one on one time with Barron, he truly does love his back wash.
Type of family life? Quiet
Comments about family life: I have no children at home; it’s just me and the dogs.
List anything the dog is afraid of: Barron is not afraid of thunder and loves riding in the car
Tell us about your foster basset: Barron has been an absolute joy since coming to live with me. He is such a clown. He comes flying thru the Skokie dog park when called, tail up, ears and chops flapping in the wind, a completely happy dog. We have also gone to Prairie Wolf dog park which is 44 acres and fenced. That is where Barron demonstrated he can NEVER BE TAKEN OFF LEASH OUT OF A CONTROLLED AREA. We found each other and it’s been a good experience at Prairie Wolf since then but it was nerve wracking that first hour. He is patience personified. Barron has a habit of sitting beside you as you stand at the kitchen counter with his nose to the floor hoping something will drop “just for him”. One day I was putting together lasagna and dear, old Barron was sitting there beside me, never moving a muscle. I kept looking down at him, expecting him to look up at me with those big wonderful eyes and lick his chops. Not a muscle moved. Finally, I spoke his name, his eyebrows shot up and I heard a soft Woof but not a muscle moved. I stepped back and that’s when I discovered I had been standing on his ear. Barron never cried, never whined, just waited for me to move. He looked up at me and all but said “Thank you”. Having said all that I have to say there are issues that come along with the joy Barron can bring to you. His weight MUST be kept under control. He has back issues that are aggravated by obesity. I use a ramp to get him in and out of the back of my wagon. There are times when he is able to jump into the car but he should NEVER be allowed to jump out of the car. Jumping out of the car compresses the disks in his neck and lower back which is extremely painful. Barron will not crate. He must have been over crated at some point in his life and will nip at you if you try to put him in a crate. I’ve been successful several times using treats to lure him into the crate but he’s a smart dog and quickly figured out what I was doing. Barron requires frequent trips outside and would do better with someone who is at home most of the day or gone from home for short periods of time. I gate him in the bedroom with piddle pads when I’m at work and that has worked well. He will tell you when he has to go outside.