I'm so proud of Jersey - in 1 month he has made such amazing improvements in his behavior. We had Jersey meet a total stranger this week and take him for a walk. Not only was Jersey more then willing to go for a walk, but when the man got down on his knees (Jersey height) Jersey didn't spin or jump or do any of his past behaviors. He put his arms around the man's neck and gave him hugs! Jersey has learned that he can rely on people. 

He loves playing with other dogs and he's fine with cats. He can be left uncrated during the work day and walks very nicely on leash. Every once in a while he'll spin a bit in the air and try to play 'tug-leash.' But that's all it is, playing. Jersey is a sweet heart of a boy and it's time to get him into his forever home.

03/23/03 -

After sharing a home with 2 male boxers and a cat, it has become clear that Jersey has absolutely no confidence in himself. When placed in a new or what he perceives as a frightening situation (going into an elevator for instance), Jersey will buck, belly low, throw himself on the ground, jump at you, throw himself into a frenzy. However, the overriding part of Jersey's personality is pure boxer - he desperately wants to overcome his fear, he just needs help doing that (he now walks into the elevator like he owns it.) 

Jersey needs a home with people (and another dog) that are willing to acknowledge his fears and give him the courage to overcome them. 

Jersey is apparently terrified of small spaces - and his reaction to them is to become out of control. The first thing we did was to put a harness on Jersey - a harness allows the person walking him to have more control then a collar, without the possibility of him hurting himself. Jersey's reaction to the harness was an immediate improvement walking - he walks with his head high and with confidence now.

Jersey has learned that he can 'control' a situation by sitting. For instance, his initial response to hearing me pick up the leash was to panic and start running and jumping. He soon realized that this was inappropriate behavior because we did not go out and after 2 days, he now automatically sits at the door when I pick up his leash. His reward is that he gets to go for a walk - which he loves.

Jersey will not go into a crate - period! Unless, it's his idea. I left the house for 6 hours with Jersey and my 2 dogs alone and uncrated. However, I always have an open crate in the house in case any of the dogs wants to go in. When I got home, nothing had been touched and Jersey was fast asleep in the crate. Good Dog!

The only problem I still have with Jersey is getting out of the car. He MUST get out first. We're working on this, but this problem is going to take a while to overcome.

Now for the good news. Jersey has shown himself to be gentle, smart and extremely loving. He is wonderful with the other dogs, giving them the respect that they demand. He is playful and more then willing to learn. He knows some basic commands - sit, come, down and his name. He is housebroken. He's even made friends with the cat, putting his head on the chair the cat is sleeping on and waiting for the cat to nuzzle him.

Jersey needs someone that has worked with dogs before, someone that can be firm when he displays fear, without being aggressive. He needs someone who will share their confidence with him - someone who will take the time to show him that they are in control and he can rely on that. 

Jersey's foster mom will work with whomever adopts Jersey - helping the new family to work with Jersey to overcome the fear he has. This boy has a wonderful personality and an amazing heart. He just needs someone to care enough about him to let him shine.

03/05/03 -

Jersey is a flashy fawn male. He is approximately 1 1/2 years old. Jersey is a stray so we have no history. 

He was a little shy today when I met him but the volunteer who brought him to the kennel where he is staying said he was sitting on her friends lap in the car (giving lots of kisses of course).

Jersey was in the car with Scout so we know he likes other dogs.

If you are interested in adopting this dog, please fill out an online application first.  Then e-mail the contact below.  Be sure to include your full name, city, state, and area code in the subject line of your message.

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