"ZIGGY" is Available for adoption at OREGON WEIMARANER RESCUE
ZIGGY
neutered male Silver LAB, 1.5 yr, 75 lbs
adoption fee $200
BELIEVED COMPATIBILITY WITH:
CHILDREN: 11+ dog savvy
CATS: No
DOGS: See bio
FROM OWNER:
About
one year ago Ziggy was discovered roaming the woods 10 miles from our
rural home. He had no collar or microchip and was extremely malnourished
and very shy when it came to people. For over a month, myself, friends
and other neighbors attempted to catch him. Some elderly neighbors
nearby were eventually able to catch him in a kennel with food and house
him in their horse barn for the winter. Upon realizing they could not
continue to care for him in February of 2024, the elderly couple asked
if we could take him in. Despite having limited space and a large dog
and cat already, we took him in. We knew we could not keep him long term
but we also knew our local shelters were overcrowded, and that because
he was not socialized at that time, he would not be easily adoptable in
the shelter environment. So, we brought him to our home to foster him.
In fostering him, we hoped to be able to help him grow and flourish and
to give him a fighting chance at finding a lasting forever home. We have
grown to love his fun personality and think he is a truly amazing dog
who is well worth the investment we made and feel the time is now right
for Ziggy to find his true forever home.
Ziggy is
an energetic and very playful male Silver Lab who is approximately 1.5
years old, 75 lbs, neutered (recently) and up to date on his rabies
vaccine. He absolutely loves playing fetch and can be a total goofball
when it's playtime….which he would love to be all the time :) He loves
to bring the ball back to you and then roll around on his back with it
before you throw it again. He is very smart, observant and has quickly
learned basic commands (Sit, lay down, off, and come is about 50/50 but
he does know what it means). We have worked really hard on threshold
training (making him 'wait' at doors, gates, car doors etc.) with him
and he is doing great. His leash-walking skills have come a long way
though they could still use some fine tuning. We believe his beautiful
blue/green eyes are his best attribute, they will really melt your
heart!
Ziggy
would do best in a home where there are calm, patient people who have
prior dog experience and can offer him loving leadership. Movement is
Ziggy's love language. He needs a home where the humans are active
everyday! This guy loves to play fetch, hike, go for runs and is an avid
swimmer. We have paddle-boarded with him and he has even pulled a
skateboarder and biked alongside us for exercise. Ziggy has been living
with a female Great Pyrenees and a cat. He should not
live in a home with cats moving forward. He might be able to live with
one other dog (non-dominant female would be best) if properly
introduced. We believe Ziggy would do really well with crate training
because he would like to have his own cozy space, especially if he is
living with another dog. We do not have the space to crate train him but
we know he would benefit from it and learn quickly.
Unfortunately,
a lot of his past is unknown and we believe Ziggy was likely
mis-treated and did not get proper nutrition in his first year of life.
Ziggy has been able to build a lot of confidence during the course of
his time with us but he would benefit from even further socialization
and introduction to diverse environments. Warming to new people can be
challenging for him but he has really loved meeting the vet and staff at
our vet's office which is a great recent sign. When he first came into
our home he, unsurprisingly given his past, guarded his water and food
closely…he would clearly vocalize that he did not want anyone
threatening his food/water but we spent a good deal of time hand feeding
and working on resource guarding so these behaviors have largely
subsided with the rare exception of his water bowl which he will
occasionally still “guard” but its pretty random when that occurs.
Because Ziggy loves food so much, he does really well with treat
training and being rewarded with small treats is an absolute delight for
him. He is pretty independent and really thrives on a consistent daily
routine. He is still a bit of a shy guy who can sometimes get
overwhelmed around loud noises (predominantly loud music and truck
noises) or if there is too much pressure/attention on him. Aside from
some sporadic skin issues which neutering/diet have seemed to clear up,
our vet says he is in perfect health, shows no signs of early
hip-dysplasia and has beautiful teeth.
Ziggy
has outgrown the environment and care that we can provide for him. He is
ready for someone to open their hearts and provide his forever home.
FROM OWR:
Ziggy
has been introduced to older dog savvy children and was fine, but
between his puppy exuberance and lack of experience we don’t think Ziggy
would thrive in a home with young children (11+ and dog savvy should be
fine). Ziggy likes other dogs but does not have a ton of experience
with them so an ideal buddy, if any, would be a well adjusted easy going
medium/large breed. Ziggy is not currently microchipped but we will
supply one to his new owners. Ziggy is a total outdoorsy dog who would
do very well with a person who hikes, bikes, boats and/or generally
enjoys spending time outdoors. On a final note, Ziggy is a great
passenger in vehicles where he stays in the back seat and hangs out.
If Ziggy sounds like he may be the perfect fit for you, please submit an application below
https://www.oregonweimrescue.org/how-to-adopt
BELIEVED COMPATIBILITY WITH:
CHILDREN: 11+ dog savvy
CATS: No
DOGS: See bio
CURRENT LOCATION: Deming, WA
