Biography

Beau is a 1 year old, 75lb, black lab/shepherd/pitbull mix looking for a forever home. He was rescued by a good samaritan from the euthanasia list at a shelter after spending the first 9 months of his life in a crate. I have been fostering him for 3 months and he is an incredibly sweet dog. He takes a little time to warm up to new people but once he does he is very friendly and loveable. He loves to run around and play outside but is also content to snuggle up with you on the couch. Beau has really enjoyed playing with a few other dogs in the time I’ve had him and would probably do best in a home with a large fenced in yard and another young dog.
He has spent time in a house and an apartment and is well behaved in both settings. He is almost completely house broken (he had a few accidents in the beginning) but can often hold it for 4-5 hours at a time. Chewing on toys and bones is one of his favorite activities and he’ll keep himself occupied for a long time. Occasionally he will steal a sock or slipper to chew on but releases it easily when I go to take it away. He has not shown any signs of food aggression and lets me take away his food and any bones he is chewing on with no problem. I have caught him putting his paws on the counter a few times when there is food around but in general he does not counter surf.
Beau is very well behaved in the car. I drive with him almost every day and although he does like to sit in the passenger seat to look out the windshield, he will settle down quietly in the back seat after about 10 minutes. He will jump up if he sees another dog outside the car but doesn’t bark. He will bark if a stranger approaches the car (especially at the gas station). He also barks when new people enter the house or apartment but does much better if he can meet the people outside first and enter together. He used to bark at his reflection in the mirror or loud noises on the TV but no longer does either of those things.
His most difficult attribute is his tendency to pull very hard on the leash when he sees another dog or squirrel/small mammal. He has gotten better with the use of a gentle leader but he is extremely strong. He seems leash aggressive towards other dogs, despite being very good with them off leash, so I tend to avoid other dogs on walks. I’ve also noticed he does better walking in quieter settings; he sometimes pulls harder and seems overwhelmed if there are a lot of people walking or loud trucks going by.
I have not kept him in a crate at home but have left him home alone with another dog for 3-4 hours at a time and he has been very good. He stays in a kennel while I am working and does not whine or bark when other dogs walk by. I try to walk him for at least an hour every day and/or take him to a field to run around so he can get his puppy energy out, and with that amount of exercise he is well behaved at work and at home. Although he has a very loud bark he has never shown any aggressive behavior. He’ll occasionally play bite at my arm or hand but redirects easily to a toy.
He has been neutered and is up to date on vaccines and flea/tick/heartworm prevention. He had a skin infection when I started fostering him that cleared up in a couple weeks. He hasn’t had any health issues since then. He is a great dog and I would love to keep him but I work long hours. I think he would be happier in a home with another dog and people that are around most of the time. I would also recommend a home without cats (for the sake of the cats!) as he loves to chase them.