Say hello to Bear, a handsome dog that we have been told is a King Shepherd who came to us from Manitoba. Bear is over 100 pounds and has a thick coat that requires regular care.
Bear is very much his own dog. He prefers to approach you for affection and gets nervous when being touched by strangers. He is aloof and constantly monitoring his environment. When he trusts you he protects you and so in a home he can seek to protect the family from visitors and given his size that can be intimidating.
We have been working with Bear on his fear of strangers and he is making great progress. He is currently on medication to reduce his anxiety levels and this has helped him a great deal. While Bear enjoys his walks, he does not require a great deal of exercise and is happy to spend time on his own exploring his fenced yard. Bear has been socialized with some dogs and while he is comfortable with them, he does not seek their companionship and is perfectly content to be the only dog in the relationship. He does like to be with his family and while he can be left alone in the home, that is not his preference.
Bear is neutered and is up to date on his shots. He is also on pain medications for arthritis in his back. He is house trained and crate trained.
Bear deserves a wonderful new home and for Bear we think this is a very specific home. We think that this new home is with adults only and no cats. Bear needs a fully fenced yard to explore. Most of all, Bear needs a quiet, calm home with no or very few visitors. He will find it stressful if there is lots of traffic into the house. This also extends to neighbours. Bear would prefer to live in a quiet community with limited activity immediately adjacent to his home. Bear also needs owners who are prepared to let him set some of the terms of the relationship – particularly around touching – and if his owner were experienced with dogs like Bear that would be amazing.
We are looking for an adopter for Bear. We believe that he can continue his training with a family who is prepared to continue working with him on addressing his fear of strangers. Right now Bear is living with loving fosters in the Hamilton area.