Cavalier King Charles Spaniel [Mix]

This gallant little fellow is Napoleon. As he was found as a stray, we have relied on Napoleon himself to fill in the blanks of his life. We have found him a most reliable, straightforward, and honest source, if given occasionally to small exaggeration.

As besotted as we are about Napoleon, we must follow his example of complete honesty, and communicate that he is sometimes afraid of people, and that has translated into some snapping.

And, while no one believes this to be an appropriate behavior, we are moved to say that we believe he may have developed this trait quite honestly. If one follows the logic that "dogs don't bite when a growl will do", it appears that Napoleon, for whatever reason, needed to resort to biting to communicate his vulnerable status. Napoleon seems to fear being stepped upon, and a sudden movement of a human's feet in his vicinity can inspire Napoleon to snap. As Napoleon is extremely companionable and enjoys lying in the near proximity of humans, we imagine that he has developed this behavior because he has been stepped on before, and does not believe he can rely on the hearing of humans, or their physical capacity to check themselves before hurting him. We do not know if he ever suffered deliberate unkindness or abuse, but we do believe it is possible that Napoleon has lived in an environment in which he never felt completely safe, nor which he believed was fully predictable.

Due to his dental malocclusion (underbite), Napoleon's bites are not likely to inflict harm. Nonetheless, we cannot place Napoleon in a home with children. And, we believe that with time and trust, Napoleon has the capacity to desensitize to his anxiety over being trod upon.

Our guess as to his breeding seems fairly accurate. With his well-formed muzzle and slightly blunted nose, we see spaniel in Napoleons physical features, as well as his disposition. Napoleon's proud, sturdy stance and grand plumage, while impressive, are not as arresting as his extremely direct and open eye contact. He does have a pronounced underbite, which tends to give him an appearance of truculence, until you regard his beautiful eyes, which communicate Napoleon's wistfulness and utter honesty. Both of these qualities are what truly characterize Napoleon.

Thanks to Napoleon's directness in communicating, we know that he loves to ride in the car, and an opportunity to do so will elicit profound joy. Once seated in a vehicle, he rides with dignity and presence. Napoleon's manners are above reproach (except for the snapping) - he is impeccable in his housetraining, forbearing and accepting of a crate. He is respectful of all household articles, and is not given to chewing anything other than the treasured stash of toys clearly belonging to Napoleon.

Napoleon is fluent in two commands - "sit" and "crate". Responsive and alert, he loves to be near his foster care provider, and follows her everywhere throughout the house, without being pushy or demanding. While occasionally he will jump up and sit on her lap, most often Napoleon is content to curl up next to her on the floor. Napoleon is comfortable, if slightly formal, around strangers and other dogs.

There is one thing that propels Napoleon into an expression of unrestrained joy and jubilant vocalization - this is the homecoming of his care provider after an absence of any length. At these times, Napoleon will hurtle himself into the air, and then roll over unabashedly for a belly rub, proclaiming his heartfelt happiness with abandon.

Napoleon is a keenly intelligent little dog; he has the capacity to bond deeply with his adopters, and, despite his resourcefulness in devising a solution to his concern for his own well-being that is not appropriate (biting), we do not consider him remotely to be an aggressive dog. He is a very small, very caring and invested fellow who has learned to comport himself by communicating as plainly as he can; on balance, we see in Napoleon a dog of great heart, honesty, and devotion who will respond to patience and commitment with utter dedication and love.

Napoleon is a courtesy post for the neighbor of one of our directors. If you are interested in him, please contact Lisa at saveadog@verizon.net.