Benjen Boxer & Hound Mix Cincinnati, OH

ADOPTED!!!

Benjen was left with sweet little chihuahua-mix Lyanna in a rural county shelter drop pen. He's under a year old (est. birthdate April 2018) and just under 40 pounds as of this writing.

This boy’s got SKILLS! Knows how to sit, down, shake ... and how to charm the socks off every human he meets. He acts like he's never been on a leash before coming to STAF, so could use some training in that regard. He's a little leery of the new sites and sounds of the big city. A friendly kid, Benjen wants to engage with every human he passes (whether or not they are interested in meeting him!) and falls into an automatic play bow for every dog he meets.

Benjen's dream home will include a big, active family to include him in daily fun, activity and socializing--soccer games, long walks, family gathering ... you name it, Benjen is game. He would SO LOVE a fenced yard for stretching those long legs, and a doggy sibling with which to share it. While Benjen loves the company of dogs and can be respectful of his elders, he is a boxer at heart with a paws-on play style.

Here's some extra insight from one of our volunteers:

"Benjen has never met a stranger! He was so excited to meet me and is bursting with affection. He is enthusiastic about everything and everyone. Benjen is still discovering the world and seemed so surprised and happy each time we passed people at the park. Nobody could resist him and he basked in all the attention. Benjen saw a little boy on a bike and stopped and watched the bike then moved behind me as if afraid, then hopped around like he was waiting to see what the bike would do next. Once the little boy got off the bike, Benjen greeted him with kisses but still remained suspicious of the bike : ) Once in the woods, he alternated between looking around at all his surroundings and sniffing the ground like he was tracking something. For all the sniffing he did as if he was hot on the trail of something, we passed a rabbit, who waited until the last minute to hop away, and Benjen never saw it. Then on the way back to STAF, we passed three squirrels together in a yard and Benjen didn't notice any of them, but went by them nose to the ground, sniffing. Silly pup! Benjen could use a little more leash practice but is pretty good - he will wander in any direction but does not pull and is easily corrected to move forward. Once we were on the trails at the park it was effortless - he stayed right on the trail and was fascinated with every little thing. He still has some puppy energy - he walks well without pulling but would occasionally spring around with excitement and wiggle and roll over with his belly in the air, then hop up and continue walking. Almost like he could not contain himself - and just had to get the little burst of energy out. Benjen needs to learn his manners when meeting people. He will stand on his hind legs and put his paws up and lick any face he can get to. Benjen is medium/high energy and his exuberance is absolutely contagious. This little boy is sweet, fun and so loving."

• All of our animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.
• We do not do same-day adoptions; we ask that you return for a follow-up visit before taking an animal home.
• You must be 21 years or older to adopt from STAF.
• We require a 4-foot-tall physical fence for homes with children under the age of 11. We also may require a physical fence for specific dogs on a case-by-case basis, depending on each dog’s behavior and exercise needs.
• Invisible fences: Due in part to increasing coyote activity/incidents in the area and the difficulty of predicting how a dog will respond to invisible fence training, we cannot adopt to homes with invisible fences unless otherwise noted in a dog’s profile.
• We do request vet and personal references.
• We can facilitate adoptions within a 75-mile radius of our Cincinnati-based shelter.

Please visit www.STAF.org for visiting hours, a downloadable application, and additional information.