Cayden American Bulldog & Dalmatian Mix Cincinnati, OH

A Special Holiday Offer; we have selected Cayden and three other shelter dogs to be a part of a, Home for the Holidays, initiative made possible by some generous STAF volunteers. We are offering five training sessions for a deaf dog, a Tripod pack consisting of a harness, a Resource Guide, raised bowls and Cayden's favorite big stuffed animals and bed. We would love to place this deserving dog in a loving home for the holidays.

***Cayden has officially been at STAF for two years, and while we LOVE Cayden, we know he would make someone very happy as their fur-baby and best friend. Will you give Cayden a chance?***

We named him Cayden, meaning strong/fighter. He is deaf and was found with a dangling left front leg ... he’d been shot in the shoulder and it had gone untreated for some time. Under the excellent care of one of our most amazing rescue partners, Love of Paws, Cayden had his leg and parts of his shoulder amputated. They also had to surgically remove a cable that had become embedded in his neck.

Despite his ugly backstory, today Cayden is running around quite happily on his three strong legs. He’s 3 years old and weighs in the mid-sixties and a real favorite of our volunteers.

Here are some of our FAVORITE things about our boy, Cayden!
- Absolutely loves stuffed animals and refused to go outside without carrying one with him even if they're as big as he is!
- Spends most of his days cuddling with one of the [many] stuffed animals in his room.
- An absolute lover and lapdog. As soon as he gets the chance, he wants to cuddle up on your lap and get pets from you.
- Is the cutest tripod you've ever seen
- EXCELLENT on a leash
- Great manners - Cayden is a quiet gentleman!
- LOVES car rides!
- Knows sign language!!

Some great information from Cayden's mentor:)
"Cayden favorite thing is lap snuggles. He would be happy to spend almost the whole day curled up in your lap. Yes, he is a 70 lbs dog but that does not stop him from wanting to be a lap dog. He has gotten an opportunity to spend a few hours every week at a volunteer's house while they WFH and he is a great buddy to have around while you work. He promises to not interrupt too many zoom calls trying to get snuggles. He is very well behaved in the house, he know what toys are his and doesn't bother anything else. Cayden does love walks and is happy to be on the go also. In spite of the missing leg, he will try to keep up and if he ever gets tired he will let you know by just plopping down to take a quick rest.

Some dogs are "dog dogs" and some dogs are "people dogs", Cayden is a "people dog". He loves people and becomes best friends with anyone very quickly. Cayden is deaf but he is better trained than most hearing dogs. He knows sit, down and come (using sign language) it does mean he has to see you but as soon as he does he obeys very well." Because Cayden is deaf and can be easily startled, he would probably be happiest being the only fur-kid in the house and would do best with children 12 and over.

8/05/2023 volunteer update;
Here is a recap from Cayden’s home visit yesterday.

During our morning car ride to our house, Cayden did pull and bark at trucks but nothing that should bother anyone if they are aware.

We have a gated yard so when we got to our house, Cayden checked everything out and we played a bit. Surprised to see him get puppy zoomies, roll around on grass and love the belly rubs.

We took him on a walk and he did great. Just need to make sure to short leash him a bit as he still seemed to react if a car passed by.

We came back and allowed him on our outdoor couch so he napped there next to me and also under our Pavillion .

When it got a bit warm we went inside. We have a nice leather couch so blocked that and set up a pad of blankets for him to lay on. He really wanted up on the couch but after moving to our dining table to do my zoom and conference calls, he laid right by my feet and was so sweet.

We took another walk before we headed back to STAF and on the way back he and he snuggled on my lap in the backseat. He was much more relaxed heading back and only barked at one truck?

I do think he would easily adjust to a family’s routine and is just a people pleaser.

If you would like to meet Cayden...Visit STAF.org for more information on our adoption process. *** Email adoptadog@STAF.org for next steps! ***

• All of our animals are spayed/neutered and current on shots.
• We do not do same-day adoptions. You will be asked to return for at least one follow-up visit, then take the dog home for a trial period before officially adopting.
• 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.
• 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 can not adopt to homes with invisible fences.
• We do request vet and personal references.
• We can facilitate adoptions within a 30-mile radius of our Cincinnati-based shelter (for our long term residents like Cayden, we will make exceptions)