Harry-CA Standard Poodle & Labrador Retriever Mix Houston, TX

Fostered in Piedmont, CA.
Please read all the information on this dog's listing before inquiring.
We usually do not ship dogs, so please be prepared to travel to where the dog is.

If you would like to be considered as a potential adopter for Harry, please fill out our adoption application at http://www.idogrescue.com/adoption_application.


Age: 5 (born June 20, 2012)

Weight: 63 lbs.

Fence Requirement: a physical fence is required. No e-fences will be considered.

Coat type: low-medium shedding. Needs regular brushing. Professional grooming approximately every 2-3 months.

Energy level: moderate

Dogs: Harry is nervous around other dogs. He can be reactive and act aggressively when he is near other dogs. If Harry walks by a calm dog that ignores him, Harry generally does not react.

Cats: Harry will chase a cat if given the opportunity.

Kids: Yes, Harry is good with kids. See attached video!

Harry is a F1 Labradoodle with a low to medium shedding coat. He weighs 63 lbs. Harry is as sweet as can be with his family. He does well with the child in his foster home and loves all of the people in his life. Harry does suffer from general anxiety as well as separation anxiety. Harry takes Prozac daily to help with his anxieties. This seems to help him quite a bit but he still needs some help with his confidence. Harry responds very well to positive reinforcement. We will require an experienced owner for Harry that understands how to implement positive reinforcement training.

Harry has a few quirks that his new family will need to help him with and through. As mentioned above, Harry suffers from separation anxiety. He barks when his foster mom leaves, but settles down after 5 minutes or so, and will sleep in an armchair while she is away. Initially, he chewed on a few toys (a whiffle bat and roller blade) when left, but has never damaged any furniture, and hasn’t chewed since the first two months of being fostered. He can be left alone for a couple of hours but definitely prefers that his people are home often. We'll be looking for someone who isn't away from home a ton.

Harry also gets nervous and reactive around other dogs. According to his owner, Harry was attacked by a very big dog (a Mastiff) when he was a puppy, and required extensive stitches. Since then he is wary of other dogs—particularly males—and tends to misinterpret fast approaches and sniffing as aggressive. He gets scared and will fight back if a dog growls or snaps at him. He has bitten 2 dogs in his life (during his foster); neither were serious bites but the potential for him to bite another dog remains. If he is on a brisk walk or run, Harry will generally ignore a calm dog he passes. Harry will need a home with someone who can manage this reactivity to other dogs. We do think this can be improved upon with a lot of training, time and patience, but anyone adopting him needs to be prepared for Harry to never be great when meeting another dog, at dog parks, or walking off-leash with other dogs.

Harry loves everyone once he has the chance to approach and sniff them. At first, he acts nervously and sometimes gets "growly" when meeting new people. Once he has the chance to calm a bit and sniff a newcomer’s hand, he usually leans against the person for petting, and is very affectionate.

Harry has a LOT of great attributes. With his family and people he knows, he is incredibly sweet and loving. He loves contact, and is happiest wherever his people are. He loves to play fetch, go for a walk or run, and is always excited to see you. When you’re inside and it’s time to settle down, Harry mellows out quickly and is happy to sleep at your feet.

Harry is also extremely well-trained. See attached video of him responding to commands from the child in his foster home. He walks well on a leash and doesn't pull unless agitated by a passing dog. He is very food- and affection-motivated, and learns quickly. He knows the following commands and does them quickly and easily:
sit
down
shake
come
high five
potty (to go pee or poop)
stay (although will follow if he cannot see you when he gets anxious)
roll over (50-50)
release (waits to eat and be allowed to walk out the door)

Harry's perfect home is a home with an experienced dog owner who is home often and willing to work with Harry to help him improve his behavior around other dogs and when meeting strangers.
Harry is fully vetted, neutered and microchipped.

ADOPTION FEE $150 plus a $300 training deposit, which will be refunded once proof of training is provided.

OUR ADOPTION FEES RANGE FROM $100 - $750 depending on the dog. The following is a general guide, but each dog is assessed individually.
It currently costs us an average of over $400 for basic vet, grooming and foster care on each dog, but that does not allow for the ones who get sick, need surgery or are heartworm positive.

ADOPTION FEES
under 6 months $500 and up
6 months to 2 years $400 and up
2 years - 4 years $300 and up
4 years + $100 and up
Special Needs fee/donation assessed on individual basis

TO APPLY FOR THIS DOG, PLEASE COMPLETE THE APPLICATION ON OUR WEBSITE:
http://www.idogrescue.com/adoption_application