Scout, STAR #1783

Scout was adopted by the Patrick family.  He’ll get to live a great life with lots of land to roam, getting to visit ranch land in Kerrville, and family in Ruidoso.  He’ll be an only dog for now and get all the TLC from his new parents who recently lost their adopted Aussie.  They are an Aussie savvy couple who was ready and willing to continue the great work the foster home was focused on regarding weight loss, barking, and anxiety to new things.  We are so happy to welcome the Patrick family to the STAR family.  Thank you, Brandi for all the love and patience you invested in Scout!

Scout came to STAR for being “too much” for his elderly owners and needed a weight loss plan.  Scout is two years old and weighs approx. 60 lbs. He is neutered, vaccinated and chipped.. He’s done great in his foster home and is ready for adoption.  From his foster mom:

Pros:

• Gets along well with other dogs and will tolerate rough-house play
• Ignores the cats in the home (cats are dog-savvy)
• Is fed next to other dog and does not show food aggression
• No counter surfing observed
• Goes into crate with promise of treat and praise
• Sweet and loving-loves to be petted and have his belly rubbed
• Low-Medium energy
• Knows command “sit” and working on “watch me” and “wait”
• Completely house-broken
• Does not chew on items other than his toys or bones
• Will not climb onto furniture unless invited
• Is doing well on his weight loss plan

Things to work on with positive-reinforcement training:

• Previous owner noted he was afraid of loud noises-he does not like the vacuum (does any Aussie?)
• Can be mouthy when excited
• Gets VERY excited when foster mom comes home from work or when foster mom lets him out of the crate-demonstrates this by barking and jumping
• Takes a bit to warm up to new people
• Pulls on leash when walking
• Not kid tested
• Jumps up on people

Scout will do well in a home with another dog. He will occasionally hide from the other very active dog that is in the house by going into his crate. He has not shown any aggression towards other dog.  While he loved foster mom right away, it took Scout a few days to warm up to foster dad. He would demonstrate his unease by growling and barking. He now loves foster dad almost as much as foster mom. He also likes the teenagers that live in the home. When they come home on the weekend, he will sometimes bark at them until he remembers that he knows them. He does bark at new guests and is slow to warm up. He definitely needs a house with minimal new guests or at least a house with a plan for how to address his unease around unfamiliar people.

He is medium energy when playing with the other dog in home. He is low energy otherwise but is getting more active with weight loss.

If you are interested in meeting Scout, please submit an application (under “Adopt” on this website.  His foster home is in San Antonio.

Scout has come into our program because he was too much for his elderly owner.. He is two years old and overweight at 70 lbs.  He is already vetted but will be evaluated by his foster home in San Antonio.. Scout should be available around the middle of November.