Age: 21 months
Adoption Fees: $500
Adoption Status: Successful Adoption
August 9, 2019 – Elvis has been adopted by his foster family.
July 26, 2019 – Elvis has made some stride forward in the last few weeks. He now sits on command and his recall is good when he is let off leash in a secure area. We have started teaching him to ‘stay’ and will continue to work on his manners. We are working on his confidence when he sees dogs on our walks. I am working on having him pay attention to me rather than the dog. This training is ongoing and is progressing slowly. He requires a great deal of time, patience and consistency with his training. Elvis loves his liver treats and works hard to get his reward. He is a very clever boy and an excellent communicator. When he wants something or wants you to look at something that needs your attention, he will look at you intently, make squeaking noise and look in the direction of the object. Elvis had his first trip to our cottage. He made himself at home right away and loved spending time outside on the deck or chasing his ball. He came in the raft with the family and sat calmly. He let me hold him in the shallow water near the shore and even swam! This little guy loves exploring new environments.
July 7, 2019 – Elvis is a sweet, lovable character. He is an active youngster who thrives on activity. This boy isn’t into napping and never turns down a walk or a good session chasing a ball or tossing
around his stuffy. Exercise is important in keeping Elvis lean, and his muscles strong. He thrives
on structure and routine. Elvis loves his foster family and is especially bonded to his foster mom. He can always be found beside her or snuggled in her lap. He is slow to accept visitors and it take several times seeing them before he stops barking at them. Elvis needs to be introduced to new people and
environments slowly. His security is important to him and must be respected. He comes out of
his shell slowly and needs time to learn to trust people. Elvis alert barks at dogs and some people when they walk past the house. A detached house and family accustomed to bouts barking is a must.
Elvis is very reactive to other dogs. He responds with barking and lunging but it is fear based
rather than aggression. He must be the only pet in the home and will need time to bond with a new family dedicated to continuing his training and accepting of his fears. We use positive reward training using the marker word ‘yes’ and liver treats. He is a very intelligent dog and learns quickly but his fear overrides his ability to follow direction. A strong, confident, patient dog handler is needed to ensure he feels secure.
Elvis has been exposed to busy streets, parks and forested areas. He loves walking in the forest
where he can be secluded from other people and dogs, relax and sniff to his hearts content. This
little guy has stamina for long walks but as a pug, the temperature outside needs to be taken
into account. A house with air conditioning is a must and he love a fireplace in the winter.
He does well in the car as long as he has someone to sit beside him. He will look out the window
and bark loudly if he sees another dog.
Elvis is crate trained and stays in it when we are away and at night. He is house trained but does
not ask to go outside. We take him out every 2-3 hours and he passes the night without needing
to go outside.
He is calm and quiet in the house and does not have separation anxiety. He loves to be with his
foster family and would prefer not to be alone for long stretches of time. Elvis requires mental
stimulation, human interaction and continued training to be the best dog he can be.
June 21, 2019 – The dog trainer was thrilled with all the progress that Elvis made since he came into rescue. He still barks when he sees strangers but he is a smart boy and has learned a lot in the past few months. We continue to work to build his confidence. Elvis is familiar with our neighbourhood and anticipates where he will see dogs in yards. We increase the distance by walking on the opposite side of the street and reward him when he gives his attention to us rather than the dog. Elvis has been spending time with us on our front porch and is more relaxed when people go by as long as they don’t have a dog. Elvis loves walking in the forest and sniffing everything. He loves being outside. He is an affectionate, active, funny little guy and we enjoy fostering him very much.
May 21, 2019 – Elvis is getting re-assessed by the dog trainer on June 2. He is still overwhelmed and very reactive when he sees other dogs or when someone comes to the door. As far as manners in the house, he is very well behaved and corrects easily. We will see what the dog trainer says about this beautiful boy on June 2.
May 16, 2019 – Elvis is an absolute sweetheart. He loves everyone in the family and is very affectionate with my husband and boys. He loves to snuggle and sit on my lap. Elvis stays in his crate while we are away and at night time. He is a good sleeper and waits quietly until you open the crate. He doesn’t sleep much during the day. He is a good eater and finishes his meals quickly. He has never had human food while with us other than the odd thing he finds on the floor. When he first came to us, he would jump up and whine when we ate. Now he doesn’t bother because he knows he is not getting anything.
He loves to be groomed. He lets me brush him for a long time and doesn’t fuss when having a bath.
He loves to play fetch inside the house, wrestle with his stuffies and chew his Himalayan Chew. He loves liver treats. Elvis is an athletic little guy who loves his walks. He walks for over an hour with no problem. He does well on busy streets but really loves to explore the forest with all its lovely smells. He is also very agile and can jump quite high if he wants to get on the bed , where he is not allowed, or in your lap. He can stand on his hind legs to reach a treat or to try and get a dog on TV. Elvis is very alert and notices every sound and movement inside or outside of the house. He sits at the front window at busy times and barks when he sees a dog go by and sometimes people.
He is very reactive to other dogs. He barks and tries to get at them when we see them in the park, on walks or from the car. He is slightly less reactive to cats when we have seen them on walks. He has not been in the same room as one as I am very allergic.
When he meets children and adults on a walk, he is polite and will let me stop and chat and allows people to pet him.
Elvis is very reactive to new people that come in the house. He barks at them and when they come to the door, he goes mad. We have tried to work on this but he gets really stressed and remains on alert for quite sometime after.
He doesn’t ask to be let outside but we take him out every 2-3 hours. He is always on a leash.
May 6, 2019 – Elvis absolutely loves being outside. We took him for a walk today in a public park for the first time. He was not bothered by people or bikes but dogs are another matter completely. On cold mornings, he loves to snooze in his dog bed in front of the fireplace. We will continue to work on rewarding him when he is calm and meeting new people
April 23, 2019 – Elvis has had a good week with lots of opportunities to learn. With the nicer weather, he has been on longer walks at different times of day and in new areas. He has reacted less often to people and dogs. It is still very much a work in progress. As the neighbourhood has gotten busier, he spends time at the front window barking at anyone going by.
With the increased exercise, Elvis’s hind quarters have gotten stronger. When he sits now, it is almost straight rather than off to one side. He has even stood straight up when barking at a dog on TV or looking out the window.
Elvis had to get used to having another family member home. It took him less than half an hour to stop barking at my oldest son and accept that he was here to stay. He loves being with anyone in the family and is a snuggle bug. We will continue to work on his confidence and begin training outside.
April 16, 2019 – Elvis has made so many strides forward this week. He has shown us how smart he is and that he is comfortable enough with us to be a little naughty. He has found a way to move the dog barrier that blocks the stairs just enough to sneak past. I go up to bed first and within 2 minutes, I hear him at my bedroom door. Elvis found a glove in our mudroom and began playing with it. I traded him the glove for his favourite stuffy and put the glove in a drawer. He immediately dropped his raccoon and tried to open the drawer to retrieve the glove. When I redirected him to his toys, he played until I turned my back. Then he ran past me with my son’s shoe that is almost as big as he is! Elvis is a playful little guy that makes us laugh every day. He has had no accidents in the house this week. I think last week’s could be attributed to his surgery. He has also stopped marking in the house and we have put the belly bands away. He is eating twice a day now, morning and evening. His first few days with us, he would only eat a little bit out of my hand or from the floor. Then he would eat only at 8:30pm. He eats well and naps well so we know he is getting adequate exercise. Elvis now has routine in his life and feels secure with his foster family. With Easter weekend coming up, he will be having a few more visitors in the house. This will be an excellent opportunity for training. We will also be taking him to the cottage so he will be in a new environment with his foster family
April 8, 2019 – Elvis continues to do well. He is very loving with everyone in the family and follows his foster mom around. Elvis loves to wrestle with his stuffed racoon toy and never turns down an invitation to chase his tennis ball. He always returns it and eagerly waits for the next throw. We are continuing to work on Elvis gaining confidence and establishing a trust bond with his handler. He is doing well practicing his skills in the house using a mark (the word “yes”) and reward system. He loves his liver treats and is alert and attentive. He will need time and patience to be social with people and other dogs. Yesterday, he enjoyed a 45 minute walk on a quiet path. We are looking forward to warmer, drier days ahead when we can practice his skills outside to help him be calmer with all the sights and sounds. Elvis is crate trained. He sleeps in his crate at night and when he is home alone. He is house trained but does have an occasional accident. Elvis is a lovely little guy and will need time and patience to be the best boy he can be.
April 3, 2019 – Elvis was neutered yesterday and the surgery went very well. He is back to hos foster family for a smooth recovery. We are working with Elvis and the dog trainer to teach him good manners and respect. Elvis is a very active dog who should be placed in a home with no other dog and kids over 12.
March 25, 2019 -Elvis’s first week in foster care has gone very well. He is comfortable with our family and is getting into a routine. He enjoys several walks a day and is looking forward to warmer weather and a chance to play in the yard. He follows foster mom around and become a cuddlier with anyone who invites him on their lap. He had a trip to the vet and is now up to date on his vaccines. It was a long drive to Kanata and he got along well with the two older female pugs and their foster mom. I heard he was very well behaved for the vet too. On Saturday, we had a visit from a dog trainer who did a temperament assessment and demonstrated games to establish his focus and offered many training tips. Now that he is comfortable in his foster home, we will begin training and working on his manners. He is a bright young boy and he loves his treats! Elvis should be placed in a home with no other dogs and no kids.
March 22, 2019 – Elvis went to the vet today for a complete check up. He is a very healthy 19.3lbs boy. He has received his vaccination (DHPP + rabies) and his neutering surgery is scheduled for April 2.
March 19, 2019 – Elvis is a happy go lucky little dog who was comfortable with his foster family immediately. He was calm and relaxed on the drive home. He was curious as he explored our house and enjoyed the attention he received. He loves playing with his racoon stuffy and chasing his ball. He is good about bringing it back and dropping it. He was not interested in his food until 8pm but drank water several times. Elvis slept all night in his crate. He enjoyed several walks today and did quite well on the leash. He was calm and cooperative when I brushed him and even enjoyed his bath. He is currently wearing a belly band as he marked a few objects. He quickly found a spot to do his business outside and has not had any accidents in the house.
March 18, 2019 – Elvis was surrendered to us on March 16. He is a pug X and is born September 23, 2017. Elvis will go to the vet this Thursday for a complete check up and be vaccinated. Elvis will also get neutered in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more on this active little guy.