My name is Ziggy!

If you’re looking for a wonderful friend to keep you company, then Ziggy is your guy. When you’re “chilling”, he’ll be “chilling” with you, and when you want to go out, he’ll be there wagging his tail for a walk. He is about 4 – 5 years old, and weighs approximately 65 pounds.

Here is what else his foster family had to say about Ziggy:

Ziggy is very calm with everyone he meets. He lets young children pet him, but does not show any eagerness to play with them. He really enjoys meeting adults, and likes the attention he gets from them. We have never seen Ziggy show aggression of any kind towards people of any age.

Ziggy gets along fairly well with our two dogs, both smaller than he is. He does not play with them, but also does not bother them. When on a walk, he will greet other dogs with nose sniffs. He has never barked at any other dog while walking. At the dog park, when small playful dogs came up to him, he reacted the same way as with our own dog. He does not seem to need the company of other dogs — he loves being near his “peeps”.

We have left him in the house a few times for several hours, with our own dogs. As is the case with our dogs, nothing has been destroyed, and he has had no accidents. Ziggy seems quite well-adjusted when it comes to loud noises — he may look in the direction of a loud car, or the vacuum cleaner, but when you say, “It’s OK, Ziggy”, he is fine.

Ziggy loves to be near his people – he follows me around the house — right now, I am in the office, and he is lying in our little dog’s crate ( she is about a third of his size ). He really likes his walks, and all the people he meets, especially adults. He loves getting hugs and kisses. He had a “spa day” — the whole works — it was reported to me that he loved being washed and brushed — he was good getting his teeth brushed — he was a “perfect gentleman” and a “pleasure to pamper”.

Ziggy’s energy level is in the low to moderate range. At the dog park, he did not run flat out as our two dogs do ( one of whom is also 5 years old ). He did some running, also in our back yard, but most of the time, he is very content to walk or “trot”. (Keep in mind this poor dog has been sitting in a pound so it may take some time to get his strength back up)

Ziggy has a beautiful coat, which sheds a little, but he also loves being brushed. We hardly ever hear Ziggy bark — he never barks outside in the yard, or in the house. When a friend came to the door, our dogs started barking, and then Ziggy barked a couple of times after, almost in imitation.

Ziggy does know his name, and comes when he is called. He is beginning to learn “sit” — our dogs help to model this, when they are all sitting for a treat after a walk or whatever. He is beginning to learn “stay”. He would benefit from further gentle training . He is not food-motivated, and thrives on being highly praised — “Good Ziggy” — also hugs and kisses on the head. Ziggy is very good on the leash — he enjoys his walks and is allowed to explore on either side as we walk. Although he walks calmly, he is very strong, and if he sees a rabbit, he will pull towards it — he needs to be handled by teenagers and adults. Ziggy is so polite in the house — he never chews anything — he does seem very interested in what we humans are eating, but does not get a chance to find out, because we keep our food away from the dogs, as our two are very food-oriented. I have seen him counter-surf once only, and he got down right away when told NO.

Ziggy is now completely accident-free in the house, after an initial settling-in time of a few days. He does not have a signal, but, like our Lab cross, goes to the patio door when he needs out. We are also very diligent about giving him frequent opportunities, every couple of hours or so. Our yard is totally fenced, and he enjoys exploring without looking for the “Exit” sign. We are always very careful at the front door, but he never seems to be champing at the bit to run out.
Ziggy is excellent in the truck — he has been for several rides — to the dog park, to the “spa”, etc. He jumps in with just a little difficulty, and either lies across the back seat, or sits up looking out the window.

Ziggy is fully crate-trained. The first couple of nights, he barked ( the most he has ever barked ), for a few minutes or so, then settled down. Now he goes in it every night with a small treat. His crate has always been clean and dry in the morning, from the very first night. He is never crated in the daytime, because he is completely trustworthy in the house. We only crate him because of our two dogs, so that we know everyone is safe while we are sleeping. Our dogs take turns between sleeping with us and sleeping in their crates. To them, their crates are a positive place to be, to get a good night’s sleep. If you had Ziggy as your only pet, you would never have to crate him.

Ziggy looks a lot happier and less lethargic than in his first couple of days. However, he does need to put on some weight, since you can see his ribs. He eats his food very eagerly.

As the young lady, Toni, said about him on his “spa day” — “Ziggy is a gentle soul who deserves all the best” — We think Ziggy is the perfect Companion dog — for a single person, a couple, or a family with calm, respectful teenagers. He does not need the company of any other animals in the house — he thrives on being near his people, and just doing what you’re doing — he is very undemanding as far as toys or having to be entertained — all he needs is your love and companionship.

If you think Ziggy would be a good choice for your family, please submit an application to http://www.uglymutts.com found under "The Dogs" tab for consideration.