Max has a very nice soft coat, soft ears, and a roly poly little body that makes him incredibly cuddly. He also (like most dogs) loves his belly scratches and has one of the best leg thumping actions when you hit his "sweet spot" that we've seen! You can't help but chuckle when he looks at you with his inquisitive, kind eyes. He loves everyone almost as much as he loves food. He weighs approximately 30 lbs and is 4 years old.
Here is what else Max's foster family had to say:
Max is a little guy with big personality. He shows unbridled enthusiasm for you when you arrive home, and is always eager to hang out, play or snuggle with his people. He loves to sit right next to you, or with his paws on you in order to interact and receive pets. He is definitely a dog that will make the rounds throughout the house to see what is going on and what everyone is up to.
Max is EXTREMELY food driven. One of the things we've found very amusing with Max is the dance he does in response to meal time. If you appear with his food bowl, he will hop along side you on his hind legs with his front legs outstretched toward the bowl all the way to where he eats in hilarious desperation. His love of food also makes it easier to get him to respond to commands or come back when off leash if that situation arises.
If he could reach the counters, I am certain that he would go after food sitting up there. He will sit in the area while you're eating, but is not intrusive. He will stare you down, but does not whine for food. We've also noticed that he knows where his food is kept and would get into it if it was not locked away out of sight. He is very quick to notice the first sight/sound/smell that it's feeding time!
Max walks very nicely on the leash, and will adjust to how you like to walk. He very much likes to sniff around and take in his surroundings, but if you have limited time or want to go a bit more quickly he will recognize this and act accordingly. His previous owner was using an extender leash and we've found that he does like to wander on walks, but he does not pull while walking. He will certainly run with you for a bit, but is not the type of dog who wants to run non-stop for kilometres at a time. He loves his chew toys, and enjoys playing tug of war with you. Much of the time he will chase after a toy when thrown, but bringing the toy back to you for another round is not in his DNA. He prefers to bring the toy back and continue chewing on it.
He is very friendly with everyone we have encountered on walks and when he came along to visit family. He was excellent with the neighbours' children when they wanted to pet him. We have no doubt that he'd be good with children. He does sometimes like to hop up and put his front paws on people in an effort to get attention, or when he's excited and a bit wound up. This would be harmless for most kids and adults, but could be an issue with very small children. Max loves being with his people, meeting new people and has not shown any signs of shyness. We do not have another dog or cat in the house, but we did have occasion to take him to a dog park where he made new friends and played happily. Otherwise, he's been happy to sniff other dogs and is generally excited to encounter other dogs when on a walk. He did seem interested in some of the cats we've come across, but he did not charge after them, just curious.
Max accepted being put in his crate and was able to settle pretty quickly. More typically we have put him in one of the bedrooms while we are at work from 8:30 - 5:30 with a kong stuffed with some treats and some of his other toys. He has not destroyed anything, and doesn't seem terrified or distraught that we are leaving him. When you return at the end of the day he does have some pent-up energy and will be hyperactive and overjoyed to have you back around for a few minutes until he settles down. Max loves to go for walks, play with his toys, interact with his people, receive hugs, pets and attention, and curl up with people on the couch to snooze and relax. He is also quick to jump in the car to go for a ride and requires no coaxing in. Minus the occasional happy bark or excited whine toward his people, he is mostly quiet. Max has rarely barked when we've put him out in the backyard or while out on walks. He will sometimes bark inside the house if he hears a dog barking outside in the area. His energy level is good. He should, however, be on a diet and ideally be placed in a home that has time to give him exercise so that he can lose some weight which will help him to live a longer, healthier and happier life.
Max has not been destructive at all. We do think that he would steal food if left at a level he can reach, but his size means this is not an issue in most cases. Max knows to sit, lie down, and stay (to a point) on command. He will come when called. Based on his behaviour in our house, Max is a dog who is used to being allowed up on the couch and other furniture, and in the bed come sleeping time. We have allowed him to be up on the couches (which he loves to do to curl up and lie right next to you), but have stopped short of letting him sleep in the bed. He attempts to do so, but has gotten off of our bed when told, and gone to lie on his own bed.
Max is fully house trained. He has been alone throughout the work day and we have not had an accident. We understand Max's previous owner had to give him up because he was gone during a very long work day. His previous owner has said that Max didn't have accidents even when left alone for 13-14 hours. While not ideal to leave him for that long, it is reassuring to hear.
I think Max would be thrilled to find and would fit in great with a family who had the time to interact with him and give him the exercise he needs. Max is an extremely cute little guy with a playful nature and spirit and we think he'd do exceptionally well with kids. That said, he could be happy with almost anyone - couple (like our home) or single - who wants a friendly, affectionate companion, and that is willing and has the time and wherewithal to love him back in return. He will definitely make you feel loved and needed when you return home.
Keep in mind that Max is a dog who was loved in his previous owner's home, but was also left for very long stretches on his own. It would be nice for his forever home to give him a place where he was only alone for a standard workday, or even better, somewhere where people were in and out throughout the day. An increased amount of exercise to help him lose a bit of weight would also be ideal.
If you would like to make Max part of your family pack, please submit an application for consideration.
