A person's first response when they meet Duffy is "awwww". He is just such an adorable dog, you just want to hug him. He is very soft and gentle and really doesn't harbour any ill will towards anyone. He is also not very socialized and is quite shy but he is coming along famously in his foster home with a whole new world of love and caring bring brought to him. Duffy is a very unusual dog in the sense that he looks like a Golden Retriever at first glance and you may think he is lying down but on closer inspection you see that no, he just doesn't have much for legs. He is going to make a wonderful family pet for someone that is willing to give him the patience and guidance he needs. He is great with everyone, very friendly towards people and other animals and really just wants to be loved. He is approximately 8 months old and weighs 41 lbs.
Here is what his foster family had to say:
Duffy is a huge lovable, affectionate, snuggle bug on the couch and in/on bed. He loves to be hugged and cuddled and petted. He has the true heart of a couch potato. He is not very active at all and needs a lot of encouragement but this is changing as he becomes more confident with the world around him.
Duffy is very eager to please but is quite shy and needs a lot of encouragement. He loves the couch and will often need to be coaxed to come outside but he is fully house trained and likes to do his business on walks. He is good on leash as he is always looking to the person for direction. He will do extremely well once he becomes more confident but at the moment he is a bit of a project. It is so rewarding working with him and Duffy so deserves the time and commitment as he is going to be a lovely family pet. He would be good with even small children but for his sake he should only be with children that understand how to be gentle. We never crate him as he doesn't get into anything he shouldn't and can be trusted to be left in the home with no issues. He is just such a darling dog you can't help but love him!
He does not get excited when he sees his dog leash or the mention of a walk as he is really not sure of everything at this point. He has been to the Dundas leash free park twice and we did see a marked difference on the second trip. His second visit he was much more relaxed. He went up to people and approached other dogs. He even ran around and played. He does need encouragement to come to his food bowl (yes, he doesn’t even come to dinner) and his foster dad has spoiled him by allowing his to eat lying down and eating on the couch-bad foster dad.
Duffy is encouraged by treats and although he is very shy, you can see that as he learns there are rewards, he is more and more eager to push his limits. He has not bothered with the cats and would be fine in a home with any other animals. He is an extremely gentle and low key dog that is just looking for love. He is very quiet in the home. I have only heard him bark once. He will start to whimper/whine if he wants attention from you. This is a dog that you would never need to raise your voice at.
When we leave the house he does not fuss or have any reaction. When we come home he does not greet us at the door and can be found on the couch waiting to see you and come to give him a friendly greeting. When he first came to our house he had a safe spot between the couch and coffee table. At first we didn’t think he could jump on the couch so we lifted him. After a few days he proved us wrong and could jump onto the couch and bed and into the car.
When we go out people make a comment on how handsome Duffy is and friendly. They ask about his breed because he does have a unique look.
If you think Duffy would do well in your family situation, please submit an application for consideration.
