My name is Nelson!

**Nelson is currently living in an amazingly loving foster home in Houston and is available for local or out-of-town adoption.**

Nelson is our miracle transformation pup! When he was first rescued, he didn’t look like a dog because he was bald and had the worst skin infection imaginable at such a young age. Most people would have never given him a second look or smell because that was bad too, but here at Reggie’s Friends, we believe in the underdog because we’ve seen so many of them bounce back and become gorgeous and the most loyal friends ever. It just takes a little TLC and lots of affection. If you want to see his very first photos, just ask but we didn’t want to use those on his bio because he’s just so handsome now!

Nelson was rescued as a baby just a few weeks old and now he is about 6 months old. He is a German Shepherd mix puppy, currently weighing in at about 30 pounds. We expect that he will be a medium sized adult at about 45 pounds. He is a tall and slender boy right now and has very handsome markings and cute floppy ears. The looks this little guy gives will melt your heart instantly!

At first meeting, you might not realize that Nelson is blind in his left eye, but prior to his rescue his eye was injured causing this condition. We do not know what happened, but like Nelson we just keep moving forward. We do know that after seeing the specialist here, they said that he cannot see out of the eye, but it doesn’t seem to currently cause him any pain, doesn’t currently require any ongoing treatment and he doesn’t seem to know that he is a little different. It is just one more reason we love this guy so much. His eye will always need to be monitored by his primary veterinarian for any changes that may occur in the future, but for now his eye is stable.

He is a pretty independent puppy. He is happy to play with a toy by himself, go outside and sit in the grass, explore his territory or take naps just about anywhere. He currently lives with a foster family that has 4 of their own dogs and Nelson loves to play with all of them. Those pups range from 15 to 47 pounds, so he enjoys all dogs and isn't afraid of anyone. He is in a funny puppy stage of loving to chew on the ears and legs of his furry friends which is lots of fun for him, but maybe not the favorite part of the day for the others. They are all so good with him and we think they know he will grow up soon, but if he joins a family with other furry friends, they also need to be pretty patient with his puppy actions. Nelson is not comfortable around kids, so he needs a family that is either all adult or has old children.

The cutest thing that Nelson does is roll around on his back and makes the funniest noises. He is so adorable and we love to see him act like a puppy considering he was so sick and unable to act that way just a short 3 months ago. He runs around, climbs the stairs, plays constantly with the other dogs, and really loves life now. He is a fantastic co-pilot in the car and he prefers the front passenger seat if it’s available. He is a happy little guy and wants to share this life with his very own family.

Nelson loves toys of all kind, but his Nylabone is the winner every time. He likes to carry it around, play with it and just keep tabs on it throughout the day. As mentioned before, the other things he thinks are toys are the legs of his dog friends. He hasn’t shown any bad habits other than that one, but he’ll grow out of it and in the meantime, they just get up and walk away if they are sick of the little silly pup. He loves belly rubs and taking naps on his cushion in the middle of the yard. He is living a stress free life these days and can’t wait to meet his people and start making their days happier.

We think that at some point in his short life prior to rescue he was mistreated based on the way he reacts to being picked up and held. It is not comfortable for him and he will try to get out of your grasp if held up off of the ground. Our vet even said that could possibly be the position he was in when his eye was injured and thus his distrust of it. We will never know why he doesn’t like that, but as he grows up the chances of him being held like a puppy are slim anyway, so this may not be an issue at all within a few short months. He is just fine if you are holding him while sitting and in fact, he loves to cuddle in the position too.

Nelson is still just a pup, so he will need a family that will commit to continuing his training with the leash, crate and potty habits. He’s a smart boy and learning fast, but still needs more time to be perfect with all three. He absolutely prefers his harness to the normal collar/leash system, but he will get used to whichever you prefer over time. Nelson is neutered, fully vaccinated and micrcochipped. He is available for adoption and his ideal family is active, affectionate and will consider him an important member of the family. His adoption fee is $300. If you can see this precious boy cuddling with you on the couch or napping on your back porch, you can fill out an adoption application found on our website, www.reggiesfriends.org under the Adoptables tab. If you have any questions or would like additional information please email us today at adoptions@reggiesfriends.org for an adoption application.