Ah yes. Santos.
Santos 100% has the personality of the cliche surfer dude, just… landlocked and significantly fluffier. Santos is the kind of dog who radiates “nah man, it’s all good” energy. Absolute surfer soul. Nothing rattles this guy. The vibes are immaculate. The tide is always right. Stress? Never heard of her. He likes attention, but in a very low-pressure, no expectations way. He’ll cruise over for some pets like, “Hey dude… if you’re free.” No demanding. No pawing. Just gentle eye contact and a calm presence that says, “I’m here if you wanna hang.” He’ll cruise behind you from room to room like he’s checking the surf report, just casually seeing what’s happening. If it turns out you’re folding laundry or doing something deeply uncool? Santos will peace out and go sprawl in one of his favorite hangout spots to vibe in silence. If Santos were human, he’d definitely call everyone “dude,” own exactly one hoodie, and believe deeply in the power of naps and good energy. No stress. No urgency. Just a mellow, affectionate little surf bro who’s here for the ride — and fully prepared to nap through most of it. 🏄♂️🐾
Santos is a 1-year-old, 63-lb Great Pyrenees who somehow came out the other side of a truly awful chapter with the energy of a laid-back surfer dude who just shrugs and says, “Yeah… that was rough, man. Anyway.” After being abandoned and left to fend for himself for several weeks, someone made the absolutely unforgivable decision to shoot at him — causing a deep, severe flesh wound on his back/hind end — and even after that happened, he was still left wandering on his own. No safety. No care. Often seen sleeping in a ditch. Enter a good Samaritan who heard about Santos, refused to look the other way, and stepped in to get him safe — and helped us get him into rescue. From there, Santos headed straight to our vet, where his wound was thoroughly cleaned and assessed. Because the injury had been open for too long, it couldn’t be sutured safely — closing an old wound like that can trap bacteria inside and cause serious infection. Instead, the vet took the safer route: antibiotics, careful monitoring, and letting the wound heal slowly and properly from the inside out. Santos has handled it like a champ. The wound has been healing gradually but beautifully, closing more and more with each recheck. Every visit, the vet is increasingly pleased with his progress, and if things keep going the way they are, it should be fully closed in just a few more weeks. Through all of this — the pain, the neglect, the recovery — Santos has remained steady, gentle, and ridiculously chill. Santos didn’t deserve what happened to him — but he absolutely deserves what comes next. And that is his happily ever after!🌊
Santos loves other dogs. Like… LOVES them. Capital letters, fireworks, emotional support level love. He would be thrilled to have playful doggy companions in his future home and fully intends to be everyone’s best friend immediately. His approach is a bit… enthusiastic at first — with zero concept of personal space. If another dog says, “nah, not right now,” Santos may respond with, “okay but what about right now?” He does eventually get the hint — it just takes a minute. Think lovable golden-retriever-energy, but in a Great Pyrenees body. Cats? Jury’s out. Santos has not yet been formally introduced to the feline legal system, so that remains a mystery. Kids-wise, Santos hasn’t had much experience, and honesty hour says he’s probably too much dog for little ones right now. Santos greets humans like he just won the lottery. He gets very excited, jumps up, and may gently grab your hand or clothing with his mouth in the way puppies do when their brains short-circuit from joy. While this is very fixable with training, it could be a bit much for small kids right now. He’s still learning that not everyone appreciates being greeted like a long-lost bandmate at a reunion tour.
Santos clocks in at about a 7/10 on the energy scale, which means he’s got plenty of pep… but he’s not trying to ruin your life. Think “let’s do something fun” followed immediately by “cool, now I’ll nap for three hours.” Balance. Car rides? He hops in on his own, checks the window for a few minutes like he’s reviewing the scenery, then promptly lies down to chill. Adventure-wise, Santos is down for whatever. Short outings, new experiences, socialization — he’s in. He’s smart, adapts quickly to routine, and has a really lovely balance of play hard / crash hard. He’ll give you his best zoomies, then immediately find the nearest soft surface and power down like a phone at 1%. Temperament-wise, Santos is just… easy. Somehow, despite everything he’s been through, he’s happy-go-lucky, go-with-the-flow, and emotionally stable. He enjoys attention but doesn’t demand it. He’ll trail behind you from room to room like a fluffy little intern, just checking to see what’s happening. If it’s boring? He’ll quietly relocate to one of his favorite lounging spots and resume vibing. Toys? Yes please. Water play? Winter says try again in a few months — results pending. As for his ideal setup: a securely fenced yard is a must. Santos is active, playful, and needs a safe space to run off his enthusiasm. Leash-only living just isn’t going to cut it for this guy. He needs room to stretch those legs, burn off energy, and then — very importantly — come inside and nap like he’s earned it.
Santos currently knows “sit” and “come,” which means he understands the concept of listening and is open to expanding his résumé with the right incentives (read: treats). He’s potty trained, so he already checks off one of the most important adulting skills. Gold star. When he first arrived, he did fine sleeping in a crate at night — very polite, very cooperative. After a couple nights, he graduated to a gated area like the trustworthy gentleman he is. As for barking, Santos is surprisingly restrained for a Great Pyrenees. He does bark when he sees animals outside, but it’s more of a casual commentary than a full security briefing. Think: “Hey, just so you know… there’s something out there.” Not the nonstop Pyr monologue you might be bracing for. It’s also worth noting that Santos has also been wearing a cone his entire time in rescue, which means we’re currently interacting with Santos: Lite Edition. Brief cone-off moments have revealed a much more playful, curious, exploratory version of him who is very interested in the world around him. Once fully healed, expect a bit more puppy energy — nothing alarming, just a dog discovering he has freedom again....and for a change can just be...well a dog. No painful wound.
No people shooting at him. No dodging cars. No scavenging for food. No waking up every day just trying to survive. He gets to be just Santos. A young Great Pyrenees who, maybe for the first time in his life, gets to wake up safe… and just be a dog. Outside playtime is where Santos’ enthusiasm really shines. Sometimes he gets so excited that he comes charging toward you at what feels like the speed of light, powered entirely by happiness and questionable decision-making. His current greeting style is best described as “joyful cannonball.” We are actively teaching him a much gentler approach that involves sitting instead of turning you into a human bowling pin — and to be fair, he actually does really well with it most of the time. When he gets overstimulated, though, all bets are off and the laws of physics briefly stop applying. It’s not malice, just a big-hearted goof who loves very hard and doesn't quite understand his size.
So if you’re in the market for a go-with-the-flow surfer dude trapped in a 63-lb Great Pyrenees body, Santos might just be your guy. Now for the fine print: if you want this majestic floof in your life, you’ll need to fill out an adoption application at https://www.pyrpawsandfluffytailsrescue.com/adoption-app so we can send it over to his foster family. Santos cannot be claimed by vibes alone. Paperwork must happen. Dreams must be documented. And yes — pickup will be in McAlester, OK, because Santos is not being shipped, teleported, or delivered by surfboard. You’ll have to come get your new best friend in person.
Apply, commit, and come meet your future best friend. Santos is ready to ride the next wave straight into his forever home. 🌊🐾
