Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Good with kids,
Good with dogs,
Not good with cats,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Say hello to Max!
Max is available for adoption after spending the winter in the SW. He had a great time and his foster parents learned a great deal more about him.
He remains the sweetest boy ever and there has not been a person that has met him that hasn't fallen in love with him. Although foster mom and dad adore him, they know there is a better setting for him that includes another dog and a fenced-in yard. Initially, when he came into foster care he was nervous in new settings, but now he just goes with the flow as long as his people are there.
Over the last 5 months he has met and played with lots of dogs. He reads dogs very well. They can be big, small, old, young, wildly playful, calm, quiet, and even standoffish to his youthful exuberance, but no matter what, he figures them out quickly. His play style can be a lot for small dogs. He had a golden girlfriend by the name of Tess who had the same hard play style and they were the best buds when together. Sadly, he had to leave her behind to come back to Iowa.
He did doggie daycare at least one day a week with an in-home dog sitter and also spent a few nights in her care. He did very well but was very happy to see foster mom when she picked him up. The daycare has a pool and he kept a wide path around it until he fell in. Apparently, he screamed like a baby and all the neighbors came out to see what happened. This behavior was not surprising as he has never been a fan of the water. If you are looking for a dog that enjoys the water, Max is not that dog.
His crate anxiety has gotten better, but his adopter will need to be willing to put the time in to desensitize him to a crate in his new home. He can currently be left alone, with a TV on for up to 4 hours, but we think with another dog in the home that is calm and content he will do even better. This is his biggest challenge and it will take time so the adopter must be willing to make accommodations as he learns he will be okay crated when left home. I do not believe that he will ever be the dog you can leave home a full workday. Training to desensitize him to the crate will be provided to any adopter interested in him.
Max's requirements:
Dogs - Max requires a dog to act as a good role model and be his play buddy. A playful, yet calm dog would be ideal.
Cats - Probably not cats in the home. We will test him with the grandcat again, but he has a very strong prey drive in the yard to squirrels, bunnies, and birds.
Fence - physical fence required due to his high prey drive. Max should always be leashed when outside a fence because when his prey drive kicks in, he doesn't listen or make good choices. He is unaware of the risk of crossing the street without looking.
Kids - He does well with the 16, 11, and 1.5-year-old grandkids, but the 3.5-year-old is too much for him. kids should be fine, but each child is different so we can talk about the kids in the home.
A calm home - a lot of yelling will make him anxious.
Energy - Max can be high energy, but he can also be a couch potato. Once he has a play buddy I think he will be more of a medium energy dog.
If you are interested in Max please fill out an application and someone will contact you to talk about him.
https://grroiowa.org/adoption-information/
