Adopt a Terrier / Mixed (short coat)
Apollo "Vista"*F* - new updates and videos! the Dog needs a home
FOSTER UPDATE 1/2018
Apollo had a great holiday season. We are getting to know him more as his foster family. We had a friend’s dog spend a week with us, and the two dogs got along very well. There was no fighting or growling, but Apollo was dominant. They lay together and play together and ate together, but Apollo ate first and slept on the best dog bed. It was Apollo’s home territory, though, so that probably made a difference.Apollo has become a good watchdog. He barks loudly when someone comes to the door. He doesn’t act aggressive, though. In fact, he often doesn’t even get up off his dog bed to go look! He just lays in his corner of the living room and sounds terribly mean until he sees it’s actually one of us, or until we tell him we like that person, and then the sound of his thumping tail wagging takes over. Apollo has been friendly with visitors, although we take it slow and introduce him carefully, because he does sound scary. He is protective of my daughter, and if he thinks anyone is being rough with her, he will try to jump between us. When he does that, he is wagging his tail, and almost seems like he’s wanting to play. When I tell him “no!” he gets the most confused look on his face, very contrite and submissive. But for these reasons, I think he’d do better in a house with an owner who can pay close attention to his signals, and he should probably not be alone with small children.
He still uses his crate, goes in on command, and also just to lie down sometimes. I crate him when we’re not home. He’s been trustworthy in the house, but I still want him to be comfortable being confined to his crate. He still doesn’t like going for walks on a leash, but he has shown more energy in the yard. Once in a while, he chases his toys and jumps around the yard so energetically that you can’t tell he is missing anything! I made some videos of him playing in the yard, and you can check it out on youtube. See the links at the bottom of this page!
He has been riding in the car to school drop-off and pick-up, and he’s happy now getting in and out of the car. He is a very well behaved boy. He understands when you tell him “no” and he responds. He already knows not to go in the trash, so he doesn’t get corrected for much. His one bad habit is to jump up. Even with only one front paw, he still tries to jump up when he gets excited. I scold him, and he looks so sad to disappoint me! He drops down and shows me his belly. He is an obedient boy who just wants to please.
He is still the happiest member of this foster house. We’ve got a dog bed in the living room, and he loves to cozy up there. When he hears footsteps, his tail starts thumping because he knows someone is going to pass by and pat him on the head, or if he’s charming enough, give a quick belly scratch. When he’s up and about, he follows my daughter so close he bumps into the back of her legs. At night he sleeps in her room, and he still loves to snuggle her in the big chair. He loves feeling like part of a family. His only wish for the new year is to find his forever family and finally settle down in a permanent home. If you are looking for a snuggle buddy who will follow you around and get happy every time you walk in the room, come and meet Apollo. He will love you more than you can imagine!
FOSTER UPDATE 12/2017
My first thought upon meeting Apollo was, “This attitude right here, this unfiltered joy, this is why humans live with dogs.” Apollo has lost his family and his leg, and still, he’s happier than any person I know! He’s been with us for a week now, and that’s still true. His default attitude is happy! He is delighted by physical or verbal attention from anyone in our family, in fact, he starts wagging his tail as soon as he spots you looking at him. When you reach down to him, he’ll let you pat his head once or twice before he collapses and rolls over to beg for a belly rub. Besides belly rubs, his other favorite activity is snuggling. He loves to sit draped across the kids’ laps while they watch TV or do homework. My daughter lets him sit next to her in a chair in her bedroom, but in the rest of the house he stays off the furniture. He’s very happy with his dog beds, and will chill in the dog bed nearest me while I work in the office or the kitchen. It is obvious he’s already been through a lot of training. He knows sit and down, and he likes to fetch, and will readily let go of the toy after he brings it back. He does play with toys, and he eats treats if there are any on offer, but he seems mainly motivated by affection. He really loves attention most of all. Apollo is always paying close attention to the humans, and that means he’s very well mannered. He responds immediately to the slightest scolding. It only took one warning to keep him out of the trash can. I did catch him once with a shoe in his mouth, but he didn’t hurt it, and dropped it right away when I asked him. He goes in his crate on command, and likes to snooze in there with the door open when we are nearby. So far, I am keeping him crated while I’m not home, but when anyone is home, he has the run of the house. He has proven himself to be housebroken, calm, quiet, and not destructive. He doesn’t like walks, so we just take him outside to go to the bathroom. We do take him in the car, and he seems to enjoy the ride, but he doesn’t like getting into the car. He endured his bath, but didn’t like it.
Apollo is a big lug of a dog, with a big angular head and muscular chest that makes you think “linebacker!” But then he tips his big head back to look up at you from his spot in your lap, and his lips curve up in a delighted dog smile, and all you can do is smile back down at him! His joy is contagious! He is a tiger striped brindle that reminds me of Calvin’s constant companion, Hobbes, but that’s at least half personality, because Apollo is much more solid. His fur is soft and short, and of course, you can see, he’s missing one front leg. He gets around very well, even still jumps up sometimes! He walks fine, at a sort of hobble speed mostly, though he gets tired easily. He does run for short bursts when he’s excited, but he is not interested in going for walks.
Apollo is a sheer pleasure to come home to, as he is always overjoyed to see us. While we are home, he is a constant invitation to happiness, whether he is following you around hoping for attention, or just thumping his tail hopefully from his dog bed every time you walk by!
DOG 4 a DAY UPDATE 12.3.17:
We had such a great time taking Apollo to the beach. He's an affectionate dog with a big smile on his face. Other dogs, big and small, love Apollo .
Apollo was abandoned at a veterinary clinic. He originally was at a high kill shelter and pulled by another rescue. They noticed his leg had an injury and took him to the vet. Once they found out that his leg had to be amputated, they never came back to pick up the dog. Our vet tech saw Apollo and saw the beauty in this dog. Apollo does have 3 legs so a home with no stairs would be very helpful to him. Because his front leg was amputated, he needs help getting in and out of the car.
While under the care of the vet's office, Apollo was in a foster home. His foster mom said he is a great dog! He is housetrained, was good with her cat, and did not jump on furniture. He did not do so well with her dogs, but goes out in a playgroup with 2 other dogs here at our center. He absolutely LOVES belly rubs! He will lay on his back all day long if he could! He always has a giant smile on his face! He is a very happy boy despite his recent experience of being abandoned. He has so much love to give and just wants his forever home. Please open up your heart and home to this handsome boy.
- Animal: Dog
- Breed:
Terrier / Mixed (short coat)
- Size:
- Gender: Male
- State: Florida
- Zip/Postal Code: 32771
