Idaho45guy
04-25-2023, 03:49 AM
I adopted my daughter's dog about a month ago. His name is Arlo. Not named after Arlo Guthrie, but rather the main character in an animated movie, "The Good Dinosaur".
She is married with 3 boys and lives on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Seattle area. Her husband is an E-6 in the Air Force and is getting medically separated this summer due to back issues, joint issues, and PTSD.
They got Arlo as a pup and were told that he was Belgian Malinois and Australian shepherd and would grow to about 60 lbs. They wanted a medium-sized short hair dog with lots of energy to play with and protect the kids.
However, Arlo kept growing, and growing. They had a cat they adopted in Japan that my daughter loves dearly. Arlo began pestering the cat. It became nocturnal and started losing it's hair.
Whenever I visited, Arlo and I would have a great time. I would always bring Pokemon cards for the kids, and a piece of antler or other chew toy for Arlo.
So, when my daughter said that Arlo, now at 90 lbs, was too big for their military home and that they were going to re-home him, I had to take him.
He's very smart, very sweet, and just turned two in January.
313346
But, he did come with some baggage. He was a Covid puppy, owned by liberals who isolated themselves on a military base.
When I brought him home to my house with a fenced in yard and doggie door access, he had no idea what to do. They kept him in a crate for much of the day and rarely took him for walks.
I work Swing shift and was nervous about leaving him home alone with full access to my house, but he has been awesome. He has learned to use the doggie door, has learned to use steps (he had never seen steps!), has never had an accident or damaged anything in my home.
I have tried to take him for a walk around town every day in order to socialize him. He is afraid/cautious of many things. Adult men make him skeptical. Adult women less so. Kids of all ages and genders are his friends. Other dogs are still a mystery. The jack Russel terrier across the street that barks at him constantly is an enemy. The Chihuahuas in outfits at the city hall where I pay my water bill are an oddity. They don't bark at him, so he sniffs them and seems confused. No aggression at all.
My parent's mule and horse are a threat and he is both afraid and hates them. He will rush the pasture fence barking furiously. I have a lot of training to do.
I have taken him on daily walks and he is doing much better. Last weekend, I took him on his first hike into the Idaho woods. Completely off leash and allowed to explore. He loved it! He stayed close by and always returned when called.
313347
My daughter, curious as to what breed Arlo actually is, paid $80 for a DNA test on Amazon.
Turns out, he is a true mutt...
313348
In any case, he should be a great dog. He's very smart, athletic, and curious. He just needs some education regarding the world.
Got him a new vest...
313349
She is married with 3 boys and lives on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Seattle area. Her husband is an E-6 in the Air Force and is getting medically separated this summer due to back issues, joint issues, and PTSD.
They got Arlo as a pup and were told that he was Belgian Malinois and Australian shepherd and would grow to about 60 lbs. They wanted a medium-sized short hair dog with lots of energy to play with and protect the kids.
However, Arlo kept growing, and growing. They had a cat they adopted in Japan that my daughter loves dearly. Arlo began pestering the cat. It became nocturnal and started losing it's hair.
Whenever I visited, Arlo and I would have a great time. I would always bring Pokemon cards for the kids, and a piece of antler or other chew toy for Arlo.
So, when my daughter said that Arlo, now at 90 lbs, was too big for their military home and that they were going to re-home him, I had to take him.
He's very smart, very sweet, and just turned two in January.
313346
But, he did come with some baggage. He was a Covid puppy, owned by liberals who isolated themselves on a military base.
When I brought him home to my house with a fenced in yard and doggie door access, he had no idea what to do. They kept him in a crate for much of the day and rarely took him for walks.
I work Swing shift and was nervous about leaving him home alone with full access to my house, but he has been awesome. He has learned to use the doggie door, has learned to use steps (he had never seen steps!), has never had an accident or damaged anything in my home.
I have tried to take him for a walk around town every day in order to socialize him. He is afraid/cautious of many things. Adult men make him skeptical. Adult women less so. Kids of all ages and genders are his friends. Other dogs are still a mystery. The jack Russel terrier across the street that barks at him constantly is an enemy. The Chihuahuas in outfits at the city hall where I pay my water bill are an oddity. They don't bark at him, so he sniffs them and seems confused. No aggression at all.
My parent's mule and horse are a threat and he is both afraid and hates them. He will rush the pasture fence barking furiously. I have a lot of training to do.
I have taken him on daily walks and he is doing much better. Last weekend, I took him on his first hike into the Idaho woods. Completely off leash and allowed to explore. He loved it! He stayed close by and always returned when called.
313347
My daughter, curious as to what breed Arlo actually is, paid $80 for a DNA test on Amazon.
Turns out, he is a true mutt...
313348
In any case, he should be a great dog. He's very smart, athletic, and curious. He just needs some education regarding the world.
Got him a new vest...
313349