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Name: Bertie (20220506-06)
Weight: 49 lbs
Age: 8 months
Gender: Female
Spayed/Neutered: spayed
Breed: hound mix
Colour: golden red

Neck size (for collar): 17”
Height (from top of head): 25”
Length (from nose to base of tail): 35”
Crate size recommended: 42”

Good with women: with time and gentle approach
Good with men: with time and gentle approach
Good with kids: with time and gentle approach
Good with other dogs: yes
Good with cats: has not been cat tested but believe she would be fine
House trained: yes, will whine when she needs to go out
Crate trained: yes
Energy level: Bertie is a puppy. She likes to run around in the yard, roll, etc. One or two good walks a day with yard/training time is sufficient.
Can be handled/touched: while leashed, and or in a crate yes. Learning to trust.
Barker: no
Flight risk: yes, see below
Food aggressive: no
Current food: Diamond Large puppy chicken
Walks on leash: yes
Leash reactive to people or dogs: no tho may stop if uncertain
Rides well in car: yes, crated
Destructive: no
Needs a home with a yard: yes preferably with privacy 5-6 ft fence
Needs a home with another dog: yes, she needs a home with another solid, kind, patient non aggressive and non dominant dog. She seems to gravitate more toward female dogs - see below what’s needed in a companion dog for her
Can live in an apartment: no

History: Bertie was brought to one of our local shelters as a Young stray puppy approximately 10 weeks old. She was semi-feral and that’s being conservative.
People who dropped her off said they found her in a ditch, but shelter staff believed the puppy belonged to them because there was no way anyone would’ve caught this puppy in a ditch. She wanted to run and hide at the sight of people and she was fast.
She crouched in the back of her crate and trembled. She also defecated if picked up and carried. In addition to her fearfulness, she also had some healing wounds on her head which led us to believe she had been jumped by other dogs.

Other important info:
HI! I’m Bertie! OK maybe you’re a little confused given it says “female” above. I am! A bouncy, beautiful baby girl. I have very long legs and look like a gangly filly but nope! I’m a puppy! So yeah, I don’t remember but apparently I came from some place a bit scary. I’ve been working really hard to gain some self confidence (that’s what my foster mum says). Foster Mum likes to take me out for walks but she keeps switching up my helper dog. It shook me up the first time just a bit but I got it under control. Foster Mum likes when I check out stuff along our walks - says it’s good for me to engage in my surroundings and not be afraid of the everyday stuff. She says “we will NOT run from our fears!” so makes me settle down when I’m bothered by something on a walk before continuing on. One of my helper dogs (I currently live with 4 female helpers   has mastered an incredibly slow walk thanks to me having to learn to face fear, deal and not being allowed to run away. Foster Mum is very proud of us both. I use to be afraid of a leaf blowing across the street, now I go check it out. I’m becoming VERY brave. Some of my favorite things are… rolling around in the grass, going for a walk with my helper dog of the day, puppy naps (I’m still growing!), chewing on nylabones, PEANUT BUTTER KONGS - OHMYGOSH!! I’m currently living with a bunch of duds - no one will play with me. I like one A LOT - she might remind me of my mother - but she won’t play. I’d really like to have a gentle, kind, tolerant, brave, FUN dog of my own to play with and eat with and snuggle with and walk with and EVERYTHING! Sometimes Foster Mum curls up with me on my huge bed and takes a nap. I like this. I guard her while she sleeps. OK, OK, OK. I nap too. It’s nice but I want my own dog, please.

Bertie will be pretty fearful when she arrives. She will need a safe spot both inside and out that she can go to to feel safe until she’s brave enough to start checking things out. In current foster, she runs to her safe spot initially (large bed in mudroom) and when things quiet from 5 dogs coming in, she will come into the living room, tail wagging, will get a toy and settle down bit by bit. Getting Bert comfortable will take time, patience, knowledge. She is not a good fit for a first time dog owner. She would greatly benefit from having another dog who is confident and gentle to guide her. She’s learning what treats are and will take them in the yard. She is currently learning to “come” with rewards. After a long session in the yard or a walk where she encountered a lot of scary stuff, she goes down for a nap to chill. Her ability to handle new things is growing daily. She’s learning to drop to the ground if unsure instead of trying to get away from it. HUGE progress.