Bilbo

Bilbo is a playful and active Frenchie boy! You can often find him hanging out on his dog bed with a good nylabone chew or deer antler, snuggling with his people or, in true Frenchie fashion, searching for a soft place to take a nap (as long as it's near his people). Bilbo does well when walking on a leash and gazes ahead making sure no uncertainties lie ahead. He can get uneasy/anxious and very nervous when in unfamiliar situations and will seek reassurance and guidance from his leader. Bilbo looks to his human for comfort (and correction, if needed) when his insecurities get the best of him. Bilbo wears an e-collar whenever he is out in the house with other dogs and when he goes out in public (walks, to the vet, etc). The e-collar has 3 levels (a beep, a vibrate, and a shock level). Typically a beep or vibrate correction with the collar will be more than sufficient for him in any situation where he may be resource guarding or acting out but a stronger correction may be needed occasionally, and a timeout in his kennel is sometimes necessary as well. Bilbo is currently taking Prozac to help take the edge off of his insecurities and while it has helped him greatly, he still will require a firm and consistent leader in his adoptive home. We would highly recommend that he remain on Prozac for the remainder of his lifetime. While Bilbo has a lot of spirit, he also has a very chill side. He very much enjoys quiet time and naps, especially if he can be near his people and hang out with them. Bilbo will look for his humans to follow them all around the house and is very much a “shadow dog”. Bilbo loves activities that offer him enrichment (walks, nylabones/chew toys, etc). As they say, a tired dog is a happy dog, and that is very much true in Bilbo’s case. Bilbo’s insecurities can also get the best of him especially when it comes to sharing high valued items (chew bones, toys, food, etc.) and he will sometimes resource guard these items when in the company of other dogs. He will also resource guard his humans from other dogs as well, so must be closely watched if he is out and about to ensure this behavior is immediately corrected if it were to occur. He currently lives with 4 other furry foster dog siblings and does have to be reminded occasionally that he is *not* the boss with 2 of the other dogs in the home. He seems to particularly like to resource guard with and/or "pick on" weaker dogs (blind dogs, handicapped dogs, etc) but will not typically challenge the other healthy/stronger dogs in the home, and does enjoy playing with them for a bout or two of wrestling/zoomies from time to time. Typically he is okay to share attention as long as he gets a pat or two, too, but Bilbo does like to attempt to "block"/chase away other dogs from coming near his people from time to time, as well. Again, Bilbo will need a firm, consistent leadership in his adoptive home in order to help him continue to thrive, as he is currently in his foster home. He will need to learn to trust his new family members and proper dog manners would need to continue to be reinforced so that it is clear to him exactly what is expected of him in his adoptive home. He is smart, food motivated, and after proper slow introductions and being able to see that they are not a scary threat, Bilbo is usually willing to let his guard down around other stable, easy-going, laid-back dogs. His foster family believes he would be best either as an only dog, or in a home with maybe one other calm, easy-going, low-key, dog who would be able to defend themselves if he tried to get bossy at any point. As far as children, due to his bite history, and his anxiety with uncertain/high-energy situations, he would require a home with calm kids who are dog-savvy, gentle, and 16 years or older. As with all of our dogs, we recommend slow introductions AND supervision around children when introducing a new dog in your home to make sure both the dog and the children are kept safe. To read more about Bilbo and complete an application, please visit our website: https://snafurescue.org/adopt/bilbo/.