Charlie

Hello! My name is Charlie and I’m a smart, curious, inquisitive 3 year-old male! Quick Facts: ? Breed – Mexican Village Dog ? Gender - Male, Neutered ? Age - 3 years old ? Size - 70 pounds ? Good With: ? Dogs? – Yes…especially if they’re smaller than me! ? Cats? – Yes! ? Kids? – 12+ if calm! History: My pregnant mother was found stuck in a bear trap just over the Mexican border in southern Texas. Horrifying, right? She was rescued, thank goodness, and her puppies were adopted out all over the U.S.! I was adopted by my current family here in upstate NY and we’ve been a sweet pack for 3 years now. While I’ve been happy and healthy, living in a house with two little kids and lots & lots of action and commotion is too much for a pup like me who is happiest when things are calm, quiet, and predictable. Personality: In a calm home environment: On most days when the kids are at school, you see what I am like in a calm environment. I will mostly be relaxed, lounging about on my bed, the couch, or my favorite chairs. I’m content to sleep through the day, gaze out the window, and pop out to my fenced in yard once or twice real quick. I’m pretty cuddly and can be a bit playful and I’m sweet and silly and happy. I do love a good walk and do pretty good on a leash (in a calm, rural location) like on the back roads and farm fields near my home. If you take me to a less calm location (e.g., city streets, cars, commotion), then my leash walking is not so good because I find it all nerve-wracking. I also love a good ear rub and scratch and I’ll let you know it’s time for one when I walk up and adorably bump my head right into you, haha! If I feel like you should be paying attention to me, or maybe I’m interested in what you’re eating, I might just start to “sing” and “talk” at you to let you know! I’ll “Arooo!” and “Rawr!” at you until you notice me (and maybe give me what I’m after!) ? Though I’m nervous with strangers (see more below), I am very cuddly and friendly and playful once I get to know you! In a more action-packed home environment that includes kids: The commotion of kids at home and playing is too much for me. I get tense and nervous, and have no idea what I am supposed to do. I very likely might growl if it gets to be too much, which is a good doggy communication that expresses clearly “I’m uncomfortable!” though the people don’t love my growling. There have been a few times that it got way too wild and I nipped at people (once on the cheek of the then-6 year old in our home). Since then, for everyone’s comfort and safety, when the kids are playing, and also when they have friends over, I need to be kept separated with baby gates or be escorted outside on my porch and/or into my yard. If I liked alone time, this would be fine, but turns out I do NOT like being separated from my family and I howl and cry and bark the whole time. It makes everyone sad, but safety first, always. I am obsessed with human food. My people have tried SO MANY different kibbles for me, but I don’t like kibble (or it’s hard for me to digest?), and so only eat as much as I absolutely need to, I order to keep alive. So why am I not skinny? Because I know very well that children leave food out, drop food on the floor, walk away from their plates of food, and often have food on their hands, faces, and in their clothing. So whenever the kids are at home, I am extremely keyed up and alert, and spend 100% of my focus working to sneak, steal, and score any and all food items from them. This might sound silly and funny, but in truth, it’s very stressful for me, and for my family, as I shift from being a relaxed, lounging-around, content and mellow dog, to being one whose every fiber is taut and focused on an urgent, single-minded mission to find and steal food. And it’s not just regular plates of food, it’s anything that smells like food--like compost and garbage. And this can be very dangerous for me, as you might imagine. As you now see, living with kids and their commotion stresses me out in many ways. I love the kids, but they are just not a good match for my type of nervous system. [Note, the rescue folks think it possible that if my new family was able to switch me to a home-cooked diet, or one of those fresh food diets like “The Farmer’s Dog,” then maybe my frantic urgency to find/steal/eat real food might calm down at least somewhat.] About my nervousness with strangers…yup, it is a fact. I would so very much would love a new person/family who can help me feel more comfortable (over time) with meeting new people. When strangers arrive, I will be nervous and bark for a while. It helps if you tell the stranger what to do (totally ignore me…don’t make eye contact…don’t approach me…don’t try to pet me) and you give me some reassurance. I settle down eventually, but first meetings are stressful. Cohabitation: People: I love sharing a home with calm, quiet, nice people. Then my calm, quiet, happy, content, relaxed self emerges! Kids: I like kids but their commotion makes me tense and keyed up. Older kids (12+?) who also are calm, quiet, gentle types *might* be ok. If they are rambunctious and playful, no matter what age, we will not be a good fit for each other! Cats: I live with a cat and am perfectly good with her! I only wish she was more playful! Dogs: I’ve spent some time around other dogs, and I’m very okay with any dog who is physically smaller than me. With larger dogs, sometimes I am ok, but other times I feel nervous and unsafe, and in those situations, I tend to tuck tail and try to hide. I have gone on leashed walks with smaller dogs and have had a blast exploring with them! I’ve been boarded while my family is out of town, and have done well with the other smaller dogs that are boarded with me. I’ve had smaller-than-me dogs in my home with me for some time in the past, and things were harmonious and fun. I enjoy a smaller dog who matches me in playfulness! Since I am such a food fanatic though, if I share a home with another dog, please feed us separately and don’t give us high value things like bones or rawhides or bully sticks unless we are in separate rooms! I need to be in a home where food is not left out please! Might be best if I am trained to stay out of the kitchen/dining areas when my people are cooking or eating. I could be taught to “go to my bed” in the living room when you are cooking or eating, which would help! Favorite Activities: ? Eating! ? Lounging in a chair looking out the window ? Playing a little indoor fetch ? Long, quiet walks ? Gentle, playful wrestling with people I know well, and “singing” Why I’m Looking For a New Home: Even though I like it most of the time here, I just never feel calm or settled around these two kids. And as they get older, more and more of their friends come over for visits and play time, and it makes me even more worried and wary. When they put me outside on the covered porch and in the yard, I get upset because I feel abandoned and punished, and I’m so confused and unhappy. I’m also making my owner's asthma a lot worse over time. Medical: I’m fully checked up, fully up to date on all shots, and have a sparkling clean bill of health! I do dread going to the vet, and need some sedation to make it through. Summary: I’m a great pup, who will blossom and be so very happy if I can move to a quieter, calmer household. I love to play, I love to be part of the pack, and I love to love you! I will of course be wary when we first meet, so it would be wonderful to get to meet you a few times so you can see what a sweet boy I am. I’ll soon warm up and fall in love, you will see (especially if you have something tasty to eat)!