6/6/10

In June 2009 Stewart came to us from Animal Control in Lexington, KY.  The AC Officer saw a very sweet young boy who had been running as a stray and was so terribly shy that he would not have been adopted from the shelter.  She contacted us and helped transport him to get him from KY to MI. I think that he was the shyest BC I have ever seen come into our rescue.  He literally crawled on his belly on the ground and would not make any contact with you.  I had to keep him on a leash or long line for the first 4 weeks he was with me or I could not get him from outside to inside.

The first thing I started working on was eye contact for treats which got him coming up to me but it took another 2 months before I could reach my hand out and touch him without him backing up and/or running away from me.

He made great strides in his first 2 months with me.  He comes when called, knows sit, wait, down, kennel up and loves to ride in the car. He is leash trained but still sometimes will walk across in front of you but I say “Oops” and he goes back to my side.

His leash walking is now good…….He does not walk at a “heel” position but to your side just ahead of you.  No pulling on the leash at all.

I noticed early on that he seemed to have a bunny hop in his gait and would start to limp if he did a lot of running in the yard so I took him and had hip x-rays done.  Once that was done I took him to a specialist who diagnosed him with Hip Dysplasia in the left him but does not feel he is a candidate for FHO surgery at this time because of his young age and it does not seem to cause him any pain.  He put him on a high dose of Dasuquin (Glucosamine/Chondroitin) for 2 months to see if that will help.  His dosage has been lowered but Stewart should continue to be on this medication.   He may eventually have to have surgery but it is not warranted at this time or he may not.

He has now been with us for a year and has improved tremendously with his gait by being on Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM and having a healthy diet and regular exercise.  He runs like the wind and rarely slows down.  He will show a slight sign of a limp if he cuts a corner at high speed but it is not lasting at all. But settles in the house great.
His shyness has also improved as I have taken him just about everywhere with me. The first of October he went with me to the Border Collie Specialty in WI and was wonderful with all of the people coming and going in our Rescue Booth.

I play flyball with my 2 girls and he goes along to tournaments and being with all of the “dog” people has really helped with his shyness.  What he has learned is that people=treats make people good.  He is a joy to travel with in the car, hotel, camping, etc.  His crate manners are wonderful and he has learned the command “wait” before exiting his kennel.

Stewart will need a home who understands his needs of being kept active and at a good weight and can commit to him if he needs surgery and rehab in the future. The doctor did recommend that he not be placed in a home with a dog that is larger than him and would play rough as this could cause Stewart to have problems with his hip.

He is now a wonderful, gentle companion who loves attention and going for walks. He does love to play with the other dogs but has a lot of prey drive and will chase and bark at a dog that is high drive and moves fast, so a lower energy playmate would be best for him. He really depends on his person for confidence so some time to bond with his new family will be very important.
I could go on for hours about this boy and would keep him myself if I did not already have 3 of my own and would then not be able to foster anymore.

We knew when we brought him into rescue that he would be a long term foster if we wanted him to be successful when he was adopted. But he is now the very sweet, beautiful, loving companion we knew he could be. 

Stewart may be the one for you if you want the traits of a loving companion that will keep you moving and give you lots of love.

Stewart is being fostered in Michigan. 

For more info about Stewart, contact Donna