ADOPTED
Please say hello to Octavia! She is an approximately 5 year old Cocker Spaniel, weighing in at about 30lbs and doing very well with her weight management. Octavia has a beautifully soft white coat with some lovely red patches extending from her eyes into her ears, some beautiful red speckles on her nose and some more smaller red patches throughout. Her fur is super soft and a bit longer and will definitely require some regular grooming. She has beautiful brown eyes that are full of so much wonder, and once you’ve gained her trust you can see the loyalty and love that she has for you shining through.
Octavia came to us as a puppy mill mama discard, as she was no longer wanted. Fortunately for her she landed in the capable hands of Pound Dog Rescue who know just what to do for dogs like her. It is very clear that Octavia has mistrust for humans, she is very unsure of all new people, we are currently working on building up her confidence to trust her humans that she will never be put in a position of needing to fear ever again! It took Octavia some time to open up to the new members of her household, she very quickly gravitated towards the older dogs in the home and was happy to curl up with them. As the days went on she picked her foster mom to be her “person”, but every day she becomes more and more trusting of all members of the home. As the weeks have passed, Octavia has made great strides in our home with adjusting to sudden movements, loud noises and general “things” happening in the home. Her new adopters will need to understand that she will need time to re-adjust to her new surroundings once she is adopted and will take some time before she trusts her new humans, and to trust the comings and goings of the household. Her new adopters must understand that Octavia will require time, love and patience until she builds up the trust to show you the lovely dog she really is! We are looking for a mature home for Octavia, while she tolerates kids being around, she would much prefer living in a calmer and quieter household that comes from an adult only home. Octavia would be okay with older teenagers.
Octavia has been really great with the other dogs in our home, she much more enjoys the calmer nature that comes with the older dogs, and does not enjoy the resident puppy and the antics that he brings. Octavia would be better suited to be an only dog, or to go to a home that has another mature dog that is more interested in snuggling and walking together, opposed to playing. Octavia is also living with a cat, she has shown zero interest in our cat and we do not see any issue with her being adopted into a home with a cat.
While Octavia may be unsure of new people, one thing she is certain about is that she is not afraid of the big world around her. Octavia is more than happy to take strolls throughout the neighborhood, or on the trails at our summer vacation home, Octavia loves to go exploring the world around her which really goes to show that there is a confident adventurous girl just waiting to break out of her shell! Octavia has even had the opportunity to go into a few stores, she had no issues with the doorway or thresholds, or walking throughout the aisles, she was just a little unsure when humans tried to approach her. I would say that Octavia would be considered a low energy dog, she is more than happy to lounge around the house, but it’s really important that her forever family be committed to taking her on several walks a day to give her lots of time to sniff and enjoy the world around her!
Octavia has been on many car rides both long and short and she has done a fantastic job. She may initially pace for the first few minutes, but
after that she is more than happy to curl up and sleep the drive away. She has been on car rides as long as 3.5 hours and she does not seem phased by it at all.
Octavia is currently being crate trained, which means that she spends all of her unsupervised time in her crate. We have made her crate a safe and comfortable spot for her with blankets and she goes in during the night, as well as when we are gone to work during the day. Octavia will gladly walk into her crate on her own, though initially she was not too fond of her crate. Octavia does occasionally bark when she is in her crate, however 98% of the time she is quiet as a mouse. We do have cameras in the room with her crate and I check on her periodically throughout the day and night and all is quiet. It is to be expected that while she is transitioning to a new home that she may become vocal for a short amount of time while she settles in. I would recommend a detached home because of the barking, however I don’t expect the barking to last long so would be open to other style homes for her as well.
Ocatvia is a very sweet little lady who deserves this second chance at life to find a person who is dedicated to her and to her becoming the best version of herself. As part of our contracts with PDR we expect all of our adopters to take an obedience and manners class for our dogs. For Octavia especially, this will help so much with her confidence and help her trust the humans in the world around her again, and I believe that advanced levels of obedience would be especially beneficial for her. Octavia has been seen by our vet and she has been spayed, got up to date with all of her vaccinations, Heartworm tested (negative), and has receiving her monthly flea/heartworm medication. Her new family will need to be aware that a dentistry will be in her future, but this is the case with most all aging small to medium sized dogs, so nothing out of the ordinary, but needs to be taken into account and financially prepared for. It wasn’t warranted yet and continuing on her top quality food, allowing her chew toys and brushing her teeth will delay this.
Octavia has quite the personality, she will happily wag her tail and run up to her foster mom to get as many pets as she can in the morning, and after she’s gone out for her pee break the next thing to do is to roll around on the pet bed on her back and act like a little puppy again!
Octavia is looking for a mature home with someone who is looking for a companion to hang out with them, Octavia will gladly hang around while you play board games, do a puzzle, watch a movie or play some video games! But she will also be up to getting you out for those walks that are so good for everyone! Octavia is looking for someone who is willing to put in the time and patience to help her come out of her shell and trust you and show you the lovely dog that’s hiding! Can you be that perfect family that Octavia is looking for? Apply now!