Chuckie

When a local shelter contacted us about Chuckie, he had all of the cards stacked against him. Originally brought in as a stray and never claimed by his owner, staff fell quickly in love with him. But they soon noticed that Chuckie wasn't walking right: he would sometimes act clumsy and stumble in the exercise yard when running and playing. It wasn't long before they realized that they had a dog with neurological problems on their hands.

When we first met Chuckie, it was love at first sight. Despite his awkward gait and wobbly trot, we were held captive by his big grin and charming personality. There was no use resisting him, so it wasn't long after this that Chuckie found himself in the wonderful, loving hands of one of PBRSD's star foster moms. A local organization by the name of Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals sponsored regular water therapy session for Chuckie to help him build his strength back up after many months spent in a kennel, and he has made dramatic improvement in his muscle coordination and overall body condition. A healthy, bland diet has also helped him overcome food allergies. We could not have hoped for such a noticeable recovery for him. Even though he'll always have a bit of a goofy bounce to his step, a specialist who examined Chuckie is confident that he has a promising quality of life to live.

Through all of this, Chuckie has shown us that even if you're dealt a bad hand, you can still put on a smile every day and love your friends like there's no tomorrow.

Chuckie is good with children, he is very tolerant of poking and prodding and the like. I would not recommend him with children under 6 because he can knock small ones over by accident cause he's so clumsy and uncoordinated.

Chuckie likes to play chase, cat and mouse, and loves cuddling and scratches.

Chuckie really isn't fond of balls or squeakies or anything, but he loves any toy that involves treats, including Kongs, and the Busy Buddy. He also likes sheep-skin toys a lot, and will rip them up quick. He'll play with a rope toy if you toss it around for him. He loves bully sticks.

Chuckie would not be recommended for any Dog Park situation, but he is okay with some dogs. He has made friends with a few other dogs, and just takes some time to calm down. He sends mixed messages in doggie body language, and the other dog must be well socialized enough not to react poorly to Chuckie's initial excitability. He tends to take the lead of the other dog, and will calm down quickly if they do the same. He does not seem "aggressive" to me, or the Training Coordinator, just confused as to what is appropriate behavior with another dog around.

Chuckie has learned to behave himself and obey commands around my cat and my rats, but I would never trust him alone with them, sometimes he is okay, other times he chases like a crazy dog and could hurt the cat by accident. He is not recommended for a house with cats.

He stares for hours at the rat cage, but has never tried to jump up on it, and has learned to leave me alone if I'm holding one of the rats on the couch.

Chuckie knows Sit, Stay, Lay Down, Head Down, Sit Up, Stand, Spin, Roll Over, Bow, Off, Out, Get That, Come, Watch Me, Focus, Let's Go, Go Potty, No, Leave, Gimme 5, Shake, Gimme 10, Wait, and more.

Chuckie knows not to go on the sofa or the bed, and sprawls happily on the floor. He loves his crate, and will go into it if he feels nervous, excited, sleepy, or any other strong emotion. Sometimes, we fall asleep watching TV and he's sprawled on the floor at the foot of the bed, and when we wake in the morning he's still there, no accidents, no chewing, just sleeping. If I was keeping him permenantly, I would probably continue to crate him during the day (I think he likes the security of it), but let him sleep wherever at night. Chuckie only ever whines in his crate if he has to go to the bathroom and can't hold it. Otherwise he is quiet as a mouse.

He is very smart and picks up training really fast. Some of these behaviors are bombproof, such as his down/stay, while others are new, and best done without much distraction, such as Spin and Bow. Chuckie is VERY food motivated and has a long attention span for training. He loves it and would do well in a home that would continue with this work.

Chuckie is very intelligent and needs a consistent, dedicated family. Chuckie will push the boundaries of what you tell him is acceptable, and thrives with structure.

blurb: Chuckie has Neurological problems that cause him to have a funny gait, so when I took him in, I was a bit nervous that he wouldn't be too bright either. He has taught me not to judge a book by it's cover. Chuckie is so incredibly bright, I am constantly amazed. I brought Chuckie home from the shelter at 2pm, on what was to be his last day. At that point, we were unsure of his future, his neuro symptoms were not getting better, but everyone who had met this special boy had tried their very best to just give him a chance at getting better outside of a kennel situation. Chuckie worked his wobbly little butt off to get better. He swam with all his might at water therapy, stood right back up everytime he fell over, and had to literally learn how to make his body do motions like "sit" without falling over, he had to try and try and try to physically master rolling over. Through this hard work on his part, he hardly wobbles anymore, and his gait is more of a prance than a drunken stumble. I can't remember the last time he fell over. From day one, I have never seen him without that happy look in his eyes, and he has always kept his tail wagging. CHuckie is a phenomenal, special dog that deserves the very best home.

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