Another Update for Lucky!!! March 19, 2006

Today Lucky is a happy, affectionate, energetic, three year old male. But it wasn’t always like that. Eighteen months ago, when Lucky first came to MWCR from a dog pound where he had been left by his owner, he was a frightened, aggressive, emotional “basket case.” He considered everyone and everything a threat and was particularly afraid of people. Lucky had clearly been abused by someone and was determined that no one else was going to get the chance to hurt him again.

Lucky’s foster family was intimidated and frankly a little afraid of him, but when they consulted a dog behaviorist they learned that with work, time and patience, Lucky could learn to trust again. He was not a mean dog, just a frightened one, who had learned that the best defense is a good offense. Gradually, he came to realize that his foster family was not going to hurt him. He watched the other dogs in his foster home and saw that they were treated with love and kindness. After a year of slow progress, Lucky began to accept petting and other shows of affection from his foster family. Then he began to actually show affection in return – cuddling with his people and even giving Collie kisses. Not only was it safe to be loved, it was great!

Finally, Lucky’s rehabilitation was so complete that he was able to attend a recent Pet Expo where he met literally hundreds of dog lovers and happily accepted pets and hugs from everyone. He even enjoyed the attentions of children as small as two years old.

Now, after eighteen months, Lucky is finally ready for his forever home. His foster family has grown to love Lucky and will be extremely sad to see him go, but they realize that he needs his very own forever family and a large, fenced yard that will allow him to stretch his legs and work off some of his excess energy.

Lucky is a slender, agile, fine-boned Collie who weighs only 54 pounds. He has a beautiful, long, easy care coat that is a snap to groom and requires very little maintenance. He is very fast and loves to run and play with his Collie foster siblings and to chase any critters out of “his” yard. He is quite vocal while playing out of doors, but in the house he settles down quickly and becomes quiet. He also likes to go for car rides and retrieve a ball. He enjoys walks too, but needs a little more training in this area. Lucky has been slow to learn recall and this is part of the reason he will need a fenced yard. His foster family believes that in his past life Lucky was probably beaten when he came on command and is still apprehensive.

In spite of the abuse in his past, Lucky is a happy, good natured boy who loves to be loved. He is affectionate and wants to cuddle up with his family whenever possible. He is looking for a forever home that includes another dog, since much of Lucky’s rehabilitation came from watching the behavior of the other dogs in his foster family. He has no experience with cats, but would probably regard them in the same light as the rabbits and squirrels that he chases in his yard. For this reason, a “cat free” environment would probably be best. His forever family should not include young children, but older, respectful children would be fine. Most importantly, Lucky is looking for that special home where he will always feel safe and loved, one that will realize how lucky they are to have Lucky!

Update for Lucky!!!

If you regularly check this website, you know that Lucky has been with MWCR a long, long time, and you may have wondered what was going on.  Well, when Lucky came to us eight months ago, he was suffering from a really bad case of fear aggression, probably brought on by having lived in an abusive home.  Poor Lucky was afraid of just about everyone and everything, and like most frightened creatures, he thought the best defense was a good offense.

Today, after many months of love, tempered with gentle, but firm discipline, Lucky has come to realize that the world isn't the dangerous and scary place that he once thought it was.  He has grown into a happy, playful and affectionate boy who loves his doggy playmates and his foster family.  He is a warm-hearted boy who likes to show and receive affection and happily gives collie kisses to his family.  Of course, he will never completely forget his abusive past, and sometimes still has a very mild recurrence of fear aggression, but for the most part, he has been transformed into a true gem, who only needs a little added polish.

Lucky is just over two years old, neutered, healthy and completely up to date on his shots.  He is house trained and his foster family can leave him during the day for up to about seven hours when they go to work.  He is flat coated (which means he doesn't have any undercoat) that makes him a snap to groom - a good thing because Lucky isn't too fond of the grooming process.  He is also a high-energy collie who loves long walks and playing with his collie, foster brothers.  He will need lots of regular exercise.

Lucky is looking for a very special, forever home.  Because of his history of probable abuse and fear aggression, Lucky will need a dog savvy family who will understand that when he moves from his foster home, some of his fear aggression issues may temporarily reappear.  His forever home should not include younger children or cats (though understanding teens would be OK), and he would ideally like a fenced yard where he could run off some energy.  His foster family also believes that Lucky would benefit from a home that included a dominant, non-aggressive, female dog.

Lucky has a lifetime of love and affection to give to the right family.  With just a little patience and understanding, you could be the recipient of all that love.

Lucky is being fostered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Intake Bio for Lucky

This is one lucky puppy! Not only is he extremely handsome, but he is also young (only a year and a half old), playful and very well mannered. Lucky is a charming, sable and white male with a blaze on his face. He loves other dogs, particularly if they will play with him, because he has lots of puppy energy.

But Lucky wasn't always ... well, lucky. He came to MWCR severely underweight and still needs to gain a full twenty pounds to reach his ideal size. Lucky has put on some weight and recovered from his "cold," he will be neutered and then available for adoption.

Though Lucky has mixed feelings about the neutering part, he really excited about being adopted. He is a little wary of strangers, but warms up quickly and is very affectionate when he gets to know you. He is looking for a forever home with a family who will love and play with him and help him to continue on his lucky streak!