Time to welcome our big guy, Fred! Fred is a one-year-old Leonberger mix. His original owner dumped him with a senior, who was ill-equipped to handle his size and energy, which meant Fred was crated for much of the day. His rescue was aided by multiple authorities and lucky for us, he landed with MUTTS! Fred has been soaking up the time with his foster, learning tons of skills and finally having the chance to properly burn those puppy beans! Next up for Fred: finding his people!

Since Fred is already a big guy – 82lbs of pure sweetness! – it can be hard to remember that he’s still a puppy, which means he has energy to boot! If it were up to Fred, he would play 24/7. His favourite activities include playing with his humans, chew toys (he loves his Kong!) and backyard zoomies. Fred does very well with self play. The key is to make sure he doesn’t end up overextending himself with too much play! Fred’s foster walks him two to three times per day, averaging 30-60 minutes per walk. Helping Fred regulate his energy is key: he forgets that he’s a big guy and will just keep going. Learning to enjoy downtime is also work, but this is the kind of structure that is essential to Fred’s success! He’s very food-driven, and also loves affection, both of which have helped in his training so far!

According to his foster, Fred’s nickname should be Mr. Affection! Head rubs, body rubs, belly rubs … he loves it all! Fred is affectionate to the max. His loving and friendly demeanor extends out into the world, as well, as Fred loves any and all opportunities to socialize while out on walks! He has no problem engaging with strangers, immediately seeking a head rub or two. He’s fond of just about everyone he meets, but has a special affinity for those who tells him how handsome he is! Fred is also very drawn to kids. He’s being fostered with a youngster and laps up every second of their time together! He’s met all kinds of kids while out on walks, as well, always assuming a submissive position and happily accepting pets. His affectionate behavior is on full display with hanging with the neighbourhood kids. If Fred made the rules, he’d play with them all day!

Fred has done a great job of learning lots of new skills in a very short period! He has seen significant growth with his leash skills. Fred rarely zig zags, though he has a tendency to try to walk too far ahead of his handler (probably looking for people to love on!). It is important to practice redirection with Fred. He’s also using a prong collar on occasion, which has proven to be a very helpful tool. Fred has not exhibited any prey drive, except for a recent attempt to chase a rabbit! When meeting other dogs, Fred’s introductions have been exclusively on-leash. He’s great with all dogs, big or small, and has only reacted negatively to dogs who were aggressive towards him (though this has been rare). At home, Fred is quickly moving through the basic commands. He loves hanging close to his fosters, but also enjoys exploring on his own terms. He is a pretty confident guy, until it comes to heavy rain and thunder, which Fred is not a fan of!

Fred is potty trained, neutered, microchipped and up to date with his vaccines. He loves his crate, which is great as it plays many roles in his training. Fred sees his crate as a place of comfort and will often run into his crate whenever he is reprimanded. His fosters also use his crate to regulate Fred’s energy, especially after long walks. Though he initially whimpers when left alone, he settles very quickly. Leaving him with a chew toy has also been helpful. Fred has not shown any destructive behaviours, except for a few attempts to steal some shoes. His foster took immediate action, and after two or three attempts, Fred has given up his thieving ways (he also hates getting in trouble!).

Though the first part of Fred’s life was far from ideal, things have really turned around for our big guy! He’s thriving in his foster home and can’t wait to meet his new family – just be prepared to give out a LOT of head rubs!

SOCIABILITY: Humans (adults and kids) and dogs; not entirely cat-tested
ENERGY: High! Puppy energy!
QUIRKS: He falls asleep quickly to Hip Hop Jazz!
TRAINING NEEDS: Continued basic obedience, leash skills, separation anxiety, continued mental and physical stimulation
WEIGHT: 82lbs, and growing!
MEDICAL NEEDS: None
FOSTER LOCATION: Mississauga