This week we’d like to feature Argon! Argon is a 4 year old, 53 pound, German Shepard mix. Argon - Oregon Humane Society.
Argon is the sweetest boy! He was found as a stray in a remote area between Scappoose and Vernonia. The good Samaritan who found him thought he’d been hit by a car and immediately brought him to an emergency veterinary hospital where they quickly discovered he had no visible injuries. It turns out he has a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. This is a condition where the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination, fails to fully develop. Therefore, Argon is ‘wobbly’ when he walks. You can see this in his video. Although there is no cure for this disorder, most dogs who have it go on to live a long, enjoyable, and a bit clumsy life. **
While Argon waits to find his forever family, he is currently staying with a foster family and they can’t say enough about what a good boy he is! His foster family reports this about him, ‘Argon is a super sweet dog. He loves being around people and is eager to please’. They have started teaching him some basic commands (sit,, stay, down, come, wait) using hand signals and treats, and he is learning quickly. He’s just starting, but he's excited to continue. They are also teaching him to sit and stay when they put his food bowl down & then say "ok" to let him eat.
Because of his balance issues, he tends to pull on the leash a bit because he wobbles when he walks. He is house trained, potty trained, and crate trained. He has learned to go up and down carpeted stairs quite well, but he needs assistance on wooden stairs. He can't walk on slippery floors, but does great on throw rugs/runners, or carpeted floors. He also does well walking on sidewalks and loves walks!
Argon has been well behaved in the house, hasn't chewed up anything or been in any way destructive, doesn't jump on furniture, and likes to just relax with his people. He does well in his crate and doesn’t bark or cry when left alone, but prefers to sleep on a bed on the floor in his foster’s bedroom. He has been friendly to everyone his foster family has introduced him to him, both inside the home and on walks. He hasn't barked while hanging out in their home even though it’s on a fairly busy street. He’s well behaved in the car, but car rides seem to trigger his imbalance/dizziness a bit.
In his foster home, Argon has spent time with teenagers and visiting kids as young as 12 years old and has been very sweet with them. He’d likely do better with older kids, just because of his clumsiness. He might accidentally tip little ones over! There is also a small dog in his foster home. The family has kept them separated, but even when the little dog has growled at him, Argon hasn’t reacted.
Argon is a beautiful soul who will make a wonderful companion. He's got a lot of love to give and will make a wonderful addition to a family. If you think this boy might make the perfect addition to your family, just fill out the adoption questionnaire at the bottom of his profile and someone from Oregon Humane will call you to tell you more about him.
**Information included about cerebellar hypoplasia is from the greatpetcare.com website.