Luca has been here since March 22nd 2021. That’s over a year!
He has been adopted twice, once prior to BMOD (for 3 days) and once after being in the program for quite some time (for 3 weeks). In both instances Luca proved to be too much dog for them and the owner’s felt they didn’t have the skills, space, or lifestyle to fit his needs. He’s probably not a good candidate for a home with a cat.
I feel like Luca would do best in a less populated area, perhaps in a more rural neighborhood or city, where he can run around with little to no contact with strangers, except to “protect” the property. He is incredibly cuddly and affectionate with those he knows, allowing baths, nail trimmings, brushings, play time, and even does well with the vet if food is involved. He does have the capability to take advantage of people in an overly playful way that isn’t safe for a big dog to exhibit, however he has proven he can listen and assimilate into pet life, but he will not do well with an owner who can’t/won’t continue the training. He has made dog friends while here and has proven he can keep his cool while walking and working around other dogs, as long as the handler is proactive and knowledgeable.
As many of you have noticed Luca has done INCREDIBLE since being in BMOD. He is truly a joy to walk, super cuddly, goofy, and has accomplished some amazing hurdles with his reactivity. However, he is still a large dog and his stranger danger + barrier reactivity doesn’t make him the best candidate for a Portland home, unless we can find that unicorn owner who is comfortable with his specific needs. While Luca has never bitten anyone and broken skin, he has a few near miss incidents on his record.
We are brainstorming to see if perhaps we can transfer him out to a partner shelter that has a client base that more-so matches what he needs in the hopes to find him a home sooner rather than later.
He currently isn’t getting any applications and if he is, they are dropping off before even meeting him. He is currently only $50, comes with private training lessons with me, and tons of resources to help him be successful in the home, but even that is proving to be a bit difficult. We’ve tried social media pushes, videos, outings, and currently foster would be our next step, but we don’t have anyone available with the skill or space to take in a dog like Luca. As you may have noticed since we’ve been trying to find Sheila a foster as well.
Click HERE if you or anyone you know is interesting in adopting Luca.