This week we’d like to feature a sweet pup named Simon Simon - Oregon Humane Society. He’s one of my very favorites and OHS right now and he and I have become good friends. Simon has a log going on! He’s a great Pyrenees/hound mix, and he’s HUGE. At 6 ½ months old he’s already 43 pounds and has a lot of growing left to do. Check out the size of those paws! In person, they almost look like swim fins!
He was surrendered to the Klamath Falls shelter along with three of his litter mates. His previous owner said they were born on Valentine’s Day and were raised on a ranch, but by late June they still hadn’t been able to find homes so they were surrendered to the KFalls shelter. After some time there, they made their way to Oregon Humane Society, and Simon is the only one of the four who is still looking for his home.
He’s a very smart boy! He knows sit, and down, and when walking him he almost always sits by doors, even if you don’t ask him to. I just adore this little guy! He’s so sweet, smart, goofy, and snuggly. And even though he’s huge, he’s still very much a puppy, which means he can get amped up and overstimulated. And can be a lot with a pup of this size. For this reason, he really needs to go to a home with an experienced dog owner. He’d do best with someone who has previous experiences raising exuberant puppies.
Simon is a very sweet boy, but he grew up without any socialization to the outside world and unfamiliar people. He is now an adolescent and is happy and friendly with people he knows but he still shows signs of discomfort with new people or in new environments. He needs a home with a patient, calm and confident adult who is an experienced dog person who he can look to for instruction and confidence. He should not be pushed into social settings as this is too scary for him. He has made progress at OHS with positive reinforcement training and baby steps but still tends to pendulum swing from fearful to overly rough or panicked if pushed too far and it will just take some time and guidance for him to come into balance.
Simon is looking for a quiet home without young children and with a secure fully-fenced yard where he can go potty and spend time training with you. Due to being raised only with his siblings, he doesn’t have boundaries with other dogs so in his last home, he over-reacted and bit their dog over food. He did well with their dog apart from resource guarding so may do best in a home with no other animals or a large dog who is very tolerant and who has no issues with resources at all.
Simon is a country dog at heart and would not do well in a busy environment, one with lots of people coming and going, people who wish to go to busy places or a home with young children. He does best when he can take things at his own pace. He gets nervous and overwhelmed if a group of people are around or when strangers (to him) approach you or your home. He has barked, lunged, and nipped people when pushed over his threshold into a state of panic.
Remember that Simon has not had experience with strangers, children, dog parks, the sights and sounds of traffic, or riding in an automobile. We expect him to be overwhelmed by everything he encounters at first. His safety will depend on your good judgment and forethought, but once he knows and trusts you, you’ll find he’s such a sweet boy.
Do you think Simon might be the one for you? If so, please fill out his questionnaire and schedule some time to come down to OHS to meet him!