Entered: 11/04/2016
Status: Adopted
Age: 5
Color: Black/White
Weight: 48 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Girard, PA
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme-, treatment for whip worms complete, treatment for an ear infection complete
Temperament: Good with adults, reportedly good with children, good with other dogs, will pester cats for games of chase
Update 01/15/2016: “When not exercising the cats, Harley sees his job as one of guarding his home.”
Harley…Harley…Harley…he’s a tease! The kitties in his foster home know he won’t hurt them but he does love to see if they’ll run when he pesters. Here’s betting they will delight when Harley’s adoption day comes along!
When not exercising the cats, Harley sees his job as one of guarding his home. He’s leery of strangers at the fence, whether man, woman or child. He will jump and bark furiously at passers-by but, for those who visit his home, he may also be leaning into them 10 minutes later to be petted. His foster mom simply pities the fool that comes onto Harley’s turf with less than good intentions. With the holidays behind, his foster mom is anxious to get him out in public, and feels he will be much less reactive away from “his” territory.
Harley’s pretty good on a leash but does pull when something catches his attention. He also did well for his vetting. The staff there knows to go slowly with dogs that aren’t happy tail wagers when they walk in the door. Responding well, there was no growling or even cringing, just relief when all was done! The only part Harley took issue with was post-neutering. He didn’t take to wearing any sort of anti-licking devices. He destroyed two “cones”, an inflatable donut collar, and tore a T-shirt off. His savvy foster mom’s last resort was a soft muzzle for times when he couldn’t be watched…and the determined rascal still got some licking in.
The effort to do a major groom on Mr. Harley was well worth it as he is a very handsome boy with awesome freckles and a beautiful, soft, shiny coat now. He was not happy about a bath but did reluctantly allow it to happen. Brushing and combing were no problem, but Harley wasn’t happy with allowing those buzzing clippers near his head and ears. He’s uncomfortable with having his feet handled and doing nails was a two-person job. A testament to his character…he just struggled and tried to get away…and never tried to bite. He will need a groomer with patience, whether at home or in a shop, and may come to enjoy the attention with continuing experiences.
Harley is getting along nicely with the other dogs in his home but does have a short fuse when it comes to someone pestering him. There have been a couple of scuffles between him and one dog who keeps reminding him of who’s boss. In Harley’s defense, he does not go looking for a fight. Good boy, Mr. H!
Harley LOVES his people and wants to be near them. He enjoys running and playing in the yard. He will come over to his foster mom, barking and jumping, to get her to throw a ball (or snowball) and he’s off chasing it; no guarantees he’ll bring it back! At 5 years old Harley is still very full of energy and play, and will make the right family at very devoted companion.Original: “Now Harley has started to come out of his shell and he seems to be a fun-loving, active guy.”
Harley was relinquished to MAESSR by his Pennsylvania family because the two intact males in the household were not getting along. The other dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog, may have been the aggressor because Harley has not shown any serious aggression to the dogs in his foster home — two neutered males and five spayed females. There has been some grumbling between Harley and the one male cocker but the cocker is being the bully!
Harley had lived with his previous family for all of his 5 years, but hadn’t been socialized outside of the home much. When he arrived at his foster home, his whole world had been turned upside down. He didn’t want to have anything to do with his foster mom or his foster “sisters” and being an intact male, this really surprised his foster mom! Harley took refuge in his crate, not wanting to eat and needing encouragement to go outside to potty. Seeing this, his foster mom has put any vet visits, surgery, and grooming on hold to give Harley time to settle in.
Now Harley has started to come out of his shell and he seems to be a fun-loving, active guy. He has tried to get one of his foster siblings to play, but being older than Harley is, this sibling was reluctant to join in his games of tearing around the yard. He did play “kickball” with two of the foster sisters, running up and down the hill after the ball. When he is in the house, he will “hunt” the kitties for entertainment, but if they don’t run, it’s no fun! Harley did find the toy box and loves bones, hooves, and antlers. Soft toys are fun, too, but don’t hold up as well with chewing!
Although Harley is housebroken, his foster mom has not yet noticed a signal to go out. With so many dogs in the house, his foster mom doesn’t wait for signals; she just lets everyone out for potty breaks at regular intervals! When he can’t be supervised (bedtime and work), Harley is crated. He is also fed in his crate, even though he does not seem to guard his bowl. He did let his mom take a piece of hoof that was too small out of his mouth with no problem.
Harley does jump on his foster mom, but this is being strongly discouraged! When not jumping on her, he does want to be close to his foster mom. He has not been given the opportunity to counter-surf or trash dive but with his young attitude and enthusiasm, his foster mom suspects he would be guilty given the chance! Harley has not been keen on strangers approaching the fenced yard, being very protective of what he now considers his yard.
Now that Harley has had time to adjust to this major change in his life, more outings and vet visits will be scheduled. Stay tuned for updates on this handsome boy!