UPDATE: Dexter has been adopted and is now living happily with his new family. Yea! Dex! We miss you but we know you're going to be so happy in your new home. Dexter's new 'mom' reports that living with Dexter is 'like having your own private cheerleader.' I know just what she means.
We're very pleased to have our first chance to help a rescue dog. Dexter, a mature Bichon Frise (or Bichon cross) came to us from a local shelter on January 29th through the work of the Furever After Small Dog Rescue organization in Qualicum.
When we took Dexter in for a check-up at the Puntledge Veterinary Clinic in Courtenay, he was found to need extensive dental work. He has since had his teeth cleaned and polished and had several extractions. He's completely healed now and the vet has assured us that he will have no trouble being able to eat adequately with the teeth he has remaining. He's going to have his final booster shots this week and has been deemed ready for adoption.
Dexter is also extremely overweight so we are feeding him regulated amounts of high quality food and we're dedicated to making sure he gets plenty of exercise. We started out with one long and two short walks a day for the first couple of weeks. Now we're doing two 45-minute walks every day and Dexter is loving it. We can barely keep up with him! We're happy to report that he has already lost more than a kilogram and is much more lively and active. You can easily tell that he's feeling so much better from having his dental problems looked after, losing weight and getting regular exercise.
Dexter is a calm, sweet-natured boy. After the trauma of being in a shelter it took him a little while to learn to trust us, he was sometimes a bit nervous. His trust and confidence really seem to improve every day. He's an affectionate little fellow and loves to be brushed, though care must be taken to approach his feet very gently. He sleeps quite happily on a dog cushion at the foot of our bed and rises every morning at exactly 7:15. You could set your watch by it.
When he first came into our home Dexter wanted to chase the cats but, with some gentle reprimands, he has learned that we do not want that behavior. He is a good watch dog but does not bark excessively at all. We have been working with him on his tendency to show some excitement aggression on the leash when we meet dogs on the walk who are barking or displaying territorial behavior. He can also act possessive and territorial toward other animals when he is sitting in our lap. We let him know, in a calm, firm tone that that behavior is not allowed. He's becoming more responsive all the time to our home's rules, boundaries and limitations.
Who ever decides to take this dog into their home as his forever family is going to have the joy of a wonderful friend and companion in Dexter.
Grace and Noel at Pet Granny Boarding 