We were told that he was very scared and timid. That was an understatement. When Nash arrived, he was paralyzed with fear. He was almost feral. His whole body would tense up when we would touch him. We had to keep him on a long line when in the yard, even though the yard was fenced because he would not let us approach him. To get him out of his crate, we would have to reach in to the back of the crate where he had wedged his body and clip on a leash and coax him out. He’d shoot out like his tail was on fire and then he’d dart around on the end of the leash, ears down, tail tucked, looking absolutely panicked.
Fast forward 7 months. Nash has made a tremendous amount of progress, but he will never be a “normal” dog. A person walking towards him always makes him nervous and he usually will not let anyone get too close before he maneuvers away from them. But, a person that is sitting on the ground or sitting on a couch, etc., is not so scary and he will approach them and ask to be loved on. Even when we are standing, he will often come up and nudge us and will stand still while we pet his head and rub his ears. But, he still will not let us walk up to him.
There are some tricks to dealing with Nash when we need to approach him for some reason, though. First, he knows the “sit” command. So, we can oftentimes tell him to sit and then take a step towards him and reach down and grab his collar to snap on a leash. He can also be bribed. He loves food and will eagerly come to anyone who has treats (even strangers). But, mostly we just manage him with verbal commands such as “kennel” or “get in the car” or “inside,” when we want him to come inside, which is another potentially scary thing for Nash. Oftentimes when we want him to come into the house, we have to open the door and then take a few steps back away from the door, but not in the path that he will need to travel. But, that also depends on how badly he wants to come in. If he wants to come in badly enough, he’ll come through the door while someone is still standing close to the opening.
With all that being said, Nash is actually a really great dog and is a very happy dog. He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Despite his irrational fears, he loves his people and has no desire to try and get away from them. He would never want to run away because he likes things that are familiar. He likes the safety of his home and he likes the routine of his life.
Nash also loves toys and playing with other dogs. In fact, Nash really needs to have other dogs around him to help give him confidence. For that reason, he will need to go to a home with at least one other friendly, confident dog. At home, Nash’s favorite place to be is on the couch, either snoozing, playing with a toy, gnawing on a chewy, or snuggling with his person.
Nash is probably somewhere around a year to a year and a half old. We believe that he was around 8 months old, give or take, when he arrived. He is neutered, up to date with vaccinations and heartworm preventative, and is microchipped. He will need a home with a fenced yard and at least one other confident, dog-friendly dog. He would not do well in a home with children, since their unpredictability would make him very nervous. We have not tested him on cats. His new people will need to be patient and understanding with him and realize that he has some fears that may seem irrational to them, but they are very real to Nash, and they shouldn’t take his fears personally. He promises to make it up to them when they sit on the couch in the evening and he sidles up next to them for some good snuggle time.
If you are interested in potentially adopting Nash, please visit our website here and dowload an application. There will be an adoption donation and you will be required to sign a contract. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at mary@starfishbcrescue.com.
Nash apologizes ahead of time for his nekidness in some of the photos. He had demodex mange a few months back, which I am now certain he had when he arrived. He was treated with Promeris and it cleared right up. He is now growing back a lovely, thick coat, as you can see in the last couple of photos, which were taken today.
See a video of Nash here.
