Kal arrived in our home just a little over 24 hours ago. We are told that he was in a shelter in West Virginia, lived there for 6 months, and was put on the euthanasia list. The staff was in love with him and didn’t want that to happen, so they got him on an airplane and sent him north to MN, where he would likely have a better chance in life. They saved a wonderful little boy!!

Here’s what we can tell you about “Kal” so far...

He is a mellow boy. We have been marveling at how flexible he has been. He has lived in a few places in the last 2 weeks, as he has transitioned to his new state. He seemed a little uncertain for about an hour after his arrival into our home. After a nice walk and some treats, he seemed to completely relax. We were told that he did best with a ‘submissive female’. We do have a female Golden Retriever, who we have believed to be pretty submissive. However, she seems to be a bit of a bully with Kal, and he seems to completely understand this ‘language.’ He is incredibly respectful of her.....of all of us, really.

Kal is not our first foster. Whenever a new dog enters our home, we are prepared for accidents, counter surfing, attempts at destroying toys, carpet, furniture, etc. We understand that these sweet pups come with a lot of baggage and bad habits. They have not had an easy life. HOWEVER, we have yet to see any in him. It’s crazy. He is completely house trained, doesn’t chew on anything, has NEVER counter surfed, has NEVER gotten on furniture. He knows how to ‘sit’, and ‘shake/high five.’ This guy was loved by someone at one time. I would love to know his story. He has been a complete joy. I would say that his only bad habits at this point would be...chasing squirrels (I think they all do that), and he sometimes wants to chase a car. He is also pulls quite a bit on the leash. We plan to work on that. He responds so well and so respectfully to my corrections. If he has his nose somewhere he shouldn’t, I have simply said “whoops!”...and he backs away immediately. He is pretty close to perfect as far as behavior is concerned.

His personality is calm and relaxed. I have heard stories of rescue dogs that seem to be ‘grateful’ for their home, but I cannot say I have seen this myself. Kal, however, does seem to be thankful. He quietly follows me around all day, doesn’t ask for a thing. Just seems happy to be included. He is a gem.

So....what does Kal’s “perfect home” look like? I would say Kal would thrive in a home where someone is willing to work with him. He learns very quickly, and has a huge desire to please. He responds well to positive reinforcement, and responds quickly to verbal corrections. He enjoys his walks, but I’m not sure he would be a great ‘running partner.’ He is pretty low key. I would always love to see dogs in a home where someone is usually present, and this is true for Kal, too. However, he doesn’t seem to mind his kennel, and his previous foster crated him for the work day, and he did just fine.

Since we have known him for only a short time, I’m not sure how he is with small children (mine are teens). However, we had quite a few elementary school aged girls here last night playing with him, and he did great. He seemed very relaxed.

Kal does just fine with my dog, and I am told he did fine with the previous two he lived with for a short time, but he does seem to always be trying to figure out his “place”, so if other dogs are in the home, I would recommend having them meet a few times to make sure they all like him.

If you think Kal might be a good fit for you, or if you would like to hear more about him, please fill out an adoption application!! He is truly a delight. Somebody will be very lucky to have him as their very best friend and devoted companion.