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Angus is a special needs dog who requires a special placement. Please take the time to read about Angus and if he's not the right dog for you, perhaps you know of someone who would be a good person to adopt Angus. His current guardians would like you to know the following information about Angus:

Angus is a beautiful 5 year old black mixed-breed cattle dog who has been neutered and is up to date on his shots. He has blue merle on his neck and a naturally bobbed tail. He came to us at about the age of four months from a friend who had rescued him from an abusive and neglectful home. He spent his early days with his father and little positive human contact. His early life and quirks of his breed make him a special needs dog.

We had no trouble housetraining Angus. He only has very occasional accidents when overfed or given rich treats. We solved his accident problem by feeding him controlled portions, one cup of dry food in the morning and again at night. We will include a bag of his dog food ( Kirkland’s Lamb and Rice) so he can be transitioned onto whatever brand you use in your home. He really likes to eat and will sneak food, thus his tendency to be a bit overweight. This tendency also adds to the ease of training him – he’ll do whatever he can to please you and get that kibble you’re holding! He will clean all the crumbs off of your kitchen floor.

He is very smart and eager to please, also very sensitive. A single scolding for any undesirable behavior generally does the trick. He learned sit and shake with no trouble, and heels when walked instinctively. He is a pleasure to walk, in fact. He also loves car rides. He has never run off, even though our other dog does wander occasionally. He is crate trained and loves the security of a crate. If needed, we can include his crate with him.

Angus loves our older dog and plays with him all day. He can be jealous and unfriendly with other dogs he meets, but generally bonds with them after a few visits. Then it’s play play play, which he signals by standing erect with eyes wide open, ears back, stomping his feet, and jumping sideways. He will chase cats that run from him. He has never hurt a cat (we’ve had three). He has never bothered goats, horses, or poultry. He will run back and forth along fences to bark at cows, which we allowed. As we have trained him, he has never gone through a fence to chase cows. His instinct to do so is strong -- he would be an excellent working dog.

Angus barks at new people and nips when he is scared or overwhelmed. We keep him in our laundry room when we have company. There may or may not be a problem, but we don’t want to put him in situations where he’ll be stressed. He is always leashed when walking. When someone is coming to pass by us, we usually step out of the way and hold him with a short leash, especially if it is a bicyclist. He doesn’t like unpredictable situations, but calming words and a hug prevent bad behavior.

Angus bit my husband a couple of years ago. We were camping and another camper walked past our campsite. He barked and went to chase this man. My husband grabbed him by the collar to put him in his crate, and Angus bit his hand. It wasn’t a bad bite, but of course we were very upset. In retrospect we should have left Angus with my sister. He does best in familiar surroundings without surprises.

We are heartbroken to have to do it, but we are looking for a new home for Angus because he is showing beginning signs of aggression toward our baby. I believe it is because the baby is new and he is jealous. He does like older children though. He likes my niece, who was about seven-years-old when they met. He LOVES my nephew, who was about eleven when they met. Angus and my nephew play and roll around together. He has never shown any signs of aggression at all with either of these children.

Angus needs a dog-savvy owner, preferably a woman or an older man or older couple. He generally doesn’t like younger men, but he does like both of our fathers (in their sixties) and my husband’s grandfather. Despite all his issues, he is a great dog. He is fiercely loyal to me and my husband, save for the biting incident. He would be ideal for a single woman looking for a dog for security. He is an excellent guard dog, and with him here I am never afraid to be home alone, even though we don’t live in the best neighborhood.

Angus needs a quiet home. He would be very happy in the country, but equally happy in an apartment as long as he had walks. He sleeps on a dog bed now, but would eagerly sleep in your lap or bed if allowed. In that respect he thinks he’s a cat, not a sixty-pound dog. He loves cuddling and attention. He is very attentive and will follow you around the house just to be near you, sleeping on your feet while you sit in a chair. He just needs love and understanding. Maybe he’s the perfect dog for you.

If you would like to arrange to meet Angus, please call Julie at 442-3910 or send an email to julieandrobeast@suddenlink.net.