Edit: We are located in Seattle and pictures have been added
Due to an upcoming extended trip abroad we are looking for a loving home for our 4 year old male Boston terrier. We purchased Otis from a family with young children at 3 months old and he’s been a part of our home since.
Otis has been through 2 levels of dog training/obedience class at puppy age and we hold regular sessions with our home dog trainer (see Barkbusters). In addition, Otis comes with a lifetime home dog trainer through our training service. With those Otis is familiar and comfortable with he is energetic, loyal, playful, and genuinely sweet. Unfortunately with strangers and small children, he can display anxious and fearful tendencies and has been known to nip at unfamiliar hands that are reaching for him. If strangers on the street attempt to reach for him at times his reaction may be to snap out of fear and nervousness, yet despite this behavior Otis does not ‘charge’ at strangers on the street and consistently walks on a heel. In our household Otis receives regular training, including a “hands-off,” verbal/noise correction approach for behavior issues, and as a result we have seen many improvements. Some examples are improvements on walks, where Otis will consistently walk right next to us, including on long walks, around many strangers, busy streets, and when other dogs are near. In addition, we have seen great improvements with less alarm barking and less posturing. We have trained him with the consistent use of verbal and hand commands to: sit, stay, wait, rollover, shake, sit/wait prior to crossing the street, and multiple game activities, such as “find the treats” and fetch. Otis has a unique and silly personality, enjoying all sorts of games both in our home and backyard.
Otis Love: Otis loves to swim and play in the water and consequently enjoys taking long baths. Some years ago we purchased him a kiddie pool to play in during the summer. On warm days Otis loves to spend hours basking in the sun, both indoors or in the yard. With his dog friends, Otis likes to wrestle and show off his collection of toys. He also loves all games, like fetch, and especially those that require him to search and think, like “find it” and training games.
Our Home: We live in the city near the Central District in duplex house with a modest backyard. Our house resides on a very busy street and our neighborhood can be very loud, so we are looking for a new home for Otis that is much quieter with a large secure backyard. We both believe that Otis would love a lower stimulus environment.
Temperament: Otis is typical of the Boston Terrier breed in that he is high energy (not hyper-active), especially when new people or friends come to visit. Conversely, Otis can be lazy, calming down quickly, and throughout the day will take naps in the sun or bury himself under his blankets for a siesta. Otis will happily work for food and will unload his repertoire of tricks for a good cookie. He is very inquisitive, loving to explore new places. Otis could be characterized as an alarm barker – he enjoys letting us know when someone comes to the door, and we're working with verbal corrections to train against this behavior. He would work best in a home without cats, but would be fine with another dog after proper introduction. He has a sister (mutt-mix) who he’s grown up with and they both love to play and wrestle. Because Otis has shown nervous and anxious behavior around young children and needs to be in a home without kids. In addition, Otis is pedigree, fixed, housebroken, kennel trained, has no separation anxiety, and has always received regular vet and shot updates.
Adoption Process: We are sad that we must re-home Otis, and finding the right home for him is extremely important to us. If you think you and Otis are a good match, please respond to eehrheart@yahoo.com telling us about yourself. Please include: What your living situation is like (i.e. urban, rural, size of backyard, number of person(s) in home, pets, visiting children, etc)? Experience and willingness to actively work on dog training? Experience with fearful and anxious dogs? Our experience has been that Otis works well in a structured, firm, and calm environment with lots of love, would you be able to provide this? And, any questions for us or other pertinent information to add?
Thank you,
Zach and Otis