Adoption Success!
Oliver was our longest ever dog in foster care — almost two years. He was rescued as a puppy (4-5 months old) by a Good Samaritan who saw him sitting alone in a car. He looked pitiful; he was very thin and had crusty skin and a patchy coat. The windows were down, so she started talking to him, and he wiggled with joy. His owners returned and told her they were on their way to euthanize him, saying he had been “nothing but trouble since he was born.” They said he was born deformed (he has an overbite) and Oliver had mange that had gone untreated, so he had almost no fur. The Good Samaritan asked if she could take him, and they gave him up without a second thought.
Oliver stayed with the Good Samaritan for a few months, but he was too much for her to handle with six other pets and health limitations of her own. He was crated for very long hours and didn’t get the exercise, training, or socialization a young puppy needs, so he developed some behavioral issues. When Worthy Dog heard Oliver’s story, we wanted to help and knew he deserved better.
Oliver went straight to the vet to have his skin treated. We started him on a better quality diet, antibiotics to clear out the infection, and he required regular allergy shots. Oliver was both starved and over-crated and had learned to protect and guard his food and crate around other dogs and humans. He needed more behavioral work than a conventional foster could manage. He needed someone with patience, dog savvy, and leadership to work with him. Thankfully, a very committed trainer we work with, Linda, took him in to foster and became his advocate.
Over the next year and a half, Oliver had a few adopter meetups that didn’t pan out, a few no-shows, and most potential adopters weren’t ready to take on a dog with both behavioral and medical issues. He was a quirky little guy, smaller than your typical Pittie, with a pronounced overbite, a coat that was still a little patchy, and he had put on some excess weight. He was also a very sweet boy who had a lot of love to give to the right, open-minded person.
Finally, Oliver’s person emerged. Meagan was not afraid to take on issues and committed to get Oliver healthy and continue his training. She had prior Pittie experience and had worked through behavioral issues before. She adopted Oliver in Oct 2020. After finally having more freedom and a home of his own, he was overstimulated and started tested boundaries and guarded random things like food, the couch, a blanket on the floor, etc. Meagan enrolled him in formal training, and in late January, Oliver graduated from his training program and is a different dog today. He now lives in a quiet lake house with 2 dedicated parents who love him and has a more active lifestyle…he even goes boating regularly.
Meagan shared this update:
Oliver definitely has settled in and appreciates the structure and routine he has. He has to be leaning on one of us or on our laps when possible. You can just see the look in his eyes. My favorite thing is waking him up in the morning. He burrows in his blankets throughout the night, and he is always so excited to see me when he comes out from his nest. I feel like he’s relieved he sees us every morning and excited to start the day. He kind of purrs to us. It’s the sweetest lovable thing ever.
He’s doing really well since training. He needed that structure and to know we were in charge. He still has moments of guarding occasionally, but it’s very rare these days. When we first got him he was guarding something daily or multiple times a day. He really loves when we ‘work’ him and do training exercises, and he actually listens to us now!! It’s like he was just waiting for someone to channel his energy into positivity. He is much more relaxed in general and is a total lap dog. Don’t get me wrong…he’s still a mischievous pup, but he’s hilarious and adorable.
Oliver has really taken to our family dogs, and we are considering getting him a playmate because he seems so happy having some company. He wants love and attention all the time and loves to cuddle.
Adopters like Meagan are few and far between and we are so thankful she saw Oliver’s potential and gave him a chance ❤❤❤
