- Adoption Fee: $200
- Gender: Male
- Current Age: Approx. 5 Years Old
- Good with kids: Older kids, yes, that can help manage behaviors.
- Good with dogs: Yes, with proper introduction.
- Good with cats: Unknown.
- Vaccinations: Yes.
- Neuter/Spay: Yes.
BIO: This big handsome hunk is Otto. Otto is a special guy.
Otto has been through some things in his 5 years. Some good, and some bad. Otto has a little baggage from all that… but he’s ready to live the next 5 years of his life in a much different way!
He’s a big guy, and still needs to lose a few pounds. Hey, he likes his cookies. But he also loves playing in the yard, fetch, and walks, so it should be easy to help him get his summer body ready. He also likes to play with other dogs that are medium to large size. He’s okay with smaller dogs too, as long as they don’t pester him too much. He’s pretty good at knowing when to leave another dog alone if that dog is a fun hater. Otto enjoys going for walks, and does pretty well on a leash, although he occasionally tries to chase loud vehicles. We walk him in a Halti, and it’s easy to redirect him if he does try to do that.
Otto likes his person. He’s okay with other people, too, after getting a chance to check them out and they take the time to let him get used to them being around. But once he trusts you… you are HIS PERSON. He will seek you out, and respect you, and want to do what you are doing. He will sit in your lap and wait for you to scratch his booty and his back. It would be advantageous if his forever person had some experience with large, stubborn, handsome dogs, and can be a strong, confident leader for Otto.
When Otto likes something, he REALLY LIKES IT. So occasionally, he will feel the need to guard the things he likes…you…his ball…his food…his space…. From others. So if you are meant to be Otto’s person, you will need to be watchful of that and be ready to offer him a better deal- hot dog pieces are always effective- to change his mind. For this reason, although Otto does like kids, older kids who can help him disengage from this behavior if needed would be the best fit, if his person has a family. His foster mom does not have any issues with changing his mind, all it takes is a stern NO, and a change of scenery.
This guy thrives on structure and boundaries. Although he is very well behaved in the house and is perfectly potty trained and does not chew things that are not meant to be chewed, he can get a bit big for his britches if he does not have some boundaries. Some kennel time is great for this, and his foster mom has him earn every last bit of food or treats he gets with obedience and trick cues. Otto enjoys being able to give the right answers to get his rewards!
Otto’s perfect forever home might look like this… another middle-aged dog who likes to play occasionally, but knows when enough is enough… a yard with a deck or sunny spot to nap on when the weather is good, or a person who enjoys medium-length walks a couple times a day… a person who can give him structure and boundaries- not prison style (you will sit in one spot all day and eat slop for dinner), but more like grade-school style (no Johnny, you may not sit on the teacher’s desk or write bad words on the board. No Suzie, you cannot eat the lunch of the girl sitting next to you while she’s looking the other way). Otto would like a home that doesn’t have too many visitors in and out, and when there are visitors, he has a chance to meet them on his own terms, in a polite way, of course. He’d love a couple games of fetch each day, and some booty and back scratches to finish things out.
Remember that whole thing about Otto needing to be able to check people out on his own terms? Well, usually when he has to go see the vet, he can’t do that. So for that reason, he is muzzle trained and can wear a muzzle for situations just such as that. His muzzle will accompany him to his forever home, like an old friend.
So, he’s not perfect! But then again, perfect is boring. 🙂
If you’d like to adopt Otto, you can visit our Adopt page where you can find information on our adoption policies, and fill out an application.