About Carl

Carl - Available Emotional Special Needs 5 1/2 y.o., 20 pound, housetrained neutered Miniature Poodle/Pomeranian Mix Carl is a wonderful little fellow who, in his comfort zone, behaves like a normal, friendly, affectionate, playful dog. Carl does have an unusual fear of strangers which can be overcome following a protocol we worked up with a certified dog behaviorist. He is not aggressive but warns offs those whom he does not know. Carl has quickly become friends with a few people who met him at his foster home & strictly followed our meeting protocol. Once he gets to know & trust you, you remain his friend, even after you leave him at the vet for a procedure. Carl does love his foster grandpa. While Carl is quite fond of sitting or lying on his foster grandpa on the couch, he needs & loves to run and play. A small dog secure fenced yard is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for Carl. Carl likes to spend significant time outside every day. Carl loves car rides & to explore on his daily leash walk. We know virtually nothing about Carl's past. He was picked up as a stray & taken to the local animal control as a scared boy who did not want to be touched. Our vet estimates that he is approximately 5 years old. It took days for him to decompress in a foster home. Carl is extremely afraid of strangers. He does not want them near him, moves away & tries to hide from them. He will get aggressive if strangers want to touch him & he is not allowed to move away. Carl's fear is of humans, not dogs. Carl gets along well with the other dogs in his foster home & has shown interest in other dogs he has met. We want Carl to become as comfortable with an adopter as he learned to be with his foster & for everyone to be safe. Carl needs a patient adopter who will keep him & everyone he encounters safe, an adopter who understands that one slip up could cost him his life. Both because of his extreme fear of strangers, Carl can NEVER be let off leash outside of his small dog secure fenced yard. Strangers NEED TO BE TOLD that he needs space, that THEY CANNOT APPROACH & PET Carl. Carl needs a patient adopter without children with whom he can thrive. While prospective adopters' children & Carl may form a mutual admiration society, it's too much to expect their friends to understand just how different Carl's fear makes his behavior. Carl makes a great companion once you earn his trust. Carl's curls should be trimmed by a professional groomer every 8 to 10 weeks. Because of Carl's extreme fear of strangers & unwillingness to be approached & touched by them, we found the only safe way for Carl to be groomed was at a vet's office where he could be sedated, completely knocked out. We encourage you to see & learn more about Carl on his public Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563018184933, or search FB on Carl Heather's Foster Dogs. Carl is housetrained, neutered & microchipped as well as up to date on his vaccinations & monthly heartworm, flea & tick preventatives. If you are interested in meeting Carl, then go to heathersfosterdogs.org. Using the menu at the top of the page, click on Adoption Application. Complete & submit your application, which will serve as the basis for a conversation, & you will be contacted. We will make arrangements to meet with prospective adopters for Carl only after a submitted application has been reviewed & a phone conversation has taken place. ***Please note that we are a foster based group located in the southern suburbs of Chicago. Carl's adopter must live in the greater Chicago metropolitan area.***

Contact

Heather's Foster Dogs NFP
Cook County
Steger, Illinois 60475

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