Meet Clifford, the Big Reddish Brown Dog! Great with cats & kids!
Hello! Please consider taking our beloved pet Clifford into your home. We need to rehome him because 2 of our 3 young children have special needs and we can’t give him the attention he deserves.
Clifford is a 5-1/2 year old male, neutered “Doberhound.” His mother was a Doberman and his father was a Hound. We have had him since he was 8 weeks old. He weighs about 90 lbs and resembles a Doberman in build but not necessarily in temperament. (He is more goofy and less aloof than a Doberman, I think.)
Clifford has always lived in a home with a cat, children and babies. Our cat is his BEST FRIEND and they have their own special rapport. Our cat has a big personality and loves to play and tease him, and while they do play rough, she is the instigator. She will put her head into his mouth, for example, emerging slobbery but unscratched. If you have a fun, energetic cat who likes to play with dogs this would be a great match. Obviously I would still recommend caution around a kitten, an old cat, or a shy/fearful cat, at least until you are certain how Clifford will handle his new companion.
Regarding kids and babies, Clifford has always lived with them. He’s patient and gentle with babies and toddlers, and has never bitten anybody. Again, reasonable caution should be observed. Clifford has always been extremely patient around the children in our family, no matter how much they have harassed him.
Clifford is also PERFECTLY house trained. He never has an accident, unless he’s actually ill (which hasn’t happened in many years). We have a large, fenced back yard and he will scratch the back door when he needs to go out. When we leave him alone we are confident in his ability to hold in his pee and poop for 8 hours or more. While we currently have a fenced yard and can let him out anytime, we used to live in an apartment and he was fine with regular walks, having no accidents there either.
Clifford has so much love to give. While he’s a big dog, he’d love nothing better than to snuggle into your lap or take over your bed. His favorite games are tug of war and fetch. If you have a fenced yard that would make him very happy, but if not, regular trips to the dog park would be good enough. While he adores attention from his people, he can also calmly chill and wait while other things are going on. As a member of a busy household Clifford is used to waiting his turn and not pushing to the front of the line for attention. Usually when people are busy he’ll chill on the couch or in an armchair, perfectly satisfied.
Clifford does not bark to excess, but he does have a very deep, inspiring bark that will never fail to repel burglars from your property. It doesn’t come out incessantly, but if you’re looking for a dog that will bark a warning when someone approaches your home, he is the one. He is friendly to guests once his owner has let them in, but he considers it his job to let his owner know when there’s a visitor approaching outside, which he will dutifully announce with a pitch perfect “big dog” bark.
Clifford hasn’t spent a lot of time around other dogs. In our occasional trips to dog parks he has never behaved aggressively. However, his socialization around other dogs has been lacking. In our home he has never guarded resources, like food and toys, and everyone in the family, even little kids, are free to take away his food bowl. However since he’s never lived with another dog, I can’t confirm whether he would scuffle with another dog over food or other resources.
With all of these wonderful traits to recommend him, I need to mention that Clifford has some areas in which to improve with more obedience training. He does not “come when called” for every member of the family, only for my husband. If permitted, he will playfully jump on guests when they walk through the door. Also if permitted, he will “counter surf” (stealing food off of tables and counters) and raid garbage cans. He pulls on the leash, and lunges at other dogs on walks; his intent is to play with them, but it still makes walking him difficult. And his knowledge of basic obedience commands, such as sit, stay and down, is limited. When there are distractions on offer he has a tendency to “forget” his commands. He needs an owner with the time to focus on additional training for obedience, household manners, and leash manners.
Clifford is a healthy, big, handsome, friendly dog with perfect house training and a lifelong history of getting along with cats, kids and babies. He loves attention, cuddles and playing fetch and tug of war. He has a medium energy level, meaning he’ll play when you want to and chill when you don’t. If you have the time to focus on his obedience training, he would be the perfect activity companion and an excellent family pet. Please contact me to arrange a meeting soon!