Bear

Rehome for Plott Hound - hunting dog with no hunting experience

We can provide you with reports from our trainer or a direct contact to them to get their opinions on Bear's training, behavior, and potential to become a stellar dog.

Bear would thrive in an environment with lots of space to roam and explore and bark, and with a highly structured schedule. He is a pure Plott hunting dog but has grown up inside our residential house with no hunting training, since he was 10 weeks old (now about 11 months). He is a very happy and excited, smart, playful pup with a big and vocal personality. He is prone to some anxiety, as many Plott dogs are, and we have been reinforcing "settle" and "leave it" to encourage him to calm down. He reacts well to treat-based reinforcement. He loves playing outside, chewing sticks in the sun, or running with our other dog or our neighbor dogs, but can take a minute to adjust to new dogs - he growls in situations with new dogs, but once he feels comfortable he is all play.

He would do best with an experienced dog owner who understands resource guarding behavior and aggression. While Bear absolutely loves strangers, he can become loyal/protective of a primary caretaker inside the home (i.e., will growl at others who enter his sleeping or feeding space unexpectedly - it can be intimidating but he has never been aggressive/violent). Most of his trainers and handlers (and breeder) have been women, so he tends to show preference to women. Bear is more cat-like in terms of the level of physical affection and touch he wants. He'll come to you, but often doesn't want to be handled - even if he plops down on the couch next to you to snooze. He'll tolerate some scratches but doesn't like to be grabbed or hugged.

Bear is quick to bark and shows some reactivity to other dogs on leash- something that he is working on in training and improving on. He will shred stuffed animals and chew toys but as long as he has those, he is not destructive towards shoes, furniture, etc. Bear gets along with our cat, but it's possible he may not do well with other cats.

Bear can get grumpy when he's hungry and tired (growls to communicate to leave him alone), but generally, he's a sweet, happy guy. We have worked with multiple trainers over the 10 months to improve socialization. His behavior has improved with more structure in his day- multiple short walks, lots of time to sniff and run in the yard, punctuated with quiet time in the crate.

Bear is crate trained - he sleeps overnight in his crate and goes down for regular naps during the day. Occasionally he whines to be let out, but he is improving on his ability to self-soothe and calm down. If there are other dogs, people, or distractions around, however, he is very eager to get out and participate in whatever is going on.

A family adopted Bear but asked to return him to us less than one week later. They did not seem to heed our advice above. We do not want Bear to enter the shelter/rescue system so we readily accepted him back. Again, we can provide you a direct contact to our trainer for their take on Bear's personality and behavior, independent of us.

He has not been exposed to many children and should be supervised around any young kids. He is a fully vaccinated, recently neutered, sweet and energetic dog, who would be a perfect companion in the right environment.

Pet's Name: Bear
Dog: Primary Breed: Other, not listed
Primary Breed (if not in list): Plott Hound
Birthdate, estimate is okay: August 2023
Age Category: Young
Where did you get your pet?: Celebration of Plott Hounds in North Carolina
Adoption Day, when did you adopt your pet? An estimate is okay.: 10/11/23
Gender: Male
Size (at full grown): Medium
Weight (in pounds) at full-grown size. Example: 35: 60
Primary Color: Calico/Multi/Tricolor
What are your pet's favorite toys and activities?: Stuffed animals, chewing sticks in the sun, running and barking
Has your dog received any formal obedience training?: Yes
What commands does your dog know?: Sit, down, place, settle, leave it, off
Has your dog ever exhibited any challenging behaviors, such as biting a person or another pet? If so, could you please share some details about the situation?: No biting, but does growl (intimidating but not violent)
How does your dog react to being left alone for short periods?: Crate trained, so can stay in his crate without issue. We don't leave him alone with free access to house
Are there any specific triggers that cause your dog anxiety or stress?: Leash reactive to other dogs; noises can startle him; protective of his sleeping space
Is there a particular routine that works best for your dog in terms of feeding, walking, and sleep?: Highly structured day - feed and bathroom early morning; walk; nap time in crate; play time; nap time in crate or on couch; dinner and walk; play time; pre-bed snack; bedtime in crate
Medical History and Care:
Vaccinations up to date
Spayed or Neutered
House/Litter-Trained
Microchipped
Special Diet
Special Needs
Never Vetted
Unknown
Does your pet have any history of health issues or medical conditions that potential adopters should be aware of?: Healthy. Was treated for worms and giardia when we got him
Personality:
Playful
Constant Companion
High Energy
Medium Energy
Low Energy
Stubborn
Timid
Needs Training
Friendly to Strangers
Good with Other Dogs
Good with Young Children
Good with Cats
Bonded Pair
Requires A Fenced Yard
Crate Trained
Purebred
How is your dog with other dogs?: Very friendly: Loves meeting and playing with other dogs.
How is your dog with cats?: Friendly: Generally gets along well with cats.
What's the most endearing thing about your dog?: Big personality, playful, fearless
What criteria are important to you when considering an adoptive family or home for your pet?: Experience and confidence with a challenging but trainable/smart dog; Ability to dedicate time to structure his day; large space for him to run and bark; he lives with a cat but should be supervised around new cats;
Is there anything else you'd like your pet's new family to know?: Read our description closely. We will answer any questions and provide reference to our Trainer
Why are you rehoming your pet (primary reason)?: Housing is Inadequate for Pet
Rehoming reason details (if necessary): He is a hunting dog who needs more space than our residential house can accommodate. Also, our work schedules don't allow for the attention he needs (we also have other animals to care for)
If applicable, do you have the legal right or necessary permission from the breeder or rescue organization to rehome this pet? :
Not Applicable
Yes
How long will you be able to keep your pet before you may need to consider surrendering him or her to a rescue?: Not an option, my pet will stay with me for as long as it takes
Who is your veterinarian?: West Asheville Family Vet (Dr. Kimberly Couch)
What do you feed your pet?: Purina Pro Plan
Do you have pet insurance for your pet? : Yes
Would you consider a long distance adoption?:
Yes
No
Maybe
City, State: Asheville, NC
Zip Code: 28801
How did you hear about us?: Rescue/Shelter
Service Level: No-Cost Option: Basic Listing Service