King Candyland
The VIP (Very Important Placements) program at BARCS identifies dogs with medical challenges, behavioral challenges or those not handling the shelter environment well, who urgently need homes to prevent their decline. With our shelter at or near capacity nearly every day this year, and new dogs arriving daily, it's critical to find these dogs placements quickly. By doing so, we aim to save them from the risk of euthanasia due to lack of space. Adoption fees are waived for all VIP dogs.
UPDATE: ADOPTED!
Shelter ID: A0056653941
Location: Foster Home
Sex: Male
Age: 2 Years Old
Current Weight: 90 lbs
About Me
King Candyland is in search of a new home where he can get the love and attention he deserves. King was originally a gift, but his former dad wasn’t fully prepared for the responsibility of having a dog at the time or even now. However, he did his best and lovingly cared for King for two years. According to his former dad, King is a great dog—affectionate, curious and loyal. He’s housebroken, comfortable being kenneled, and enjoys spending time both indoors and outdoors. King loves being around people and is gentle with children.
Unfortunately, King is struggling in the shelter, which we often see with dogs used to a stable home. He’s healthy, up-to-date on vaccinations, and behaves well at the vet, but he’s clearly missing the comfort of a familiar environment. King would thrive in a home where he can once again feel secure, with someone who appreciates his playful and loyal nature. Whether as a foster or forever companion, King is ready to bring joy to a new family. He’s also got some great tricks up his sleeve, like sit, paw, and tail wags on walks!
Why is My Status Urgent?
A dog’s behavior in a shelter can be very different from how they act in a home once they have time to relax. In the shelter, dogs spend a lot of time isolated in their kennels, meet new people constantly and are surrounded by other loud barking dogs, new smells, new sounds and new routines. This environment can keep their stress levels elevated for days or even weeks, which can cause them to act out in ways they wouldn’t in a home. Because of this, what we see in the shelter are just observations and not promises of how the dog will behave later. A dog’s true personality often shows up once they’ve had time to settle into their new home–that’s why fostering and adopting is so important!
The following are the observations of my behavioral challenges in a shelter environment:
Lack of Formal Training: A lack of formal training means the dog may not know basic commands or proper manners, leading to unruly behavior. If the dog lacks training, they may need basic obedience lessons, positive reinforcement, and patience as they learn new skills.
Dog Selectiveness: Dog selectiveness is when a dog may get along well with some dogs but might have a poor reaction or be avoidant with others. Selective dogs may need carefully managed interactions, intentionally selected playmates to ensure compatibility, supervised play with other dogs, and avoidance of situations where they feel threatened or overwhelmed.
Fearful/Nervous: Fearful or nervous dogs may react poorly or give other warning signs when they feel threatened or scared, often to get a person or object to back away. If the dog continues to display fearful behavior, after the proper acclimation/decompression period in their new home, they may need a continued calm, supportive environment, with gradual exposure to their triggers and positive reinforcement to build trust and reduce anxiety.
