Laddie ::AdopTED::
In November of 2020 sweet Laddie was found abandoned at a dog groomer’s near Yongin City, South Korea. All alone and with a fresh haircut, Laddie ended up at the incredibly overpopulated Yongin Pound at only a few months old. We have no idea how his breed of dog ended up in South Korea. He was likely imported as a status symbol and his family grew overwhelmed by his breed’s specific needs + how fast he grew. Yongin Pound is funded by the government and legally can’t turn away dogs but has low euthanasia numbers thanks to the amazing volunteer group @ypap.rescue They started a local adoption support group with hundreds of members and when a dog’s time is up at the pound (often 10 days upon intake) the YPAP community “adopts” the dog and promotes their adoption internationally. Many dogs at Yongin Pound are there for months, sometimes years waiting. Laddie is one of these pups and when we saw his adoption promo in March we spent months trying to find him & his buddy Cujo a flight to Wildhearts.
Life at the pound is hard for every dog but especially for Laddie, being the tender fella he is. His breed is inherently sensitive, seeking direction and clarity. Luckily, there are resources for larger dogs in South Korea where they can be moved off site to a boarding facility and we knew Laddie needed to get out of the pound. In July our rescue partners were able to pull Laddie out and place him in a nearby facility where he’d finally have a room of his own and an outdoor area! It took him time to adjust to the much calmer environment but along with more space for Laddie, he was able to have 3 meals a day to help get his weight up + daily walks from trainers & volunteers.
If you follow our Instagram stories you know that Laddie's had a difficult time adjusting to life here in Portland, again seeking direction & clarity in this new-to-him world. He is with his 3rd Portland foster family now and has made a lot of progress getting into a routine that will set him up for success with his forever family. See his journey in South Korea here.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE Laddie THINGS FROM His FOSTER FAMILY…
Laddie is a gentle, happy goofball who loves everyone he meets — people and animals alike. He is affectionate and is most content when he is getting attention from his people, especially good direction in the form of training cues. He adores toys, will play on his own when he feels comfortable, and will try to get other dogs to play with him (but he never pesters them). He doesn’t mind being in his crate but prefers to lay about the house whenever he can, ideally near one of his people. He rarely barks or whimpers, and his fosters have seen zero aggression even when food is involved. In his foster home, he has attached to a primary human in the house and will probably do the same in his forever home.
Laddie loves being outside. He’ll bounce around his yard no matter the weather, and he’s good about having his feet cleaned. He loves his walks and running around a park. He would be a great jogging buddy! He doesn’t react to other animals outside, including squirrels, birds, cats, or other dogs.
He’s not much for mischief, but he’s got character! He’ll comically fall out of his bed, bounce around the house with toys, play pounce, give his people toothy smiles, chase things in his sleep, and excitedly respond to commands.
Laddie is thrilled to learn a new word or command. He is calmest when you give him a command so he knows what you want from him, and he’s thriving with various commands that help him settle. He also needs his people to use commands to teach him when he has permission to do something (for example, his foster recently taught him the word “toy” and then identified all the toys in the house, and he’s been playing significantly more ever since). He will need a person or family who is strongly committed to training, not because he misbehaves, but because he craves guidance and structure.
Laddie would prefer to be in a home without children unless they are older. Not because he isn’t friendly with them, more so because of the chaotic unpredictability of kids and his high anxiety. He’d be happy to have another animal companion in the house to help him feel safe.
A FEW THINGS Laddie IS WORKING ON FROM His FOSTER FAMILY…
Laddie is on a low dose of Trazodone to help with anxiety. His natural state is to be alert to everything happening around him, keeping an eye on all activities in his house. Initially when he entered foster care, the uncertainties were very scary, and he would have accidents inside the house because of his stress. With time, training, and medication, Laddie has easily gotten past that initial anxiety behavior. More time and training will help him even more. Above all, Laddie wants clear, firm, and consistent direction about what his people want from him.
Laddie is still working on learning new commands. He has learned many, but struggles with some depending on how excited he is. Regular positive reinforcement and quick verbal correction help him learn. He’ll need his people to teach him even more words to help him be his happiest, thriving self. On walks, he is still learning how to walk without pulling. He knows heel and is learning to stop at corners and sit. He sometimes gets nervous when people are making lots of noise around him while he’s out on walks.
Laddie needs to put on weight. He will excitedly wait for his meals, but then he doesn’t usually finish. He will let other dogs eat his food, too. Enticing toppers and consistent encouragement to return to his meal helps him.
Laddie explores the world with his mouth — a little residual puppy behavior due to his lack of puppy play exposure. He’s not destructive at all. When he’s happy, he can’t help but open his mouth and reach toward the thing that’s making him happy. He needs his people to redirect him to toys when this happens or tell him no. He’s learning more and more about what his people consider good behavior, and with time and reinforcement we expect this to subside.
Car rides have been a challenge. Usually, he’s anxious in the car and will nervously tremble or stand drooling. One of his biggest issues is currently the walk to the car, and that stressful experience usually sets him up for a stressed out car ride. But if his people scoop him up and carry him to the car from inside the home, he is completely calm and happy — he would love nothing more than to have his person carry him like a giant baby dog. With this technique, he’s had a few good car rides recently where he even fell asleep. Time, trust, and training (and fun experiences at this destination) will help him learn to enter the car on his own.
THE IDEAL FAMILY FOR Laddie WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
A home without children (teenagers could be a good fit!)
A fenced yard.
Another friendly, already trained dog in the home or access to friendly dogs for frequent playdates.
Patience, time to train, consistency, & lots of love!
Laddie’s Details:
Breed: Belgian Tervuren
Age: 1.5 years old
Sex: Male
Size: 44lbs
Color: Brown/Beige/Black
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Microchipped: Yes
Vaccinated: Yes
Medical notes:
Laddie is underweight and has a low appetite likely due to his breed, traumatic past, and general anxiety.
Currently Laddie is taking a small dose of Trazodone morning & evening to help relax him and prevent potty mishaps.
Housetrained: Mostly! When under stress Laddie will potty with no hesitation on the floor and even in his crate while laying inside. This has gotten much better with medication, training, and time.
Site: Wildhearts Rescue
Location: Foster home in Portland
Intake Date: 9/29/21
Good with cats: Possibly a confident, dog friendly cat with a slow introduction
Good with dogs: Yes
Good with children: Laddie would do best in an adult only home
Good with adults: Yes