Adopted
| Breed | Carolina Dog |
| Color | |
| Age | Young |
| Gender | Male |
| Size | Medium |
| Coat Length | - |
| Adoption Fee | - |
Characteristics
Health
House-trained
Good in a home with
Andy came into rescue through the very route that defines his nature. He was a rural stray, and perhaps was deliberately abandoned, a dubious honor accorded by misguided people to "good dogs" so that they have "a chance".
Dogs like Andy are most certainly a testimony to the survival of the fittest, but in the case of a small and very young dog like Andy, it requires skillful and reasoned navigation of a dangerous world. Somehow, Andy had the wits to get along with every menacing dog he met along the way, the resources to find food and water, and the intelligence and faith to seek out the home of a Good Samaritan family, and jump into their fenced yard.
At this point, Andy's amazing personal appeal won the day, and assured him a place in rescue.
Andy is a Carolina Dog, or, as they are known in the country, a Yellow Dog. (for anyone not familiar with this breed, please go to our home page at Hedgesvillehounds.com and scroll down to our Spotlight Breed section and find the link for the Yellow Dog.)
Yellow Dogs crop up in rural areas "once in a blue moon." They are believed to be the North American indigenous dog. When we think of them, we think of the canine equivalent of "Everyman" - in a sense, they are almost the genetic equivalent of all dogs, much as the color white is the presence of all color. In a line of breeding that would confound Westminster, Yellow Dogs are the result of generations of mixed breeding, that somehow accesses the code for the original dog, producing the equivalent of the alpha and the omega.
That fascination aside, Andy lives up to his breed in every way - he is loving and lovable, keenly intelligent, and a dog who more than anything in the world seeks a bonded relationship.
It is evident in Andy that he is capable of the kind devotion and loyalty that one reads about in literature. He has an endearing streak of mischief, and a strain of loving kindness that is immeasurable.
Today, Andy is a strong, agile and beautiful older puppy. He is still a bit too thin, but he is catching up. His devoted caregiver describes him as "alert, proud and graceful" in his movement style. His eye contact is very direct, and his expression is kind and loving. He is hopeful, and inordinately grateful to be in care, and his proud carriage and shining eyes are more touching because they underscore his deeper need for permanence and a bonded relationship.
Andy entered a foster home with two male dogs, and instantly got along with both of them. At play he is energetic and athletic; inside the house he is relaxed and mellow. Weary from his journey into rescue, Andy seeks guidelines, and he desperately wants to please. He is benefiting from the guidance of his caregiver, and is finding in the order and consistency of his foster life both security and joy. So much of his puppyhood was devoted to survival, that Andy revels in finally being safe and valued; every once in a while he crawls carefully and earnestly up into his caregiver's lap, where he curls up like a baby.
Andy came into care essentially as a blank page. He knew enough about what to do to get by in life, and now is eagerly receptive to training.
The finer points of leash training he embraced easily and well with skilled positive training; along with this he is accomplished in both "sit" and "down". He is housetrained, rides well in a car, and loves to meet new people and dogs.
While Andy is relieved not to be living by his own wits, he is still quite capable of relying upon them, and he is quite a skilled problem solver.
Andy will need continuing leadership and positive guidance in an adoptive home. It is clear that he has been around children - in fact, the home to which he was originally drawn was next to a school - but his play with smaller children, indeed, his play in general, can become too excited. This is very manageable with proper training techniques.
Andy could be placed in a home right now and succeed as he is. Our desire is to see him placed in a home in which his deep need for acceptance, direction, and permanence is understood and supported through continued training. Andy is capable of rewarding that effort with extraordinary loyalty, willingness, and love.
If you are interested in this dog, please fill out a non-binding application .
