My name is Clifford and I am a 1.5-year-old (approx.) Presa Canario mix! Sadly, I’ve seen my fair share of homes. I’ve been in 7 in my short lifetime and I hope to make the next my last. I came to GRAB as an urgent owner surrender and in poor condition. I was underweight, dirty, and terrified to be changing homes in the middle of the night.
Since arriving at my foster home, I have
put on some weight and am sitting at about 120lbs. I am a big boy and
still young and immature, so training efforts have been focused on basic
manners so I don’t knock anybody over or
hurt them accidentally. I am making great progress and can greet my
foster family in a (mostly) calm manner at the front door when they get
home – even though it is difficult because it’s still one of the
greatest parts of my day!
I lived with another dog in my foster
home, who recently passed away, and we got along very well! I learned to
take physical and verbal cues from her on gentle playing and
boundaries. Although I miss her dearly, a home with another
dog is not necessary – my people are more important to me. In my foster
home, we also have rabbits. They don’t bother me in their house
(sometimes I try and sneak hay to eat), but I need supervision when they
are out and about because I am naturally curious
about them. I have also lived with cats in the past (as per the
previous owner).
While my foster parents are at school
and work, I am allowed free range of the house. I had been used to a
crate at one point in my life, but they aren’t my favourite and I am
well behaved on my own so I don’t use one anymore.
At home, you can find me anywhere my people are. I love curling up on
the couch with them to cuddle, or nearby in my bed while we watch TV. I
help supervise the cooking and am great at picking up crumbs and food
dropped on the floor. I am very food driven,
so if you don’t want anything eaten, please don’t leave it out to tempt
me. At night, I am quite comfortable to curl up at the foot of the bed
to sleep.
One of my favourite things to do is play
fetch. A nice sized backyard would be preferred to be able to run
off-leash and play, as being outside is also a favourite of mine
(especially in the snow!). I walk well on a leash (with
a harness) and am rarely interested in others around me – I just want
to explore – but I can be leery around some strangers, so training and
gaining confidence and trust in new people is a must. I need walks of
about 45-60 minutes a day to keep my mind fresh
and release any extra energy. I LOVE durable rubber toys and antler
chews to play with, but I have issues with resource guarding valuable
toys and my food, so a safe distance and training is still needed in
this area.
Even though I am great with the adults
that I know in my home, I am very nervous around new people and will
require an experienced and confident owner to work with me (and a
positive reinforcement trainer) to overcome this. Because
of my uneasiness, a quiet and controlled environment at home, with no
children, is required.
Clifford is available for adoption through Grand River All Breed rescue. The adoption donation is $400. All of our dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated as part of their adoption. If you’d like to adopt, please fill out an application. You can also reach us by email at GrandRiverRescue@hotmail.com.
