Hercules!

Status Needs a Home	Age 7	Sex Male	Color Blue	Date Listed 03/19/04	Location Barrington, Illinois
Rescue Group:  ILLINOIS DOBERMAN RESCUE					Primary Contact Gail at gailmccowen@aol.com

Hercules is an adorable, blue male dobe who is a living example of the indomitable spirit of dogs. Despite having spent his 7 years neglected and padlocked in a yard, he is the sweetest of boys—gentle, eager to please, loving and curious. He is learning to give quick little dober kisses and do the dober lean—he is very Velcro and wants nothing more than to be with you. And, while he loves to be petted, he is not pushy and knows when it is time to just lie quietly at your feet rather than continually nudge your hand. He has become quite reliably housebroken and is quiet in his crate. Hercules knows some basic commands such as sit, stay, down and kennel-up, and he is always willing to learn more. He has learned to sit and wait for his food until told “okay”, which isn’t easy for a guy who never knew when his next meal was coming.

 

Yes, as his foster mother, I am prejudiced because I am totally in love with Hercules; however, he is not quite perfect. While he has come a long way, he still demonstrates some leash aggression, particularly toward other dogs and children. Hercules tends to walk in circles which, if not kept close at your side, makes walking difficult as he will wrap you up in his leash. He barks if left alone in the yard for even a few minutes. None of this behavior is difficult to explain if you look at his history—7 weeks of being in a home is not going to immediately negate 7 years of being chained in a yard. He plays appropriately with his foster sister; it is unknown how he is with cats.

Herk is a bit “follicle-challenged”, i.e. partially bald—not unusual for blue dobes who were not given proper nutrition and proper housing. He is on a special diet now and his hair is returning. While it will probably never be thick and luxurious, there is now at least some hair covering skin.

If you would like more information about this very special boy, please contact Gail at gailmccowen@aol.com.