Say hello to Mr. Luis! This handsome guy has been in our household for almost two weeks now. He is a happy, bouncy, 65-pound puppy that had been kept mostly outdoors or in a garage for the first year of his life. Considering that, it really is amazing how much he has learned and progressed in the short period of time we have had him - he really is a smart boy!

Luis has had a lot change in his life very quickly, but even so, he is very loving, confident, and sweet. There is no such thing as too much attention for this guy.

He is a big cuddler on the couch while we are watching TV, and we have even caught him several times watching it with us. He will be especially interested if there are animals on the show. I’m sure he’s very perplexed by what this strange, colorful box is.

We saw the veterinarian last week and were happy to get a great bill of health, other than an ear infection we are currently treating with an ointment twice daily. He is also microchipped and will be getting his booster vaccinations and neuter performed next week.

Luis has been learning a lot during his time with us. At first, the crate was a pretty scary place to him, and he would be very anxious and bark when kenneled. We have been working a lot with positive praise and feedings in the kennel, and now he thinks it’s pretty alright!

He will jump into his crate with the “kennel” command and is content with being crated for a while when we are working away from home, especially when he gets Kongs with treats inside! (He is a big, big fan of treats!) He also sleeps in one next to our bed very well overnight.

He has also learned “sit” and “down,” and we are working on “stay.” Luis is smart and food-motivated, and he likes having a job to do, so I think he could be taught many, many things with repetition and rewards.

Luis isn’t necessarily a high-energy dog, but he is a busy one, so exercise is important in helping him to calm down and focus. Luis does walk on a leash well, and I think he would be a wonderful running companion for someone when he is old enough to do so. Speaking of that puppy energy, it would be best for Luis to be in a home with children over five years of age so they don’t get knocked over in his excitedness.

Luis loves toys, and loves chewing most of all, so we are still working on what is acceptable and not acceptable to chew on. Furniture may be a new concept to him, so we have had to do a lot of re-direction with showing him that Nylabones are more attractive than coffee tables or couches.

He will also need to be supervised when chewing many toys - he destroys anything soft or rubbery quickly and will attempt to eat said toy. His future family will definitely need to supervise and puppy-proof their home, removing non-toys that may be enticing to him while working through this behavior.

I think the perfect home for Luis would be one where he gets plenty of attention and plenty of exercise, and with a patient family that can continue to work with him and reinforce acceptable behavior in a home.

He is very agreeable and gets along well with our three dogs, but he doesn’t look at them to take leads often, so I think he could do well as an only dog also. He really is the sweetest guy and is a dog that really wants to be with you always, so I think he will be a wonderful companion for someone who wants a dog to be their best friend/sidekick!