Thunder's Angels
Dog Rescue
Meet Queen! Queen was reported as a stray in West Virginia over the winter. She was eating food that people left out for her but no one could catch her so animal control set a trap. She was caught and taken to a gassing shelter and held for three days but no one came to claim her - when her time was up and she was supposed to be killed, we rescued her. She was in pretty bad shape...she was exhausted from being a stray and having had a litter of puppies and was about 20lbs underweight and very fearful. Queen adjusted to her foster home within a week but it was difficult for her and took some patience on the part of her foster family. Even though she's only 2 years old, it is clear that Queen had a rough start in life and was undersocialized and abused. The abuse was so bad that it resulted in her canine teeth being broken and she hasn't forgotten it :( Queen now has what is called 'fear-aggression' with strangers -- she has a hard time trusting new people and when she is unable to avoid them, if she is not properly introduced, she can snap. She needs a good amount of time (a few days) to adjust to new people before she will let them pet her - but with positive reinforcement and lots of treats, you will find that Queen will become your best friend and guard dog. She was so afraid of her foster family when she was first rescued but after only a week of positive reinforcement, she now loves them so much that they could do anything to her (pull her ears, lay on her, probably poke her in the eye too - though they haven't tried it!) and she doesn't mind at all because she now knows that they won't hurt her like some other horrible person once did. She is always following her foster parents around the house, begging for belly rubs, letting them cuddle her, and pleading with her big brown eyes for treats (veggie meatballs are her favorite!). She has really blossomed into a sweetheart because she trusts her foster family but when visitors come to the house, Queen reverts to her old behaviors and is fearful again....this is not something that can be trained out of her - she will likely be (initially) afraid and aggressive with new people for the rest of her life - it is a behavior that needs to be (and can easily be!) managed by ensuring that 1) Queen is leashed when outside and in public and 2) Queen is isolated in a spare bedroom when visitors are entering the home so that she is not scared and feeling threatened. For this reason, she will be best suited in an adoptive home with someone that is patient, someone who can appreciate having a dog to guard the house and/or protect them on leash walks, and someone that doesn't get a lot of frequent visitors. We know that this means it will take Queen a long time in order to find an adoptive home...but she is such a sweet and goofy girl once she gets to know you that we think she's worth it and we are hopeful that somewhere out there, there is someone who is willing to give her the chance she never had before - the chance at a real family that will love her to bits as she is and never hurt her again. If you think you might be able to become Queen's special person, please read her bio below.
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Adoption Status: AVAILABLE
Gender: Female
Weight: 125 pounds
ID: 2011-42
Breed: Purebred English Mastiff
Age: 2 years
Adoption Fee: Normally $375 but will be waived to the right family.
Interaction with dogs: Queen gets along with other dogs and enjoys playing and wrestling with them but she does have an issue with resource guarding (she will protect her bones and food from other dogs but not toys - she is happy to share those!). She is currently living with two other dogs in foster care and she gets along with them but because of the resource guarding, we think Queen will be happiest if she is placed into an adoptive home where she is the only dog (and if they wanted to, her family could sometimes let her have play dates outside of the home with dog friends). If she is placed into a home with other dogs, it should be with a calm senior dog or another low-energy xl breed like her.
Interaction with cats: Unsure. Queen has only seen cats from a distance while leashed and she had no reaction or interest in them. If you have cats in your home she will need to be tested with them on-leash during your home visit.
Interaction with children: No kids under age 16. Queen has not had much exposure to children while in foster care and would not do well in a home where neighborhood children are visiting frequently. She currently lives with a child-less couple and she seems rather content with this arrangement. She is a very mellow dog and prefers a low-stress child-free environment. When coming across the neighborhood children outside, she avoids them.
Activity Level: Very Low. Queen is a typical Mastiff - walking up the stairs or getting up to eat is like a marathon for her :) She has not yet been on a long walk since being in foster care because when we take her outside, she lays down within a few minutes and starts begging for belly rubs instead. She spends 75% of her day sleeping and during the other 25% she just wants to eat or sit by your side and be pet. She occassionaly will engage in play / wrestling with the other dogs in her foster home but that only lasts for about 5 minutes before she wants to cuddle again.
Leash manners: Acceptable. Queen is used to being outside on a retractable leash and she does great with it - because of her low energy she is not the type of dog that will pull you down the street.
Housetraining: Fully housetrained. Queen has full run of her foster home and has not had any accidents or chewed anything inappropriate since being in foster care.
Health status: Vaccinated, heartworm tested, microchipped, spayed, dewormed.
Major Personality Traits: Queen is just a big baby at heart! She will literally throw herself into the ground at your feet and beg for belly rubs. She is calm and extremely loyal. True to her breed, she will guard her people and she loves being a spoiled princess. She even likes to be hand fed when you let her get away with it. She does not play with toys in a typical sense but she loves to hold stuffed toys in her mouth and roll around with them. She also loves marrow bones and rawhides.
Special Needs: Per above, Queen has an issue with fear-aggression and does not do well with strangers. This issue is easily accomodated by keeping her in a bedroom when visitors are in the home and she doesn't mind this at all (in fact, because she is fearful, she much prefers it) and will just nap for that time.
Amount of additional training needed: Moderate. Queen does not know any formal commands but she is a very well behaved dog and eager to please - when you have the right treats :)
Minimum Adoption Requirements:
~ No children under age 16.
~ Previous experience with giant-breeds or fear-aggressive dogs preferred.
If you meet these requirements and can give Queen the life she deserves, please click here review our adoption policies and procedures and to complete an application.
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