Brando is doing well in his foster home. He is about 25 lbs and still has some skin irritations. The vet thinks it might be allergies but we’re still not sure what he could be allergic to. He has tougher skin around his belly where the irritations are and the vet believes Brando may have had these allergic symptoms for a long time. He’s now on some meds to see if that helps clear up the irritations and we’ll keep everyone posted on how he does.
Brando still has some issues with trying to be the dominant member of the family. His foster family keeps reinforcing that they are the leaders, this especially comes into play on walks. In the house Brando is very affectionate and friendly. He is also playful and acts very young. People are surprised to learn he’s an older adult dog, he looks and acts young. He’s also quite happy.
His foster mom told us that Brando is sometimes a trash can digger. He likes plastic wrap and plastic bags. He only seems to dig in the trash if no one is looking or around. He knows that he’s not supposed to. We’re not sure what the attraction is to plastic bags and wrap. Brando is a silly dog, maybe he thinks they are krinkle toys or something.
Aside from his allergies, Brando is great and having fun with his foster family. He gets a lot of attention and pets. Keep checking back on Brando!
Posted on November 7th, 2008 by kathy
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The skin issues on Brando’s snout have healed completely, and we haven’t seen any signs of it coming back anywhere else. The rest of his coat is about the same, although we are noticing that as the weather gets cooler, his skin is getting drier, too.
Brando is still as playful as ever, and LOVES to run around the house and play chase with Dakota. He constantly wants to be with his people and will find a place to curl up in the same room with you. Brando’s leash walking has much improved - although he still will pull initially when we first start out. We’ve been noticing some little things lately - like the fact that Brando seems to prefer male humans to females. He gets along with both just fine, but will usually snuggle up to the men. He also really enjoys riding in the car with his head hanging out the window. It would be strongly advised for the adopting family to get a seatbelt harness for him.
Unknown at this point if the Brando is having issues with our teenage daughter or if it is something else, but we’ve had some behavioral problems (accidents in the house, getting into trashcans) that seemed to start when she was suspended from school and was around him for a much more significant time than usual. I think the trick with the trashcan is to not have any plastic bags in there. He loves to rip apart plastic bags. We are working with him on these problems and have faith that he will overcome them.
Brando is much more aware of his surroundings now that he’s comfortable in our house. Although he is crate trained I think being in his crate stresses him out. Whenever we’ve had to crate him, he sheds profusely.
Overall, Brando is a wonderful dog and will make a great addition to his new forever family.
Posted on September 29th, 2008 by michele m
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Brando has been doing very well since his neutering, and has even gained a few more pounds.
His foster mom says this:
“Brando is very snuggly and loving. He’ll often come up on the couch with us and curl up next to or on our laps and immediately roll over for tummy rubs. He’s also very protective and alert when it comes to his surroundings. At times he can be easily startled, but that’s rare. He’s very playful and full of energy, especially for a 9 year old dog and he needs to be able to run and walk to wear down a bit.
The biggest obstacle that we have overcome is his behavior at night. We’ve gone from a dog who howls and whines all night long to one who jumps up on the bed and sleeps through the night. He’s getting much better with his basic commands and is slowly learning that the door is a “no-go” area. He’s getting a bit bolder with jumping at the counter to steal dish towels (never food). We have a lazy susan corner cabinet that he must have opened when he jumped up… full of food, but neither dog went after any of it.
When crated, he will cry for a few minutes then quiet down. He has graduated to being able to be left free in the house when we’re not there, and he doesn’t make a peep when he’s not crated and alone. The longest he’s been left is about 5 hours.
We have neighborhood stray cats that walk past our fence every day, multiple times a day. I’ve witnessed Brando go flying across the yard towards the cat when he sees one - he doesn’t do this for squirrels or birds or even other dogs.
We have neighborhood stray cats that walk past our fence every day, multiple times a day. I’ve witnessed Brando go flying across the yard towards the cat when he sees one - he doesn’t do this for squirrels or birds or even other dogs.”
Posted on August 25th, 2008 by michele m
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Our sweet Brando is doing quite well. He has been neutered and is gaining his much needed weight.
Here’s what Ami says:
“Brando is a very sweet old boy with a lot of love to give. He gets along great with Dakota; they play and nap together all the time. Brando loves to snuggle and be around his people. He has only been exposed to older children (teenagers) at this point, and has been great with them. Brando will bark when the doorbell rings and sometimes will join in when Dakota barks at something. Brando is very affectionate with everyone he meets. He wants to investigate anybody who comes in the door and immediately gives puppy eyes to be petted.
He listens to his commands well, especially when there is a treat involved. He pulls when we initially start a walk, but learns very quickly from corrections while on leash. He isn’t fazed by small animals, but he does start to pull when he sees other dogs.
He tries to steal the dish towels, but never food. We just recently let him sleep out of his crate at night, and he is out of his crate all the time unless we’re not home. We’re still crating him when we aren’t home, and he cries for a little bit when he’s first put in the crate. Once he realizes that we’re not still in the house, he settles down.
Brando rarely plays with toys, but he seems to prefer ropes to anything else. He’s a high energy dog and needs to be able to run (either at a dog park or a fenced yard) and taken for long walks. He tends to get restless (paces and wanders) if he doesn’t get out.
I think Brando would benefit from a home where he has somebody (or lots of somebodies!) to play/run/walk with. He would do great with or without other dogs, although if he is placed with other dogs, they should be moderate to high energy dogs in order to keep up with him 
Brando can jump at least 3 feet from a standing start. This doesn’t happen often, but is something to keep in mind with regards to baby gates or fences.”
Posted on July 11th, 2008 by michele m
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It looks like Brando has won the hearts of his foster family.
Posted on July 6th, 2008 by kathy
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Brando has certainly improved and seems to love posing for the camera. Here’s some more pics!
Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by kathy
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Brando’s new foster Mom, Ami has this to say:
Brando’s adapting pretty well here. No signs of aggression at all towards us or our Shiba and he has shown no apprehensiveness or nervousness whatsoever. He still tries to mount Dakota when he can, but hopefully neutering him will help that. Brando’s very sweet and will lean against you or even try to curl up in your lap, plus he’s very quick to give belly I’ve noticed he is a darter, and he needs to be watched when around doors.
Overall, it’s been very good
Posted on June 10th, 2008 by michele m
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This cute guy is Brando (formerly known as Brandy), he gives kisses and is looking for a new home. He was surrendered because his owner could no longer care for him, he’s a bit on the thin side and we’re working with him to learn manners. He’s learning to walk on a leash, not to put anything he finds in his mouth (leaves, garbage, anything on the ground), and basic commands like sit and off.
His foster dad Mike said:
He has no training but he seems like he would pick things up pretty quickly. He has shown absolutely no aggression. My female has been all over him and he has been completely submissive to her. He is incredibly sweet and loves being rubbed. I have been crating him when he is inside and he’s doing pretty well. He does bark and whine in the crate sometimes, but usually seems to be when I or my other dogs are eating. Normally he just settles in and nods off.
Check back for more info on Brando!
Posted on May 25th, 2008 by kathy
Filed under: Brando | 1 Comment »
