1/14/08 -A new year, a new home. I met Oliver’s new family on New Year’s Day. They had their Neardie, Bear, with them. The boys hit it off immediately! Oliver traveled by semi to his new home in Utah. His family was surprised that Oliver jumped right in the truck, but he knew this was his new family. Oliver and Michael have really bonded and he is truly Michael's dog.  They share a bed, a walk every morning, and Michael has really enjoyed having someone to talk to that just listens and doesn't talk back. 

Original Story Decemebr 14, 2007 - Beardie Rescue was notified about a Beardie in an Indiana shelter, so I went to evaluate him. The minute that Oliver walked out, I knew he wasn’t a purebred Beardie, but something about this guy just tugged at my heart. Oliver was so absolutely terrified to be at the shelter that he couldn’t even stand, so of course, he came home with me.

Oliver is a real love. He jumped out of the back of my van and immediately made friends with the dogs here—play bows, tail wags, bounces. The cats apparently didn’t see him as a threat because he didn’t receive a single hiss from them.

If Oliver can’t get anyone to play, he’s quite content to grab a toy and play by himself—shaking the toy, tossing it in the air and tossing it so he can run to get it. Oliver was a bit timid at first, hitting the floor whenever I would reach to pet him, but has become much more confident since he’s been here. Now, he comes up for pets and rests his head in my lap. He greets my son’s friends and is eager for pets and hugs. Oliver was quite timid when we went to the vet for his surgery. I don’t know if it was fear of a new situation or all the smells and barking dogs that made him afraid that he was back at the shelter. When I came to pick him up, he shied away at first, but once he realized that it was me, he was ready to get out of there.  

Oliver stands about 23 inches tall and weighs 50 pounds. He is estimated to be about two years old. Oliver doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. I know this because when he first came here, I could feel EVERY bone. Oliver is still thin, but is eating well and filling out nicely. He is up to date on shots, heartworm negative, and neutered. Oliver has a beautiful, soft dark slate coat with a splash of white on his chest, white on the tips of all feet, and white on the end of his muzzle. He has the most soulful and loving deep brown eyes.

Oliver gets along well with my resident dogs, doesn’t care about the cats, and is very playful. He loves to run, chase, and wrestle with my Beardies, but also plays very gently with my Shih Tzu. Oliver has a cute habit of standing up (like a human) and leaning in to put his paws on my shoulders so that I can lean down to get kisses. He also likes to make sure that I haven’t forgotten anyone at our last outside break of the night. He will come to the door, stick his nose in, and then jump back to take one more quick lap around the yard to make sure that everyone is in. Once I tell him that it’s OK and that everyone else is already inside, he trots right in. He only does this at night, so he’s either making sure that everyone is in or that there are no intruders in our yard.

Oliver is very smart! He knows sit, come, and shake. I learned (quite by accident) that he is also a responsible boy. Oliver loves to run carrying a toy in his mouth. One drizzly afternoon, he left his toy outside, so I told him “Go get your toy.” He ran right to it, grabbed it, and came inside. Good boy! He has continued to pick up toys in the yard whenever I’ve asked, so I consider this a neat trick that Oliver knows.

I think that there may be some sight hound in this guy as he has a deep chest and can flat out run! Oliver would love to have a home with a large fenced yard and a canine companion with whom he can play and run.

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k.mcgriff@insightbb.com

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