Elmo was a breeder release and as a result, has not had much human contact before entering his foster home in early May. He was so scared of people that he spent days shaking in a corner. It took him several weeks to start to explore his new space – which he only had interest in doing once he formed a bond with one of the resident animals in his foster home. After 3 months, he is finally starting to trust his foster parents. He loves to sleep in bed with them, he has stopped running when they approach him, he now loves being pet, and he has even begun to get excited when they come home. He has moments of pure bliss and playfulness that are so funny to watch and quite endearing too. We hope, eventually, those moments will become more frequent. It’s important to note that even in his most fearful moments, he has never once bitten or growled. He is a sweet boy and will show you that affectionate side of him once he’s comfortable.

 

When it comes to other animals, Elmo LOVES them. He feels most confident when following the lead of another dog. He is currently living with two giant breed dogs and one other small breed dog in his foster home. He gets along great with all of them. He can be a bit of a “clinger” with the one large dog he has bonded to most. So, he’d do best with a friendly, social dog, who wouldn’t mind having a little poodle attached at the hip. We’ve also noticed he is quite observant and will often watch the other dogs, then copy what they do. This can be helpful when attempting to earn his trust. Elmo also lives with cats in his foster home and has no issues with them. For the most part, he and the cats just co-exist. Though, he has befriended the young, goofy cat in his foster home, and they do enjoy playing together on occasion. When it comes to cats, Elmo can read them well and will follow their lead in terms of how much, or how little, interaction they prefer. He knows the cats set the pace.

 

As far as kids go, Elmo has interacted with kids exactly the same way he interacts with any new person – he becomes a statue. We think he’d do best with children old enough to understand that he’ll need boundaries and space before he begins to trust them – which could take several months. If you’re looking for a dog for your children to take on walks and love on, that’s completely understandable but Elmo likely isn’t the best fit just yet. However, if your kiddos can take it slow with Elmo, we believe he'll come around in time.

 

Elmo is more of a homebody at present. He is not comfortable being leashed (though we are working on it) and is scared to go for walks. He does enjoy time in the backyard with the other animals and we’ve been working on his potty training that way. However, he does have a long way to go in that department. We suspect it will become easier to work on his potty training as he gets more comfortable with his people. In the interest of honesty and transparency, anyone looking to bring Elmo into their home will need to be prepared to take potty training into their own hands, as that is unlikely to be accomplished before he leaves his foster home.

 

In short, Elmo is an adorable, dog and cat friendly, little guy who has made so much progress in the past 3 months. He does tend to move at a slow pace, so he needs adopters who are patient, understanding and committed to helping him learn to trust. At least one other social dog in his forever home, is a must. Because of his fearfulness and inability to use a leash, he needs a securely fenced in yard. Unfortunately, no electronic fences or tie-outs for this guy. Elmo will be a bit of a project for anyone willing to add him to their home, but watching him come out of his shell and find joy in being a dog is truly so rewarding. We certainly believe he’s worth it.