Bobby the Handsome Boy's sister, Minnie the "No Relation to Mickey" Girl (adopted) can also be seen on our website.
Bobby the Handsome Boy's brother, Maxwell the Brindle Beauty (adopted) can also be seen on our website.

Description:
Bobby is one lucky pup!  He is attending Camp Doglando! This is a fabulous camp where kids, train shelter dogs to get them ready for their new homes.

They will learn loose leash walking, sit, stay, down and many other things!  This the fifth year that dogs from PRBJ have gone to Camp Doglando and it is amazing how much they learn in a short period of time!  Apply to add Bobby to your family today!!

Check out the action shot of Bobby training at Tractor Supply - such a good boy!!!

Bobby and his 2 siblings Minnie and Maxwell were in a shelter, A-Shelter Friend.  Unfortunately, the owner of the rescue group has become very ill and has not been able to keep the shelter going.  Judy rescued the 3 beautiful siblings.  Bobby is so sweet and gentle, get's along great with other dogs and kids.  Bobby can be cat tested if needed.  Like his other siblings he would make a great family addition.

8/15/2015 Foster Update: Bobby was working with a foster who was training him to be a therapy/service dog.  Sadly, as he does not do well being crated while she is at work, it was best for her to return Bobby to us in hopes of finding a home where he'd be with people most of the day.  As Bobby was with his foster for 2 weeks, she had much to say (and rave) about this wonderful guy~

Appearance: Tri-color (black, tan, white), 28 inches at top of head, 45 lbs. Trim muscular build.

• Energy Level: High energy when exercising, but content to sleep much of the day.  He needs at least one good walk or romp at the dog park a day; a second walk is great.  He excels at food puzzle toys, so often I feed him one meal in a puzzle ball.  That does a great job of exercising his mind and body to keep him from being bored.

• Food: He is eating about 3 cups daily of Nutro Natural Chicken and Rice Adult Dog food.  He has a quick metabolism, so I feed him breakfast and dinner of a cup each and typically a snack a couple times of ½ cup.  He does best being left alone or for the night if he’s had something to eat right before.  Grain-free kitty kibble is a highly prized treat for him, so I’ve used that very successfully as a high-value reward when training.

• Adaptability: He is an extremely smart dog, very quick to assess and figure out situations.  He learns quickly and has done wonderful with clicker training.  Like most Hounds, sometimes he’s a little too smart for his own good, but that brain is easily moldable to what he should and shouldn’t be doing

• Behaviors: He hates being in a crate.  He will cry and chew and dig until he messes his cage or escapes.  He’s pretty good left out of the crate, but not completely housebroken to be left for long periods.  A couple or three hours at a time though seems to go fine typically.  He’s learning about the housebreaking.  His one vice is counter surfing.  He’s learning what “paws off” means, so he’s gotten MUCH better about the counter.  He’s tall enough to take dishes out of the sink or things off low shelves or close to the counter edge, so until he masters that things will need to be kept out of reach.  He is a capable digger, but we haven’t had trouble with him trying to get out of my fence since the first day or two. He should be supervised outside until he is reliable to stay in the yard.

 

• Human Social Skills: He has excelled with every person he has met, and he’s met people of all looks and ages and genders.  He has NEVER put his paws up on a person the entire time I’ve had him.  He’s given me two tiny licks, and did the same to one young girl he met at a park that he particularly liked.  Otherwise he doesn’t lick either.  Even when he does lick, it’s quick and small; not drawn out or slobbery.  He loves to say hi to people, but mostly just stands there waiting to see if they will pet him.

• Animal Social Skills: He has done marvelously with every animal he has met, cats and dogs alike. He and my 12 lb. dog have gotten along beautifully; occasionally they get into a growling “argument” over a treat or something, but it’s never violent and is quickly over.  He’s played with Great Danes to tiny Terriers and has done wonderfully.  He’s definitely not a dominant dog; at the dog park he will wait for the other dogs to drink and then take his turn.  He’ll wrestle with another young dog that wants to wrestle, but doesn’t initiate that kind of play.  He’s not overwhelmed by being greeted by many dogs at once.  He LOVES to run, and having another dog or person to run with off lead is the best!  Even when one dog repeatedly mounted him at the park, he just put up with it or walked away.  After a couple dozen times when the dog got more insistent, he finally turned and firmly yet very gently put his mouth around the dog’s scruff and growled.  That was the end of it, and the dog didn’t try it again!  He’s also been great with my two cats.  Every once in a while if they are running he’ll trot after them or try to play or bark at them, but I can immediately call him off.  Even if he’s chased them, all he does is “tree” them somewhere, never try to actually hurt them.  I’ve felt completely comfortable leaving him home loose with my dog and two cats.

• Obedience: He’s quite good with “Sit” and “Leave it.”  He’s been learning to “bow” on command.  He’s pretty consistent to call him off something with “Leave it,” and is getting good at “Paws Off” to stay off the counter.  “Lie down” is progressing, and so is “Stay.”  His nose is incredible, and I can hide a piece of food in my hands and tell him, “Seek,” and he is nearly 100% accurate to find it on the first try.  “Come” is fairly good, but depends greatly on how distracted he is; works pretty well coming in from the yard.

• Training: He is mostly house trained, but hates the crate.  He would do best in a home where he does not need to stay in a crate and is not left alone all day.  He is extremely bright, and very quick to pick up on training.  The more he is challenged, the better because he is best behaved when he isn’t bored!  Treat/puzzle toys are fabulous for him.

• Personality Quirks: He is a darling, loving, laid back boy.  Incredibly calm for being only 15 months old!  He’s quite open and friendly, though not the most “in your face” outgoing dog you will meet.  I got constant complements on what a good looking dog he is and how sweet he is.  I never had to worry about having him at the dog park because I knew he would be great with any dog or person that walked through the door.  He is pretty calm after he’s had some exercise and is content to sleep most of the day.  He loves to lie on the couch with me while I watch TV in the evening.

 

• Ideal Home: He needs a home that will provide firm, consistent boundaries yet do so with a VERY gentle, loving hand.  As most Hounds are, he is very sensitive to any negative attention, and gets sad easily.  Positive, loving training will go a long way with him!  He needs a home that is willing to keep his mind and body stimulated to keep him from getting bored and making his own entertainment.  A good walk or two a day combined with some puzzle toys should do that well.  He would also do best in a home where he is not home alone all day, and would benefit from other dogs in the home or a trip to the dog park every week or two (or more!).  He’d do great with kids because he is so gentle, but would also do well with a single or couple.  A fenced yard would be necessary unless someone is willing to take him to the dog park frequently because he LOVES to follow his nose and trail whatever critters have been through the yard.

 

Good with dogs? yes

Good with cats? yes

Good with kids? Of all ages? yes

Housetrained? Almost

8/9/2015 Foster update:

Just wanted to drop you an update on Bobby!

Thursday we had a couple major breakthroughs.  Wednesday night I had really begun wondering if he would ever be capable of truly bonding to a human. I was determined to give him until at least the weekend, looking for any small sign that he was warming up and learning to connect with a person.  I had begun hand feeding him on Wednesday to hopefully help the process…no more food from a bowl.  Thursday night I finally got a couple quick little licks on the foot and late evening for the first time he fell asleep on the couch with me, sprawled across my lap.  That’s the kind of sign I was waiting for!  Still not sure to what level he can bond, but we’re seeing progress so that is enough for now.

 We’ve made three dog park trips, and he’s been a champ at all of them.  Met big and small dogs, and handled the pushy and yappy dogs without even blinking.  He’s very happy to be submissive, waiting until the other dogs finish drinking before he approaches the water.  At the same time, he’s not overly submissive and will stand up for himself if it’s really necessary.  He’s just incredibly placid for being 15 months old!  He’s done great meeting both men and women of all ages and races.  He still has never put his paws up on a person, which is awesome!

 He’s getting better about learning limits in the house, and I’m not spending quite as much time correcting him about what is and isn’t his.  Last night he and my little dog were asleep on the sofa next to each other with one of the cats asleep on the back of the sofa.  He still runs playfully after a cat occasionally, but they growl or hiss or I call him off and he immediately complies.

 His training is going amazingly well.  He’s an incredibly smart dog and very quick learner.  He knows “Sit,” “Lie down,” and “Leave it.”  I can call him off almost anything on the first try with “Leave it.”  He’s getting there with “Come,” because he knows what it means but he doesn’t always feel like it!  He’s pretty good with “Heel,” although I’m not asking for a strict heel but rather a polite side-by-side walk.  He’s just started learning how to bow on command, though he’s picking that up very quickly.  I’ve also been scent training as I’m hand feeding, commanding him “Seek,” and he has to figure out which hand I have the food in and lick my hand to get the food.  He’s already got close to a 90% accuracy rate on it!

 Along with being a quick study, he also has a strong memory and is pretty sensitive to negative responses.  Thursday he came over to me when I was sitting on the floor and touched me with his nose and got a shock.  It took some intentional training to show him that spot on the floor wasn’t bad and I wasn’t going to hurt him.  He’s quite responsive to the water squirt bottle, which I’ve been using pretty sparingly because he’s so easily saddened by any negative attention.  He typically only gets sprayed if he’s trying to antagonize the cats and not listening when I call him off or if he’s continuing to counter surf in the kitchen after being told not to.  He responds SO well to consistency and firmness yet it should also be VERY loving and gentle.  He needs people that will give him clear boundaries that remain constant but that can also restrain themselves from being harsh with him when he errs.  He responds to such an arrangement very well, and is quite good when he knows what to expect and knows that the love is unconditional.  Redirection is the key with him, because if he is told “No,” he’s just not sure what to do instead.  If he’s playing with something he shouldn’t be, I need to give him his own toy or tell him to go find it.  Otherwise if I just tell him no then he bounces on to something else he shouldn’t be doing…and that gets annoying very quickly!  He really likes treat/puzzle toys, so that has proven to be a great way to keep him occupied when he’s antsy.

 I’ve been mulling over often the idea of him as a lone pet or if he needs a pack.  I think that he would do fine alone, as long as someone doesn’t mind a trip to the dog park every week or two.  He’s a really fast runner, and loves the freedom to run at top speed.  He LOVES being with other dogs, just running with them and sniffing all the smells.  It helps take some of the ants out of his pants when he’s had that!  He’s doing so much better connecting to me though, that I think he could do fine solo as well as long as he gets attention and the occasional park trip.

 Bobby is an overall great dog for an active family.  He would do best in a home with a calm, consistent owner and a yard to run in with socialization with other dogs.

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Treeing Walker is a descendant of the English Foxhound, which Thomas Walker imported to Virginia in 1742. Sometime in the 1800's, a dog known as "Tennessee Lead," a stolen dog of unknown origin, was crossed into the Walker Hound excelling in game sense, drive and speed, and having a clear, short-chop mouth. The Treeing Walker was not recognized as its own breed until 1946. This direct lineage brings us this efficient hunter. This coonhound has retained the looks of its ancestors, the English Foxhound. An underlying sense of game coupled with untiring speed and manly drive makes this coonhound unstoppable. The coonhound lineage doesn't really stop at the Walker, for American hunters also employ other varieties as well. One such coonhound is known as the Running Walker. The Treeing Walker Coonhound is an efficient and reliable hunter of raccoons, squirrels, and possums. The Treeing Walker "trees" its prey, and can then sometimes virtually climb the tree to get at it. With a little training, however, it will merely bay its distinctive howl, telling the hunter that the prey has been cornered. The Treeing Coonhound is good with children and gets along with other dogs. Training is accomplished with little trouble, as these dogs are able to learn from example. They are primarily working and hunting dogs but will also make a great companion dog. Working, to the Treeing Walker Coonhound, is not work but a sport and diversion. They thrive on consistent and ample attention. High-strung but loving and eager to please, the Treeing Walker is intelligent, skilled and confident. Some say they are the best breed for coonhound field trials because of their speed, ability to locate quickly and good treeing ability. They are swift with a very good sense of smell and a distinctive howl. Socialize at a young age. They have a life expectancy of 12-13 years.