Dogs For Adoption

About Earl Jr

Meet Earl Jr. He is about 12 months old, cropped, docked, and about 65 lbs. He has the perfect Doberman look and exactly what you’d expect from a very rambunctious puppy. Earl is in his defiant, seeing what he can get away with phase, and it is not for the faint of heart. He barks to tell you when he wants to go out, when he wants your attention and when he sees and hears other dogs. You are going to need a lot of patience as he just does not like to be told no, but will react well to his food kibble as a treat. If you are looking to adopt a puppy, you may already know what you’re in for; jumping, play-biting, counter surfing, rough play, and everything goes into his mouth. Earl must be restrained or attended to in the car as while he will lay down at times, he does like to move around while in the vehicle. 

Earl is a sweet boy and has great potential. There isn’t a mean bone in his ever-moving body. To be his best self, he needs a lot of exercise, as a couple of 20 minute walks each day is not going to provide him with enough of an outlet for his energy. Earl needs to be with a family who already has a well-mannered large breed female dog who can help tire him out through play and be a role model for good dog behavior. He likes to play ball and is still working on the concept of dropping the ball so it can be thrown again. He also loves large tennis ball toys to chew on and to chase in the house. He wants all of your attention and he’ll do what he has to to get it. Your fenced yard (no e-fences) must be at least 6 feet as he is a high jumper and will take off after a squirrel given the chance. Earl loves walks and has learned to walk nicely on a training collar – having kibble treats with you keeps his attention on the “heel”. He does get excited when he sees squirrels and gets leash anxious when seeing or hearing another dog on his walk. His dog reactivity doesn’t seem to be aggression, just anxiety we think he developed in his early life. He has definitely benefited from socialization with other dogs and when introduced to another dog in a fenced yard, Earl plays well and settles quickly with the other dog after their typical dog play. Interactions with another dog daily would be very good for him.

Earl is food motivated which is great for training, but not as great for human mealtimes. He is crate trained and spends time in his crate when he is home alone and sleeps there at night. He also goes in his crate for time-outs when we eat our meals. And like a toddler, he needs a forced time out to nap because he rarely stops moving. 

Earl was found as a stray, so nothing is known about his background.  He is in great health. He has been to a board and train facility and knows commands relatively well.  However, he does get distracted from outside stimulation and can be slow to respond after such stimulation.  Earl will continue to learn with additional training.  We have just started Earl on a vet-prescribed dosage of Prozac to address his anxiety and we believe that will help calm him down after he has been on it for between 4 and 6 weeks. If you are willing to give Earl your time and attention and really make an effort in training, he is going to make a great companion. He has a high prey drive, so no cats as housemates. Earl would probably not do well with small children because he would view them as playmates and his play can be rough.

Earl is located in Virginia.

This is My Story

Earl was found as a Stray