Quick Facts:
- Breed: Hound mix
- Gender: Male, neutered
- Age: 2 years
- Size: 55 pounds
- Good with…
- Dogs? Yes!
- Cats? Depends on the cat!
- Kids? Yes! 6+
Hello! My name is Benny! I’m super smart, loving and ready to find my forever home!
History
I’m originally from Kentucky but I have been living in a foster home in Central NY since the end of December. I’m living with two awesome dogs (a Lab mix and a Maltese mix), two cats, and two adult humans! I’m having so much fun!!!
Personality
I’m a very (very!) sweet boy who loves (loves loves loves!) to hang around my people! My foster parents are very impressed with my great house manners, especially when a stranger comes over! I do not jump or bark, instead I politely request a nice butt scratch and cuddles. My energy level in the home is pretty mellow which is surprising given how young I am! My favorite indoor hobbies are napping, cuddling, and just being with my foster parents. When I get outside, I’m a much more energetic pupper! I love going to the park to play with other dogs for one special reason…I love dogs! I absolutely love to play with the Lab I currently live with, but I must brag that I settle down quickly when my foster parents ask me to!
I am very affectionate! If my foster parents are on the couch watching a movie I will politely wait until they say I can come “up” and then I choose one of them, sprawl my legs out like I’m stretching, and plop myself right on the chosen person! I then glance up at them with my big soulful puppy eyes, begging them to return my cuddles. They can’t resist…Hahaha, it works every time! I fall asleep quickly cuddling with my humans and sometimes I snore, but not too loud (they say it is cute).
I am very smart and food motivated, and I love learning new tricks. So far I know “sit,” “down,” “stay,” “up,” and “kennel.” I learned “down” within a few minutes! I am crate trained and house trained. I love my crate and enjoy sleeping in it. It’s like a cave and I feel safe there. I do a great job with body handling and my foster parents say I have excellent house manners. I am extremely polite and intuitive. I aim to please my humans and I’m a great listener.
Toys are new to me! When I arrived at my foster home, I had no idea what they were or what to do with them! I have been watching the other dogs with toys and slowly but surely I am figuring it out! Toys are fun! I’m great with sharing with other dogs and I have learned the basics of tug. I am still learning fetch and I’m pretty uncoordinated with toys in general, but I’m making progress. My foster parents laugh at how clumsy I am when chasing a ball. My legs splay out all different ways as I try catching it before it goes too far. It’s fun learning how to be a dog!
One of my favorite things is when my foster parents take me on walks! When I see them grab the leash, I know it’s time. I help get my harness on by sticking my head right through it and my front feet start tapping uncontrollably. My foster parents call this my “tippy taps.” It’s like I’m dancing! I start smiling and I can’t wait to get outside and explore. I love walks so much that I do have some trouble controlling my enthusiasm…I get so happy-excited when I see other dogs and people! Plus my hound nose picks up so many cool scents, and my Hound brain says “follow those scents!” All this to say that I’m young and enthusiastic and will need a patient human who is willing to work with me on this skill! I am very smart and my foster parents keep telling me they’re confident I’ll get better with time, it’s a tough one for young dogs!
My foster parents constantly tell me that I’m an amazing dog. I’m very connected with them and make a beautiful connection with every human I meet. How could you not? Everyone I meet is so great! I’m told that with my calm demeanor and extremely loving personality, I will find my forever home quickly. I hope they’re right!
Cohabitation
I’m extremely well behaved around people and other dogs. I recently met a little human (toddler) and absolutely loved him! I was very gentle and patient with the little human. I quickly learned that if I lay near the little human and glance up with big puppy dog eyes, I get treats for being a good boy. Little humans love sharing food!
I love living with other dogs and really hope to be adopted into a home with another friendly, playful dog! I seem most content and also show my best manners when I have had enough dog-dog play time!
My relationship with cats seems to be based on the individual cat. I currently live with two cats and I don’t mind one but the other makes me feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes. I’m not sure if it’s because he is a male or because he is afraid of me but sometimes I growl at him. Other times, we coexist. The female cat I coexist with well, but she has a stronger personality so I don’t interact much with her. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about cats so it’s best that if my new home has cats, my owners would be willing to work with me on polite interactions with these mysterious creatures.
Favorite Activities
- Treats, of course!
- Cuddles!
- Walks!
- Playing with other dogs!
- Lots of naps!
Medical
When I arrived at my foster home, I had very dirty ears. My foster parents took me to the vet where they did a deep cleaning of my ears and found yeast. The vet put me on medicated ear drops and antibiotics, which has cleared up the situation. My ears are still a bit irritated, but looking much better! The vet doesn’t expect this to be a long term issue and said this is common for dogs down south who didn’t receive the care they should’ve. I was also very skinny and needed to gain weight. My foster parents gave me a ton of TLC- a nice bath, some good food, and lots of love. Quickly, I was as good as new! My skin cleared up and became soft, I stopped itching so much, I gained an appropriate amount of weight, and I started to feel much better! The vet confirmed that I’m a healthy boy.
Summary
I’m a gem! I am very affectionate, obedient, calm, and super sweet. I have provided endless love and laughter to everyone I come in contact with. My foster family believes I deserve the second chance at life I’ve been given- I promise I won’t take it for granted!
If you are interested in adopting me, please fill out an online adoption application and live close to Ithaca , Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, or Elmira. We do home visits on every applicant, and can’t do home visits where we don’t have local volunteers.
