Charlie Bear was supposedly sold as a purebred, papered giant schnauzer. He didn't work out as his first home where the male dog didn't like him, so he was posted on Craigslist in the Los Angeles area. Several wonderful giant schnauzer owners were concerned about Charlie who was at that time known as Rex. Through a series of events, Charlie went to a temporary foster home in the LA area until he could catch a ride to Phoenix.
Charlie came to our house the middle of December, 2009 and spent much of his first ten days or so on a leash when he went outside. He was such a fearful boy that we didn't want to not be able to get him back in the house, so we walked him around and around our yard many times each day until we thought he was comfortable enough with us to come in and out of the house.
We spent a lot of time with Rex and the other dogs so that he got use to us all. He never responded to the name of Rex, so just started calling him name after name. When we tried Charlie, his head perked up and he looked right at us, so Charlie Bear he became.
He loved to play with our young female giant schnauzer, BG. She got him to come in and out of the house and he learned to go into his crate by following her. If she couldn't get him in the house, it often took upwards of twenty minutes to get him in the house and another twenty minutes to get him into his crate. Slowly he got better.
While we had Charlie, Valley of the Sun Giant Schnauzer Rescue also took in a nine year old bouvier who had been abandoned in a hotel in downtown Phoenix. Through talking to bouv rescue, we learned the the so called breeder where Charlie was born also had bouviers. Charlies coloring, the size and shape of his head and feet, led us to suspect that Charlie was a bouv instead of a giant. So Charlie became a bouv. It will be interesting to see him in another six months and see what he looks like.
Charlie was learning to be comfortable in his own skin. He could now go in and out of the door and his crate fairly easily. He played with all of the dogs and in the house learned to sleep just like they did. He came for treats and while he wouldn't sit for treats, he did stand and walk on his hind legs. He did sit in his crate for his dinner.
VSGSR got some interest in Charlie and one was a wonderful application from a gal who had always dreamed of having a bouv after she fell in love with one an aunt and uncle had. She and her significant other preferred to adopt dogs who needed them and their help to find their way in the world. What better home could there be for Charlie?!?! A home visit was done with Charlie in tow, and it was a great success. Charlie was going to have a home. Charlie has always had a problem with men, but he loved the guy in this house hold which sealed the deal for us. Charlie was also going to have another dog for company, a wolfhound mix who use to be more fearful than Charlie.
And tonight when I checked to see how Charlie is doing, he had his tail up! Yea Charlie!! But this was a very bittersweet placement. We fell in love with Charlie and will always carry a piece of him in our hearts.