Elvis - Staying With Owner

Name: Elvis
Sex: Male (altered)
Breed: Yellow Labrador
Age: 7 ½ years
Location: Annapolis, MD

Vet/Medical Info: Elvis is in good health. His next round of vaccinations are due 7/25/12, rabies is not due until 10/2/14. HW was negative. He is on thyroid meds and is neutered.

Owner Info: DOB March 18 2004. Elvis got in a dominance fight with his owners wife’s 15 year old dog. The other dogs leg was broken severely and the vet felt it was likely he would not survive surgery because of his age and because the dog was struggling to get around and cope with everyday life before the fight. The owners opted to have the dog put down. The wife said Elvis has to go, he is currently living at his owners office. Elvis has nowhere to go and the only other option is to put him down. Elvis's aggression was dominance but he was not the dominant male, the other dog, a 16 year old American Eskimo was the dominant male of the house even though he was one third Elvis’s size. Elvis liked Dakota and they always got on well. Elvis has cataracts and seems to have had vision problems from when he was a puppy. He always got scared and started shaking when around other dogs, other than the American Eskimo he lived with. His owner often placed a soft muzzle on him when around other dogs. Elvis has never gone after any dogs, just defends his space as he is very nervous when other dogs come close. Elvis is an inside dog confined to one area of the house, he is housebroken and leash trained. Elvis is a smart boy, he has had formal obedience training and knows commands such as come, sit, down, stay, fetch, mark, stop and thank you. He loves to swim, play catch and fetch. He knows all of his commands and does them strongly. He is good with people of all ages and good with cats. This is the last hope for Elvis, he is a good boy – just doesn’t like to be around other dogs. He would be great as an only dog, with a family that would play with him and love him.