Shaggy

My story

MEET SHAGGY — 20 POUNDS OF GENTLE, CLINGY & “WHERE ARE YOU GOING? I’M COMING TOO” MY STORY STARTED WITH FRED Hi, I’m Shaggy! I’m two years old, about 20 pounds, and I came to Freedom Frenchie Rescue with my buddy Fred after we were transferred from one of FFR’s rescue partners in Southern California. Fred and I have relied on each other through a lot of changes, but his medical needs are much more extensive than mine, and unfortunately the rescue isn't able to keep us together. That means I'm learning something completely new right now—how to be Shaggy without always having Fred right beside me. I’M FIGURING OUT LIFE WITHOUT MY SIDEKICK Transitioning without Fred has been a little harder on me than everyone initially expected because that guy has always been my security blanket. When we first arrived at Mo's house, I was wrestling, playing, and having an absolute blast with several other dogs, but no matter what I was doing, Fred was always somewhere in my sights. Now that we're apart, I've been quieter while I figure out my new foster home and learn that I'm okay without constantly checking where Fred is. Everyone already saw the playful version of me before we separated, so they know he's still in here—I just need a little time to find my bearings again. APPARENTLY I’M THE BEST BOY EVER Those aren't my words, by the way. That's straight from my foster mom, who pretty much summed me up with, “OMG, he's the best boy ever.” I'm incredibly gentle, calm, obedient, and honestly just an easy little guy to have hanging around. I'm not trying to run the household or create chaos. Give me a comfortable place to lie down, let me know what we're doing, and I'm pretty content to go along with the program. WHERE YOU GO, I GO I am absolutely a clingy little dude, and following my foster mom has quickly become one of my favorite activities. Kitchen? I'm coming. Bedroom? Obviously. Walking through the house for absolutely no reason? Sounds important, I'll supervise. I also follow my foster sister Nola around because apparently I didn't get the memo that she's not particularly interested in being my new best friend. That's okay, though. I remain optimistic, respectful, and available should she reconsider her position. MY BED IS MY LITTLE HEADQUARTERS I'm really good about settling down when it's time to relax. I know when to go to my bed, and I'll happily chill there in my foster mom's room with a bone and mind my own business. Toys haven't really caught my attention yet, but considering how much change I've been through lately, nobody is worried about that. Right now, a good bone, a comfortable dog bed, and knowing my person is nearby are more my speed. YOUR BED, HOWEVER, IS BETTER I do have one small correction to make about that whole “my dog bed is wonderful” statement. My foster mom's bed is better. Lying in her bed has quickly become one of my favorite things to do because why would I choose a perfectly acceptable dog bed when there is an enormous human mattress available with my favorite person already on it? I'm only 20 pounds. I barely take up any room, and I'm pretty sure that's legally considered sharing. THE KENNEL IS FINE… UNLESS I KNOW YOU’RE STILL HERE Here's where my clingy side becomes a little more obvious. If I'm in the kennel and I know everyone is still home, I will YELL. Not politely discuss the situation. Not quietly submit a formal complaint. I will make sure you understand that Shaggy has been separated from the group and would like management to address the situation immediately. I'm still adjusting to being away from Fred, so independence is something we're working on while I learn that I don't have to be attached to someone every second to be safe. NOLA, PLEASE LOVE ME I enjoy being around other dogs and have already shown the rescue that I can play, wrestle, and have a great time with them. Right now, I'm following my foster sister Nola around even though she doesn't particularly care for me, and I'm respecting the fact that she isn't ready to join the Shaggy fan club. Once I'm fully settled and feeling secure again, everyone expects that playful little guy they saw when I first arrived to make another appearance. WALKING IS CURRENTLY OPTIONAL My leash skills could use some work, mostly because my current walking technique involves occasionally deciding that we've walked far enough and simply sitting down. My foster mom says I'm “not the best walker,” which seems unnecessarily judgmental considering I think I'm excellent at sitting. I don't try to take off when I'm outside, I come back when called, and I've already figured out where my foster home is. I just haven't been convinced that walking continuously from Point A to Point B is something I need to take particularly seriously yet. UPSTAIRS? ABSOLUTELY. DOWNSTAIRS? WE HAVE A PROBLEM I can get myself up the stairs, which initially seems like a useful skill until you discover the second half of this story: I haven't figured out how to get back down. Apparently I developed only fifty percent of the stair package. Until I master the return trip, my family will need to keep an eye on me around stairs so I don't find myself upstairs wondering why nobody explained the exit strategy. I’M NOT YOUR ROAD-TRIP CAPTAIN YET Car rides aren't exactly my strongest skill right now either, but I'm still adjusting to an entirely different life. I'm not a wild or difficult little guy in the car; I'm just not completely comfortable with the whole experience yet. With patience, positive experiences, and some practice, we'll see how I do. For now, I'd much rather arrive at the destination and get back to my preferred activity of following my human around. THERE’S A PLAYFUL LITTLE GUY IN HERE Don't mistake my quieter personality right now for who I'm always going to be. We've already seen me wrestling and playing with other dogs when I felt comfortable. Separating from Fred has been a big emotional transition, and I'm taking some time to understand my new normal. They did not want to separate us but finding someone to adopt both of us and Fred’s medical needs just didn’t seem like the responsible thing to do for me. Once I feel secure and realize that my people aren't disappearing, everyone fully expects more of that silly two-year-old personality to come spilling back out. I DON’T NEED TO BE PUSHED, I NEED TO BE LED My forever family needs to understand that I've had a lot of change in a short amount of time. I don't need to be babied because I'm adjusting, but I also don't need someone expecting me to immediately act like I've lived in their home forever. Give me structure, show me the routine, teach me what you expect, and then let me settle into it. I'm obedient, I want to be with my people, and I already show how much comfort I find in knowing where I'm supposed to be. I’M READY TO FIND OUT WHO SHAGGY IS For a while, my world has included Fred, and now I'm getting the chance to discover who I am on my own. So far, everyone is discovering a gentle, calm, obedient, ridiculously sweet 20-pound shadow who loves other dogs, knows how to settle, enjoys a good bone, wants to sleep in your bed, follows his person everywhere, and has absolutely no problem yelling from his kennel if he believes he's missing an important family meeting. I THINK MY PERSON IS GOING TO BE PRETTY LUCKY I'm only two years old, so there is so much life ahead of me and plenty more Shaggy personality waiting to show itself. I've already proven that I can play hard with dog friends, settle quietly in my bed, listen to my humans, and love my people with everything I've got. Right now I'm learning that losing Fred from my everyday routine doesn't mean I'm alone—it just means my next chapter gets to be about me. Give me a little time to get my feet underneath me, show me that I'm safe, and let me become your little shadow. My foster mom already says I'm the best boy ever. Now I just need a forever family so I can prove it to them, too. Shaggy is neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, he is currently being fostered in Gilbert, AZ. Shaggy’s adoption donation fee is $1150.00 and you can apply for him on our website freedomfrenchierescue.org.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Shaggy, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.