Oregon Weimaraner Rescue

FROM OWNER:

About one year ago Ziggy was discovered roaming the woods 10 miles from our rural home. He had no collar or microchip and was extremely malnourished and very shy when it came to people. For over a month, myself, friends and other neighbors attempted to catch him. Some elderly neighbors nearby were eventually able to catch him in a kennel with food and house him in their horse barn for the winter. Upon realizing they could not continue to care for him in February of 2024, the elderly couple asked if we could take him in. Despite having limited space and a large dog and cat already, we took him in. We knew we could not keep him long term but we also knew our local shelters were overcrowded, and that because he was not socialized at that time, he would not be easily adoptable in the shelter environment. So, we brought him to our home to foster him. In fostering him, we hoped to be able to help him grow and flourish and to give him a fighting chance at finding a lasting forever home. We have grown to love his fun personality and think he is a truly amazing dog who is well worth the investment we made and feel the time is now right for Ziggy to find his true forever home.

 

Ziggy is an energetic and very playful male Silver Lab who is approximately 1.5 years old, 75 lbs, neutered (recently) and up to date on his rabies vaccine. He absolutely loves playing fetch and can be a total goofball when it's playtime….which he would love to be all the time :) He loves to bring the ball back to you and then roll around on his back with it before you throw it again. He is very smart, observant and has quickly learned basic commands (Sit, lay down, off, and come is about 50/50 but he does know what it means). We have worked really hard on threshold training (making him 'wait' at doors, gates, car doors etc.) with him and he is doing great. His leash-walking skills have come a long way though they could still use some fine tuning. We believe his beautiful blue/green eyes are his best attribute, they will really melt your heart!

 

Ziggy would do best in a home where there are calm, patient people who have prior dog experience and can offer him loving leadership. Movement is Ziggy's love language. He needs a home where the humans are active everyday! This guy loves to play fetch, hike, go for runs and is an avid swimmer. We have paddle-boarded with him and he has even pulled a skateboarder and biked alongside us for exercise. Ziggy has been living with a female Great Pyrenees and a cat. He should not live in a home with cats moving forward. He might be able to live with one other dog (non-dominant female would be best) if properly introduced. We believe Ziggy would do really well with crate training because he would like to have his own cozy space, especially if he is living with another dog. We do not have the space to crate train him but we know he would benefit from it and learn quickly. 

 

Unfortunately, a lot of his past is unknown and we believe Ziggy was likely mis-treated and did not get proper nutrition in his first year of life. Ziggy has been able to build a lot of confidence during the course of his time with us but he would benefit from even further socialization and introduction to diverse environments. Warming to new people can be challenging for him but he has really loved meeting the vet and staff at our vet's office which is a great recent sign. When he first came into our home he, unsurprisingly given his past, guarded his water and food closely…he would clearly vocalize that he did not want anyone threatening his food/water but we spent a good deal of time hand feeding and working on resource guarding so these behaviors have largely subsided with the rare exception of his water bowl which he will occasionally still “guard” but its pretty random  when that occurs. Because Ziggy loves food so much, he does really well with treat training and being rewarded with small treats is an absolute delight for him. He is pretty independent and really thrives on a consistent daily routine. He is still a bit of a shy guy who can sometimes get overwhelmed around loud noises (predominantly loud music and truck noises) or if there is too much pressure/attention on him. Aside from some sporadic skin issues which neutering/diet have seemed to clear up, our vet says he is in perfect health, shows no signs of early hip-dysplasia and has beautiful teeth.

 

Ziggy has outgrown the environment and care that we can provide for him. He is ready for someone to open their hearts and provide his forever home. 

 

FROM OWR:

Ziggy has been introduced to older dog savvy children and was fine, but between his puppy exuberance and lack of experience we don’t think Ziggy would thrive in a home with young children (11+ and dog savvy should be fine). Ziggy likes other dogs but does not have a ton of experience with them so an ideal buddy, if any, would be a well adjusted easy going medium/large breed. Ziggy is not currently microchipped but we will supply one to his new owners. Ziggy is a total outdoorsy dog who would do very well with a person who hikes, bikes, boats and/or generally enjoys spending time outdoors. On a final note, Ziggy is a great passenger in vehicles where he stays in the back seat and hangs out.

 

If Ziggy sounds like he may be the perfect fit for you, please submit an application below