ORRIE
Orrie's story starts with a young woman with big dreams, who started a dog rescue full of promise, on a ranch she rented with her husband, in the middle of rural Nowheresville, Texas. They pulled dogs from the same high-kill shelter we do, and brought them to the property to wait to be adopted. For a while the pace of adoptions was brisk, and most dogs didn't spend more than a few weeks there. From the outside, they seemed to be a perfect couple fully immersed in rescue...until one day things fell apart, and the woman packed up and split, leaving her husband behind to look after and rehome over 30 newly rescued shelter dogs.
Two of those dogs, a heeler female and a Great Pyrenees/lab mix male, both still intact, were accidentally put into the same dog run. Unsurprisingly, several weeks later, the number of dogs on the property grew by 11 blond, speckled puppies. One of them was Orrie (first dubbed Guinness). Soon after that, we were asked to take on the support all those dogs and find them homes. Of course we said yes.
We wish we could say we immediately took that young family out of the yard and put them into a warm and loving foster home, but we didn't have one of those for 11 growing puppies. This is the reality of dog rescue. At the time, we already had over 40 dogs in our care. In one fell swoop, we instantly doubled our roster -- just as adoptions were grinding to a standstill all over the world as COVID lockdowns were ending and millions of people were going back into the office for workdays, many of them giving up the dogs they'd adopted during the pandemic. Thus this family of puppies spent the first few months of their lives playing by themselves in their quiet, rural yard, venturing out into the world only to go to the vet for their vaccines. They had no one to expose them to the sights and sounds of suburban life, no one to take them out on leash walks to learn to navigate busy sidewalks, no one to reassure them when they were scared. Orrie was one of the first of the litter to be adopted and went straight from the ranch in Texas to his new home in the middle a bustling Ontario town.
We know now that this was not a good match for our little Orrie. His lovely new family gave him loads of time and space to settle in, letting him determine what boundaries he was ready to cross. He warmed up to the children and got comfortable in the home. They did research, learned his triggers, hired a trainer, changed their routine...for 2 years they did everything reasonable to help him overcome his deep-seated fearfulness. Recently Orrie made it clear that he's reached his limit and has had enough. He just hates living in town, hates it with every fibre of his being. He is BEGGING not to be forced to go on walks on streets full of things that terrify him. Every time he goes out the front door, he's ready to have a breakdown.
He is timid, but a goofy guy nonetheless! He loves to be close to his people, playing tug or chasing a ball, or snuggling at the end of a day of fun. Hes leash trained and likes to hike in quiet places, away from city noises. Hes very food motivated and loves to learn new tricks and show off the ones he knows. He will thrive in a home in the country or quiet neighbourhood, away from busy roads and noisy parks or playgrounds.
Name: Orrie
Weight: ~ 50 Lbs
Gender: Male, Neutered
Breed: Heeler X
Colour: Cream
Medical (past and present) & HW Status: Healthy, Dewormed, UTD on vaccines
Good with adults: Yes
Good with kids: Yes, with a slow introduction
Good with dogs: Yes, with a slow introduction
Good with cats: Highly doubtful
House trained: Yes
Crate trained: Yes
Crate aggressive: No
Food aggressive: No
Leash trained: Yes
Energy level: Medium to high
Suitable for an apartment: No
Can be handled: Yes
Barker: Not really
