Atlas

Atlas celebrated his 2nd birthday on April 17th experiencing what it’s like to be in a loving caring home for the very first time in his life! Atlas was severely neglected for the first 2-years of his life. He was kept in a dark small crate most of the day and was often left without any food or water. With a carefully planned diet of nutrition-dense food, he has gained weight and is close to his ideal body weight of 8 lbs. He now enjoys a morning meal of rice, a little Greek yogurt for probiotics, and high-quality kibble. He may also graze on kibble throughout the day when he’s hungry and he really enjoys his daily dental bone treat. He is fine to transition to a standard dog diet since he has gained weight!

Despite coming from a neglectful situation, Atlas is full of love, trust, and affection for everyone he meets. He is excited to meet people of all ages, great with children (but would be better suited for older children who know how to play gently with a smaller, delicate dog), loves playing with other dogs, and is good with cats too. He is just learning how to walk on a leash but isn’t quite sure if he likes going on walks. Sometimes he will walk for long stretches, and sometimes he would like to be picked up and carried on portions of the walk. Everything is a first experience for Atlas, but he quickly learns how to navigate the world with gentle introductions.  He’s learned how to relax in the car and is good on road trips. He loves going on adventures and meeting new people. He’s so gorgeous and friendly, he gets a lot of attention when he’s out and about!

While he is a pretty mellow dog and enjoys napping a majority of the day, he will get the zoomies and run around making adorably soft growling noises, trying to entice anyone around to play with him. He is a domestic gentleman and respectful in a home - no chewing on furniture, doesn’t mark, etc, but is still working on potty training. He will need a home that understands he was never taught these skills and will continue working with him on learning how to potty in the right place. 

He loves to sit on the sofa with you and even has his own little dog-sized chaise lounge that he loves lying on! He has also learned the joy of snuggling up in bed and would prefer to sleep in bed with his new family. Because of his traumatic experience of living in a crate for most of his life, his ideal home will be crate-free and let him live in the home just as any family member would. 

In his foster home, he lives with 2 dogs and gets along with them well. When his foster family has to leave the house, he is comforted by having other dogs with him and enjoys staying in the peaceful “dog den” while the family is away. Atlas would enjoy having another young dog in the home that enjoys gentle play sessions and keeps him company. Atlas could also be an ‘only dog’ if his owners were home and with him a majority of the day to keep him company. Atlas will follow you around from room to room, but he’s not exceptionally needy, he just wants to be near you. 

If you want to cuddle him, he’s happy to cuddle and is incredibly sweet and affectionate. Atlas is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. He is ready to be loved and cared for the way every dog should be. In return, he will make you feel like the most loved and important person in the world!