Meet OLIVER!!
YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND
This beautiful bronze hunk of pure love has been waiting his whole life to be your new best friend. He was in the Contra Costa shelter for about 6 weeks and scheduled to be killed so I saved him at the last minute because he’s such an awesome and gentle dude. He deserves the chance for YOU to find him. Unfortunately, he needs a new foster or adopter URGENTLY because we are quickly running out of the time we’re able to keep him. Oliver has an endless amount of love to give. His absolute favorite activity is to lay his XL head on your leg and just soak in your pets.
100% house trained - he will not pee or poop in the house
Good leash manners, and easy walker overall
Ready to play or ready to relax
Very Gentle - he doesn’t jump or nip
Not Drooly, he’s actually pretty clean for a dog
Learns well, very trainable
Understands “NO” when told
No food aggression with people
No toy possessiveness with people
Doesn’t care about fireworks
Good in the car
Sleeps through the night every night
Knows basic commands
Does not wander off if he has no leash on, he wants to stay close to home
Has fun and cute mannerisms that give him character and makes you smile
His coat has a duo tone to it that gleams like a polished penny in the sun
His eyes are the color of Tiger Eye stones, very cool
Oliver was a staff favorite at the shelter, often hanging out with them in the office. He is very chill and just ready to do whatever you want. Couch surfing, fishing, gardening, short or long walks, runs, fetch.... He will chill with you if you want to chill, and he will be active with you want some action.
Oliver is a healthy 85 pound 5ish year old Catahoula (maybe mixed with American Bulldog). Based on the nuances of his behavior, and some physical scarring that he has, I believe he started life as a regular family dog in a house. Then at some point, someone else got him and kept him on a chain or braided steel tether on concrete, most or all of the time. Oliver is missing some teeth and will instantly start gnawing on a leash if he is tied up, which I suspect comes from being neglected while tied up. He has scars on his elbows and legs from laying on concrete. He was either let go or escaped, and then picked up as a stray. Despite the cruelty, he absolutely loves people.
I have never seen Oliver be aggressive towards any person. He would be a good pretend guard dog because he looks tough, even though we know he’s so sweet. One afternoon my wife was doing yard work and had Oliver relaxing in the yard with her. I came around the corner of the house and when he noticed me he immediately got up and put himself between my wife and I. He barked at me a few times until I said “Oliver come here!” He instantly recognized me and ran to me, tail wagging fast and hard. Clearly he was protecting her, stood his ground, then dropped the guard dog act the moment he knew it was me.
Oliver will be OK in just about any form of residence, apartment to mansion. Any dog will need to be walked more often when living in a smaller space with no yard, including Oliver. He doesn’t bark much, even when other dogs are barking. I have not seen him interact with children, but I expect he will be fine, just loving all people.
I doubt Oliver was ever socialized with dogs. He’s very curious about other dogs and wants to meet them. He’s learning to be neutral, slowly but surely. We take walks around the outside of the dog park with the goal of walking forward no matter what dogs are on the other side of the fence. He improves a little every time, and that’s all we need. The only time Oliver barks at a dog is when a dog gets close to him and barks at him. His default demeanor is curious and unsure, only showing aggression when aggressed upon. With practice I’m confident he can learn to hang with other dogs.
It makes me sick that so many dogs like Oliver end up killed at the shelters. The plight of large dogs who bark while being held cap in a scary place. Dogs like Oliver enter the shelters filled with anxiety, often getting worse, never having a chance to decompress and be themselves. I hear about dogs being adopted after spending months, even years in a shelter. They’re still part of the lucky ones. They gave Oliver less than six weeks. His lucky day was Feb 6, and today is your lucky day. You found your new best friend.
