Critter Details

See Skip’s HomepageGo to our official website    Update 7.28.24   Rip now has an Alcatraz style crate. Within a few days he went from barking and trying to get out to just whining. Now- he will go in there on command and only whines when we are still within the home. So much progress!!!   Rip has a hard time with strangers. He growls, barks, and jumps at people on walks, and people who come to the door- kids included. When we took him to the vet it took him until the end of the visit to warm up to the vet and the techs. He seems to just need more time to warm up to people.   Rip is feeling extra comfortable in our home now, so we are seeing more jumping up to get our food, climbing our kitchen chairs to get to food. He takes a little longer to get down than he did when he arrived, but he eventually follows the commands.   Rip has mastered “sit” in the house, but we are still working on it on our “working walks”. He is so amazing with our kids but plays rough with adults and sometimes his play can be confused with “aggression”. We are working on appropriate play but it is hard to follow through with 3 young kids in the home.  Rip is the sweetest and most gorgeous boy. He is so good with our kids and they love him so much. He is very attached to us and follows us around during our daily routines. One of our favorite things that he does is help with our bedtime routine for our 3 kids.  He goes into their rooms and fluffs up their pillows to get comfy and lay there while we are brushing teeth and reading bedtime stories. He gives multiple kisses and snuggles before heading to the next kid’s room. The other adorable thing he does is steal our shoes when we get home. After we get him out of his crate, he goes into our mudroom, takes one of our shoes and brings it to his bed.  It’s like his cute way of telling us we can’t leave again if he has our shoes.    Rip is an amazing dog with so much love to give! He's great with kids, but he would thrive in a home with older children, children that are in full time school, or a quieter environment where he can focus on his training. Rip is working on his leash manners and doorbell greetings, and he could benefit from a home with less foot traffic and fewer distractions such as the doorbell. He is crate-trained and does well when crated before guests arrive. With the right family and environment, Rip will be an incredible companion!