RomeoFOB8-24-06


	Breed: Pekingese


UTD: Yes


	Sex: Male


Other Dogs: Yes Cats: Unknown


	Age: 7 yrs


Children under 5: No


	Weight: 12 lbs.


Children over 5: Yes


	Color: Rust


Mandatory Professional Training: Yes


	Neutered: Yes


Microchipped: No


	Owner Surrender


Location: Nassau Country, LI, NY

Adoption Donation $250

8/24/06 - Romeo is a cute little Peke boy who came to us about 6 weeks ago. His owner asked us if we could take him, as she said she could not control him and his behavior. It seems that Romeo was coming from a home where there was zero leadership being shown by his people. Not mom, dad and certainly not the 2 babies, both under 5 yrs old. As we have seen all to often in rescue, a dog in this sort of environment, with no clear leader of the pack, will take that job on, always with terrible results. So poor Romeo had to take this job opening, and his people did not like the results. You see, Romeo would growl at people and even go to bite them when he needed to maintain his control of his "pack". If all this sounds foreign to you, then Romeo is NOT the dog for you. You see, Romeo needed to be relieved of this heavy responsibility. Since his mom wanted him out, he needed to be welcomed into a new pack, one in which he could just be a nice everyday member. No pack leader needed, as that position is already filled..... by me :o)) When Romeo arrived, he was a happy, bouncy boy, no signs of any of the issues described to me by his previous owner. I would say the honeymoon period lasted about 3 hours. He went to get a treat that was on the floor and when I went to reach for it, he snapped at me. So, the challenge had been laid down by Romeo, and the pack leader, me, calmly and firmly responded to it. We had a few of these "incidences" over the next few days, all dealt with, and Romeo quickly learned that he can just relax and enjoy himself here,, and that is exactly what he has been doing ever since. What a joy this cutie is. He loves the squeaky toys that are all over the place. He picks them up, makes them squeak, shakes his head violently and then he lets go and the toys go flying to some other part of the room. He then prances over to them and starts the game all over again :o)) Initially, Romeo was crated while we are trying to establish pecking order, and he did fine with that. Over the weeks we loosened up a bit and he showed he was very trustworthy. Romeo has showed that he is totally housetrained. He loves to be picked up and cradled like a baby. He will stay in that position, with his belly being rubbed, ears scratched for as long as you want. And at 12 lbs, he can stay there with no problem for you :o)) Although Romeo is living with quite a few dogs, both boxers and pugs, and he gets along with all of them, he does not need other dogs for company. He is content to play with his toys and hang with his people. Because Romeo did have the problems described above, we will be looking for a home with no children under 10. Prospective adopters will have to be familiar with being an effective pack leader, or willing to learn and consistently apply those techniques. If you fit that profile, I can tell you that you are really going to enjoy this cutie. This silly guy has a pronounced under bite, so his lower canines stick out, and his tongue is almost always sticking out, which just adds to this boy’s cuteness and silly look. His eye color also matches his unique rust color, so what can I say....ya can't help but fall in love with this little guy.