tom

When we first brought him home, he was very skittish and very nervous/distrustful of humans. He had no interest in being touched or petted. He would not take a treat from you, but if you dropped the treat and looked away, he would eat it.

After one month in our care, he still skittish, but he is significantly better. He has found various places in the house and yard where he feels safe and comfortable. He'll gladly accept some gentle petting at times, but he does occasionally back away out of nervousness. He has made marginal gains each day, and he does well with routine.

He's very food motivated, and he gobbles up his meals without issue. But like his brother Brawn, he prefers that you do not watch him eat.

Just like his brother, he really likes being outside and especially going on walks. While on walks, he may sometimes try to pull out of his collar when triggered/scared/startled by something (think loud noise, large truck passing close by). A secure leashing system is an absolute must. He doesn't seem to have any leash training, but he's not much of a puller and generally goes where you want him to go. Once he recognizes a routine walking route, he generally likes to keep things moving, while occasionally stopping to sniff or do his business.

I would describe him as generally dog friendly, but he does value his personal space. When we encounter other dogs during walks, he's mostly disinterested. He's neither hostile nor excited to meet them. If another dog tries to wrestle/roughhouse with him or smells him for longer than he prefers, he may correct them. Incidentally, he does like to play and gently roughhouse with his brother when he's happy or excited.

It's hard to rate him on kid-friendliness because he's nervous around all new people. He does not like being picked up, and it can be traumatizing for him. If he is placed in a home with kids, I would suggest that they are mature enough to respect that he doesn't like being picked up.

Other things to note:
Fully house trained - no accidents
Okay to leave at home, uncrated/caged for several hours
Somewhat bonded to his brother but would do fine if separated
Okay as an only dog or living with another dog that respects his personal space
Very good/relaxed in the car for any length trip
Escape artist - must be mindful when opening exterior doors in the house and must secure his leash when opening the car door
Not a big barker - may bark a couple times (out of excitement) when you arrive at home