fortress

Meet Fortress, a sweet 3-year-old, 35-pound lovebug with a big personality, endless enthusiasm, and a brain that is always ready to learn! This silly, happy girl is an extremely fast learner who is motivated by food, verbal praise, and, of course, fun. She already knows “sit,” “paw,” “stay,” “down,” “wait,” “ball,” “toy,” “up,” “come,” “downstairs,” “outside,” “drop it,” “place,” “get it,” “hungry,” and “walk,” and she recently added “car” to her vocabulary. Her fosters are also working on “touch,” “spin,” “tunnel,” “look at me,” and “heel.” She even has a very cute head tilt when she hears a whistle!Fortress is doing wonderfully with her housetraining and has had no accidents. She has also become a pro at relaxing in her “place.” She enjoys having a designated spot in each room where she can settle and watch what is happening around her. She is learning that she can have both exciting playtime and peaceful downtime throughout the day, and she is doing a great job with that balance.She is also an absolute angel when left alone. Fortress has been left for about four hours at a time with free range of the living room, and she has done beautifully. She may watch out the window for a bit, then settle down for a nap or entertain herself with her favorite toys. She is learning that her people leaving does not mean the fun is over, and she is perfectly capable of relaxing until they return.This girl has plenty of energy and would love an active home with someone who enjoys getting outside, playing, and continuing her training. Fetch is one of her favorite activities, and she has become a huge fan of chomping at hose water and playing in her kiddie pool. She also enjoys her snuffle mat, lick mat, Kong, squeaky toys, durable plush toys, and tennis balls. After a good play session, she is happy to settle down for a nap before gearing up for her next adventure.Fortress has made great progress with her walks, too. She gets super excited when it is time to head outside, and her loose-leash walking is improving with practice. Her pulling can vary from day to day, but her fosters have found that she does especially well after getting some of her energy out with fetch or water play first. She is learning to check in with her person and is very enthusiastic about working for treats.She is continuing to build confidence with new people and experiences. This week, Fortress met a new woman and three dog-savvy children between 11 and 13 years old, and she absolutely loved them! She was immediately affectionate and completely obsessed with her new kid friends. She also met a new man and was initially more skeptical and reserved, but she slowly warmed up to him. Overall, she has been doing well with men and continues to become more comfortable meeting unfamiliar people when given the time to process and warm up. Her previous foster experiences have also shown that she can enjoy visitors after a proper introduction.Fortress is an affectionate girl who loves being close to her people. She apparently has not received the memo that she is 35 pounds because she firmly believes she is lap-sized! She loves climbing into laps, cuddling beside her people, and making herself comfortable in a pile of blankets. At the same time, she is learning to be independent and is perfectly capable of spending time on her own, whether that means relaxing in her place, enjoying the yard, or settling down with a toy.Fortress has been gaining confidence with all sorts of new experiences. Car rides, strangers who do not seem suspicious, and being brushed have all become less stressful for her. She is still figuring out things like baths and blow dryers, but even those experiences have ended with her deciding they are not quite as terrible as she initially thought. She is curious about new things and loves to investigate, which makes her training and enrichment especially rewarding.Fortress has a wonderfully silly side, too. She is curious, playful, sometimes a little goofy, and keeps her foster family laughing with her antics. She has recently discovered that chasing her own tail is apparently an excellent form of entertainment, and she remains very enthusiastic about investigating anything that makes an interesting noise or moves in an interesting way. Her herding-breed brain is always busy, so she will thrive with a person who enjoys giving her appropriate outlets for both her body and her mind.Based on her current needs and the amount of attention, structure, and continued training she is benefiting from, Fortress would like to be the only dog in her future home so she can soak up all the love and attention for herself. She has met other dogs at BARCS and can be uncomfortable around dog friends.Fortress is still building confidence and is not quite ready for the hustle and bustle of an adoption event. Her fosters are giving her the opportunity to learn and experience new things at her own pace, and she is making wonderful progress. She would be a great match for a dog-savvy adopter or someone who is excited to learn alongside her and continue building on all the skills she has already worked so hard to develop. An active person with a yard would be a dream for this high-energy girl, but most importantly, she needs someone who will appreciate her busy brain, goofy personality, affectionate nature, and enormous potential.Fortress has so much love to give, and she is becoming more confident and capable every day. She is ready to find a forever family who will keep her mind busy, give her plenty of opportunities to play and explore, and let her continue discovering just how fun the world can be.Fortress is currently in the comfort of a foster home. If you are interested in learning more about her or meeting her, please email dogfosters@barcs.org to be connected with her foster home.MVP Up to Bat! I`m a BARCS MVP because I`m learning to stay calm when excited, feel comfortable being alone, and make dog friends at my own pace. I`d do best as your only pup at home. Please contact our Dog Foster team at dogfosters@barcs.org to connect with my foster family, and get to know me better! I can`t wait to meet you.Every animal deserves a home run! BARCS MVPs are overlooked pets in the shelter. Thanks to the generous support of the Alonso, Basallo, and Bradish Baltimore Orioles families, all MVP animals have waived adoption fees AND will go home with a brand new leash and collar or cat carrier.For more information or to see the full MVP line-up, click here: https://www.barcs.org/mvp