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an even bigger bark—at least for the first few minutes. He may sound like a tough guy when he’s nervous, but it’s all fear, not aggression. Once he realizes you’re safe, he softens instantly and becomes a sweet, affectionate little companion who reaches out with his paw and looks right into your eyes as if to say, “Okay… I trust you now.”
Spam is still adjusting to the world. New people, new environments, and especially kennels can be scary for him. His initial greeting can be intense—deep barking, growling, and lots of bravado—but once he’s out of the kennel and has a moment to settle, he’s a completely different dog: gentle, loving, and eager to be near his person. He often curls up under his foster’s desk while she works and loves sleeping in bed with people and the other dogs.
He came from a home with many dogs, so he’s used to canine company and may prefer having another dog around, though he doesn’t get along with every dog and has had a few spats. He’s doing surprisingly well with Minnesota cold weather for a Southern boy and loves running around the yard. Because he’s fearful and not leash trained, he must have a secure fenced yard (3 ft minimum) and should not be considered for apartment living—his bark is loud and frequent, especially when alerting to noises or reacting to his own reflection.
Spam is almost potty trained and does well on a schedule. He’ll either make it through the night or bark to let you know he needs to go out. He still marks occasionally but is improving quickly. Crate training is still a work in progress; he’s not comfortable going into a crate on his own, but he and his buddy Meatloaf sleep well overnight in a kennel with the door open and an X‑pen around it.
He can be skittish about being picked up—sometimes unsure, sometimes asking for it—but with patience and consistency, he’s already showing signs of becoming braver and more confident. He’s affectionate, playful, and full of potential once he feels secure.
Spam is a spicy little guy with a tender heart underneath. With a patient adopter who understands fearful dogs and can give him time to settle, he will blossom into a loyal, loving companion who just needed someone to believe in him.
Please note that some of our dogs are obtained from shelters, surrendered to our care, or released from breeders. Each animal's bio is based on our experience of the animal within our care, an educated guess based on physical characteristics, temperament and information shared. Each dog receives basic grooming when coming into rescue, but for some dogs they have not received grooming attention until recently and grooming may be required shortly after adoption. This will be at the adopter’s expense, so we encourage you to research the breed and be prepared for grooming expenses. Underdog cannot guarantee hypoallergenic or non-shedding qualities of any dogs in our rescue. Some of the animals come from situations where they are lacking experience in a home and confidence in humans. In turn, they require another companion dog and/or a fenced in yard in their forever home in order for them to feel safe. If you are interested in a particular dog whose bio states those needs and do not currently have them, please understand that your home might not be the right fit. Please use the filter on our Adoptable Dogs page to find the perfect match for your home.
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ADOPTION EVENTS:
Adoption events are updated at the top of each dogs animals' as their foster home signs up. Check back for updates on which events they will be attending. If an event is not listed within their bio above, the animal is not planning to attend. Please understand that all of our pets are in volunteer foster homes and sometimes "life" happens and the foster family cannot make it to their scheduled adoption event. If you are traveling from a far distance to meet a specific animal, please understand we cannot guarantee event attendance. We recommend filling out an application and we will set up a private appointment. Private appointments are only scheduled after an application is submitted and approved.
ADOPTION PROCEDURE:
The first step in our process is to complete an online adoption application on our website:
.underdogrescuemn/adoptionprocess/
Note: In most circumstances Underdog Rescue will only adopt within 60 miles of Minneapolis, MN.
All of our foster animals can be seen by appointment with an approved adoption application. Contact us at .underdogrescuemn/contact-us/ if you have further questions.
FOSTER CARE:
All of our animals are fostered in individual homes or doggie daycare facilities. While they are in our care, they are part of our families and given lots of love. We work on training, crate-training and socialization prior to adoption, but each bio is written by the foster as they see them, in their home. Each animal's behavior is evaluated and we have a sense of its temperament and personality, but it cannot be guaranteed. We look for adopters who will give each animal the wonderful life and permanent home that he or she deserves in time and with patience. If you have an interest and ability to be a foster home, please visit our website .underdogrescuemn/foster-applications and fill out a foster application.
NUTRITION:
Nutrition is vital to the rehabilitation and life-long health of our pets. All of our foster animals are fed a premium diet such as NutriSource, Canidae, Orijen, Nature's Variety, Fromm, Pure Vita, Stella and Chewy's, Primal, or balanced raw diet. All adopters are required to continue providing premium diets for the life of the animal.
YOU CAN HELP:
Not able to foster or adopt right now? Please consider sponsoring an Underdog. Your donation will help us buy dog food and pay for medical costs. Visit this link .underdogrescuemn/donate to donate.
(Please note: A Paypal account is not necessary to use Paypal. When you get to the Paypal page, just use the link to the left of their login to make your donation via Paypal without an account.)