Tater

Location: Belmont, VIC (Not available for interstate adoption)

Introducing the delightful TATER, now seeking his furever home.

Meet Tater, an extraordinary survivor and the sweetest boy.

Tater started his journey when he was found roaming in rural NSW, scared of everything, not knowing what the future holds. Hope4Paws Animal Rescue heard about his difficulties and decided to save him to give him a better chance of finding a home. His prior history is unknown, so we are unsure of the difficulties he’s had in life. He spent 7 months in a rural NSW pound and was really shut down before coming to us.  

When he arrived at his foster home, he managed to escape and was on the run for over 12 days. We managed to find him and he started his journey to happiness. He spent a few days decompressing and wouldn’t let anyone go near him. It took some time to build his confidence, but his personality started to shine through within weeks and with medication to support him, has grown leaps and bounds since.

As his confidence grew, having his support doggo sister Bonnie, he became a gorgeous, soft and food loving goofball, who will do anything to please you. He learned how to be a dog and began to trust humans. He adores other dogs and loves nothing more than a game of chase. When he wants your attention, he will bump you gently with his head or sit and stare at you patiently until something happens. If you are working, he is happy to lie down nearby for as long as it takes. He will greet you with full body wags whether you’ve been gone for a minute or a day.

Tater is toilet trained, knows some basic commands like sit, stay and drop, and he learns fast, particularly if there is another dog around to show him what to do and support his confidence. As Tater is scared of the outside world, he hasn’t yet been on walks. We are currently working on building his confidence to make sure that he feels safe, but he’s getting good on a harness and lead around the foster carer’s property and outside the gate. He loves getting into the car and going for rides. He has just started training in outdoors areas, going on walks to get him used to people, cars and other noises in his surroundings. It’s all about baby steps with this teddy bear!

When at home, he does like to investigate cushions and soft toys, and will eat plastic plant pots when he is feeling energetic or alone. He’s a chewer and needs to be kept out of rooms where there are things he can access, if he is left alone. He isn’t much of a barker and doesn’t seem to fret badly when left in the company of another dog. He must go to a home with another dog, with access to a backyard during the day and a safe space where he is ok to be left for periods of time.

Tater tries to avoid situations where humans rush towards him or stand over him. He enjoys a cuddle when humans are at his eye level and he doesn’t feel scared or pushed to interact when he doesn’t want to. He is a dog that needs to be allowed to make his own decisions on when he wants human affection and interaction so building trust and allowing him to take the lead is the best way to success for this big guy.

Application criteria that MUST be met for Tater to live a happy life:

• Another medium to large energetic and friendly dog who doesn’t mind his tendency to lie as close as possible (including half on top of them)
• A dog door and inside/outside living arrangements – he currently sleeps on his bed with the carer’s dog in the bedroom
• A human who is around a fair bit and is willing to be patient with him, understands positive reinforcement training and can help him learn new things at his own pace
• A relatively quiet environment – he may always be a scared of sudden noises and new changes, although he will now greet new people when they arrive, at his own pace.

Tater is not suited to a home with small children. He will do his best to avoid them when barrelling around, but he is strong and can be boisterous, so accidents are likely.

Tater is also on behavioural medication, which helps him cope with the daily stresses that life has to offer him. This medication is in combination with a training and behaviour modification plan, setting him up for maximum success in the future. His adopter/s must be able to manage the costs of this.

We will be undertaking a staged transition to make sure that he is comfortable and confident with his new people, so potential adopters must be comfortable with multiple meetings, supported by his current foster carer and trainer as needed.

This staged transition will include us doing multiple meet and greets with potential adopters and their dog, visiting the potential new home, training sessions and multiple discussions so that Tater and all parties agree on each step of the process. This will not be a simple adoption and may take some time before he can transition into a new home. He is a dog with an unknown history and difficult past, with a lot of triggers, so we need to make sure we place him with a family where he feels safe and can adjust at his tempo. Please do not apply if you do not meet the criteria and cannot meet Tater’s requirements.

Please do not apply if you do not meet the criteria above or below.

• Must have a secure yard
• Must have another dog
• Must have the finances to continue regular vet checks, medication and training
• Must be allowed to sleep inside
• Must have a stable home of residence

TO APPLY – If you feel Tater is your perfect match, please click on the button below to fill out an adoption application.

Please don’t be disappointed if your application is not shortlisted. Our rescue dogs have already been through so much, it’s our mission and responsibility to find them the perfect home that fits in with their personality and adoption criteria.