Marley is a snuggle bug that just wants to be with his human. In many ways, he will be your shadow; constantly following you wherever you go and curious as to what you are doing. If separated, he tends to get very anxious and begins to bark, paw at doors and has even been seen to bite at door knobs. This intelligent boy watches everything you do and is curious about everything. His watchful behavior has made basic training easy; mirroring what the other dogs do in the house. He does have mini puppy tantrums when he doesn't get his way by barking or peeing in the house. The peeing can easily be avoided by picking up his water. He needs a steady routine to stay calm and collected. Deviating from a routine can trigger his anxiety.

He is a submissive pup when it comes to playing with others. He is a huge fan of tug-a-war and will most likely beat you every time due to his dedication to winning. He is still learning how to play with other dogs. The most common type of play he engages in is chase. He is polite when meeting both humans and big dogs. If you have a small dog however, his excitement goes through the roof. 

Most of the time he enjoys walking calmly beside you on his daily walks. But, be sure to keep an eye out for birds or squirrels - he will lunge in excitement and attempt to chase! With anything new there is either anxiety in engagement or hyper-activity behavior. At the beginning of walks he is overly excited and pulls on the leash. After about five minutes he tends to calm down and is mellow. 

What this guy wants most of all is a snuggle buddy. He enjoys laying beside or on you. This 60 lbs lap dog will sleep all day in your arms. Marley is still a puppy and still has puppy needs. He is working on not getting his way, mouthing (although is very gentle), jumping up when greeting familiar people, learning what is/isn't a toy and how to ask to go potty. He somewhat knows potty bells, but seems to be inconsistent with his request. He is extremely predictable and can easily identify his signals for various behaviors.  Even though this guy would prefer to sleep on your bed or a dog bed next to you, he is comfortable sleeping in his crate. He will get jealous not everyone has settled down when in the crate and will vocalize his objection for a brief period of time - be sure to listen for the huff and puff after a tantrum.  Though this guy has some anxiety about him, an established routine sets him at ease.

Prior to adoption, all dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated (including rabies, if age appropriate) and microchipped.  

Adoption fees for dogs: http://www.svpetproject.org/info/adoption

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