It’s been a long, winding road for Whatson, who has always been a “sweetie” at heart! However, somewhere during his development years, it is believed he either had a bad experience with men in general and/or perhaps simply was never around them enough to learn to trust them.
Due to the death of his first mom, Whatson was bounced around a bit! In the process, we discovered he was unsure of men and thus quickly became attached and somewhat overprotective of the women in his life. In short, he was very apprehensive of any man, whether in the home or not.
After an intensive search for answers for Whatson and the family that could meet his needs; we are very happy to report that the future looks bright ahead for this loving boy! He is now living with a couple who have had many Belgians over the years and, most importantly, have the love, patience, and understanding that Whatson needs to allow him to succeed. He isn’t “quite” all the way there yet; but, day by day, he is taking positive steps and learning to trust the man in his life and understand his place in the family.
One of the biggest steps towards success we find our BSDRT rescues face is learning to trust again. It would seem Whatson has found the courage he needed to do so and his journey to happiness again has at last begun.
We couldn’t be happier for this loving and deserving Belgian boy!
Whatson is a neutered male Belgian sheepdog who turned 5 years old in March of this year. Originally from France, he, along with his younger brother, lost their mom last year unexpectedly and was surrendered to BSDRT. Whatson’s first placement, unfortunately, did not work out as everyone hoped it would, and he is once more seeking a “forever” home. This time we want very much to get it right for Whatson’s sake.
Overall, he seems to fit the European standard of our breed, i.e., he is not as heavy-boned as most of the Belgians we see in the US, weighs approximately 49 ½ lbs, eats well, and, for the most part, gets along very well with others. Since Whatson was raised as a puppy around women, it is our general consensus that he is most comfortable with them. We can’t say he has a complete aversion to men; however, he appears to latch onto women very easily and then tends to “grumble” if any men approach them.
Currently, we are looking for a home for him with a single female experienced with Belgians, as we feel he might be more comfortable in a home where no men are present. Whatson has never shown any aggression or viciousness towards anyone, but he does tend to latch on quickly to the female in the household and then “resource guard” her from any males. By this, we mean he tends to go to the female’s side and “grumble” protectively at any male who approaches her. We feel this behavior could possibly be due to the fact that he has never lived with a male in the household or been around enough men to place trust in them. Therefore, introductions to any male should be handled “on lead” in a controlled situation with awareness of his current disposition, realizing it may take time, patience, and a lot of understanding to break through his barrier of mistrust of men. Otherwise, Whatson is a sweet and loving dog.
So, while we are looking for a female who has a history of experience with the Belgian breed, we are open to considering the “right” home with a couple, but they would have to have had a lot of experience living with Belgian Sheepdogs and the patience and understanding that comes with trying to break through old barriers to new beginnings.
Most of all, as we said in the beginning…..we want to get this right for Whatson. He’s lost his owner. His first placement did not work out as planned, and it is extremely important to get it right for him this time. He’s been bounced around enough and needs a “forever home” he can count on!
If you are interested in Whatson and feel you can provide the love and security he needs, and have had experience living with Belgians in the past, please complete an application from the link below. We would love to hear from you.
https://bscarescue.com/adoption-application/
~ THE BSDRT TEAM ~
