Adoption information
I've been adopted!
This pet is no longer available
On Hold
About Mac
We’ve been asked to help find Mac a new home where he can receive the care and attention he needs to thrive.
Mac is a sweet, almost three-year-old, male mini chocolate labradoodle who has had some challenges in his life. Over time, he has developed anxiety and, in certain situations, can be reactive towards strangers. His current situation has made it harder for him to feel safe and calm, which affects his behavior.
Mac’s current owner has worked hard to get him the support he needs, including consultations with Pawly Understood, a behavioral vet. Mac has been prescribed anxiety medication, which initially helped, along with training. However, his anxiety has increased, and there have been a few instances where Mac has bitten out of fear and stress, including a situation where his owner was grooming him and missed his warning signs. His owner takes full responsibility for not recognizing these cues. Mac’s anxiety is further triggered by the loud, chaotic environment at home, which includes three young children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum. Mac struggles with the noise and the constant activity, and as a result, he retreats or acts out to cope.
It’s clear that Mac needs a calm, structured environment where he can feel safe and loved. After much consideration, his owner and the team at Pawly Understood believe it is in Mac’s best interest to find him a new home where he can truly thrive.
We’re looking for a special person or family who can provide Mac with the peace and care he deserves. Here’s a little more about Mac’s needs and preferences:
Key Considerations:
Ongoing Medication: Mac is currently on medication to help manage his anxiety, and he may need it for the rest of his life. The medication is essential for his well-being and does come with some cost.
Social Anxiety: Mac is anxious around strangers and needs a calm, quiet household. He’s best suited to a home with no children or other pets, as his anxiety can lead to growling or biting if he feels overwhelmed.
Needs Time to Adjust: Mac takes time to warm up to new people, and he does best when allowed to approach on his own terms. He may growl in response to eye contact and prefers to be left alone while adjusting.
No Grooming at Present: Mac is unable to be groomed currently and will need sedation for this task. He also requires extra support from a behavioral vet, particularly with any medical needs.
Limited Recall: Mac has minimal recall but sticks close to his caregiver while on medication.
Anxious Attachment: Mac bonds deeply with his caregiver, often displaying anxious behaviors like licking himself and others to self-soothe. With the right support, he can learn to manage these behaviors, but his current home environment is too overwhelming for progress.
Crate Anxiety: Mac used to be crate trained, but he now experiences significant anxiety around crates and has shown distress when crated.
Struggles with Walks: Mac becomes easily overwhelmed by walks and loud environments and has had panic attacks during outings in the past.
Mac’s Ideal Home:
Mac is a loving and affectionate dog who simply needs the right environment to thrive. In the right home, he is sweet, loyal, and will happily snuggle up to his caregiver. He’s fully toilet trained, knows basic commands like "sit," "down," and "wait," and enjoys short training sessions when he’s feeling calm. He loves water and has a great appetite, especially when it comes to treats (he loves cheese and premium snacks!). Mac enjoys car rides and would love to find a caregiver who can provide him with gentle companionship.
His ideal home would be with a patient, loving individual or couple who can provide Mac with a calm environment, ideally a female caregiver with no children or other pets, and minimal visitors. Mac is looking for someone who understands his needs and is ready to offer him the time, care, and attention he deserves to feel secure and loved.
While Mac has his challenges, with the right support and environment, he will show immense gratitude and loyalty. If you’re someone who has experience with anxious dogs and can offer Mac the peaceful, nurturing home he deserves, he would be an incredibly rewarding companion.
If you're interested in learning more about Mac and his needs, a detailed report from Pawly Understood is available.
Mac just needs a chance to feel safe, loved, and understood. With the right person, he will blossom into the wonderful, affectionate dog he’s always meant to be.
We are assisting Mac's owner find him a new home.
Medical notes
As per profile
Adoption details
If you are interested in one of our dogs, please complete an adoption application form at:
https://hsedr.org.au/index.php/adoption/
At a minimum, we will expect that all of our dogs will be inside/outside dogs and will be treated as a valued member of the family.
If your family needs match the needs of the dog, we will call you to organise a mutually convenient time with you to undertake a fence/home check - and for the dog you are interested in to meet the rest of the family - both human and other animals.
If you feel that you would like to add the dog to your family, we will ask you to pay the adoption fee and the dog will commence a 4 week trial period - for all of you (both humans and pets) to make sure that you will all be happy living together. We will check in on you during this time and will be available to respond to any concerns you may have during this period.
If everyone is happy at the conclusion of the trial, we will transfer the microchip and provide you with any medical records and information we have on the dog you have adopted.
We will take the dog back into care at any time - if things do not work out - and we appreciate that sometimes - they just don't - for a number of reasons.
We will ask for a happy snap of the dog with their new family members for our adoption gallery and will ask whether we can use that in promoting our rescue on Facebook, the Internet or other promotional materials.
We want the process of adoption to be a happy and exciting time for you and your potential new family member and will work with you to make the experience as positive as possible.
AN OPEN LETTER TO APPLICANTS:
We understand that people are making an emotional investment when they apply to adopt a dog and that it is disappointing if you are not chosen. We don’t like disappointing people. It’s really hard to do but when there is only a single dog and many hopeful applications, it is inevitable that people will be upset. We would like to take this opportunity to explain our philosophy.
When we take on a dog, we make a commitment both to that dog and the former owners of that dog to find them their perfect next forever home. Our key consideration is whether that home is a good match for that dog. We are the only advocate the dog has and must put their needs ahead of applicants. Each dog has very different needs and personality and each home is different to the next.
Sometimes, people put their friends in touch with us or we are approached by our own friends or family about a particular dog. This is done with the best intentions and makes it even harder to say No but sometimes we must, as their requirements and the needs of the dog are not the same.
This isn’t a reflection of their dog ownership skills, or how we feel about them personally. Our decision is always based on what we believe is the best match for the dog. Not just any match - the best match!
Often, we have several or even many interested parties who would equally be a good match and it is exceedingly difficult to choose between them. Our decision is never based on our relationship with a potential adopter, or the number of times they have applied and missed out or whether they applied first, or the number of times or ways they’ve tried to contact us about a particular pet, but whether or not they are the BEST match available.
If you or someone you know is interested in any of the dogs at Hope Springs Eternal, please fill out an adoption application. Please do not take offence if you or your friends are not chosen - this only means that there was someone who was a better match. Not a better person, not a better dog owner, but a better match.
We believe there is a home for every dog and a dog for every home, so even if you haven’t been chosen before, please keep applying - the next one may be your perfect doggy match.
This pet has been adopted and found love with its new family.
The rescue group has removed this pet and it is no longer available for adoption.
The rescue group is no longer taking adoption applications for this pet.
