Atlas

Atlas- male
Labrador x cattle dog
Age: 1 year
Vaccinated: Yes
Desexed: Yes
Microchipped: Yes
Worm/heartworm/flea treated: Yes
Location: Toowoomba, Qld

Meet Atlas. A brave and sweet boy who's ready for his second chance.

A victim of domestic violence, Atlas has finally known safety since he reached us and is ready to find his happy furever after. While his owner was incredibly violent towards Atlas and the other humans in the home before his incarceration, Atlas has not developed a single mean bone in his body. An endlessly loving boy with a happy demeanour despite all he's been through, Atlas is a remarkable dog with a strong heart.

Despite being physically abused by his owner, it is also obvious Atlas has known a lot of love- as is the typically complex and confusing cycle of abuse. Atlas came in knowing what couches were for- snuggling his humans - and he was definitely familiar with the sound of a hot chook bag. He had basic commands down pat and knew what a lead was- all signs of what from the outset may have looked like an otherwise happy life. Unfortunately, the truth is far from perfect- Atlas has definitely been physically harmed many times and witnessed horrible things in that home the last year. His triggers are unique to him but he doesn't lash out or react strongly- instead just hoping to avoid your eye contact and flatten/shrink himself into the floor. Despite a few triggers being evident, Atlas is ultimately a very easy dog to care for and enjoys his life immensely now.

Fully grown at 37kg, Atlas is a healthy lad with medium energy levels. He loves his daily play and exercise sessions and especially loves to bound along and jump around. He's got a funny, unique sense of joy and brings a warmth and light to the home that only a certain few dogs in life do. When he's really relaxed and settled into the new home, he does this really happy playful jump as high as he can next to you as you walk along- never at or on you, just near by, in sheer joy and excitement to let out some energy. This can easily be redirected into chasing a toy and bounding after it. He knows commands like 'inside' 'outside' 'off you go' and 'bed'. He likes a 'yep good boy' at dinner time to know he's allowed to eat. And he likes to give you his paw at random times, though we haven't yet worked out what command he's been taught for that.

Since coming into care, he has had no toilet accidents inside, though he is what Jess calls a 'shy pooper'- you have to let him outside, hang out a few minutes til he knows all is ok/he's not being exiled because he's in trouble, and then he will go around the corner to toilet where you can't see. He's a dignified gentleman! He loves his food, though if you dare to give him peasant food like a top notch kibble (currently he's on Taste of the Wild) he can act like he's never entertained such nonsense and just stare at it... we have learned to give in a little and add a nice meal topper, broth or roast chook to the top to coax him into eating. He gets the happy little tippy taps sometimes when waiting for his food, which is extremely heart warming. He eats twice a day and is a fairly patient, slow eater. Chomp, chew, look around...this sweetheart enjoys every bite and flavour.

One of his main triggers is if the other dog/s make a racket or if anyone slams or drops something- though this is improving quickly almost daily. His current foster sister is a puppy who is learning how to settle without the typical puppy screeching and barking. It was evident quickly that Atlas associated any sort of spike in negative/stressful noise as a threat, and so we have worked to settle that fear in him with some positive reinforcement. She has improved within a week, and so has Atlas' response- he's no longer afraid of punishment if she pops off. Despite the amount of abuse he endured, he does bounce back incredibly well and is very resilient and calm. He snores a little when sleeping and sometimes has dreams that appear to be of him running and chasing something. His little sleepy woofs are heart melting.

While Atlas has a terrible past, he is ultimately a very friendly and balanced dog. He would fit into a lot of different homes, though we do have some hard and fast rules. He has no mean bone in his body, but we don't want him living in a home where small or rowdy children live or frequent. While he does love children, ultimately out of control or loud people frighten him, even if they're small. So older children and calm children only, please. Atlas can't live with cats; we have tested him and he is not a fan. While he can go to a single dog home and would be quite fine, it would be great if he could have a doggy sibling or at least have play dates every few days with other friendly and energetic dogs. His social skills are fantastic and play with other dogs should be encouraged, maintained and supported. Atlas definitely needs to sleep inside at night- he is no lawn ornament. After all he's been through, he deserves to know he is welcome. While at his foster home he is sleeping in a crate or confined to his bedding area, he may with time be able to free roam at night. For now however, we are letting him settle in without the temptation of a kitchen bin etc. We'd rather set him up for success by giving him boundaries now, rather than feeling sorry for him and letting him have free reign that could end in mischief.

Atlas travels well in the car, and while he was a bit nervous at the vet he was very compliant and brave. His leash skills are pretty good, and he doesn't seem scared of traffic. His current foster carer works away from home approx 40hrs a week, so he just chills in the yard with the other dogs until she's home. He is happy to just stretch out on the grass and sunbake or trot around following the puppies. While he shows no sign of food aggression, he has healthy boundaries around his food and favourite chew (a deer antler) - which he only accesses when on his bed- and this has been a great thing when teaching other, unsocialised dogs some boundaries. He has great social skills with other dogs!

There are some regions of Qld where even the most perfect adopter simply won't be considered due to proximity to his old owner. Atlas was ultimately willingly surrendered as his owner knew things has reached a level that was not forgivable and so the right thing to do was send Atlas to safety. While we acknowledge this choice, we will take no chances and so if an adopter applies from the specific suburb Atlas is from or even from a few suburbs either side, you will unfortunately be declined and advised as to why. While we believe that the risk from his prior owner is minimal and no contact has been made since surrender, nothing in life is certain and we take these things seriously. We don't want adopters to be scared, or deterred- just aware. While the reality is plenty of rescue dogs have the exact same story and end up in pounds due to owner incarceration, in this instance we know the full story, and we aren't going to hide it. Information is key in making a balanced and educated decision on all sides of this- and all for Atlas' sake. And no, Atlas isn't his original name- we always change their names if there is even a small risk the name has ever been used in order to coax an animal towards its abuse or punishment. Atlas is a new name with a fresh slate. Just like his new home will provide him!

If you’re looking for a friendly best friend with lovely manners, a sweet temperament, and a huge heart, Atlas is for you. Let's get him a safe, happy furever after where he can forget all that's happened to him. Apply if you're up for it- you won't be disappointed.