Big Bird has a mostly black coat with white on his face and chest, and tan legs.

He is a sweet gentle giant with perfect house manners. A low-key dog, Big Bird enjoys indoor life to the fullest! Perfect family dog and loves children. He has his own comfortable bed, which he happily shares with the cats. He is good with cats and other dogs once introduced.

Big Bird has made great progress walking on a leash and following verbal cues. Being an early bird, he is most enthusiastic about morning walks while the air is still fresh and cool. On his walks he very much enjoys sniffing out bunny trails, and he is in training to learn not to chase after the bunnies and squirrels!

Not very confident, but very attached and loyal to his human, who he consistently looks to for approval and direction. Highly trainable and will need a patient adopter to continue his training and who knows how to gently handle a large dog. He obeys basic commands such as No, Come, Go, and Sit and is eager to learn more. Big Bird is not overly food motivated but he enjoys healthy treats.

He is afraid of loud, unexpected noises (like trains and misfiring cars), and any handler needs to hold on tight to his leash whenever walking.

He is up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and neutered.

Big Bird tested positive for heartworms and is receiving a gentle protocol to gradually eliminate the heartworms: it starts with 28 days of doxycycline along with heartworm preventative (ivermectin--Heartgard, Iverheart, or Tri-heart) twice that month, continuing with the preventative twice a month for a year.

With the gentle protocol, no excessive confinement is required. Dogs should not be out in the heat for long periods of time, and should not engage in heavy exercise until they test negative for heartworms. Heavy exercise that should be avoided includes full-speed running for any distance, jogging more than a short distance such as one block, repetitive ball chasing, and high-energy play with other dogs. Leash walking is fine in most cases, as long as they do not get winded and it is not too hot.

Most dogs will test negative for heartworms within a year using this method. Big Bird began the gentle protocol in mid-April 2021, so he should test negative by May 2022.

IAR subsidizes post-adoption professional training with Jane Marshall (www.cheerydogs.com) to encourage a life-long and successful bond between the dog and the adopter. Group classes for puppies and adult dogs are provided at a substantial discount to IAR adopters.