Nanuk is a very good-natured guy who lives for his slow, twice-daily walks. He is quiet, loyal, and cooperative. He loves the reassurance of his home and pack. He spends most of the day relaxing on his pad, and hoping for walks and belly rubs. He loves almost everyone and enjoys visiting with other dogs.

Nanuk came back to the rescue at age 10 when his owner sadly died. He is an anxious guy, and will do well with a quiet, stable home environment with regular routines and his people around all day. He is currently in a foster home with a female three-year-old husky mix whom he loves. Sometimes her energy gets a bit much for him, and so his new owner will need to be mindful of interactions with canine siblings.

Nanuk’s adopter will need to have experience with older dog care, and to be attentive to several ongoing health issues.

Like many older dogs, Nanuk has stiffness in his legs and joints, which is helped by an ongoing daily medication regimen, and his vet recommends a couple of slow, daily, half-mile walks on flat ground. Nanuk’s mobility gets loosened up with his walks; it won’t be enough to put him out in a yard, because yard activities don’t engage him like walks do. Nanuk loves his walks, so it is easy to get him to do it, but he won’t be your cardio buddy.

Also like many older dogs, Nanuk needs to go out frequently to pee. It is best to take him out every three hours, so his ideal adopter would be someone who is retired or works from home. When you’re away from home, he tends to get a bit anxious, so it is best to diaper him to take care of any accidents. He isn’t compatible with a crate. He does usually go 6 – 7 hours at night without being let out, without accidents. His adopter will need to understand that there will be the occasional pee or poop accidents in the house. These are much less frequent as he adapts to his new home environment.

He has GERD,  a chronic and serious form of acid reflux. This is partially helped by a daily medication protocol, but he does have frequent coughing from stomach acid irritation when he is lying down. This is likely a condition that will need to be managed for the rest of his life.

Lastly, Nanuk has a gland on his tail that frequently opens up and gets infected. Occasionally he has to go on a round of antibiotics to control the infection. He does tend to lick and chew the wound when it bothers him, so he wears a donut pillow when he can’t be observed. Fortunately, the donut keeps his head slightly elevated, so wearing the donut helps his GERD a bit. This is likely to be a recurring condition.

Nanuk seems to be appreciative of all the care he receives for these health challenges, and he has a very agreeable and companionable nature. If you want to fill your life with meaning by caring for, and bringing joy to this older guy, please fill out an application to meet Nanuk.