BLIZZARD IS LOCATED IN HARRISBURG, PA.

Meet Blizzard, AKA “The Blizz”! Blizzard is a three-year-old Great Dane who, along with his brother Thunder, was surrendered to MTM following the unfortunate passing of their owner.
Blizzard is currently placed in a foster home in South Central Pennsylvania.

Likes: Blizzard loves snacks, which is a good thing, because he probably could stand to gain 10-15
pounds. He loves to play outside in the fenced yard at his foster home, and he also really enjoys his
morning walks, and likes to get out early before it gets too warm outside. He also seems to enjoy chew toys like antlers and also large stuffed animals.

Dislikes: Blizzard’s current dislikes mostly involve being separated from his people. He does not love his crate, and cries when crated overnight or when he is able to hear people in the house, but is showing daily improvement as he becomes more tolerant of crate time.

Personality: (goofy, laid back, playful, etc) Blizzard is WHOLE lot of dog, and he knows it! He frequently uses his size to his advantage. He will jump on your counters, you, and everything you love with reckless abandon. He loves to be petted and have his ears rubbed, and will forcefully shove his face into you every chance he gets to demand pets. If you stop, he will probably slap at you with his paw to try to get your attention again.

Temperament: While more or less a pretty mellow and sweet big guy, Blizzard does show some signs of insecurity at times. He is startled relatively easily during walks by passing cars, unexpected noises, etc. He is also unsure of himself when meeting new people, especially when he is meeting them outside his foster home. While it’s possible many of these behaviors may lessen as he becomes more settled in his permanent home, and more familiar with his surroundings, it is still something that a potential adopter should be aware of. Blizz would like potential adopters to know that his foster family is working on this with him, and gradually getting him more comfortable with meeting strangers in a structured environment outside the foster home.

Energy level:  Blizz loves to run around like a wild man and play outside…for all of about 10-15 minutes. Then he’s done and will sleep like he’s dead for the next hour or two. Typical Dane - big on energy, short on stamina. He loves walks and gets really excited when he sees his harness and leash come out! He will also be happy to chase a large ball if you throw it! Just don’t expect him to bring it back to you once he’s done chasing it, because that’s where his interest stops.

Favorite activities: By far, Blizzard’s favorite pastime involves being loved on and receiving attention, but he has also really enjoys daily walks and playing outside.  

Good with cats, dogs, and kids (over 6)?: While Blizzard lived happily with another dog all his life, a family member of his former owner noted that he had not been around other dogs at all other than the one he lived with. Blizzard can be reactive to other dogs on leash, and this is worsened when the other dog barks or stares at him. When introduced to new dogs, he does get easily overwhelmed and overstimulated. Blizzard could probably adjust to living with another dog, but would also do best with a more laid-back canine sibling, who won’t feed into him when he becomes overstimulated or pushy. Additionally, VERY gradual introductions over time would be of the utmost importance to helping to set Blizzard up for success in living with another dog. 

Blizzard has not been tested with cats at all, but he does show interest in chasing small critters when he sees them in the yard or on walks, so it is likely that at minimum, he would probably chase a cat. Blizzard has been exposed to both younger and older kids. He does best with older, more dog savvy children who are able to give him the space he needs to become comfortable with them. While he is tolerant of younger and less reserved children, he definitely is more nervous and unsure of himself when interacting with them.

Not good with: Small critters. Blizzard fixates on small animals when he sees them on walks, and
becomes very vocal and pulls to try to chase them.

Housetrained: Blizz appears to be fully housebroken and has had zero accidents so far in his foster
home. It should be noted, he appears to favor solid surfaces when it’s time to poop. He will choose a
sidewalk or road over the grass every time. So if his future family has a yard with a paved surface, they may want to be aware of this.

Crate trained: Yes! While it makes him REALLY sad to be away from his people, he is becoming more and more comfortable in his crate every day. He should have no problem with a standard wire crate, as long as it’s a Dane sized one.

Requires a fenced yard (physical fence and/or invisible fence)? While he really enjoys playing in the fenced yard at his foster home, Blizzard doesn’t feel he needs a fence to be happy and safe in a home. However, an invisible fence would not be recommended. Blizz will attempt to chase small critters, and it’s unlikely an invisible fence would stop him from leaving the yard to chase a groundhog or squirrel.

Walks well on a leash? When it comes to walking on leash, Blizzard has a lot to brag about. He walks BEAUTIFULLY with harness and leash. He only pulls when he sees small critters, or when another dog barks at him, and in both circumstances, he has shown he is highly responsive to verbal correction, and able to be distracted with treats.

Challenges: Blizzard does not possess a lot of basic manners, or know many basic commands. He can also be nervous when meeting new people outside the home. Once he warms up, you are in, and good luck stopping him from trying to get into your lap, but he does sometimes need time to get there. Treats, especially hot dog slices, really help speed up the process!

Any Medical issues? Blizz could stand to put on a few pounds, as mentioned previously, but otherwise seems to be in great health.

What would be the best kind of home? So far, it seems Blizz would benefit most from being adopted by a family who is committed to continuing to provide him with a stable and structured environment, and who will enforce basic training to curb some of his less than gentlemanly habits, as while he is a sweet boy, he is also more than a little pushy. Blizzard would also love to find a family who will continue to work on socialization with him, while also being patient and respectful of his boundaries and not rushing him to do too much too fast.

Application Fees, Adoption Donations and Rescue Policy:

Please know that 100% of our fees and donations pay for the costs of rescuing dogs. These include, but are not limited to: pull fees from shelters, veterinary examinations, vaccinations, medications and care, microchips, neuter/spay surgeries, heartworm treatments, behavior evaluations, and foster care, as needed.

Our rescue policy requires the following:

• Adopters must have their primary residence in one of the following states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and parts of North Carolina.
• We will not adopt a giant breed dog to homes where the dog will have access to highly varnished hardwood steps inside the home. Any inside steps to which the dog(s) have access, must have carpeting, securely fixed stair treads, or a non-skid surface. We encourage you to remediate potential safety issues while your application is under review, prior to the home visit.
• Methods or devices using pain or force on the dog to control the dog, or to deter undesirable behavior is prohibited.
• Applications for giant breed dogs must be submitted by the property owner.
• Homes with children under 6 years of age will not be approved for adoption.
• Homes with children should have a fenced yard.
• Pets currently in the applicant's home must have a history of appropriate veterinary care. Veterinary records will be checked.
• All references must be checked before any visitation of the dog is permitted at the foster home.
• All family members must be present during the home visit to the applicant's home.
• Any dog(s) in the applicant's home must have an introductory meeting with the rescue dog being considered, before any adoption can be completed.
• Homes with intact dogs will not be approved for adoption. Exceptions to this policy can be found on the Adoptable Dog Page.

For additional information please review our FAQs or contact mastiffstomutts@gmail.com

Mastiffs To Mutts Rescue reserves the right to approve or deny any adoption that occurs through this organization without disclosure.  We reserve the right to make exceptions for special circumstances.