Banjo Is Adopted!

Cam and Dylan applied to the rescue to adopt a young adult GSP.  Dylan , growing up with the breed, and Cam having no idea about the breed, they settled on a young adult. They asked questions and did their research. They were not particular about the sex, the color, or whether or not the dog had a tail. They just wanted the “right  fit!”

The initial dog they were interested in we knew would be too much to manage, we discussed and they agreed!  We later  introduced them to a GSP that was a gentle soul that had unfortunately been severely neglected. His name is Banjo. A dog that lived outdoors all his life, and had been confiscated from his original owners due to such neglect.  Banjo still had a heart of gold despite his horrific living conditions. He just wanted to be loved. Banjo was smart and very loving, and we knew that Cam and Dylan would fall in love with his sweet easy going demeanor.  

One Week Update:

We are absolutely in love with Banjo! We made the right choice! The second we started driving home in the car, he slept through the whole thing. And in Dylan's eloquent words, "he snores like a 60 year old man". Once we got home, we did our first 3 mile walk together around our neighborhood. We learned very quickly that he likes to serpentine on sidewalks, so we're working on leash manners. No pulling, but he's very curious!

Around dinner time, we learned that he LOVES food. It's the only thing that makes all his hesitation go away. He tries to get up on the counter, but quickly responds to "off". He scarfs down his food, so we invested in a slow feeder. He doesn't "sit" on command yet, but we've been rewarding him with "Good Sit" and a treat when he does it naturally. 

We also learned that he LOVES his new bed/crate. It's his safe space and we leave the door open for him to go in and out of. He has slept through every night (even for his midday nap), and we can hear him snore from the other room. He is definitely getting more and more comfortable at home. 

He hasn't had any accidents in the house yet, but we are in and out frequently enough so there hasn't been any issues. He doesn't tell us when he needs to go YET...

For exercise, he is DEFINITELY adjusting to our more active lifestyle / in the community lifestyle. In the mornings, we do 2ish miles + coffee runs + walk around the park. HE PASSES OUT AFTERWARDS. Full splayed out on the rug. Big ole snores. Only wakes up if a noise startles him. He loves his Kong, Woof honest chew antler, and squirrel toy. After our 3ish miles / afternoon hike, he is even more tired. He loves to stop and smell all the flowers & is a sniffing machine. We're sure he'll open up more soon enough. 

He's SOO friendly around the neighborhood. He wants pets and love from every person we come across. He isn't reactive with other dogs (big or small), and prefers to avoid them. He's only been very startled by a bike on the trail and very energetic / barking dogs. We've observed the dog park together and tried some training, but haven't taken him off leash yet. Once his recall is better, we'll be excited to let him play. 

Today was the first "work from home" day and he did excellent! Played with his toys / slept through meetings and quiet work time. He doesn't care for the backyard or my garden yet, and he hates carrots and cucumbers lol. He loves the walks! Today was the first day his "velcro dog" came out, but seems to be okay when one of us leaves. Honestly, I think we're the ones overwhelming him with too much love and attention. We let him be when he chooses to be in his crate. We haven't heard his bark yet. I know we're still in the honeymoon period, but Banjo is an amazing fit for our little family.

Again, we appreciate you and the rest of CA GSP Rescue so much! We couldn't be happier!

One Month Update:

We can’t believe it has already been one month with Banjo! Truly, thank you. He is the perfect fit for our family, and we feel incredibly grateful that he found his way to us.

Around the 2 week mark, his personality really started to shine. He went from aloof and timid to full FOMO goofball. After his morning walks, he prances around to wake us up. When the zoomies hit, we follow it with a jog and training (which is the mental and physical exercise he needs). 

Frisbees are his fetch toy of choice, and he proudly carries all of his toys from room to room. Antler, Kong, Squirrel, Bat. The whole pack.

We took him to the beach and it was pure comedy watching him adjust to the sand! He does not like cold ocean water and hates the rain... but somehow loves splashing in rain puddles. Classic Banjo. Squirrels and seagulls definitely don’t stand a chance around him.

He’s become our hiking buddy, and handles long 5 mile hikes and rocky climbs like a pro. Last week, we explored Cowels Mountain and loved it. He is SO friendly with dogs of all shapes and sizes, but prefers the attention from people. We even met fellow rescue alumni (Lucky and Penny!) at the dog park (their owner is Dakota!). This got us really excited for Splish Splash!

Banjo is getting so good at sit, come, check (check-in), bubble (get close), wait, down, and off! We’re still working on recall, as he forgets we (and treats) exist when his prey drive or playtime kicks in. Work in progress for sure!

As our bond deepened, he showed a bit of proximity anxiety when it's bedtime (new as of the 3 week mark), which honestly just reminded us how attached and comfortable he feels here. We’ve been working through it, and he’s settling beautifully.

He is fully embracing the good life (garden snacks included)! Fresh carrots are his favorite, and he has made it very clear that blueberries are absolutely unacceptable.

Most of all, he is settled, bonded, and so deeply loved.

Thank you for trusting us with him. We love Banjo more than we can put into words.

With so much gratitude,
Cam & Dylan

Three months with Banjo already? He's our soul dog.

Honestly, things are better than we could have imagined. As first time GSP owners (Dylan grew up with the breed, but I was honestly unsure at first!), we are so glad we did our research. Getting an older GSP was the perfect move for us. He is still SO active at 5 years old. He can run 3–5 miles at the dog park or beach all on his own, but he is so much more than his energy level. Snuggly, calm, goofy. We're happy that we didn't rush the process. We chose Banjo with so much care.

He came home not knowing how to sit and loved to hop on our kitchen counters. Three months later, he sits, waits for his meal signal, recalls on his name and whistle (most of the time!), and "drops it" without needing a treat. His high food motivation has made training SO much easier for us! He still forgets he's on a leash sometimes, but has gotten so much better. A quick 15 minutes a day for training keeps his brain happy and our shoes safe. His separation anxiety has also improved. He's starting to understand we always come back home to him.

Banjo still sleeps in his crate, but we can now leave the door open and he settles all on his own (no locking required). Big milestone! He's fully embraced the work-from-home life right alongside us. He self-soothes with puzzle toys and antler, enjoys Kong "lunches", and sunbathes in the backyard when we work from the picnic table. And he has now grown accustomed to a certain garden to table lifestyle, and helps himself to the fresh blueberries.

Challenges? His prey drive is still alive and well. The second a squirrel, lizard, or bird appears, we simply do not exist. We're also still working on busy, loud environments. Quiet coffee dates? Easy. Packed restaurant patio or Lowe's? A little overstimulating for our sensitive boy. Work in progress.

He is obsessed with hauling all his toys from room to room daily (Frisbee, Squirrel, Antler, Bat, Kong). He also carries them outside. He loves our weekend hikes and beach days and could explore Del Mar Beach and Mission Trails for hours. He does run hot, so we're thinking of getting him a kiddy pool to play in during the summer. We are already thinking of planning our first trip with him to either SF or Yosemite soon.

He is a happy camper any time we take him for car rides but loves it more when we stop at the dog park. And he has a very clear preference for playing with girl dogs He loves people more than anything. A good under-the-neck rub or face massage will put him right to sleep.  Oh, and coconut oil at bath time, he loves it.

What he doesn't love: Squirrels on the other side of the fence. Loud crowded spots.

Overall: He is goofy, snuggly, curious, and so deeply loved. He looks at us upside down... literally stretches his neck back until he's touching us just to stare at us from that angle. He cocks his head sideways like we've completely lost our minds. And whoever takes him out in the morning becomes his person and shadow for the entire day. We've started singing "Why you so obsessed with me" because he truly owns the title "velcro dog".

We came in expecting chaos. We got our boy. And we love him!

So much love and gratitude,

Cam and Dylan