Jazz

Jazz is a 4.5-year-old extra-large breed dog who came into our care through no fault of his own. He was deeply loved by his previous family, but due to serious health challenges, they were no longer able to give him the exercise, companionship, and enrichment he thrives on.

Since arriving in our care in February, Jazz has quickly become a favourite among staff, volunteers, and his foster family thanks to his incredibly sweet and affectionate personality. He absolutely adores people and forms strong bonds with those he trusts. Jazz especially loves children and has been wonderful with them. Because of his size and enthusiasm, interactions with young children should be supervised to help everyone stay safe and comfortable.

Jazz is a true gentle giant. He loves leaning into his people for affection and comfort and wants nothing more than to be close to his family. Underneath his big size, though, he can be a sensitive boy who is still building confidence in the world around him. New situations can make him nervous, and he's not a fan of things like dark spaces, busy traffic, or getting into cars.

When meeting new people, Jazz can sometimes come on a little strong simply because he's so excited to make a friend. He doesn't always realize just how big he is when asking for attention and affection.

Jazz would be happiest as the only dog in the home. While he can generally do well seeing other dogs on walks, he feels most comfortable with a bit of extra space and gentle guidance from his people. His foster family has found that giving him distance and keeping walks calm and positive helps him feel relaxed and successful.

Jazz had very limited exposure to other dogs early in life and, as a result, never really had the chance to build confidence or learn the social skills needed to comfortably read and interact with them. Arriving at the shelter was understandably overwhelming for him, especially being suddenly surrounded by so many unfamiliar dogs at once. Since then, he has been making great progress and continues to do best when interactions with other dogs are calm, predictable, and at a comfortable distance.

Jazz is also very attached to his people and would do best with a family that is home often and able to help him slowly build confidence spending time on his own. The good news is that once the day winds down, Jazz settles beautifully for bedtime and is happy to relax in his crate or pen for the night.

One of the many sweet antics of Jazz's in his foster home is being present for yoga time. He joins in on the fun in his own special way by stretching out and kneading at his dog bed.

If you're looking for a loving, loyal, sensitive companion with a huge heart to match his huge size, Jazz may be your perfect match.