General Color: Tricolor (Tan/Brown & Black & White)
Current Size: 60 Pounds
Potential Size: 65 Pounds
Current Age: 12 Years 9 Months (best estimate)
Microchipped: Yes
Fence Required: Yes (3 foot)
Housetrained: Yes
Exercise Needs: Moderate
Owner Experience Needed: Breed
Reaction to New People: Friendly
Do you have a soft spot in your heart for senior dogs? So do we!
Ernie is a big tricolor boy! We can imagine what a magnificent specimen he must have been in his younger days. Now, at 12+ years old, Ernie is deaf and arthritic and has some weakness in his shoulder and hind legs. He is still mobile, however, still loves his walks, and can even manage short flights of stairs.
Ernie still needs to be neutered, has a couple of sebaceous cysts, and has also been diagnosed with an infected tooth and heartworm disease. If we can, we hope to postpone any dental, or surgical procedures until after Ernie has finished his heartworm treatment. He is 8 months into his treatment and is doing great!
At 60 pounds, Ernie is trim. Because of his arthritis and rear end weakness, we think he should be kept trim, so that excess weight doesn't make it harder for him to walk. Treatment of his various ailments may help him gain some strength. He has a good appetite and was possibly quite the counter surfer in his younger days. Now that his hind legs are weak, he just stands and barks at the counter, if he knows it contains food, willing the food to come to him.
Ernie is a fine old fellow who has lived his whole life with his previous owner and several of his doggie kin. Change is hard for us old folks, but, he is doing his best to cope with this "major reorganization" in his life.
At his age, Ernie sleeps a lot during the daytime. He is quiet when he is content, but can be very vocal when his expectations are not being met, which is often! He lets you know his demands!
With regard to house training, Ernie is pretty good. He seems to know to do his business outdoors, and will bark to be let outside. However, his control isn't the best anymore. His bladder control is good, but his bowel control is not. He usually needs to go out for a late night potty trip in order to sleep through the night and does have accidents. Ernie's internal alarm clock seems to be set for 6 am, and it’s surprisingly consistent!
Ernie gets along well with his doggie foster siblings. He can often be found sharing a bed with his foster brother, Bubba. Ernie just crawls right into Bubba's bed, usually uninvited. Thankfully, Bubba doesn't seem to mind. With human company, he would probably be OK as as only dog, but he has shared his space with multiple dogs during his entire lifetime and seems to appreciate their company. He seems to ignore cats. The cat in his foster home LOVES Ernie!
Even though Ernie is sweet and gentle, he would probably not be a good choice for very young children. He is tolerant to touch, but he doesn't hear well and he snatches at treats in the hand. He nips at human feet sometimes, when he is excited, or frustrated. He would be best with adults, or a family with older children.
Ernie may be available for adoption in a few months, after his heartworm treatment is complete and he can be neutered. Watch for him to become available, if you would like to give a funny and demanding old fellow a last loving home.
In the meantime, if you would like to help sponsor Ernie's medical treatment and supplements, just click the box that says "Sponsor this pet." He recently (2/20/2025) had surgery to remove a draining cyst from his side. He also received an injection of Librela for his arthritis.
More about Ernie
Good with Dogs, Good with Cats, Good with Older/Considerate Kids Only, Good with Adults, Does Good in the Car, Leashtrained, Needs special care, Even-tempered
Special Needs: Arthritis, shoulder and rear leg weakness, deafness, heartworm disease, occasional mild separation anxiety. He is on a special diet and supplements for his brain health.
Other Pictures of Ernie (click to see larger version):