Say “hi” to Dexter, a card-carrying member of the “super-handsome Brittany club.” Dexter is a young 40lbs male looking for an active home that can give him regular walks, jogs, and play stimulation (e.g, 1+ hours of walks/jogs a day in addition to play sessions).  Dex takes very well to training, though his owner needs to be consistent in reinforcing good behavior as he grows.  He would be most easily cared for in a home with a fenced yard and no other pets, or a dog-experienced family. Dex is good with people and adolescents, bonding quickly and being affectionate with cuddles and a regular desire to be around you. No major health issues. 
 Dexter is an orange /white male that is just under two years old. He has predominantly orange markings on his backside and face, with a cute white “half diamond” on his snout and crown, and white underside/legs. His body type is more compact, weighing 40 pounds and sporting medium sized legs built more for agility more than top speed.  Dex fits in a 36 inch crate rather than the 40-46 inch ones that some male Brittanys need.
 Dex absolutely loves to play and explore, and he needs a family that is willing to do those things with him!  This is an important element for anyone adopting Dexter. While Dexter is not running/hiking marathons (i.e, he maxes out currently at 3 miles running), he is most happy when walked or run for a total of 4 to 6 miles a day (walking or running is fine, spread over a couple sessions) and given 30-45 minutes of play randomly throughout the day.  For this reason, a good yard/fence is ideal.  His favorites are rope tug and plushy retrieving. He does most of his playing indoors, as outdoors he is most excited to explore with a keen eye for critters. He is somewhat “birdie”, but only when there are no critters around. A family or person that is willing to throw the ball or rope around will be Dexter’s BEST friend, and when you see how excited his eyes get during playtime your heart will melt.

No known major health issues. No food restrictions. He did have athlete’s foot when he was very young (<1 year old), and it was treated properly. The vet believes this resulted in a few small patches of fur that are thin on a few toes – not noticeable unless you really look for it.

Smart and largely has been very good and receptive to training, and receptive to commands (e.g., sit, stay, woah, ok).  Crate and house trained – No major messes in the three months he’s been with his foster.  Indoor manners are pretty good, stays out of areas he’s not supposed to go once he learns, and no major experiences with counter surfing, destroying things, marking, etc.  

He’s picked up some good leash manners when using a gentle lead, and recommend keeping him on a lead for 6-12+ months (vs a harness or just collar).  He will pull when walked with a collar attachment or harness, but is calm with the gentle lead.

Have not been able to work on his recall outside, so would not advise him to be off leash until taking him to a proper trainer for him; but indoors has strong recall, and he will come 95% of the time almost immediately.

Better for Dex to go to a house without a dog, or a dog/family that is very good at socializing.  He did live with other dogs prior, and did best when he was alpha or was clearly corrected.  When he’s comfortable, Dex will not be overly aggressive initially to a dog, and at times has made doggy friends on walks (after meeting them a few times).  He can become reactive 25-50% of the time if the dog initiates aggression with him though .  A lot of this is young posturing, and once corrected he is generally fine. I would advise he play with a random dog at a dog park/trail, but would be OK once he really got to know the other dog or after he gets more social training.

Very good with people. No aggression, fine with a random person petting him/playing with him/bathing him/etc, friendly and gets along with visitors . He can jump up to give you a big hug, which is cute, but also not ideal for very small children. Currently trying to train this out of him.