Meet Evander! Evander is a handsome 3 year old, 50-pound hunk who is ready for his forever home! It is unclear exactly what his past was like before being rescued by Saving Hope, but we can imagine it was not great. He was part of a massive rescue effort near the border in Eagle Pass, TX in early 2024 were 100’s of dogs had been abandoned. He was very fearful initially but has realized he’s safe and has blossomed into a spunky, curious, and cuddly boy. Given his rough start to life, he is understandably fearful of new people and places. He is used to running and hiding when afraid, and may express his fear or unease by growling, but it is fear, not aggression. Evander has done well exploring and navigating obstacles at Home Depot and other dog friendly places that aren’t overly crowded. He prefers to approach new people and sniff them before receiving pets. He caught on to potty training very quickly! Though he does not mean to cause trouble, he is still a puppy by nature. He is very curious and when he finds something interesting he might carry it around and take a bite or 2 but is learning "drop" and "leave it". Evander happily takes a chew toy instead when redirected. Evander is a velcro baby and is happiest with his person close by – snuggles on the couch are his preferred activity after a little play time. He has not shown any resource guarding behaviors to his foster siblings and is just happy to be part of the pack – he has become very close to his pit bull foster sister and loves to roughhouse with her. He has been working hard on learning how to respect other dogs’ space when they are not in a cuddly or playful mood. He knows to wait at his "place" for his meals, and knows his crate is his safe place. He sleeps quietly in it at night and during the day while his human is at work. He is very treat-motivated and learns quickly from watching other dogs, and occasionally shows his stubborn boxer side but with consistency he learns the expected behavior. With a slow introduction to new dogs, he will adjust quickly and thrive! Evander loves to move, and this has helped him gain confidence! He is learning to allow his human to lead on a leash and gets a walk/run most mornings before spending several hours waiting for his foster mom to get home from work. He would LOVE more company during the day while he lazes around. While he is used to having a yard to run around, as long as he gets time to move every day he could adjust to apartment life. He has tolerated puppies picking at him and is very cat curious at a distance, but has not been cat tested so he would likely need to learn to give them space! While he has not been around children in his foster home, it is expected he would do well with older children – he does not know how big he is and uses his paws in play, so little children might find him to be a bit much! Evander is proof that we do not deserve dogs. After all he has been through, this happy guy will melt your heart and warm your home with his sweet nature. He is really looking forward to meeting you! To set up a meet and greet or inquire about a dog, please first fill out an application at https://savinghoperescue.org/adopt It doesn't obligate you, but it is the first step. We don't get to all of the inquiries but respond to all applications. Thank you for choosing to rescue!