Griz came into my life with worms and skin problems. Those were fully resolved after a month or two. It was assumed that he had been neutered. However, that proved not to be the case when some almond shaped lumps near his belly developed and had to be removed (undescended testicles). His initial housebreaking skills were terrible but he's perfect now. When I first adopted him, he was afraid of lots of things: ants, waves, bare feet, Nik's barking, plastic bags, people carrying things, etc. He's overcome these things but he will probably always have a cautious personality. He's still afraid of bare feet. He's also a bit clumsy, comical, and silly. Griz loves children and must have had them in his previous home. I've taught him lots of tricks which have boosted his confidence and the bond between us. At first, he turned down cheese and other treats. But now, he'll eat anything. He worships and adores Grem. He also loves to play with Dilly. The two girls definitely outrank him. They will steal his food, his toys, and his sunny spot. Griz is also a good swimmer and will bring me back the other dogs' toys when they decide it's too cold to go get them.

Griz has issues with other dogs. Although he gets along fine with my dogs, he will chase and bite other dogs. His "reactivity" is worse with big dogs and running dogs. He can also get overstimulated by small dogs which can escalate into bullying and nipping. The mix of fear, curiosity, improper socializing when young, and Terrier personality can be a bad combination! Especially when you spend time off-leash in areas where you are likely to encounter other dogs. We have both come a long way after a several years of managing the problem. I had hoped that he would become more relaxed after thousands of good experiences and millions of treats. However, I will probably always need to be diligent and leash him up when other dogs are present. Luckily, there are lots of places in our town where we can be pretty much on our own. For more recent photos of Griz, see my current and previous pack pages.