Pet of the week: Riley

Riley is a medium-sized Vizsla Mix

Welcome back to newswatch 12 midday and meet our pet of the week, riley.

Riley is a beautiful girl with soulful eyes and is a 3 year old, medium-sized vizsla mix weighing in at 55 pounds.

Riley was surrendered to the jackson county animal shelter after one family member passed away and the other family members became homeless.

In that home, she was reported to be friendly with family members, did well with kids 5 years and older, and was house trained.

At the shelter, she is aggressively fearful toward men that she doesn't know, which made her difficult to handle in that environment.

So, she was taken into foster care, where she has settled nicely after a couple of days of barking at the husband.

With kindness, patience and reassuring talk, riley and the husband are now best friends.

It is not known what caused this kind of reaction, but clearly this is a wonderful dog but not one for the first-time dog owner with no history in managing this kind of behavior.

Once riley is relaxed, she is very sweet and affectionate.

She responsive to correction, and easy to have around.

She wants to be near people and will follow you around the house.

She isn't very demanding, once she figures out your routines.

One note from her photographer, "riley was an immediate sweetheart for me to work with, and i thought that was a very good sign.

I wish i could have spent the whole day with her."

She's a very happy, smart girl, who wants to please.

She loves to run, likes playing with toys, and will do tricks for treats.

Riley can also be a bit pushy and dominant with other dogs she meets, but has learned to peacefully co-exist with the older dog peacefully co-exist learned to meets, but has other dogs she meets, but has learned to peacefully co-exist with the older dog in her foster home.

It's all about proper monitoring, guidance and patience.

It'll be important for her to meet any dog in her new home prior to adoption.

Given her initial reaction to unfamiliar men and her pushy nature with other dogs, the best environment for her and her people would be female household, with someone home much of the time, and one without a lot of visitors.

Based on her behavior around cats at the animal shelter, she will chase them!

So for riley to have the next best new life, where she can rebuild her confidence, it's likely she needs be the only pet.

Her past experience says riley rides well in the car, likes to go for walks, and hasn't been destructive when left alone in the home.

If you have questions or think you are the one who can shepherd this beautiful dog into a future as a confident, peaceful, playful companion, please call her foster mom, barbara, at 541-890-2308.

If you would like to learn more about riley or another dog at the shelter, you can find the information for the jackson county animal shelter here on your screen, and of course on our website