Meet Goose
Goose the Moose is a sweet, lovable, and (once you gain his trust) faithful and protective companion. But.... (there's always a but), he does have issues. Namely doggie PTSD. Goose needs to be in an environment where he has firm discipline (not abuse) and direction. He is extremely intelligent (one of the smartest dogs I've seen in a very long time) and learns oh so quickly, but that intelligence needs to be focused with positive behavioral re-enforcement (not negative consequences or abusive punishment). Anyone who thinks PTSD has any sort of quick fix with choke chains or shock collars is delusional.
Goose's behavioral modifications and adaptations will take time (maybe even years), patience, consistency, and love but the biggest part of all of this is trust. Without trust, any type of behavioral training will eventually fail. Some of the symptoms he exhibits when not in a positively focused environment include extreme anxiety (constant pacing/panting), fearfulness of new surroundings and sounds (not normal decompression fear but heightened to the point of almost being phobic), rapid aggression responses without a specific trigger, hyper-vigilance (that's where that "trust factor comes in), and a type of clinginess (Velcro dog) that can be overwhelming, just to name a few. Anyone taking Goose into their home must understand that this big muttley is not your average pooch: he is so far above average and needs a handler who can help him focus his potential. Since he loves to run, Goose would do very well in a large suburban or rural type setting with a fenced yard or field (for his sense of security - he will work in an open area, but the slightest fear trigger will set him back days or possibly weeks), and a buddy (human) who has the time to dedicate to this wonderful big guy. A doggie companion would be ok (with proper introduction), but there must be considerations for a companion dog, as well (temperament, age, size, gender, etc. - Little Bit is actually his very best buddy). Even with only a dedicated human partner, he will do just fine. Housebroken, neutered, heart worm negative and fully vaccinated, Goose is ready to move on to his forever home.
The perfect home I envision for Goose is a young, single (or couple) outdoors type who can take Goose on adventures (slowly acclimating) like hiking or camping, letting him live his fullest possible life. Despite his high intellect, Goose's issues may preclude him from being trained for activities such as hunting or retrieving, but he would be a prime candidate for agility training (we are currently working on the basics of this through play therapy) and maybe even search and rescue. Whatever Goose's future holds, anyone brining him into their pack would be gaining a loyal and faithful companion for life.