🐾 Meet Charlie

(aka #KingCharlie. A Soul Dog. The One Who Will Change You.) 👑💜

There are dogs you like.
There are dogs you love.
And then there are dogs who crawl straight into your chest, unpack their bags, and quietly rearrange your entire nervous system.

Charlie is that dog.

Charlie is believed to be a 3–4-year-old Golden Retriever / Dachshund mix, weighing about 37 pounds, with a deep, silky-soft red coat and unbelievably expressive SOUL-DOG eyes that don’t just look at you — they communicate with you.

Charlie is quiet at first. Watchful. You feel him clocking everything. And if you don’t know his story, you might think, “Oh, he’s just a little shy.” But once you do know it? You realize how much courage and bravery it has taken for him to blossom into who he is today.

🧠 The Backstory (And Why He Needs Patience) 🕰️

Charlie spent years trapped inside a filthy, disgusting hoarding house. Years without outside access. Without choice. Without safety. Without normal human interaction. Without learning what most dogs learn without thinking. During that time, we believe he only ever had contact with one older man, and the other dogs that were held in that home with him.

When he first came out of that house, the fear lived in his eyes in a way that is hard to explain unless you’ve seen it. There’s a photo from that day — above — and his eyes are a gut-wrenching throat punch. They stopped me cold. Not dramatic. Not theatrical. Just… devastating. Those were the eyes of a dog who wanted to trust but the fear wouldn’t let him.

And here’s the part that matters most:
That dog is not who Charlie is anymore.

In just two days of direct, hands-on work, Charlie broke through the crippling fear. In the two weeks he’s been with me, Charlie has blossomed. I don’t mean “improved.” I mean blossomed. He went from shut down and terrified to smiling. Running. Pouncing. Initiating play. He learned — quickly — that he was safe. That nothing bad was going to happen here. That hands bring gentle pets (and lots of butt scritches). That the mama brings scrumptious snacks. That hoomans are… actually kind of magical.

But I need to be crystal clear (and realistic): Charlie is NOT the dog who is going to come up to you and give you trust when you meet him. He’s cautious with new people still… and then he comes around mind-blowingly well if you give him a few days to get his bearings. Patience, kind words, a calm environment, and (optionally) another friendly pooch to show him the way will help Charlie to learn to dog. For now, he would do best in a low-stress, calm home, without demands as he’s taking in so many new people, sights, sounds, and experiences. Of course, once he gets comfortable… and that switch flips?
Oh my God.

You don’t earn a piece of Charlie.
You earn all of him.

Once he trusts you, he loves hard. Fully. Genuinely. With his whole being. He seeks you out. He waits for you. He positions himself where he knows you’ll see him. He watches for you. And when you show up? His entire body responds. Happy feet. Wiggle butt. Huge smile. Those eyes — those deep, brown, soul-dog eyes — locked onto you like you hung the moon.

🛋️ Energy Level: Perfectly Balanced King Energy

Charlie is literally THE perfect mix of appropriate doggo silliness and chill-time.

He sleeps on a dog bed under my desk without a single complaint while I work. When we get up for a break, he get’s excited, has a happy-waggy-body, a big smile, and is ready for some lovies, outdoor time, and maybe even some zoomies!

He has not begun playing with toys yet, but we know there is a goofy puppy inside of Charlie, so once he really figures out WHAT toys are, we anticipate that he will enjoy tossing them around.

💞 Affection Level: A Love Story 

Picture it: Aurora, 2026.

A beautiful but terrified dog came into my home. I was his LAST CHANCE. He wouldn’t come near me. Wouldn’t look at me. Ran away from me when I moved.

Two days later… following the lead of the other dogs, he approached slowly. Tail wagging just a little.
He was ready.

Now? I climb into bed and Charlie is right behind me, taking his self-appointed place at my side. Once I’m settled, he throws his head back into my lap, tongue flopped out, smiling like he just won the doggy lottery, and those eyes… those BIG, BOWN, SOUL-DOG EYES lock into mine asking for ALL. DA. LOVIES. And yeah… he gets them!

He pushes into me as I rub his head, ears, and belly. He loves butt scritches, and even seems to like my fiddling around in the pads of hims little feets!

During the day when he knows I’m heading his direction, he stands watching. Smile ready. Eyes JOYFUL. Feet tippy-tapping all over the place in anticipation of me dropping everything to scoop him into my arms and give him soooo many lovies, which he absolutely believes are his constitutional right. And honestly? He’s not wrong.

This dog is a lover. A KING. A SOUL-DOG.
It’s all in there.
You just have to give him a minute.

😂 Quirks, Comedy & Daily Schedule (Because Charlie Runs a Tight Ship)

Charlie figured out the household routine in under a week.
So if you suffer from menopause brain, ADHD, or general human forgetfulness — King Charlie has you covered.

• Dinner is at 5. He will remind you.

• Bedtime is whenever you go to bed. But wait! He’s coming too… he just has little legs!

• Wake-up time is 7am. Snoozing is allowed… but you will owe the pet tax when you start moving around.

• Morning kisses are mandatory.

• Potty. Then breakfast. His second favorite thing on Earth.

He LOVES excited, high-pitched voices and will reward you with world-class head tilts. Once bonded, he wants you to chase him — which immediately triggers happy feet, zoomies and a ton of joy.

🌳 Potty Training: The King Has Standards

Charlie is the master of the doggy door. Truly.
He lets himself out to potty 99.99% of the time 

He has never had a poopy accident in the house — because he is, objectively, the best boi ever. 💅
He has lifted his leg a few times indoors, which is not uncommon for dogs new to homes and routines — especially after years of confinement. Since his neuter and with gentle redirection, that behavior has diminished almost completely.

Considering this dog only learned what “outside” was a month ago, he is doing an absolutely phenomenal job.

🎓 Training Progress

All of our work so far has focused on trust-building, and it’s paying off in a massive way.
Charlie is highly treat motivated, comes when called, and is ready to learn more once settled. Considering where he started such a short time ago — this progress is nothing short of extraordinary.

🏡 Charlie’s Ideal Home

Charlie will thrive in a calm, patient, adult (or possibly with gentle, patient, dog-savvy kids over 12) home who understand that trust is built — not demanded.

• A secure, fully fenced yard is important so he can explore safely without being overwhelmed by the outside world quite yet.

• A doggy door (even temporarily) is a huge help early on.

• Humans who are home often (WFH or retired) are ideal — he bonds deeply.

• Furniture access and bed privileges are REQUIRED (King’s orders).

Once Charlie knows he’s safe? He’s yours. Completely.

👀 Those Eyes…

And the eyes. I need to say this again because it matters.

You don’t look into Charlie’s eyes.
You experience them.

The first time I looked into his eyes – they hurt. I could physically FEEL him – so powerfully. His eyes were devastating.  They carried fear and hope at the same time. I saw a soul who wanted to trust. Wanted to believe. Wanted to love… but the fear simply wouldn’t let him. 

Now? His eyes are just as devastating, only now it’s in a GOOD way. When he looks at me, that power is still there — but it’s changed. Now I see joy. Trust. Hope. Love. Real, honest-to-God love. The kind that feels intentional. Chosen. Earned. 💜

If a man looked at me the way Charlie does, I wouldn’t be single.
I said what I said. 😏

Charlie is not for everyone. And that’s okay — because he’s not supposed to be. He’s for someone patient. Someone kind. Someone who understands that the best things in life don’t come rushing at you full speed — they come quietly, sit beside you, and change you forever.

If you’re patient…

If you’re gentle…
If you’re willing to give an incredible dog a minute to catch his breath…

You’ll see what we see – 

A King.
A soul dog.
A once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.

👑 You’ll See King Charlie 💜