Monday, October 25, 2010

A K-9 Corrections update

Sadly Nico got pulled from the program for intimidating some of the guards. Apparently he was barking when they did their checks and looked into his room. Akitas can be territorial so I don't doubt that it was happening. Unfortunately they made him leave without discussion or letting us try to modify his behavior. (or manage it by crating him during those checks) Lessons learned and we will work to try to prevent any future episodes like this again. He's back at the shelter decompressing before heading to the adoption floor.

Roxy is making strides. She is getting more social every day. Large crowds of people still make her nervous and she prefers to be the one initiating contact with people she doesn't know well. We've found that she likes other dogs alot and loosens up when one is around. We'll probably try to find her a home with another dog for that reason. Here she is practicing her "sit pretty" trick.

This is Gordon. A terrier mix who has taken over Nico's spot. Don't be fooled by his cute face, he's not as innocent as he looks.
He needs to learn to mind his manners and follow the rules so he can stay in a home. (He knows how to chew through leashes hence the chain leash that I normally despise.) He has a lot of energy to burn. He does some very interesting big air moves when chasing his tennis balls so we might try him at some frisbee tricks. He tends to over react when telling off another dog and going overboard with his correction to them. He does ok with Roxy most of the time but needs to be managed with her even though she gives great signals to him when he gets after her. Because of this I think he might do best as an only dog in a home. I'm sure he'll get a lot of interest due to his "cuteness" factor but he's going to need a home with someone who isn't a pushover and can keep up with him. He's a good example of how small and cute doesn't always equal easy to place.

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