Meet Riker! This handsome boy is ready to be the star of your universe! He is such a playful pup that is all about having fun, whether it's chasing a ball, going for walks, or just soaking up all the attention you can give him! His enthusiasm is contagious, and his tail never stops wagging! If you're looking for a furry best friend who's always ready to brighten your day, Riker is your guy!
IN SHELTER NOTES AND IDEAL HOME:
SIZE:
60 pounds
HOME TYPE:
House - No apartments due to being vocal from possible separation anxiety.
CHILDREN:
Yes - older children who have previously lived with a large dog potentially compatible.
CATS & SMALL ANIMALS:
No - Riker would not well in a home with cats, small animals or small dogs.
OTHER DOGS:
Yes - potentially compatible with other large sized dogs.
ACTIVITY/ENERGY LEVEL:
Moderate to Low; will need some daily exercise, enrichment and mental stimulation but enjoys plenty of down time as well.
HUMAN COMPATIBILITY:
First time dog owner possible.
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS/NEEDS:
Minimum 2 In person training sessions to work on the following; Basic training, Basic manners (jumping up, mouthing), Socialization, Reactivity and Possible Separation Anxiety.
FAVOURITE THINGS:
Exploring, chasing toys and getting attention from his human friends.
FOSTER AND FIELD TRIP INSIDER INFO: (please note that dogs may behave different in foster's care than adopter's care and the following cannot be guaranteed)
HOUSE TRAINING:
Riker is doing very well with house training. I am out of the home and in office two days a week and he was able to hold it for 9 hours with no accidents.
CAR MANNERS:
Riker jumped into the car with no hesitation. He appeared a little anxious with lots of panting. There were the occasional times he barked.
LEASH MANNERS / ON WALK MANNERS:
Riker likes to pull until he is at the end of the leash and then walk from there, but he does respond well with some training, but it is short lived. He will need training to walk at your side. He gets very excited when he sees a bunny.
CRATE TRAINING:
He has no issues going into his crate and responds really well with crate games; however, he really struggles with being left alone in there. He may settle better if his crate was in the room with someone but that's not possible with our situation. We are working through this with him, but he will need extra time and patience. Currently we are working with the vet team, and he is taking anxiety medication, and it has reduced his settle time from 1.5-2 hours to about 30 minutes. He is now mostly sleeping through the night but is an early riser.
KNOWN TRAINING CUES:
Sit, shake. He does not know down and seems a bit confused - working on it.
HUMAN SOCIAL:
He loves human interaction, being pet, snuggling, and will come and sit beside you and place a paw on you to ask for more. He has been struggling with being left alone when in his crate. However, he has been left out in a room with our other dogs, while we tend to things on another floor, and he does just fine. He settles and continue to sleep. He has met two human friends and has absolutely loved it, getting a little overexcited and barking a first, but then asking for pets and even trying to sit in their lap and show them how much he loves them.
He is in foster with two dogs, 9 and 6. He is doing very well. Most times they are indifferent to each other. All just sleeping in their own spots in the room. The occasional time he has played with them in the backyard but for the most part they keep to themselves. He for the most part is a laid-back dog. He spends lots of time sleeping that is just looking for some love and to trust that he can be alone, and someone will come back for him.
TOYS:
He loves destroying soft toys and will need tough toys for longer lasting play. He is a power chewer. He likes nylabones and harder chews. He will happily play with toys on his own and loves to go search out the next one from the toy bucket.
FOOD & TREATS:
Good eater! He is very treat motivated and we have been using liver. He likes to chew nylabones.He likes a stuffed kong but not more than he likes being in a crate. Usually find the kong with food left inside.
**For more information on any behaviours stated above, please check out our behaviour fact sheet: https://kwsphumane.ca/BehavioursandDefinitions
**Please remember that animals are coming back from foster care to the centres for their meet and greets. They will be experiencing a new environment and meeting new people, which means they may not exhibit the same behaviours they did in their foster videos or while in foster care.
If you are viewing this through 24PetConnect by PetPlace or Adopt-A-Pet, please visit our website https://kwsphumane.ca/adopt/process to submit an application. Any applications submitted outside of www.kwsphumane.ca may not be received.
