Phil was brought into SAAP at just a few days old as a member of the Hercules litter, he was originally adopted at 10 weeks old and in April made his way back to SAAP due to no fault of his own. Phil is a typical teenage pup that is full of energy and has entered the stage where he is testing boundaries to see what he can get away with vs what he can't.
He knows sit, shake, and down. He walks great on a slip chain collar, but even on a flat collar he doesn't have horrid leash manners. He loves to play a game of ‘how far can we walk before Phil pancakes'. Thus, despite his energy levels, he can be rather lazy when it comes to going on walks.
His favorite game is to steal items and run with them-he loves the chase. He hasn't exhibited any aggressive behavior/tendencies when taking things away from him (that he's stolen) or when being corrected etc.
Phil's biggest problem is that he was never taught to be alone by his original adopters. We've worked really hard to show him that he can relax and be alone without barking, and he's making great strides! He's had lots of sit on the dog sessions both inside and outside, and is slowly learning to relax on his own! He responds well to a bark/ e collar for correction, but he does not respond to a spray water bottle, clicker, clapping, etc. He is not overly food motivated when it comes to learning new things or being corrected and rewarded for responding to the correction. However, he has quickly learned that going in the crate without being forced in or running away leads to a treat. And he is all for that! He has also quickly learned where the food is kept and will let us know when he's hungry. He was a bit picky on food but we've finally found one in the house he likes (there were only 5 options??).
He is dog friendly and gets very excited about other dogs. We are recommending a home with no small children at this time due to Phil's excitement level. He easily can knock you over trying to get love from you. Aside from that, he appears to be kid friendly.
We haven't cat tested him, but should you have a cat and be interested in adopting Phil, we will happily do so.
Phil is house trained on a schedule, but will need patience for the first couple weeks of transitioning into a new home to adjust.
With his relaxation practice, he is becoming better in the crate. We are still recommending a single family home at this time due to his barking. As he learns to relax more this criteria could change, but to prevent returns due to barking it is needed.
