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Tonka

Adopted

Description

Male, 5 years, German Shepherd/Boxer X, 80 lbs

Tonka is an amazing dog. This boy is handsome, he loves to cuddle, loves his food and LOVES cars rides to name a few of his favorite things! He definitely will always have a piece of my heart.

At first when he arrived in Canada it was said that he would be best in an only dog home and no cats. Since we met Tonka, he has adjusted wonderfully with my dog as well as the cat. Meeting the cat did take time (over a month mainly due to my cat being old and grumpy) but now they can roam freely and he for the most part minds his own business. He is a sweet boy.

During the day I am working from home so he has not been crated. When I have to go out here and there he is also not crated. He does great in the house and is potty trained. He will bark at dogs passing by but is quick to be quiet when you tell him to stop. He has had no accidents since the first couple of weeks I have had him and even when he did it was due to an upset tummy which is totally understandable. Right now he does not give any indicator of needing to go outside since he is being trained on a schedule but I have no doubt he could be bell trained or something along those lines if that is better suited for your home. He is a very smart dog.

Tonka knows how to sit, stay and lay down. He takes treats gently and doesn’t seem to show any food aggression but I still ensure to give him his space while he eats and we all appreciate being left alone when we eat

Tonka does enjoy the couch as well as my bed but we now have stopped jumping on the couch and bed unless he is welcomed to do so. He has a few beds around the house he is more than happy to sleep in but most of the time is at my feet snuggled up in a ball and quite content. He does shed so be sure to have a good vacuum. Although he is not a fan of the vacuum and occasionally the hair dryer (barks a lot and tries to eat them LOL) I found that gating him off where I vacuum or putting him in another room solved the problem until he adjusted more. Getting on a good brushing schedule also has helped me not need the vacuum so much and like I said, he does love affection very much so brushing is a very easy task but does NOT like the bath. The poor guy runs for his life!

Tonka does need a lot of patience and training when walking . For the most part he will pull here and there out of excitement and he does love to sniff and pee on everything. We have had two training sessions so far to work on that and he is a quick learner and doesn’t stop nearly as much to sniff things or pull as much already in only just a couple of weeks. The issue is when he sees another dog he gets over excited on his leash and will pull, bark and jump. He is a strong boy so he would be best off with a human companion who can control this. I am fairly certain this is a leash reactivity but I have not had many chances to see how he would do around new dogs (on or off leash) except for my dog who he gets along with as well as a smaller dog he was able to meet while in the house. Tonka’s leash reactivity will take a lot of time, training, persistence and patience as mentioned to overcome. Since the end of January I have noticed big changes in his walking and he is starting to get more comfortable but there is still a lot of work to be done. He can walk with my dog but I have decided to keep walking them separately while Tonka is learning how to behave while on his leash and other dogs are within view as two large dogs are quite the handful to control when excited.

Tonka’s overall energy level is medium. During the day and evenings he is calm and relaxed. When going out for a walk or car ride his energy kicks in but he is a good listener and calms quickly but struggles when on leash and another dog is near.

In my opinion Tonka needs a home with no small children as he does want to chase them and nibble. He would do fine with older kids as they will have the knowledge on how to tell him “No” and help him to understand what is and is not allowed.

Tonka needs a home that:

-Is affectionate and has time to play and cuddle with him every day. He loves his scratches!

-Can walk him a couple of times a day and can control and learn the techniques to manage his leash reactivity

-Can provide structure and training he needs and not give up on him

-Will take him on car rides

-Has an activity level that is moderate to active as well as understands that activities may be restricted for you both as you learn to know one another

-Doesn’t mind a little bit of dog hair

-Has a canine/feline companion. If you have a dog and are a single person, understand that you will not be able to walk your dogs together until Tonka can get a handle on seeing other dogs while on his leash

-Has no tiny humans

Tonka is being fostered in Calgary.

Adoption costs: $600.00