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BackOctivas
Available for Adoption
Description
Name: Octivas
ID # RT20241109-1
Estimated Age: 2 years
Sex: Neutered male
Estimated Breed: Australian Cattle Dog/American Pit Bull Terrier Mix
Weight: Unknown
Good with Dogs: Yes, Selective with male dogs and prefers submissive males
Good with Cats: Unknown
Good with Children: Older children
Special/Medical Needs:
Estimated Energy Level: Medium/High
Current Location: Calgary, AB.
Adoption Fee: $650
Octivas (who his fosters have renamed as Ozzy) is the most lovable, funny and loyal hooligan of a goofball. All he wants in life is a loving family to call his own. He bonds very hard and quickly with his people and is quite a clinger who will always be by your side, ready and super pumped for the next adventure. He is a smart boy who is eager to please and catches onto training quickly. He has had a rough past and is working on some resulting behaviours, but would do well with owners who have the time to continue to train and work with him. He is just a gem of a dog, but needs a lot of exercise, consistency and a strong pack leader from his human(s).
Ozzy has spent his first few years in survival mode in a free roaming community so is still overcoming some behaviours from that. Therefore he does guard from other dogs (not humans) the things that are precious to him: food, favourite toys, and sometimes his humans. He is receptive to correction and has come a long way, but he will need a human that will be a strong and consistent leader who sets firm boundaries for him. He would do best in a home where he is the only dog and all the attention and training can be focused on him. He does currently live with another larger female dog and a 12 lbs feisty male dog and does do pretty well. If he goes to a home with another dog his owners will need to know how to work with guarding behaviours and be vigilante to work with and prevent these. Funny enough, he considers his 12 lbs feisty foster dog bro a 0% threat, and has never guarded wth him but has with his larger foster dog sister (as much as he loves and adores her). He would do best in a home with either a small dog or a female, but no medium or large males. He is selective with male dogs, a survival instinct he picked up from his past life. He hasn’t been tested with cats, but he possibly would do okay with them as he is excellent with his small foster brother who has a lot of attitude.
Activity Level: High. Ozzy is very much in his teenage dog years and has a ton of energy. He needs to be run on a daily basis and will absolutely need an active home for both his and his new owner’s sanity. This means taking him on daily runs, letting him tag along on mountain bike/hiking adventures, or bringing him to wide open off leash areas to run or agility classes. He is not a dog who you can only take on daily saunters. He needs a daily outlet for his energy to help him focus and be the amazing boy that he is, otherwise he can be a bit of a menace. He is not meant to be an apartment dog and will need to go to a detached home with a yard.
Ozzy has amazing recall and does very well in wide open off leash areas where he can run and meet a few dogs at a time, but under close supervision. His owner will need to be vigilant and able to recognize any signs of dominance or defensive behaviour in order to correct it before it becomes an issue. His recall is one of his best qualities and his fosters have taught him that when allowed, he can go up to and meet other dogs, but needs to come back right away when called to avoid any unwanted behaviours with other males. He loves running and playing with female dogs and other males who are non dominant. Fenced in off leash areas will be a “no go” for him as he can be selective with dominant male dogs and the busyness of those parks can make him nervous and defensive.
Leash walking: Ozzy is reactive towards other dogs on leash, which seems to be a vulnerable and fear based reaction for him. He is a perfect gentlemen when passing other people and is fine with bikes. He doesn’t pull which is also very nice. He is working on going into a sit and focusing his attention on his foster when another dog is passing by, which is progressing well. His leash training will need ongoing work, patience and consistency. He does best walking on leash as the only dog where his person can focus all of their attention and training on him. His reactivity is worse when walking with his foster pack.
Kids: Ozzy is amazing with kids, and was a daily visitor at a local school from the community where he came from. He is a smart boy and knew he could get love and scraps from the kids and staff there. He will probably be too much for super young kids however, due to his energy level.
House training: Ozzy is fully house trained and has never had an accident in his foster’s home.
Car Travel: Ozzy travels very well in the car. He will settle down for a nap on a road trip.
Kennelling: Learning to be kennelled has been a very slow and tedious process with this guy as he does not like to feel trapped. His fosters are still working on kennelling with him and helping him realize that it is his safe space, but this may be something that he will never fully warm up to. He does currently free roam in his foster’s house for an entire workday without issue. However this did take time and his new owners will need to make sure that they go slow when leaving him home to free roam at first. He use to cry and make quite a ruckus when initially left, but this has stopped with routine and him being comfortable in his surroundings.
Ozzy really is just the sweetest guy who only wants love and to be your loyal companion and sidekick. He will bring a lot of laughter and joy into your life with his goofy behaviour and young dog antics. He would be an excellent adventure pal as he just wants to be with and love his human(s). He is a super fun guy but needs boundaries, consistency and a strong human leader to help him be his best self.
If you are interested in meeting this dog, please fill out an application.
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