NICO - COURTESY POST
31 Flavors MixesTHIS IS A COURTESY POST. PLEASE CONTACT THE PERSON OR GROUP LISTED IN THIS POSTING FOR MORE INFO. DO NOT CONTACT LALDR, AS WE HAVE NO FU... show more
THIS IS A COURTESY POST. PLEASE CONTACT THE PERSON OR GROUP LISTED IN THIS POSTING FOR MORE INFO. DO NOT CONTACT LALDR, AS WE HAVE NO FURTHER INFO ON THE DOG. For info on Nico, please contact: Jacquie at jdballan@hotmail.com Nico Male, Mixed Breed 2-3 years old About 40 lbs, approx 20 inches tall Neutered, full shots, flea medicated Medicated on Gabapentin and Trazodone Special diet of vet-approved food Background on Nico Adopted as a street dog from Mexico. Rescue center did not inform us fully on Nico’s issues, we were told he was very friendly, especially with other dogs and kids. We were told he is very active and the current foster that had him took him 4-5 walks/day and played fetch 2-3 times/day. No mention of reactivity, or aggression – and we didn’t ask either. We mentioned we lived in an apartment, and they didn’t seem to have any hesitations about that. We did not pay an adoption fee or sign any papers, nor did he have to pay for his transport to the States. We only paid transportation to get him over the border. When we got him he was very excitable, very friendly and seemed to just love physical affection from everyone and loved playing with dogs. For about a month, it was great – he had some quirks right off the bat like being super sketched out at night, barking at all the sounds in the hallway, and being overly excited when playing which included a lot of mouthing play. He also would eat everything off of the ground, such as rocks, carcasses, poop, food, everything almost. It all changed when he was playing with some dogs at night (it was dark out), and he got into a fight with another dog that resulted in Nico biting the dog. Then the following week, the owner of that dog approached me on the street to harass me about my dog. We were both terrified and I believe since then, Nico has turned for the worse. A couple weeks after this incident, he bit me on the nose, breaking the skin, during a morning cuddle session in our bed. This led to us not allowing him on the furniture, muzzle-training him, and not cuddling/play-wrestling with him (advised by our trainer to do so). Ever since then, things have progressively gotten worse. He has now bitten me and my husband multiple times, snapping quite often when we go to pet him and he doesn’t want it, or when we try to put his harness/muzzle on/off. He has attacked us both a couple times for just walking past him or moving suddenly and spooking him. He has attacked every single person that comes into our apartment, along with lunging aggressively towards strangers on walks, and even at my workplace. He is absolutely obsessed with other dogs still, but has lunged/barked aggressively towards some dogs in our neighborhood. For the most part, he is great with other dogs. We usually do not let him play with other dogs now unless he is muzzled, which doesn’t happen very often anymore as we are too scared to put the muzzle on/off him. We even left the harness on him at all times now so we don’t have to take it on/off. We are not comfortable bathing him, cutting his nails or brushing his teeth. We can’t even towel him off after a walk in the rain properly, as he will not let us touch his legs/paws, and even in order to towel off his back and face we have to turn it into a game so he does not snap at us. In regards to his living environment, we think it’s a big stressor on him and may be contributing to some of his behavior. He is constantly barking at any noises in the hallway, and he often does not want to come back inside after his walks. He loves being outdoors and I truly believe that he needs a backyard so he can be happy. He is not happy. We have to keep him drugged all the time because he is so out of control when he is not. So he pretty much always looks sad and depressed, unless we are playing fetch with his favorite stuffed animal. Toys are his favorite, besides twigs and pinecones, and he does have a strong tendency to guard them but he has come a long way with that. Some good things about Nico: He is such a shadow dog. Follows us around everywhere and is happiest when my husband is sitting on the floor with him watching TV (as this is the most physical affection we give him). He LOVES toys and playing fetch with them. He learns so quickly – he has mastered sit, lay down and up! He knows what “uh’uh” and “no” mean, and even “out” when I want him out of the kitchen. He listens to “stay” and “wait” most of the time, unless there are too many distractions around. He walks pretty well on leash (when he isn’t lunging at strangers), and LOVES to run, hike and play in the water (just not the ocean yet – waves scare him). He is very affectionate and loving (which is very confusing to his high probability of “snapping” at any moment), amazing at being home alone (barks sometimes), and is incredibly cute. He goes crazy for socks, blankets and is very treat-motivated. We have been working with a trainer one-on-one since we got him in April 2021, and we have been working with Dr Rebecca Ledger (animal behaviorist) to manage his behavior/outbursts for a few months now. Our last meeting with her (beginning of Sept) left us feeling very defeated, as we didn’t have any positive progress to report, only things getting progressively worse with his reactivity/aggression. She advised that because of his bite history, and the fact that he bites/snaps on his owners, he is a liability and it would be irresponsible of us to re-home him. She recommended we euthanize him, or live with him as he is, which would is very stressful for everyone involved. We are out of options at this point, and we are so financially, mentally and physically exhausted by Nico – but yet we love him so much and have created such a strong bond with him. We really do not want to consider having to euthanize him as he has so much life to live yet. I truly believe that with the right people and training, and the right environment to thrive in, he could be a great dog and companion! We are both first-time dog owners, and can openly admit that we are out of our league. We are not experienced enough, and honestly do not have the capacity to put the work in with Nico. We need help, and urgently. We believe that his ideal home would have a backyard, be in a more quiet setting, and have no cats or small children. I do actually believe that he would benefit from an older dog that is not interested in toys (so Nico doesn’t fight over the toys), so he can learn proper behaviors and also have a play companion. Please let us know if you have any means to help us, in any capacity. We would truly appreciate it. Thanks so much. For info on Nico, please contact: Jacquie at jdballan@hotmail.com COURTESY POST ONLY show less
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