Zion

My story

There is an adorable video of me on social media! Click here to experience the cuteness! Zion is a bright and energetic pup enrolled in our Shelter Scholars program, where he's working on managing on-leash reactivity and building stronger impulse control. Through positive reinforcement training, structured enrichment, and confidence-building activities, Zion is learning how to stay calm and focused during walks and make more thoughtful choices in exciting situations. He's making great strides in redirecting his energy, improving his leash manners, and responding to cues with increasing consistency.On my #BoroughBreak, we.. went for a nice long walk around Ridgewood and Bushwick! We stopped for breaks in the parks, where we had lots of cuddles and treats. Zion is very well trained, and is able to sit and shake! He was not reactive when seeing other people or dogs and did not bark once. His favorite thing to do was lean against us and get lots of head rubs!Meet Zion!Zion is a big-hearted, 8-year-old mixed breed who loves adventure and human companionship. After spending his life with two adults, he's looking for a forever home where he can thrive with structure, patience, and love.Ideal Home:Zion would do best in an experienced, adult-only home with a secure yard. He needs a stable environment, positive reinforcement training, and help building confidence-especially on leash.Kids & Dogs:Zion isn't suited for homes with kids under 13 or other dogs, as he can be reactive and easily overstimulated.Leash Manners & Training:He's strong and may lunge at dogs, cats, or fast-moving people. Structured training will help improve his leash skills and ease his reactivity.Health:Zion is healthy, energetic, and food-motivated. Regular exercise and enrichment will keep him happy.Behavior Level:Zion is a Level 3 behavior dog-best for adopters familiar with managing excitement, reactivity, and separation anxiety.A volunteer writes: We have the ultimate snuggly teddy bear up for adoption. Zion is an 8 year old handsome, affectionate, and irresistible man. Zion came to us when his owner did not want to care for him anymore. Zion has been gentle taking snacks, and we have all noticed he enjoys sitting on laps! He appreciates belly rubs and head rub. He had lived with his previous owner for 6 months, and we aren't sure what the previous 8 years entailed. He did spend time around kids of all ages and did well with them, but prefers to keep space from other animals. He likes to spend time where his people are, and everything we have seen of him at the shelter confirms that. Primary Color: Brown Weight: 56.2 Age: 8yrs 6mths 3wks

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Zion, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.