Link

My story

**IF THIS LISTING IS STILL POSTED THIS DOG IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. NO NEED TO EMAIL ASKING IF THE DOG IS AVAILABLE. PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS BIO THOROUGHLY AS INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY IS CONTAINED IN THIS LISTING** For Adoption: Link! Please read our dog bios carefully to be sure that the dog you are applying for suits your family and lifestyle. We at PDR believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process. To apply for adoption and for more information on our process and requirements, visit our website at https://pounddog.ca/adoption-info/. This stunning boy is Link and he is so excited to start his new life! Link is a 1-½ year old Shiba Inu mixed with Pomeranian (unique right??) with a soft black and dark brown coat and a telltale sickle tail that rarely stops moving! At around 25lbs, he is active and agile and built for speed with a long body and short, strong legs. He has soulful brown eyes and a pearly white, million dollar smile. Link is a very sweet and devoted companion who needs a family to help him continue to get the socialization and confidence that he so needs. Link was picked up as a stray and taken to a pound where he remained unclaimed. He was very uncomfortable in that environment, pacing around his enclosure non-stop. Thankfully, PDR stepped in and whisked him away to the safety of a foster home where he was able to truly relax and show his playful, energetic self. Link has been a wonderful houseguest and has learned so much in the short time he has been with us. He is looking for a family who will be committed to continuing his training and socialization as he has shown to be incredibly smart and eager to please. Link has a healthy dose of stranger danger which is quieted by ensuring all introductions are slow and controlled. Link will do best in a house with enough space to allow for his happy, playful antics and he has made a special request for a backyard. I have not yet found the end of his energy so his forever family should be looking for an active dog who is ready to accompany them on walks, hikes, runs, bike rides, and/or training – and a good romp in the backyard when he still needs to expend a bit of energy. Link goes for multiple walks a day and has become very good on the leash. On days when paying attention is a little more of a struggle, he has been learning how to walk with a gentle leader and this really makes a big difference. When we took him in he was nervous of everything and would bark at anyone approaching but he has found quite a bit of confidence and with some guidance he has learned that he is safe. Carrying a bag of treats doesn’t hurt either! This is where we have done our most work helping him be calm around strangers. He has become much more calm although sometimes when excited he will still circle in his crate just to be sure you can SEE how excited he is! He is a relatively quiet dog in the home, only howling or whining a bit if he feels he’s missing out on something. When someone comes to the door or into the house for the first time, he is true to his breed and can be vocal but settles well and quickly. Link is a big lover – the minute I get down on the ground with him he flops over into my lap for some affection and would lay there all day if I let him. He is also an experienced couch potato and is happy to curl up for some cuddles after a good walk. He has been a model student, learning his manners in the home. His last hurdle in the house is just remembering that he is expected to be calm and settled – learning a ‘place’ command has greatly helped with this. Link is a wonderful companion for anyone who enjoys working with a dog – training and working as a team. He would absolutely EXCEL at dog sports and at the very least, his new family should be interested in pursuing advanced levels of training. He is smart and he will need the mental exercise to go with his physical routines. Link is also a toy connoisseur with a specialty in chewing – he gathers his toys around him and plays a round robin tournament, joyfully moving from toy to toy to toy. He is very quickly redirected if he strays from his toys to something that does not belong to him but, as a young and inexperienced dog, he does need that level of supervision in the home. He is crate trained and is crated whenever I am out of the house or if I am unable to pay attention to him. On days when I work in the office this means he is crated in the morning and again in the afternoon with a walk at lunch. He could maintain this schedule as long as his family is willing to devote proper time to him outside of work. He goes to his crate when asked and has even put himself in there at the end of the day. He also eats all of his meals in his crate. The crate training has ensured that he is housebroken, never having an accident in the house (save a gastro upset in his crate in the beginning of his time here). It will be important for his forever family to keep up this crate training with him to ensure success in his new home. Link is still nervous on car rides and rides in a crate for everyone’s safety. He whines and circles in the crate for a bit before eventually settling down. Continued exposure and confidence building should see this become less stressful for him. It’s clear he was loved in his last home but he is largely under socialized so he is just a bit behind in this kind of development. His new family needs to be willing to keep getting him out into the world so he can keep evolving into the wonderful dog that he is. Link has received several baths while in his foster home, each being a little easier than the last. He’s not going to volunteer for such a task but he is understanding that it is necessary and harmless to cooperate. Luckily, his soft and luxurious coat does not require a lot of grooming so regular baths and some brushing are enough to keep him shiny and comfortable. Link is being fostered in a home with extra small dogs and does his best around them. He is not aggressive to them but he’s just so happy to see them! His energetic movements are a little much for them and he could inadvertently knock them down so their time together is closely monitored. He would be fine in a home with another dog of the same or larger size as long as they were also young and ready for Link’s playful personality. He would also have no trouble being the only dog in the house and that might be a benefit for a family to be able to give him the attention and training that he requires. Link is untested with cats but I would be concerned that his strong prey drive would make for a stressful relationship. When we are out walking, Link is a hunter with a preference for rabbits (but anything that runs or flies is fair game to him). He is relatively unaffected when we see other dogs out walking and we have been participating in a dog training class where he is also unfazed by other dogs in the room. He was nervous of the people in the class and training the class but after week #1 his fears were gone. He very much needs a calm and controlled first meeting and then seems to relax around new people. Link has met some young neighborhood friends and has done very well with them. He can be a bit wary of new or loud noises so he would likely be stressed in a home with small children. A calm, adult only home or one with teenage children would be a fine fit for him. We just need to be sure that anyone interacting with him in the home can stick to the training that he will be getting so that he can keep building his confidence and trust with consistency and patience. When we realized how under socialized Link was, we enrolled him in Level One training at a local dog training academy. We wanted to get him some helpful exposure in an environment that we knew would be safe. To say he has done well would be an understatement – he is the star pupil! His intelligence, his devotion to his handler and his love of treats make him an unstoppable force in the classroom. Learning at home and in the classroom, he has built up a small toolbox of commands that he knows and he adds all the time. He has also learned to respond to corrections with a well placed AHH AHH. There is no end to his ability and he would do well with a family who loves dog training and can commit to life long training for this very special boy. When Link was picked up by the pound he was already neutered. Since then he has received all the proper vaccinations and tests appropriate for his age. He was an itchy boy to start but that has settled and may have been partially the nervousness he felt in the shelter. We have him on a food that is safe for allergies just in case as he has no official diagnosis for allergies at this time. He is in great shape and is sitting at the proper weight after being found underweight. Link handles the vet as he handles any other unknown people so slow introductions with LOTS of treats made the vet visit go smoothly. Link is an absolute gem of a dog who needs a family who WANTS to work with a dog. He needs more socialization and a family who will keep him feeling safe in the world. He promises to pay you back in endless cuddles and non stop game play. An active family who are looking for a dog to participate in their adventures would be a dream come true for this boy. Once he knows his people, his bond is strong and pure and when he moves on to his forever family he will leave a hole in our home that we won’t soon forget. If you’re looking for an agile dog, a big dog in a small dog frame, and a co-pilot for all of life’s adventures, please fill out an application – we’ll be here sorting our toys and waiting to speak to you. Name: Link ID # PDR1505 Age: 1.5yrs Gender: male Neutered: yes UTD vaccines: yes Breed: Shiba Inu/Pomeranian Colours: black Coat length: short House trained: yes Special needs: no OK with kids: teens OK with cats: no Ok with dogs: yes Status: adoptable Microchip: yes Size: medium Location: Kitchener Adoption fee: $800

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