Online Dog Adoption Application

Online Cat Adoption Application

• Leash Manners - Tuck wears a choke chain training collar and walks very well on leash.
• Crate/House Training - He is crate trained, although, if he is not exercised enough during the day, he will yelp loudly (and incessantly) to get out of the crate. He has to be worn out; however, once, worn out, he sleeps most of the night, whimpering to go out when he has to potty. Tuck is out of the crate most of the day - we only crate him when we are not home, which is only a couple of hours per day. Otherwise, he uses the dog door with the rest of our dogs to go outside. He is nearly housebroken, but we noticed he will not go outside by himself (without another dog) so he has had one accident in the house because of this.  
• Socialization - Tuck is good with adults and older children who are consistent and predictable. He is a typical puppy when it comes to older children - loves to play, etc. - but he is nervous around small children who tend to be unpredictable in their behavior and movements. His obedience training is coming along nicely, and a stern "No" is very effective with him, as he wants to please the people he is bonded to. Tuck loves playing with our other dogs, and although he showed signs of being very alpha with them when he first came to us, with some correction and more familiarity with our dogs, he has no alpha issues with them at all anymore. He does show alpha tendencies when meeting new dogs that are bigger than him, regardless of the personality of the dog, and he will growl and bark at them. He reacts to small dogs and puppies much better, as long as they are submissive to him. He recently met another puppy that also exhibits alpha tendencies, and Tuck reacted like he does with big dogs, although a stern, "No," did take care of that quickly. We continue to work with him on correcting this behavior to avoid him growing into an aggressive adult, and we take him with us anywhere we can so that he is often introduced into new situations so that we can teach him how to react properly. Tuck has a very compact, muscular body and has large paws. We believe that he will be a stocky, extremely strong dog, and with his alpha tendencies - proper socialization with other dogs is a must.
• Energy Level and Exercise - Tuck is a very high energy puppy. He plays and runs with our large 10 month old Catahoula/Mastiff mix for most of the day. In addition to that, Tuck has become my running partner - we run a little over a mile in the morning and a little over a mile in the evening - and YES - he keeps up with my running pace for the ENTIRE duration of the run. When I say high energy, it is no joke. This is not a puppy who can be expected to sit in a crate for 8-10 hours a day. He needs a lot of exercise every day. In our home, this is taken care of because plays with our other dogs all day, and then he runs with me. Once he is worn out, however, he loves to lie in your lap and pass out.  He sleeps as hard as he plays and runs! He would be perfect for an extremely active, athletic person or family.
• Confidence Level - As I stated before, Tuck has a very alpha personality, but with a strong human leader, he responds very well. He needs guidance and constant rewards for good behavior - not negative training. Tuck needs someone to train him and let him know that he is not the boss, but he also needs someone to cuddle him. Therein lies the essence of Tuck - tough, but sweet. This type of personality in a dog is not problematic unless left untrained. With proper training and lots of love, Tuck will be an extremely loyal dog. I have spent a lot of time working with Tuck, and he listens to everything I tell him now, and he follows me everywhere. 
• Obedience Training - Tuck knows Sit and No. We will continue to work with him on more commands, but he is extremely smart and learns very quickly. 
• Behaviors - Tuck loves to chew, but not any more than any other puppy. He is not excessive about it, and if you give him chew toys, he is pretty good about keeping to them.
• Personality Quirks - Tuck has an extremely expressive face, and as he gained my trust, he now really only wants to please me, which is much better than he was when he first got here.
• Ideal Home - Tuck's ideal home will be one with another dog (to ensure continued canine socialization). He could live with a single person or with a family. As he grows, he will need a fenced yard to run and play in to help get some of his energy under control.  Again, he should not be confined to a cage for most of a day and then again at night. He has too much energy for that. Tuck also needs to go to an assertive and dominant owner that has experience with dogs. Tuck is not the right dog for a first time dog/puppy owner, or for a family that simply wants a happy go lucky puppy that they do not have to train or socialize. Tuck's personality will very much depend on strong human leadership mixed with love and loyalty.  Tuck should also live in a home with older children, as he does not enjoy being held or handled by small children.