Koopa is a 3 year old lab mix, 92 pounds. He is a lovely dog, smart, sociable, cuddly and trainable, a ham, and a charmer. Everyone who meets him falls in love and he has made a lot of human friends through his charisma. However, he has one too many issues for my spouse and I to handle (I am dealing with a chronic illness that is often debilitating and I don't have the emotional or logistical space to get him the stability, training, and management he needs. My spouse has caregiver burnout from taking care of me for the past year.) Additionally he shouldn't be off-leash due to prey drive, but we have a tiny backyard. He needs to run!
Koopa's great qualities:
Trainable, obedient, and knows many commands.
Generally good on leash after training heel for a few months.
Affectionate, snuggly, and hilarious. Gets along well with human strangers.
Doesn't bark much after he learns the sounds of the environment. Only barks to alert us of someone at the door.
Non-destructive
Doesn't get on furniture
Doesn't snatch food off the counters
Can be left home alone with free roam of the house. We have never had an issue.
Extremely well-behaved
Koopa's not-great qualities:
He is a resource guarder of varying intensities of food, treats, and toys, and has a single-bite history. He bit my brother, who was a guest in our house, because a piece of chicken fell on the floor nearby (did not draw blood or leave a mark).
He has a very high prey drive and shouldn't be off-leash. Walking him, he should have a head harness in case he lunges/bolts for a rabbit or squirrel.
He chased and bit a small dog at the dog park.
He is leash reactive toward other dogs. We've worked on it, but he'll likely need more training on this.
His threshold for stress is low. Too many new things at once can overwhelm him, and he regresses in his behavior when stressed out.
Will bark and growl at strangers when they come to the door (but then collapse into them with his tongue lolling out and act very friendly.)
He may have a traumatic past
Koopa's ideal home:
No cats
No small children. Teenagers could be fine.
No other dogs due to guarding.
Backyard where he can run around safely off-leash
Someone experienced with resource guarding behaviors and aggression, who can set him on the right path and give him the time and attention needed to help him thrive.
Someone who can handle him on leash if he lunges or bolts for a small animal.
If you are interested in meeting Koopa, please feel free to reach out at millerpatros@gmail.com
