The Backyard Pack

Moose - American Staffordshire/American Bulldog Mix - ADOPTED

Age: 8-9 Months
Energy Level: Moderate
Shedding: Mild

History

Moose and his siblings were brought into a local shelter when they were three weeks old by an owner that stated he could no longer care for the puppies. Moose and his siblings were very ill and in poor health and required hand feeding around the clock in order to survive. They were quickly saved by a local rescue group and brought into fosters until ready for adoption at four months. Two of the puppies went to one home while the other three, including Moose, went into another home. Unfortunately, there was an unknown toxin in the area that the three puppies were getting into. Luckily for Moose and his brother, they were adopted into families at an early age (about five months) and showed only mild symptoms of toxicity and quickly reversed any effects caused by the exposure. Their sister, Squirt, wasn't adopted until a few months later, leaving her exposed to the toxins for a duration that ultimately caused her death. The Backyard Pack adopted Squirt in December 2009 to be used as a trainer dog to help modify aggression in other dogs. Two days after bringing her home, TBYP was informed by their veterinary clinic that she was in kidney failure and would need extensive treatment that provided little assurance that she would survive. Sadly, the medical care provided over the next month wasn't able to reverse the damage and TBYP said goodbye to Squirt on January 29, 2010. As fate would have it, just a week later, TBYP received a call regarding Moose and some aggression issues he was displaying in his former home. Faced with possible euthanasia, TBYP agreed to take Moose into their Boot Camp Training and work closely with him to resolve his issues and prepare him for a new family where he could enjoy a happy home for the rest of his life for both him and Squirt.

Training Needs

Moose was surrendered to TBYP due to aggression issues he was presenting towards other dogs while walking and strangers coming into the home. Upon first introduction, Moose did display fearful aggression towards both Brian and Laurie when they entered into his previous home. Details provided by the family illustrated that the underlying issue causing this aggression was a lack of socialization with people and other dogs; Moose was exhibiting fearful aggression. Moose has been with TBYP for five weeks and has been required to socialize with dogs varying in breed, age, size, personality, etc. He has undergone proper obedience training and accurately responds to the following commands: sit, stay, come, down, rollover, off. Moose has received proper leash walking training and is an excellent walking partner that doesn't pull, bark, or exhibit other commonly disruptive behaviors. Recently, Moose has been involved in conducting Training Assessments and has displayed excellent behaviors when meeting new dogs and people.

Health

Moose is of good health and shows no residual health concerns in regards to his previous living arrangements. He is fully vaccinated with Distemper/Parvo, Bordetella, Rabies, Lepto, and is on current heartworm treatment. He has been neutered.

Lifestyle Requirements

Moose is an extremely sweet and loving and adores interaction with people and dogs. He is playful, boisterous, silly, entertaining, and enjoys spending his day playing with his canine companions. Due to his breed and size he would be best suited for a family that has experience with bully breeds that understand the need for strong leadership. Moose is still in his puppy stage and will be for another 10 months and can be too energetic for small children. He would be best in a home with children older than 10 years. He currently lives with two cats and displays no predatory instincts. He will need sufficient exercise and mental stimulation to exhaust his energy level. Any size home would be appropriate providing he had outlets for exercise and play time.

Comparison

Positive Attributes

Obedience aptitude: knows sit, stay/wait, eat, off, down, come, potty outside, bed
Leash trained: knows walk, wait (seated position)/should be walked with training collar
Crate-trained
Gentle: feeding, petting, etc
Playful with other dogs/new dogs
Displays housetraining capacity
Infrequent barking
No resource guarding
Comfortable with sensitive touching: face, nose, ears, neck, stomach, legs, feet, hind, tail

Areas That Need Improvement

Puppy behaviors: jumping, pushing, leaning. Unaware of size
Destructive tendencies: will destroy items/trash if left within reach