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LANDO- July 31, 2023 -
Lando is a return-to-breeder dog. His original home -- a first dog, first PWD home -- returned him after incidents with their tween children who pushed him beyond his ability to cope with their undesired attention at the same time that he was suffering from food allergies and ear infections. He has been to board-and-train facilities, attended day care, was raised in a very urban setting, and is generally neutral with other dogs. He is neutered. He is a big boy, about 21-22" tall. His current weight is 57 lbs (came to us at 63 lbs) and he should be around 55 lbs when at an ideal weight. He is crate trained, X-pen trained, and trained to travel in cars in a crate. His Rabies and DHLPP vaccinations are up-to-date until 2027 and his thyroid levels are normal. He doesn't bark at people, other dogs barking at him, children making loud noises while playing hockey or baseball, or neighbors, and is very neutral and non-reactive on walks/hikes. He has basic commands of SIT, DOWN, PLACE, STAY. He is learning fetch skills, understands clicker training, and is learning how to shape behaviors. When he is comfortable with you, he will solicit play, but requires strict rules to not jump, bang his body on you, or be mouthy. We have been working on impulse control and pushing through frustration while learning. Whomever adopts him needs to continue this work and to impose black-and-white rules for him to succeed. He is muzzle trained and currently is muzzled for grooming toenails but can cope with body trimming if he has a licky mat smeared with pumpkin. He is also muzzled for veterinary visits and has been fine with our veterinarian. We have tested him for food intolerances and he cannot have a diet that includes any of the following: chicken, turkey, venison, eggs, corn, lentils and any other legume (peas, beans, etc.), rice, or milk products (including yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc.). This greatly limits both treats and kibbles as these tend to have at least one of these ingredients present. We are currently feeding him a freeze-dried raw diet of beef, beef and fish, fish, and pork, and he also loves sweet potatoes. He can have Fruitable treats, Bixbi training treats if beef, Saint Rocco's cheeseburger and meat lovers treats, and other soft treats that are lamb, fish, or beef based. The key for success is to read all labels to ensure he will not get any ingredient that he is allergic to. He requires an adult only, dog savvy home, preferably one that has extensive experience with rescues or high energy dogs or several former PWDs. The ideal home would be one where owners will (1) give him plenty of time to settle in (adhering to the 3-3-3 rule: 3 days to decompress and settle in; 3 weeks to fully understand the new routine and not show signs of stress; and 3 months to really be super comfortable and bond fully with new owners) and (2) build trust by being very patient with him and letting him choose when to request attention. Once he trusts you, he is a bit of an attention whore with the typical PWD pushiness and vocalizations--but he should be given black-and-white boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not when seeking attention. While he is neutral with other dogs, he might do best in an only dog home -- or in a home that will take their time to introduce him into the family (i.e., will put him in an x-pen while he and the other dog gets used to each other). He has not been exposed to other animals like cats or rodents so we do not have any assessment of his prey drive, although my dogs have taught him that dead baby squirrels and bunnies are pretty cool things to carry around. He needs a completely fenced, large area yard where he can run and explore. He did not have this in his previous home and took a few weeks to be comfortable in our yard, but he now loves exploring and running and is building up some muscle mass in his shoulders and rear end. He really needs a home that will do more than just walk him as he wants to do different things and is eager to learn. He is definitely a working dog and wants to have a job of some sort. If you are interested in this dog, please fill out this Google Form application. Please read this article by Kathy Monroe from The Courier in 2004 and consider reading The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell. He will be ready to go to a new home now. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AKC TKN (Tricks Novice) - August 10, 2025 AKC FITB (Fit Dog Bronze) - September 5, 2025 AKC VSWB (Virtual Scentwork Beginner) - September 30, 2025 |
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