Mikko

Breed: Alaskan Malamute
Sex: Male

Birthday: June 30, 2016
Rescued: October 10, 2016
Re-Homed: December 23, 2016

Status: Adopted

Health Issue(s)

• None

Temperament

• Is usually confident in new situations and dominant (only rarely gets scared).
• Medium energy but does have the endurance to do mild exercise over long periods of time.
• Very intelligent and learns quickly, knows basic commands (sit, down, stay and come to his name).
• Knows how to do some agility.
• Is presently learning basic commands for mushing ( hike, easy, woah, gee and haw).
• Does tend to get vocal when he is excited and will howl if left alone too long
• Crate trained.
• He is still mouthy and can be destructive if not kept busy enough.
• Gets frustrated easily if he does not understand what is asked of him.
• Very food motivated but is also food obsessive/aggressive (we are working on his food aggression, he knows how to stay, wait and give eye contact for food, and is also learning how to be calm and respectful around food).
• Is not toy possessive with people, but when he is sharing toys with other dogs, he is usually the one dominant over the toy.
• Can be dog friendly but is extremely dominant with other dogs (which leads to him being reactive). He needs proper introductions. Is also very mouthy when playing and does not respond well to corrections from other dogs as he plays rough. Can only be housed with more submissive dogs than him but that are also not “push overs” (preference of age are anywhere from his age to 4 years old)
• Reacts well to other animals (other than dogs), but tends to be pushy (does not respect their space and wants to play with them).
• Does not like being restrained for too long (ex: holding his feet for nails), but he is getting better. He does well with getting groomed.
• Needs some work on-leash, as he pulls when he is curious (of other animals or food), but he is generally very good.
• Does well in busy public places, is sometimes unsure but is usually very good and accepts being pet by strangers.

Owner Suitability

• Needs an experienced dog owner, as he needs to be reminded of the boundaries. He loves people, but does get carried away quickly with unwanted behaviors.
• Needs a family that is committed to attending obedience training (and continued training), to ensure he is properly socialized and has the necessary foundation to be a happy and well adjusted dog.
• Best suited to a family that will keep him very involved in their life. He is very relaxed in the car, loves hiking, camping, anything with snow or that involves being outside.
• Would be better suited for a home without pets that do not like to play, and preferably no children under 16 years of age.