Kairo Australian Shepherd & Poodle Mix Racine, WI

****Benchwarmer****

Adoption Fee $200

Australian Shepherd/Poodle Mix | Female | 3 years | 25 lbs

Requirements: Securely Fenced-in-Yard (door to go outside to yard within the fence) | Another Dog in Home | No Children| Single Family Home | Martingale Collar/ Chain Leash (chew proof)

Please read my entire bio before applying, I’m looking for very special people!

Hey everyone, my name is Kairo but for short, my foster family calls me Kiki. I know my name and have started coming when I’m called as long as there is a tasty treat involved. Sometimes I take treats out of my fosters hands and sometimes I make them drop it and then I’ll eat it. I come from a past where people have not treated me well and I’ve had very minimal interactions with people up until being rescued. Gaining my trust is going to be the biggest challenge that my forever people will face. They will have to be completely on board with this slow process.

What will gaining my trust entail? Well, I freeze in fear or bolt like lightening when people try to approach or pet me. It’s not something that I enjoy right now and my foster family has been respecting that and letting me open up at my own pace. However, I enjoy watching other dogs interact with people and wag my tail when I’m being talked to and told what a good girl I am. I’m not afraid to talk back either. I’m quite the vocal gal when I’m excited. When other dogs are getting affection from people, I will come up and smell your hand and give it a little boop but even if you make a slow move towards me to pet me, I make more distance between us. I really enjoy the company of my foster people and being talked to.

It took 9 weeks but I did allow my foster mom to pet me once when we were at the vet. It was scary being in a new environment and I actually looked to her for reassurance and initiated the interaction, which was a first for me. After that, my foster people gained more hope that one day I will enjoy the physical affection that goes along with my new life. I am requiring another dog in my forever home as another well socialized dog will be my best educator in this new life. I look to them for confidence and reassurance.

I enjoy playing with other dogs but may be a bit much for a dog who likes their own space. There are a ton of dog beds in my foster home, but I always pick one with a friend. You’ll rarely find me alone. I enjoy chewing on elk antlers, bones, and other hard chews. I should not have the soft toys with squeakers or the rope toys as I think it’s my mission to destroy and eat parts of them. One of my favorite hobbies is to collect as many bones as I can. My foster family calls it going “shopping” as every night they are put back in the toy box and the next day I recollect them one by one throughout the day.

Basic commands are not underway yet as I have a lot of confidence to gain before many of those can be started. However, I have started to understand “no”, “off” and “wait”. I am very food motivated so when tasty treats are involved, you have my full attention. I am considered potty trained in my foster home, when on a schedule. It is important that you understand that I have had no potty training up until rescue, so accidents may happen during my transition to my forever home. I keep my crate clean and know the command “kennel up”. I either get a treat or it’s meal time, so I always get a great reward for going in.

I am requiring a fully fenced in yard with the door to go out to go potty within the fence, as I am not leash trained. Truth be told, I am an expert chewer of leashes and collars. I’ve never had them on prior to rescue and don’t think that I should have to now. When fitted properly, I will leave a martingale collar alone. I do okay on the leash when I can’t feel the tension. When I feel tension, it freaks me out and I try a variety of ways to get out of it. I have gotten a lot better with practice but will need continued practice within my securely fenced in yard in my forever home. Being as I am still working on leash training; I will require a martingale collar and a chain link leash that I cannot chew through. Please realize and be okay with the fact that although I am trying hard to figure this new life out, I may never feel fully comfortable on a leash. It’s okay if that’s the case though because I thoroughly enjoy exploring my fenced in yard, chasing my foster canine sisters around the yard, and just enjoying the sun. It should be noted that I would do best in a quiet environment. I live in the county now where there isn’t a lot of noise and I truly think my best fit will be in a quiet, calm environment.

As stated before, gaining my trust will be the biggest challenge for my forever people. Being as I am working to understand and trust humans, I do not do well with the little, fast moving, unpredictable ones. I am requiring a home without children for this reason. I ignore the cats in my foster home so I can coexist with them just fine.

Take into consideration that I am a mix that requires frequent grooming. This is not fun for me. Considering how I am leery of human contact, I do extremely well being groomed. My foster grooms me right at home so there are no noisy blow driers, barking dogs, or other unfamiliar noises. I will need a groomer who understands dogs like me and has the patience to work with me and above all, keep me safe. It would be ideal for me to get groomed right in my own home.

I have to say congratulations at this point because you have made it to the end of my bio! Since you’re still with me, maybe you are my forever people? I am a dog that will require at least two meet and greets so that you can see how I am in my foster home before I’d come visit your house. If you think you have the patience and heart to work with me and help me become the best pup that I can be, fill out an application and we’ll go from there!

***Please apply only through our website at www.woofgangrescue.com.***