Name: Kodiac (Kody)
Location: Lawrence, KS
Contact Info: Diana Perry and Matt Baker / (785) 338-6155 / dianalperry@yahoo.com
Location: Lawrence, KS
Rehoming/Adoption fee: $200
Sex: Male
Weight: 70 lbs
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Age: 7 months
Good with Men: Yes, Kody does well seeing men on walks, saying hello to familiar and unfamiliar men, even when entering the house.
Good with Women: Kody is comfortable with women, on walks or in the home.
Good with Dogs: He is eager to play and tries frequently to engage our older Lab mix. Unfortunately, our older dog really wants nothing to do with play and Kody has a hard time accepting that, and repeatedly tries to push for play, at times bouncing, biting at his legs, or running around him. On the few occasions our dog has engaged, Kody tussles well and they take turns rolling over, pushing each other, and chasing each other. Kody went to the dog park once so far and while he was curious about other dogs, he quickly felt intimidated and stuck near to us. Running to say hello and sniff, and then coming back.
Good with Cats: Unknown
Children: Kody seems to sense the size difference and limitations of interactions with our two younger children (8, 14) compared to our 17 year old and the adults in the house. He accepts their love and affection with patience a majority of the time. When he is done and overstimulated, he will try to turn and mouth their hand. With them ending pets and giving him space, he stops. That said, our children are well versed in how to approach calmly, be respectful of his body, and what signs indicate he is not interested in attention at the moment. For this reason, since he is a strong puppy, I would feel better if he were in a home with older children.
House Trained: Yes
Crate Trained: Yes. Mostly fine with being crated and eagerly heads for “Home” when we head to work. He is crated during the day for 9 hours with a break when pet sitter comes by for a potty break. He is also crated at night for 6 hours. Some nights he scratches at the hard plastic bottom, but it seems to be an attention-getting behavior. We let him out to go to the bathroom and he typically settles down.
Medical Issues:
Immunizations:
Rabies: 10/27/2023
Parvo/distemper: 10/27/2023
Bordatella: 7/6/2023
Heartworm test: On HW prevention: Milbegaurd
Characteristics:
Kody is very smart. He knows a handful of commands (“sit”, “lay down”, “come”, “home”, and working on “leave it”) and seems to tune into differences between adults and children (being somewhat more mellow with our youngest versus the adults) and is on his way to better leash walking. Because of his growth and strength while he is learning, we have had to use a prong collar to prevent excessive pulling and, with training, he is doing better. There is still much learning to do, but it allows all of us to walk him. He is very treat motivated. Kody is a sweet boy who allows lots of cuddles especially in the morning and most of the time allows body handling of his head, legs, paws, tummy, and tail. He is also a “teenager dog” though and has moments of forgetting his manners. Due to many neighboring dogs that bark, Kody can be eager to join in but if offered diversions (treat filled ball, stick thrown, etc) he can, at times, not join in or stop once he has started.
He tries to engage our older, somewhat passive dog in play and it requires us separating or redirecting
frequently. Kody really wants an active playmate who can stand their ground and not older or passive
dog; as he is still too pushy about wanting to play. He is learning to listen and be less mouthy. He seems
unaware of his size and strength at times and will try to be a lap dog while we sit on the floor. He would
do better with older children in the home. He is mostly good about not trying to jump when we enter the house or greet him. We do two walks a day, about 1-1.5 miles a day, and some backyard play and training. He has active periods during day and needs physical outlets as he sometimes he resorts to digging holes, chewing on logs, or biting bushes when bored. He likes toys filled with treats and natural chews. He can be mouthy and enjoys hard chewing on his towels, bed, or toys some of the time.
With the right amount of time and attention, which turns out is more than we have to give, and a home
without an older dog, Kody seems like a clever puppy who can be taught the skills to be a great dog. For
our family, and his age and activeness, there are too many skills to be working on all at once and we feel
that we are not a good fit.