APRIL'S BIO
BREED : MINI GOLDEN RETRIEVER X COCKER SPANIEL - FEMALE - 1 YEARS OLD
Please read the bio carefully before applying to meet April. April is a young small-breed dog who has shown escalated resource guarding behaviors in foster care, including growling AND snapping over items like sticks, couch space, and food. Her current foster has worked with a rescue approved trainer and seen significant improvement, but it’s expected she may re-test boundaries in a new home and with new people. April needs an adopter with experience managing resource guarding and a willingness to continue training. This behavior MAY require lifelong management. For safety, she should not be placed in a home with young children; foster home is asking for 16+ and or all adult home for April. Outside of resource guarding, April is a sweet and friendly dog, though guarding behaviors may emerge after a few days in a new environment.
- Suitable for which type of housing? (House, townhome, apartment?) Any – she is very clean and fairly quiet when left alone
Is your dog good with other dogs? Yes – she is fostered with five other dogs of similar size, age, and temperament. April does not resource guard from the other dogs if managed properly. She has been seen allowing other dogs to take her sticks and toys, but boundaries are not pushed, and she has a separate space for meals and high-value items like bones.
- Is your dog good with cats? Untested in her current foster home. Due to her small size, she may view a cat as a playmate. She would likely do well with a cat if they are separated when unsupervised and also if she cannot get to the cat’s resource and guard it from the human.
- Is your dog good with kids? She does well with kids when no resources are present (e.g., outdoor meetings). For safety, she should not live with young children. The foster recommends a home with adults or children aged 16+.
- Is your dog house trained? Yes
- Is your dog crate trained? Yes – she is excellent in a crate: clean, calm, and quiet
- Does your dog have any special needs? April has shown resource guarding behaviors, including growling and snapping over items such as sticks, couch space, and food. Her foster has worked with a rescue-approved trainer and seen significant improvement, but she may re-test boundaries in a new environment. She needs an experienced adopter who is committed to ongoing training.
- Does your dog have or display any aggression? (Toys, food or people?) Yes – escalated resource guarding, which has improved in foster care but may reappear in a new setting.
- Is your dog playful? Yes, very much so
- Does your dog like to snuggle? Yes, very much so
- Does your dog know basic commands? (Sit, stay...) Yes – she knows “sit,” “paw,” “place,” and “drop it”
- Does your dog know any special tricks? N/A
- Does your dog like to go on walks? Yes – she loves walks and is very friendly
- Does your dog have any fears? Yes – she becomes fearful or reactive when items are taken from her
- Does your dog have any unique traits that you have noticed whether in personality or physically? Golden coat and expressive, judgmental eyes
- What are the three first words that come to mind when you think of your dog? Manipulative, cute, sassy
- April is a young, small-breed dog (Mini Golden Retriever x Cocker Spaniel, under 20 lbs) who has shown escalated resource guarding behaviors in the care of the rescue, including growling, snapping and biting over items like sticks, couch space, and food. Her foster home has worked with a rescue-approved trainer, and significant improvement has been made, but it’s expected she may re-test boundaries in a new home with new people. April requires an adopter with experience in managing resource guarding and a commitment to continuing her training. This behavior may require lifelong management. For safety, she should not be placed in a home with young children, and the foster home recommends an adult-only or 16+ home. Despite her resource guarding, April is a sweet, friendly, and playful dog who loves cuddles, walks, and is great in a crate. She is house and crate trained, great with other dogs (live with 5 other dogs) and potentially able to live with playful cat. She is very engaging, though guarding behaviors may emerge a few days after settling into a new environment.