Niko is a very active 2-year-old Havanese with a terrier-type personality. This little guy is curious, amusing, active and has lots of mental energy. Niko packs a lot of personality into his 11 pounds. He can be quite charming and a total clown. He's very playful and loves, loves, loves toys! He amuses his foster mom the way he loves to pounce on them and even plays fetch with himself, throwing a toy in the air and racing off to catch it. He will play quite literally for more than an hour without stopping to catch his breath.
Niko is extremely smart and learns very quickly when positive training methods are used. He is very proud of himself when he learns something new and he loves to show off his tricks. Niko tends to become over-excited and can lose his patience when over-stimulated. However, he is learning to calm himself and will need to continue to work with a positive trainer on this. He successfully completed a reactive dog class and learned a lot.
Niko’s new family will need to continue to work with a private trainer with experience using positive reinforcement methods, counter-conditioning, and/or BAT for dog reactivity or a group class in the above.
Visit the clickertraining.com
https://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer?source=kpctnavbar
And functional rewards
http://functionalrewards.com/certification/find-a-cbati/ websites for a partial list of trainers who are skilled in these methods.
Niko’s ideal family is also someone who wants to be actively involved with their dog and who enjoys teaching their dog tricks and positive behaviors. He's not a couch potato!
Niko is willing to follow rules if they are applied consistently. However, he's like a toddler and he will push the limits if the rules are not clear and will get into trouble if left unsupervised. Niko is looking for someone who is willing to give him constructive outlets for all of his mental energy. He will find ways to amuse himself if you don't keep him busy. He is clicker trained which has helped him learn things quickly. This learning helps him stay calm and focused. He really does want to do the right thing and needs positive and firm leadership in his people.
Niko gets along well with small, calm, well-balanced dogs and loves to play with them. He is sometimes fearful of larger dogs and does not play well with dogs that are too wild. House training is a work in progress and he has learned to use a doggy litter box.
Niko is looking for a home with someone that will spend a lot of time training him to do new things. He would be a great freestyle dance dog or a "tricks" dog! He absolutely loves to learn (maybe even more than he loves toys). Because he gets agitated when there is a lot of chaotic activity he should not be placed in a home with small children or where small children frequently visit. He also gets overly excited with cats at this time and they don't appreciate his company.
Niko is being fostered in IL.
A donation will be requested to adopt this dog. The recommended donation amount will be based on the dog's age, and medical and behavioral issues, if any. A completed application is required if you are interested in adoption. Thank you for considering a rescue dog!