AKASHA - EXTENDED PROFILE
Name – Akasha Irma
Status – Foster - Available for Adoption
Type - Dog
Breed – Boxer Mix
Date of Birth – 7 Months
Color – Brown Brindle
Eyes – Brown
Ears – Rose
Claws – Black and Clear
Tail – Undocked
Altered - Spayed 09-27-17
Distinguishing Marks - White Chest and Neck, Some White Toes
Allergies – None Known
Crate Trained – Yes
Housebroken – Yes
UTD on Vaccinations – Yes 09-14-17
Rabies – Yes, 09-21-17
Microchip - Yes, 09-21-17
Dewormed – Yes, Panacure 09-12-17
Flea treatment – Yes, K9 Advantix
Heartworm – Negative
Collar Requirements – Martingale Collar
Leash Requirements - None
Medications – None
Overall Physical Health – Health (10) - (1-3= Poor, 4-6 =Fair, 7-8 Good, 9-10 Excellent)
Weight (5) - (1=severely emaciated, 5 – 6 normal, 10 = morbidly obese)
Akasha is in Excellent Health for a puppy her age.
Overall Mental Health – Excellent (5) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha has Excellent mental health. She is an inquisitive and intelligent puppy who responds well to stimuli, correction, and training.
People – Excellent ( 5 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha is great with people. She has never met a stranger. She has been open and friendly with everyone she meets and is instantly playful and affectionate.
Children – Good ( 4 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha has done well with children and sees them the same way she sees adults. Since she is still a puppy, she will have to be watched for general puppy behaviors such as jumping and mouthing. We are working with training to teach her not to do these things and she is responding well.
***NOTE*** ALPRAS animals are always adopted out on a case by case basis to the best home for them. We will always do what we believe is best for the animal.
Dogs – Excellent ( 5 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha is great with other dogs. She is playful but can be boisterous. Despite this, she takes correction from other dogs well. Other puppies, young, and middle aged dogs make for the best playmates currently. The embodiment of a typical excitable puppy, she can sometimes be a bit overbearing for smaller dogs and annoying to older dogs. This general puppy ‘rudeness’ will go away within a few weeks or months as she continues to learn dog etiquette from both humans and other dogs. As an adult, Akasha will most probably be an upper to middle range pack member. Continued socialization will assure that she will continue to be a fantastic playmate for other dogs. She would make an excellent addition as a second dog or in a family that has a pack of pooches
Cats – Good ( 4 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha has done very well so far with most cats. She has had one encounter with an old tom cat she did not get along with. The biggest thing that puppies often fail to do is listen to cat correction. Akasha listens to cat corrections and is learning to avoid conflicts by doing so. At this time she has not displayed a prey drive often associated with cats and smaller animals, however, she should probably go to a home with a cat who has a medium to strong confidence level as she is still a puppy who is learning cat etiquette.
Pocket Pets – Unknown
It would need to be discovered. ALPRAS does not currently have any pocket pets. Though we have not been able to test her with them, we doubt there would be much issue. Still to be on the safe side, introductions to these animals should be done carefully and with consideration to both species. Once again, as a puppy, she may be a little too rambunctious with smaller animals and may need to learn the etiquette associated with whatever species she encounters.
Behavioral Issues – Average ( 3 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = None & 5 = Many
Akasha currently displays general behavioral issues that plague nearly every puppy. She is responding well to training and correction for these issues. An adopter should expect that general training and correction will be needed to ensure that Akasha does not develop problematic life long problems that can be easily avoided with basic training and correction. Currently the most prominent issues are Jumping, Mild Mouthing, and Sometimes Barking inside while playing. Minor issues are Digging when left alone too long in the yard and Pulling on lead. Once more, these issues are extremely common in puppies and she has responded very well to correction and we are training her to redirect these behaviors into useful tasks or eliminate them all together. Providing her with toys and puzzles along with regular exercise will help just as they do with a dog of any age. A bored dog is always at risk of having behavioral issues no matter the age,breed, or size.
Update - She has Improved on several things and they are no longer listed. Akasha has improved in almost every area still mentioned. Currently she is having the most difficulty with pulling on lead, but we have gotten her a no pull harness to help work with her in this area along with general leash training. Updated on 10/28/17
Energy – Moderate ( 4 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Low and 5 = High
Akasha has a Moderate energy level meaning that she would benefit from general exercise. Playing, engaging training, going on 1 - 2 walks a day, and/or going to a dog park will help keep her focused, in good health, and assist in preventing bad behaviors often gained by boredom. Right now as a puppy, she has puppy energy that comes in spurts and then she settles. She is fairly typical energy wise for a puppy of her breed and age. Her actual energy level as an adult is predicted to stay the same, however, she will probably adjust to her owner's lifestyle. If her owner is extremely active, she will probably gain the stamina to keep up. She may not be the best fit for someone with a sedentary lifestyle as either a puppy or an adult. A generally active person with an average or above average energy/lifestyle would probably suit her best. Based on current knowledge, she would be a great dog for nearly any family of any size.
Barking – Average (3) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Minimal and 5 = Very Often
Akasha currently barks about as much as an average dog or puppy. She does have an alert bark when someone knocks on the door, but it is an appropriate 1 or 2 woofs and then she stops. Akasha does bark while playing and occasionally when frustrated. She is being trained to have an ‘Inside Voice’ and has been allowed to bark outside while playing but not excessively. She is only listed at a 3 because she is still learning when and where it is appropriate to bark. As an adult, with continued training, she will probably only bark at a 1-2 (Minimal-Mild) and most likely for the reason above listed. So far, she has not been the type of dog who barks just because other dogs are barking, which is fantastic.
Swimming – Unrated ( 0 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
At this time Akasha has had no exposure to swimming. We hope to be able to help her through this in the near future. All ALPRAS Animals are usually taught to swim for safety reasons. Life Jackets are always encouraged no matter what breed of animal it is. Should Akasha be adopted prior to having gained the ability to swim, we will help educate her adopters on how to teach her this life saving skill.
Toys – Excellent ( 5 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Poor and 5 = Excellent
Akasha loves to play with toys and has done well with them. She has not been overly destructive with any of them to date and loves any toy. We heavily recommend Chew Bones of various types, sizes, and strengths due to her assumed breed and age. She likes ropes, animal skins, crinkle toys, rings, balls, and combination toys. She will probably do well with any educational and/or interactive toy as she is smart and inquisitive. She does initiate independent play which is a bonus.
Training - Easy ( 1 ) *Based on a 1-5 scale with 1 = Easy and 5 = Difficult
Akasha has done excellent with training so far and is very Easy to train. She responds to the best kind of positive reinforcement, Praise. Having a dog who responds well to praise based training is one of the best possible types of dogs to have. What this means is that the dog needs only your happiness as a tool for encouragement for any task.
This is very typical of the ‘Bully’ type breeds as they wish nothing more than to please their owner. Any positive word to a dog who does best with praise based training is like Christmas Morning wrapped in Bacon and Hugs. She is not stubborn and is highly motivated to learn.
Right now we are focused mostly on basic and preventative training with occasional early steps into utilitarian training. Basic Training is the normal Sit, Down, Come, Stay, Heel, Crate, Go Potty, Etc. Preventative Training covers ‘negative’ or ‘correctional’ needs such as Leave it, Drop/Give, On/Off, Speak/Quiet, Go/Stop, Etc. Utilitarian Training covers the basics for Advanced Training using early tools such as Touch, Up, Release, Etc. With Akasha’s intelligence and eagerness to learn and please, she has many qualities that we like to see in potential service dogs. This is an incredible positive and should be very telling in how capable of being an excellent dog she is.
Commands Known and Learning:
Sit, Down, Touch, Wait, On, Off, Back, Heel, Swim, Play, Come (here), Stay, Eat, Drink, Leave It, No (when needed), Yes, Go, Stay, Go Potty, Crate, Down, Go Poop, Quiet, Take, Give, Drop, Go, Stop, Give Space, Nite Nite, Nap, Crate
Commands Working On -
Since she is in training, she is working on everything! :D
Other Notes:
All around, Akasha is a fantastic puppy with the whole world at her paws. Paired with the right owner she could become more than a companion. Presenting with the qualities one often looks for in Service or Therapy dogs, Akasha is truly one of those dogs who could easily take it to the next level of pawesome puppies. Being paired with a motivated person who wants to have a full and exciting life with a dog would be a great bonus but she can just as easily be a fabulous pet and family friend. With so much potential, the sky could very well be the limit for this sweet brilliant girl.