Name – Big Redd
Status – Foster - Available for Adoption
Type - Dog
Breed – Shar Pei Mix
Date of Birth – 1 1/2 year
Color – Red
Eyes – Dark Brown
Ears – Button
Claws – Black
Tail – Undocked
Altered - Yes
Distinguishing Marks – None
Allergies – None Known
Crate Trained – Yes
Housebroken – Schedule needed.
UTD on Vaccinations – Yes
Rabies – Yes,
Microchip – Yes,
Dewormed – Yes, Panacure
Flea treatment – Yes, K9 Advantix 2
Heartworm – Negative
Collar Requirements – Thick Wide Leather
Medications – None
Overall Physical Health – Excellent (5)
Big Redd is in Overall Excellent Health. He is a robust with a lot of energy and muscle. Redd has a strong constitution and is of appropriate size and weight. He is rated on the scale at a 5.
(1=severely emaciated, 5 – 6 normal, 10 = morbidly obese)
Overall Mental Health – Excellent (5)
Big Redd is a whip crack smart dog. He is quick to learn and fast thinking. He is easy to train and aims to please. Nothing much shakes him. He has a strong personality and is in every way a boy dog.
People – Excellent (5)
Big Redd really enjoys being with people and preferably in the middle of all the action. He wants to please and please and please. Redd enjoys games and activities and he would rather be with people than anything else. He has a lot to offer as a dog and is truly up for anything. He is excellent for active people and families. Despite being open and friendly we have little doubt that he will guard his home property from intruders.
Children – Good (4)
Big Redd has interacted so far with children and teens in a positive way. He has now been around children of all ages 4 and above. It would be recommended that with how powerful and energetic he is that he should be in a home with children 6 and up. If smaller children have grown up or live with dogs of his same temperament, size, or energy level, he could also be a good fit. With all ALPRAS adoptable pets, we judge the fit of any animal on a case by case basis.
Dogs – Excellent (5)
Big Redd enjoys the company of other dogs. He has a strong personality and falls into the dominant category although he accepts a lower position from a more dominant dog. He respects pack position once it has been established. This puts him in the Upper Pack Member range. He is more than willing to warn another dog that they are crossing the line, but has never acted aggressively and does not get into fights on his own. Big Redd has not been food aggressive, but will growl if another dog tries to get into his food bowl while he is eating, which is acceptable. Occasionally he will growl when drinking to have the water bowl to himself. This issue is being worked on with good results. Big Redd is fine with small dogs he is friendly and gentle giving the space they require and listening to their corrections. He has lived with three small dogs now and he gives appropriate space and respect to them. He really enjoys going to the dog park. He is playful with the people, and mildly aloof with the other dogs he doesn’t know. When it comes to age, he shows appropriate deference to his elders in most circumstances. Many of the issues that he had originally have disappeared since his neuter.
Cats – Good (4)
Big Redd can coexist with cats and works best Confident or Dog Savvy. Cats that are very timid, insecure, anxious, or run away unnecessarily may an enticement to chase but he is easily called away. He has never attacked a cat, but he will chase given the right motivation. Otherwise he generally ignores their existence or interacts casually when a cat approaches. Redd is no longer new to cats, he was quite frightened by them when he first arrived. This may be due to a run in with a feral cat, or possibly a Florida Panther having come from the Everglades.
Pocket Pets – Unknown
It would need to be discovered. ALPRAS does not currently have any pocket pets. We would caution to have him interact with small animals such as rodents. Due to him chasing cats that run, smaller animals should likely be kept from him directly at first. He does occasionally show obsessive tendencies when watching squirrels and rabbits, this may be due to having to hunt for food in the Everglades. He will absolutely chase and catch frogs and toads. He has been trained now to leave it and drop it even if it is already in his mouth. Big Redd has done an AMAZING job at being recalled from interacting with them. His effort is very admirable considering he would not let go or stop obsessing over them in the beginning. Although untried, with other small animals directly, it would be best that these animals be played with behind doors or in their enclosures when they share the same space.
Behavioral Issues – Minimal (1)
Big Redd has a few behaviors that are undesirable but are manageable and trainable. He is now both crate and house trained. When he came into the rescue he was intact, not potty trained, and initially had a huge problem with marking. He no longer has this issue at all. He is good about going poop outside although ‘outside’ for him is anywhere outside. If he has not gone in the appropriate area outdoors he may have an accident in a pseudo outdoor area such as a screened porch, birdcage (pool), or similar setting unsupervised. Redd has even improved in this area and as long as he's been out recently or it is not his normal time of day to go poop, he does not have an accident. He has learned to signal (ask) to go outside and acts anxious or sits and stares at you. Sometimes he will walk towards the door, look back or return and repeat to get his point across if he has to go badly. He generally chews only on approved items, though plushie stuffed toys may be shredded. He now knows what can and cannot be touched.
Energy - High (4)
Big Redd has a high energy level, but does know when to tone it down. He will play when you play and will generally relax when you relax. This means that Redd would do best with some good activity. He doesn't need quite the same rigorous activity to be able to wind down as some breeds, but having an outlet is ideal. He enjoys walks/runs, swimming, going the dog park, tug of war, and fetch. When the family is not active he will either busy himself with a chew bone or hang out on the couch (and he loves a couch or chair). At night he is not overly restless and stays out of trouble. He is happy to sleep on a couch or crate. He doesn't settle to well in a human bed because he thinks it is time to play. We will test this further in the future.
Barking – Minimal (1)
Big Redd is not a big barker in general, partially due to being a Shar Pei mix. He will alert bark from time to time, such as if someone knocks on the door. If he sees another dog he generally whines rather than barks if he makes any noise at all. In fact he would rather whine infrequently than bark.
Swimming - Good (4)
Big Redd has been found to LOVE to swim. He started out afraid of the water but has turned into a great dog to have around the pool. He's become a strong swimmer and loves to fetch things in the water. He hasn't got 'diving' down for toys yet, but he will douse his nose in to pick up a toy on a step or a ledge. He really enjoys playing tug of war from the outside of the pool and when you win to jump in to grab the rope or tug toy. He has no issue with jumping from the side into the pool. He has a lot of potential that water dogs have. Though he hasn't been to a beach, we have little doubt he would enjoy that too!
Toys - Good (4)
Big Redd loves to play with dog toys. Tennis Balls, Ropes, Chew Bones, Animal 'skins', Treat Interactive Toys, Plastic Bottles (in or out of fabric), Kongs, and probably anything you can think of. When it comes to Plushies or Squeaky Toys there is a caution. He likes to tear apart plushies and 'make it snow' so he is better off with Animal 'Skins' such as the foxes, skunks, rabbits, raccoon, and anything without fluff. Squeaky Toys are a toy he must be watched with. Many 'skins'come with a squeaky already inside. He will play with them and have them make noise, but he will also try to take out the squeak device after a while. Since this is a choking hazard for dogs when outside of the toy, it is best to either have a 'skin' without a squeaky in it or to just take it out of the toy yourself. He does not guard his toys, but he doesn't always want to give them up. If given the commands to drop or give, he will usually relinquish the toy then. Sometimes his collar must be held to get him to stop moving, but he will allow you to take it from him. He has learned the command to 'drop' though he is often reluctant to do so in the beginning. He has been taught 'take' as a way to know it is ok for him to have the toy. He has been taught the command 'tug,tug,tug' for when its ok to play that game. In general, most toys are safe and we encourage providing him with variety of dog toys to keep him entertained.
Known Commands:
Sit, Wait, On, Off, Back, Swim, Play, 'tug,tug,tug' (for ropes and tug toys), Drop, Come(here), Eat, Drink, Leave It, No(when needed), Yes, Go, Stay, Go Potty, Crate, Down, Go Poop, Bring, Quiet, Take, Give, Stop, Enough, Give Space, Over, Up, Get Out Of That, Go Do Something With Yourself, No Chicken Scratch, Give Space, Back Off, No Sir, Couch, Play
Commands Working On:
Heel
Other Notes: Big Redd is truly a great and fun dog. He is very, very smart and wants nothing more than to please his people. We believe he may have some Dogo de Bordeaux in him due to some of his appearance and behaviors. It is always hard to tell with mixed breeds but we are certain of his Shar Pei heritage. Redd has improved immeasurably in the several months we have had him. He came to us full of zeal and at the mercy of his hormones. He has now turned into a wonderful boy with lots of potential. He is rated as an Orange Dog because he is eager and full of energy. He can be a couch potato when you want to relax, but he is happiest when he gets to exercise and more importantly, use that wonderful brain of his. He is excellent in the Pool and will even 'rescue' a person. He could even become a good boat dog as he is a fairly strong swimmer. He can go over an Agility Course on lead so it would be a good activity for someone interested in Agility Training. With his ability to swim and strong urge to fetch things, he could also become a Dock Jumper. At the end of the day, Big Redd has so much potential and would make a fantastic companion for someone who is active and will work his brain or with an energetic family that want to have a dog to keep up with their lifestyle.