Online Dog Adoption Application

Online Cat Adoption Application

6-15-14  Koko lives with Judy and she is the best, well-behaved dog!  KoKo loves to have an active dog to play tag with and then lays down to cuddle.  She enjoys car rides, walks, giving kisses and sleeping on the couch with you.  She is cautious when someone comes in the house. KoKo doesn't care about the cats and wants to befriend everyone.  She even enjoys baths!  I love this girl and hope you will too.  She must eat grain free food as she has a skin irritation, but with the grain free food, her skin is under control.  

6-Koko is looking for a forever home after her owner couldn't give her the attention she needs. She is a very sweet dog. She loves to go for long walks and play fetch. She loves having another dog around so she MUST go to a home with another dog.

Here is what Koko's foster mom has to say about her:

Leash Manners - walks well on leash and enjoys trotting by a bike.

Crate/House Training - house trained - no accidents.  KoKo goes in the crate when asked.  I put her in it for a couple of hours occasionally and have fed her in it several times to see her reaction.  She is calm in the crate and does not bark.  She occasionally goes in on her own to nap.  She gets her energy out playing in the yard and  when she is inside she is calm and wants to be near me so I don’t crate her routinely.

Socialization – enjoys playing in the yard with my dogs and neighborhood dogs. She loves going to the dog park and seems comfortable being around people at the dog park and has played well at small and large dog parks with no issues.   She was not around men in her home until she came to us so she was initially afraid of my husband and son.  She growled at them.  It took them a few days to win her trust but she's comfortable with them now.  My husband walks or bikes her most days.  She is a little on guard when someone comes to the house.  She stays near me and growls lowly for a minute or two but is okay during their visit.  She made up quickly with 3 neighbor children ages 9 - 12.  They were on the floor playing with her within 2 minutes.   She enjoys walks and loves riding in the car. 

Energy Level and Exercise – moderate energy –  enjoys the freedom of the yard and motivates my dogs to chase and play with her.  She plays outside several times throughout the day and goes for a 1 mile walk every morning.  She also enjoys trotting by a bike or going to the dog park in the evening.

Daily Structure and Schedule –  walks 1 mile at 6 am, plays a little and then has 1 cup of food at 7:30. She plays in the sandbox and yard, naps for 2 -3 hours, has a treat, and plays in the yard or enjoys being near me inside.  She has 1 cup of food around 6 pm, and goes for another walk, trots by the bike or goes to the dog park.  She usually goes to sleep between 8 & 9 pm.

Confidence Level – confident and friendly in her play with all dogs she has met.  She is timid and a little fearful when guests come to our home.  I’m having neighbors and friends come over and take her thru PetSmart to help improve her confidence in meeting people.  Sometimes she will take a treat from someone new.  She does better out and seems a little protective at home.  If she doesn’t stop the low growl after a couple of minutes, I put her in another room, give her a chance to calm down and then bring her back in the room on a leash and she does okay. 

Obedience Training – She understands “sit”, “come” and “wait”.   She makes good eye contact and seems to want to please.  She responds well to a calm, firm voice. 

Behaviors – takes treats gently and is not food aggressive.  Loud noises and quick movements startle her.  Inside she walks up to see what I'm doing often and enjoys lying near me.   She is a very affectionate dog and wants someone to bond with.  She will make a very loyal companion. 

Personality Quirks – a little fearful and growly when guests come to our home.  She has not tried to bite. She is young and her behavior should improve with socialization. 

Ideal Home -  KoKo would enjoy a CALM home with a single person, a couple or a family with older children . She would enjoy a fenced yard and someone who would enjoy walking her and taking her to a dog park.  Ideally, she would enjoy another playful dog in the home but she wants to be near me when she’s not playing or sleeping, so I think she would be happy being an only dog if her owner was home a lot, enjoyed being active with her and gave her opportunities to play with other dogs.  She would probably adapt easier to a female but she has learned to look forward to my husband coming home and greats him affectionately.

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is believed to have originated from Nordic Wolfhound being introduced some three to five hundred years before the Spanish arrived - However, no one will really know for sure. The state of Louisiana is cited as the point of origin, particularly the area of Catahoula. In 1979, the breed was designated the state dog of Louisiana. The Catahoula was named after a Parish in Northeastern Louisiana and after the mottled spots on its coat. At one time this breed was used to round up feral pigs and cattle -- livestock that had escaped, and was living in woods and swamps. It involved team effort that is highly coordinated and organized, fast paced, dangerous, and a marvel to watch. The ideal dog team usually numbers three, and they must work together. Otherwise, the one pig can kill all three in a matter of minutes. Each dog has to be aware of what the pig and the other two dogs are doing and react accordingly. Hunters sometimes used the Catahoula to trail and tree raccoons, but this dominant breed is more at home acting the thug with obstinate boars. This dog is used particularly on the difficult task of driving and rounding hogs and unruly cattle. The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective, and territorial. Loving with their family and all people they know well and reserved with strangers (this would include strange children). They need to make up to a person, not a person make up to them. Of course there are temperaments on both sides of this, but this is for the average dog. They mature right around 2 and it is as if a light goes on and they say to themselves "I am an adult now and I need to act grown up." This breed's reservation with strangers should not be noticed in a pup, but will show as the dog matures. Although affectionate with his master, the Catahoula is not recommended for the casual pet owner who is uninterested in allowing the dog to function in his intended capacity. For the right owner, this is a protective yet dominating canine. Signs of timidly on a leash should not be taken as cowardness, but the intolerance for strangers. This breed needs a dominant owner who shows strong leadership. They have of life expectancy of 12-13 years.