About Sunny

Sunny was a street dog in Bosnia until September, 2017, when he had the chance of a lifetime for a home in the USA!! He has been living in an apartment in Queens, NYC. MORE PHOTOS: https://www.thetanzieproject.org/sunny Unfortunately even with 6 months having passed, it seems Sunny would be best suited in a home in a more rural setting, with a bit of property. He also gets very lonely, so would be a good fit for a family where someone is home a majority of the day, or perhaps with a calm/submissive dog he can play with (he has a few scars on his face that indicates possible altercation with other dogs when in Bosnia, so definitely would not recommend being placed with an alpha or alpha-beta). His breed is unknown, but he has some color/markings of a German Shepherd. He's 47lbs and 21.5 inches at the shoulder. He recently had blood work that indicated pancreatitis. He had significant lethargy, which now appears to have been a symptom of that. He is way more energetic, bouncy, and eager to live life, even if it's just going outside for a bathroom break. An hour walk only tires him a little bit, and he loves to play multiple times a day although he knows when it's resting time, meaning he won't pester you if you have to do chores. However, he is not a super high-energy dog, mostly medium energy. His behavior and personality are slowly changing as a result of his improved health. Sunny is a dog for anyone with a multi-dog/family household that has a house that is fairly active but also patient/caring for a dog still settling into American life as a Bosnian immigrant. He'll tire himself out with playing with another dog, but after a quick nap he'll be ready for the next walk or fun times. He is very obedient and willing to please, just show him what you want. He has high food and social drive, meaning he will work and learn new commands if you teach him. He has a strong recall, but please continue to practice it so it stays strong. He walks well on a leash but seems very overwhelmed by the outside, constantly looking at everything in his environment, perhaps it will lessen in time. He has interest in cats but he doesn't have high prey drive, but unsure if he can live with one w/o issue. He is very sensitive but very sweet and gives lots of dog kisses. He is highly curious and is always interested in whatever you're doing. Every person that meets him has nothing but good things to say about him. Does fantastic at the vet, he just wants free pets from the staff and wants to meet other dog patients too. He is tolerant of getting his nails done with a dremmel. I can't imagine anyone not liking him. Occasionally he gets jumpy at specific things such as the garbage truck crunching garbage, or random neighborhood sounds, but he is not high fear. He has all shots but will need rabies revaccination in May and Bordatella in Aug/Sept if boarding him or taking him to dog daycare. Due to his stomach/pancreatic issues, it is recommended to put him on a bland diet for the first week or so. Then please feed a low-fat diet. He reacts to kibble, he will start to itch again even if he eats more expensive grain free kibble. He has trouble with high fat kibble such as orijen. His main struggle is being left in the kennel/crate alone. He will whine/howl every now and then in the crate but will not try to get out. I have also not seen Sunny fall into an actual sleep, just napping, waking up when I get up or leave the room, perhaps due to having to be alert on Bosnian streets. Thus, maybe he needs a suburban/rural family environment to help him continue to grow. Additionally, he is initially fearful of any big dog or barking dog on walks. However, he will play instantly with nice dogs - he is most likely just unsure due to his former street/shelter life. He may get over this/get tolerant, but despite that he is very social with other good tempered dogs. We recommend he meet other dogs, if he is to go to a home with a dog.

Queens County
Hampton, New York 23666