About Oya

I'm searching for a new home for my dog Oya, with consistent, stable owners that have stable housing and financial capacity, who are dedicated to doing positive reinforcement training and behavior modification for her aggression (see below). I have multiple resources, information and trainers that can support you in that process. No cats or children in the home. When I adopted Oya two months ago, I didn't know her history, which was a cause for concern considering I live in a house with a five-year-old human and two cats. But we instantly bonded and she knew I was her human and immediately loved the snuggles. She was hesitant with a lot of other people at first, often barking, but that started melting away after a few days of strangers being so nice to her. After my first couple weeks with Oya I was sure I was on top of the world. Oya is a loving and loyal dog who loves to play and snuggle. She is social and friendly with most people and dogs and was quickly learning to be cautious around the cats. But she became increasingly unsure of the five-year-old child. The hints of Oya's aggression started early, but they did not seem like a pattern at first. Rather, I ascribed them to all the recent changes in her life and likely a history of trauma. Now I have learned it may in fact be genetic, or a combination. She was aggressive towards some men, initially, and overly playful with children. After her fifth time nipping at my roommate's child, each time out of either annoyance or play, though she never hurt him, I decided to leave temporarily to a farm in the country to figure out our options. Since I adopted Oya two months ago, she has bitten three men out of fear (one of them twice), nipped six times at children out of annoyance or play (never hurting them but sometimes scaring them), and killed a chicken and maimed another (also likely out of play). After she bit the third man, a kind friend of mine, I recognized that what I was doing was not enough. That my situation is inappropriate for her needs, and I've started reckoning with this. Oya needs a new home, one with an owner who has a stable housing situation, the time and money to afford to her training and the dedication to protecting people and children from Oya's potential aggression. She will likely need muzzling if she is off-leash, at least while in the depths of training, and potentially forever, unless she is in a space without strangers. Or else she will likely need to remain on-leash when she's outside or be in a private backyard. This could change eventually. For now, as I've learned from Sarah Kalnajs from Blue Dog Training, she needs peace and quiet for the next 6-8 weeks until her adrenaline/excitement is back to baseline. Dogs take 5-8 days to recover from stressful experiences (vs. humans 5-6 hours), and we creatures can't learn new things when we're overly stressed. She needs to be as trigger-free as possible for a period before she can start conditioning. I reached out to the Humane Society for a possible re-homing, from where I adopted Oya. They allow you to return dogs for re-homing if there is a bad fit between dog and owner. I filled out Oya's behavioral profile and the Humane Society informed me, gently but honestly, that due to Oya's behavior they would not choose to re-home her but rather would humanely euthanize her. So this is where I am. I am in love with a furry-faced aspect of God's glory, who is the perfect dog 95% of the time, with snuggles and loyalty unlike any other creature I have ever known. Yet, whether by genetics, trauma or both, she has fears that manifest in threatening ways. Her instinct when afraid is to fight, not to flee. Yet, the same dog is so loving and fun, learning to play fetch and really quick to learn tricks. She picked up 'roll-over' in a day and last week she finally learned 'shake.' Kelpies are bred to herd sheep by jumping on their backs, watch some YouTube videos for amusement. Do not doubt the genius and agility of kelpies, and the potential Oya has to heal and change. Oya deserves consistency and dedication according to her needs. Knowing that this angel dog-lover may not exist, I am prepared for the possibility of an in-home euthanization. Oya deserves the stable home that will help her heal, or otherwise her energy will return to the sky from which she poured down into our hearts. If you sincerely feel you and Oya could be a lifelong match, please reach out to me. Thank you. Some details: she will come with all her toys, leashes/collars, crate, anti-septic spray for a fungal infection on her paws (minimal and basically healed), one-month more of heartworm meds, two more months of flea/tick meds, all vaccination records and tags, and the remainder of her food and treats. She is crate and house-trained. Doesn't chew on things anymore but did the first few days I had her.

Dane County
Madison, Wisconsin