About Niko

Our Niko is a noble elder atatesman, who deserves to live his golden years in the lap of luxury and love. Eight years young, our handsome gentleman, was surrendered by his owners, to NYCACC, along with a prescription for Thyroid medicine from 2015, that they never gave him. A sluggish thyroid gland can cause a thinning coat in dogs, which partially explained Niko's widespread hair loss, but we also suspected that allergies were at play. He had several patches of inflamed skin and some ear infections. Immediately, we allergy tested Niko, and found a short list of things that we needed to remove from his diet. Then we added an oral tablet, Zinc Supplement, to address an underlying deficiency, suspected by our Vet. The routine we've come up with is extremely simple, and the food is available easily on Chewy.com. His allergy symptoms have been completely resolved. Even though this grand soul received wonderful behavior evaluations, he was passed over in the adoption program due to his age and appearance. Seems as though everybody wants to experience puppy hell, and too few people appreciate the considerable benefits of having an older dog, who is well past the puppy mayhem stage. Niko has an animated, congenial nature, and the shelter experience did not leave much of a mark on him. He came to us full of confidence, amenable to all, and extremely adaptable to varied circumstances. Niko is a lively fellow, who bonds closely with his people. Niko appears to be a predominantly Akita, and he is a large, muscular dog, with a stocky build at 70 pounds. He's a strong dog, yet gentle to handle and easy to walk on lead. His medium length coat is restoring beautifully, and will soon return to its former glory. Niko is mostly white in color, with brown markings on his face and feet. He has a proud Akita stance, with plume tail. Niko seems most like Akita in personality, in that he seems bold and proud, yet has a loving, sweet vibe. We see Niko as an ideal walking or hiking companion, and he would be a great choice for a moderately active single or couple, or a recent active retiree. He has a moderate exercise level, and would be a great companion to anyone who enjoys the outdoors, or a family with older children who appreciate an independent dog who needs his space at times. Niko would be happy with a couple of leisurely to brisk leash walks daily, and a game of frisbee. He could easily do well in an apartment lifestyle, and as an older dog, he can be trusted home alone for short periods of time. Niko is a pretty good all-around companion dog, and would thrive in an active lifestyle, where he has some freedom to investigate the sights and sounds of nature. Niko is not a clingy dog at all: he appreciates his space and likes to do some investigating on his own terms. Niko had not had much obedience training, but he has quickly mastered the basics. He is treat motivated, and very responsive to positive reinforcement and leadership training techniques. Niko has good house manners, and is house trained and crate trained. Adopters should expect to troubleshoot the occasional accident that will inevitably occur during his transition to a new home. He has been neutered, and has had routine vaccinations and health screenings. He had has full bloodwork, and is on a daily thyroid medication. Niko has been dewormed, microchipped and is on preventatives for Heartworm and Flea/Tick. If you are interested in Niko, please write to [email protected] or call/text Denise at 860-908-9738 for more info.

Windham County
Canterbury, Connecticut