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Hi Everyone! We currently have a young, Labradoodle Boy (75#) being fostered in Northern New Jersey. He was pulled from the NYC Animal Control At Risk List. We will consider adopters from areas we have volunteers able to perform home visits, but you MUST read everything below first. The reason for his inclusion to this list was behavior, namely fearful/defensive aggression and displaying distance increasing behaviors. From the shelter, he had quite a few (relatively minor but certainly uncomfortable!) medical issues (neuter, severe flea infestation and accompanying prolonged skin inflammation/high WBC, eye infection,) that AmsterDog and his foster have been able to resolve, and we're happy to say he's received a completely clean bill of (medical) health. His behavior issues are real, but Theo and his foster mom have been working with a trainer, and given the right setup, and a committed family, we believe he can thrive! His training will be a lifelong process and he will need someone fully committed to, and financially able to, provide him with continued sessions with an animal behaviorist to build on the progress we've made. While we do believe that Theo can flourish in the right environment with the right human(s), please don't brush the behavioral issues off as something you can surely handle, as you consider your family to be dog savvy - and you all very well may be! After all, he's a Doodle, right? How bad could he be? But, the reality is that, regardless of what humans may have failed him in the past, he has learned aggressive behaviors that we believe can be carefully managed, but will never disappear entirely. All the hugs, good food, and love in the world won't make him a 'perfect dog' - but, he could be the perfect dog for you. Absolute Must's - NON-NEGOTIABLE (you don't have to agree - it's for the dog, you, and your families safety) - only caveat being that after truly working with a canine behaviorist for awhile, some of the restrictions may be able to be modified, but for now, here's what they are: 1. Adult Only Home - Absolutely No Children !! 2. No Other Dogs/Cats in Household - this includes animals you don't own but frequently visit. In his foster home, Theo has gotten along fairly well with all but one of the resident dogs, however the escalation shown between the two is very concerning, and he's displayed distance increasing behaviors with a few other dogs. Because of his deep-rooted fear, he seems to 'attach' to a person, and then guard him/her as a resource. While some other animals may be ok with this, many existing household dogs will not, and for that reason, Theo must be an only dog (same reasoning goes for the stipulation regarding children.) 3. Someone physically strong enough to handle him. He walks great on a leash (unless he sees an unfamiliar person - then he will lunge, and it takes a fair amount of physical strength to maintain control. We are working with distracting and desensitizing, but again it will be a process that his new family must be committed to continuing.) 4. Somewhat Secluded Home - meaning, not on a busy street, ability to carry out training in home setting (at least at initial stages) without the introduction of many distractions such as many cars/people walking close by the home (on sidewalk, etc.) Single family home only with fully (physically) fenced yard. 5. Someone who is committed to not leaving him alone for more than 4-5 hours at a time (for now.) Someone who works from home is ideal. 6. A house with a limited number of visitors, and of those visitors, no children for the foreseeable future (think grandkids, etc.) With the guidance of a behaviorist, you may be able to gradually ease on the visitor restriction over time, but know that to some extent it will always be an issue. 7. Someone committed to providing him an hour of daily exercise on the majority of days - whether walks, fetch in the yard (which he loves), etc. A tired dog is a better dog. But, know that dog parks/dog day care will be off the table, likely forever. If you've read this far and aren't scared off, let's move onto Theo's good qualities - and there are quite a few!) He's very loyal to the person he attaches to - which, although heartwarming, is a contributing factor to his aggression and will need to be controlled - and a very cuddly boy - with that person. He loves to snuggle up in your lap, on lie next to you wherever you may be, He has responded well to training so far, is food motivated, and wants to please his human. He walks wonderfully on a leash (again, as long as he doesn't see a stranger,) and really loves to play fetch - although he also enjoys just running around the yard with the ball in his mouth �%81S We're optimistic with his outlook, provided that he's given the appropriate structure. We love this boy very much and are committed to ensuring he only ends up in a setting best designed for him to succeed, and concurrently to protect well-intentioned people

New York County
NYC, New York