About Niko

Niko is a beautiful 34lb high energy, 1 year young Miniature Aussie pup with the softest fur coat ever. He is enthusiastic and loves everyone he meets. And he is very trainable. Did I mention he has a very soft coat?! Niko needs an experienced leader/handler who can and will provide limits and regular training. He hadn't had much training or socializing during his early months but he has made great progress since he has been at his Foster family's home. Niko loves to play fetch and hasn't shown any resource guarding issues with food or toys while he's been with his foster family. He'll chase and retrieve the ball with his foster sister and let her bring it in, even if he gets it first. Niko is respectful of his foster family's dog-savvy indoor kitties and he loves the older children he has met. He is house trained, will ring bell or sit at the door to go out and will whine gently in his crate to when he needs out. Niko especially loves his foster dad and wiggles his little butt extra fast when he sees him drive up. His foster mom does most of the training and care so Niko kind of likes her too. ���� Niko gets very excited and barks loudly while playing with the other dogs. This seems to escalate the play and irritate the other dogs so we are working on 'take a break' when this starts, to avoid conflicts. Niko can be mouthy, but is learning to 'give it' and 'Leave it'. He is learning to trust and be gentle but still very much a bossy puppy (but with adult dog teeth). He can also be demanding and will bark to get what he wants. Niko does mount the other dogs still but much less so since he's been altered and has had time to adjust. He does not mount people Cars/Traveling - not so good in crate but okay leashed to seat. The turn indicator seems to set him off, he likes the windows down a crack and pop music playing. Niko still needs quite a bit of training, He's a Mini Aussie so he'd do well with someone who knows the breed and likes to work with them. He is really smart and learns new commands quickly. He is a lot of fun to train. Commands he knows or is working on- Yes & Good boy (positive reward association), Okay (release word), Leave it, Drop it, Give it, Take a break, Back up & Wait (at door or gate) Wait (for food- he'll lie down and wait until you release him with 'okay', crate, Gentle (used for giving treats and anytime he gets mouthy).. Niko will run if given the opportunity. He's learning to 'wait' at the gate when I open it however, I suspect that if he is bored, he'll find an escape route and go visiting. A securely fenced yard and being kept indoors while unattended is required. Oh, and he opens doors, the type with lever style knobs. We replaced ours with oval knobs so he could not let himself in. Niko is fully vaccinated, neutered, microchipped and ready for his furever committed home. Located in Central California. A meet n greet is a must. If you think this slick guy is a great fit for your family, please fill out the application: https://www.australianshepherdsfurever.org/adoption-application All adoption fees are used for future rescue efforts.

Placer County
Auburn, California 95602