About Shadow

Shadow is a 3 year old Alaskan Malamute/Husky mix rescued from the outskirts of DFW. A series of events have resulted in me being asked to rehome him. His temperament and personality are fantastic. He's playful (loves fetch and tug of war), with a milder energy level than normal (but plenty for long walks and hiking). Shadow is very cuddly and kind of a Velcro dog (this is what inspired his name). He's fairly well trained: has good recall and pays good attention to commands (seems like a pretty quick learner too), knows a handful of tricks like how to sit, shake, stay, and lay down. Shadow is trained to not be overbearing on a leash and is generally less 'pull-y' than normal for his breed (but will still need to be worked with with regards to excitement at certain stimuli like squirrels and other dogs). Shadow likes to go out to restaurants, coffee shops, and wine bars with patios and does so with next to no issue at all. He loves attention and is well socialized in public spaces like farmers markets. He's been good with other dogs and has been doing well in daycare, but I'm unsure about his reaction to cats as we haven't really tested that. Farm animals like chickens are not compatible. His only real issue is separation anxiety related and he has been undergoing treatment with fluoxetine coupled with counter conditioning training at home. Shadow has made a decent amount of progress with this and now only occasionally has incidents when left alone (these typically manifest as vocalization, indoor soiling, or occasional object destruction). In as best an effort as I can to limit relapsing his progress and in order to continue improving his behavior in the meantime, I am opting to have him fostered while he waits to find a new forever home. Shadow is neutered, microchipped, and up to date on all of his vaccinations. He takes fluoextine daily to help with anxiety and it is recommended his new family continue this medication while he settles into his new home. The decision to rehome Shadow has been a difficult one primarily because he's such a great dog. I think he has a lot of potential but needs someone with a few more resources than I currently have at my disposal and that is more familiar with ways to curb his separation issues. As such I really want to ensure he goes to someone that can pick up where I've left off and continue to help him grow. Ideally I think Shadow would benefit from any combination of the following: -someone that works from home or can afford to put him in daycare during work hours -someone with other dogs to keep him company (I believe this would be the most ideal) -someone with an active lifestyle. Shadow loves going for longer walks or park trips and is very well acclimated to being out in public settings. ***someone with patience that is willing to continue working with him on his issues. This is imperative to his success and will make or break his rehoming experience. Shadow has made a lot of progress, but he still slips up from time to time. His new family needs to be willing to be flexible with him in order to ensure his success. ***someone that is familiar with Nordic breeds. I've worked with/have had several over the years. They normally aren't easy dogs and really do need someone that's familiar with their exercise requirements, grooming challenges, and behavior quirks. Please do not consider adopting him if you haven't had any experience with huskies or malamute, or if this is your first pet. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Harris County
Houston, Texas