About Tonsai

Tonsai is an energetic, 16lb, 5 month old, Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) that loves to have fun! He enjoys fetch, having his belly rubbed, chewing bones and 'find-it.' He also loves working for his food and will sit and wait until you free him. Tonsai is very intelligent and understands commands within a few days and is able to perform them on cue within a week (he knows basic commands plus a few extras). He is crate trained and is so close to mastering house training and lets us know when he has to go out. His best qualities are the way his little butt shakes when he sees you, his playfulness, and willingness to learn (he is learning to swim right now!). When we took him and his littermate home, we were unaware of littermate syndrome. We now believe we are seeing signs of this. I am also pregnant, which has made us realize we cannot provide the right environment developmentally for him. We are choosing to rehome him because Tonsai has exhibited fierce resource guarding with his littermate and with us. With his littermate, it is food, toys and especially high-value bones. With us it is just with the bones and we have never had an issue with regular feeding, in fact we are able to hand feed and he welcomes help flipping his maze bowl over to get every last piece. Tonsai enjoys walks/runs but becomes reactive seeing other dogs and people. He usually just wants to say 'Hi' but his intense barking turns off potential friends and his frustrations get taken out on the leash or have been directed at us. Tonsai does not react well to swift movements and becomes defensive, especially if scared or in a new environment. He is always on alert and will let you know if he hears anything unusual. Multiple professional dog trainers have given us some great tips to correct some of these behaviors and within a couple weeks of training he is showing slow progress. We are willing to share more information and examples with anyone who is seriously interested in adopting. We believe Tonsai is young and smart enough to overcome these behaviors with the right training and environment. He should not be in a home with young children. We are unsure if he should be placed with other dogs. We say this because we are not sure if we are seeing littermate syndrome and his issues will improve or if he will be this way with other dogs. However, during socialization he had always played well with other dogs and had a great time! He is vaccinated and has his rabies. He will also come with his crate, bowls, leash, harness & collar, and a few favorite toys. He is currently enrolled in Basic Manners Positive Reinforcement Training, if he goes to a local home, we would like if you would continue this class with him which will help you bond. We have and will continue to give him love and will do everything we can to find the right home for him. He really is an amazing dog that needs a different environment and behavior training.

Milwaukee County
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53222