Meet Dominic! This 2-year-old male husky/malamute mix was rescued from MCACC’s e-list after spending 4 months at the shelter and suffering from kennel stress. We were thankfully able to get Dominic out of the shelter and safely into a foster home. Since joining us , this sweet guy has also completed a board and train program and returned to his original foster, showing so much improvement. He’s truly ready for his forever home!
Dom initially struggled with some separation anxiety when he first came to his foster home out of the shelter. It took him a while to decompress – he had spent 4 months straight in the shelter before joining us – but now that he knows he isn’t going back, he is doing so much better! Dom’s foster says that his initial separation anxiety is completely gone, and that he does well while she is at work. She describes him as a very happy and well-adjusted boy.
One thing that has remained consistent for Dom is that he is good with other dogs. His foster says that he does well with every other dog he meets, large and small, and has even described his play style as more submissive with some other pups! He shares toys well and can sit and take treats around others with no problems. Although he certainly had some insecurities to work through at his board and train, issues with other dogs was never on the list!
When we first got Dom, he was a little more selective with some touch and with being leashed – we’ve found this happens with many of the dogs we intake from the shelter who have been snared. In the months since he joined us (July of 2024!) he has come so incredibly far that it’s hard to believe this is the same dog! Our trainer was thankfully able to work through some of these issues with him and re-establish trust in humans. Dom’s foster takes him on many outings to continue to grow this trust and work on socialization. He loves every human he meets these days.
Our foster has said that that any behavioral difficulties now are no different than handling any other dog that doesn’t want to do something – he will vocalize to let you know if he doesn’t like it instead of lashing out. He does have an e-collar from his training and she can give more details on the best way to use this with him – she said she doesn’t even need to use vibrate 90% of the time he responds so well to vocal commands alone.
His foster believes a home with older children would be ok for him; he just doesn’t know his size. She describes him as medium energy. He does well in his crate when needed, but thrives with a good mix of walks and lounging. He also cannot be in a home with cats since he does show prey drive towards them – he is good with small dogs, just no cats.
The ideal home for Dominic will continue to work with him on the positive reinforcement he’s received through his training, and help him continue to trust people and grow in the long run. He’s already starting to live up to his potential, and we know his forever home is out there! Please fill out the adoption application on our website to meet Dom.
A 501c3 non-profit helping the huskies in Arizona that need it the most. We intake from high-kill shelters within our state and provide medical care, rehabilitation, breed education and successful outcomes.
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