Kota

Kota was wandering around as a stray for a couple of weeks in Holly Springs before he was captured by Wake County Animal Control. The shelter experience has made him a bit fearful & scared in certain situations.

As he has become more comfortable in his foster home, he has blossomed into a wonderful dog who loves to cuddle but also loves to race across the backyard. He is housebroken, semi-crate-trained (see explanation below), and knows a few basic commands like ‘Sit’, “Shake” and ‘Down.’ He is a smart boy and seems to be easily trainable. He loves to play fetch with his ball & squeaky toys. But he is also content being a couch potato at times when his humans are working during the day.

He loves to be near people. He has displayed some separation anxiety. He will do well in a family that has lots of patience & can reassure him.

Kota currently lives with an older cat in his foster home. They tolerate each other, she can be dominant. Kota tends to keep his eye on her when she is close by & on occasion will try to bite & charge after her, so we feel he would do best in a cat free home. It’s not a deal breaker, he would just have to be watched around cats. He does listen when we tell him no.

Kota does great with our 6-year old. He would do fine in a home with children.

Kota has not exhibited any signs of aggression towards people in his foster home, although he was reported as aggressive with animal control when he was captured & checked out by the vet had to be muzzled. He hardly barks, but sometimes he will bark & growl at strangers. We have found when it happens, it’s males with gray hair that he has that reaction to. We are working through & trying to figure out if there are any other triggers for him.

Kota can be scared, shy & timid at times and will cower down & back away when he is in new situations. He does well walking on a leash & did great playing with other dogs at the dog park. He does very well riding in the car.

He is hesitant to go into his crate on his own and does need to be guided in with treats. He will cry for the first 5-10 minutes, but after that he curls up and goes to sleep. His foster parents work from home so doesn’t have to be crated often. His foster parents usually take him along in the car when they go places. We feel he would do best in a home where he didn’t have to be alone for long periods of time. He will get into mischief & find things to chew on if not crated.

Kota has the potential to be a great all-around companion for a family with the patience to comfort and reassure him. He is a very loving & sweet boy, who loves belly rubs.

We feel he would do best in a home with lots of acreage or a large fenced yard, so he has room to run. As he does display some signs of being a flight risk. He has displayed some herding instincts as well. He would be easily trainable for agility as well. If there are other dogs that would be great for him too!