Finnick

 

Building a trusting relationship with Finnick is the most important part of his process to finding a new family. Once that is in place, he is a funny, silly, loving – though sometimes annoyingly so – dog! Once you have his trust, this dog will work so hard to make you laugh and keep you busy. Of course, he also is great crated once he settles into his routine and is excellent at entertaining himself with a ball in a fenced backyard, though a good game of fetch is always something he will be happy to sign up for. A calm neighbourhood is important as he will take to barking at activity outside of his yard. He would be less stressed in the country.

 

Finnick is a busy body and smart as a whip dog. This dog is eager to learn and make his person proud. His high intelligence also gets him into trouble and he has learned he should be weary around humans due to being mismanaged in his past (we believe he is a potcake dog, brought in from another country where life was very different for him). Because he learns quickly with yummy treats and reinforcement, Finnick is willing to do pretty much anything by request when you have his trust and focus. Sometimes he is stubborn and behaves like a pup (vocal talk-back and mouthy!), which requires patience on his person’s part, but ultimately at his core, he is a loving dog eager to be someone’s best friend. If you are nervous around barking dogs (he likes to chat you up), Finnick is not the pup for you.

 

When meeting new people, Finnick definitely struggles. He greets new people with a vocalized reaction which includes barking and grumbling. He is insecure and has issues trusting that everyone will be kind. The best way to manage this is to crate him with a kong when there are folks coming over for short visits that will not be in his life regularly. YOU MUST BE OKAY WITH THIS as he is much happier crated than having to meet more people. It is important to understand that he is looking for a small and calm world with only a few humans, and that for at least the first few months in his new home, he must be building a good relationship with his people BEFORE meeting other folks outside of the home. He can make new friends over time so long as he has a good relationship with his person, and his person knows that calm and steady wins the race. A social home life will be overwhelming and too difficult for him to navigate. As he is one of our Recovery Dog Adoptions, he will come with in-home training support to ensure you have all the support you need to understand his needs. We know he will thrive with a caring person who will be his advocate by his side, but he does need time to adjust.

 

Finnick is house trained and crate trained, and loves his walks. It is essential that even if you are working from home that he be crated for a few hours every day. He plays a great game of fetch and brings the ball back before you throw the next one. He loves running fast in his fenced in yard, but could be okay with a lunge line and his person walking by his side on a country property. He requires about an hour or so of exercise per day to be happiest.

 

Finnicker, Finnicky (he responds to all of his nicknames, lol) would be such an amazing partner for someone who lives on their own in the country and who likes the serenity of the world with a goofy pup by their side. He is looking for an advocate, a teacher and a best friend. He does alarm bark at noises, making him a great deterrent for unwelcomed animals (or visitors!) but making him an annoyance in the city. While we recognize he is not the dog for everyone and know he can be a handful in the wrong home, we also recognize that in the right home, he will be such a super-star addition. If you think that home is yours, apply for this beautiful guy online and tell us why you think he is the right dog for you: https://www.sitwithme.ca/dogs/finnick/

Details

  • Breed: Shepherd Mix
  • Sex: Male
  • Age: 5 yrs. 11 mos. old
  • Size: Medium
  • Colour: Brindle
  • Spayed/Neutered: Yes
  • Stage: Available

Additional notes

  • Dogs: While he has made some doggy friends in foster care, he can be overwhelming for some dogs. Easy going, non-reactive and playful 40lbs+ dogs could work with slow introductions. He does better with females but has made a male buddy or 2.
  • Cats: No, thank you.
  • Kids: No, thank you. And please do not apply if having kids is in your future or have regularly visiting kids - He can be put away for visits.
  • Housing Type: Country home required as he needs a calm home life. A very calm street with distance between detached houses would work but you must describe this on your application and you absolutely must have a fenced in yard.
  • Fenced Yard: Yes please for your sake and his! He may be okay on country property with a long lead AND supervision and an active life of walks. Having that fence will be so great for him to safely play fetch though!
  • Special Needs: This guy needs a very special and dedicated person, and the right environment to succeed. Calm home with few visitors, with a single person or a couple as owner(s) is a must. He is a worried and sensitive dog that needs to build a trusting relationship and because of these traits, needs a home that can manage him with positive reinforcement and patience. A home within 2 hours of Ottawa, willing to travel is required as he will need a few visits in Ottawa before being placed. Finnick is part of our Recovery Adoption Dog (RAD) program and will come with a 1-month comprehensive training support program that has been curated to the his needs. Adopters must be willing to fully participate in the training program and as such, the adoption fee, once the training program has begun, is non-refundable. The training program is administered through our training partners at Pet-Intel.