Koko's Bio!

It's been awhile since I've posted an updated version of Koko's Bio, and he's come a long way from the matted, nervous guy I met at the dog run! I will try to get all the info I can think of in here, but I may forget some, so if you have any questions please don't hesitate to comment! :)

Koko is such an amazing dog, I can't say that enough! Everyone he meets be it my friends, family, or even strangers on walks, they all comment on how sweet, handsome, mellow and gentle he is!

Koko is a Belgian Malinois (a type of Belgian Shepherd). He has german shepherd colouring but is smaller than a german shepherd, and does not have the slopped hips. He is approx. 60lbs, and is turing 2 year old in December, so he is currently 21 months old. And for a dog who is not even 2 years old yet, he is very mellow and cuddly!

Koko is not dominant, he wants a leader - but he needs a strong and dog-savvy leader because he will look to his leader for reassurance if he is ever unsure about a situation. And if there is situation where he is not sure how to act and he will need someone to show him what they would like him to do. He is smart, and he listens very well!

He is not what I would call a "trick dog. What I mean by that is that he is not extremely motivated to learn "tricks" like spins and weaves etc, I know he would for sure learn them with time - but compared to say a retriever or collie it would have to be a treat he REALLY wants :P
He already knew Sit and Lie Down, but he would not do them without a treat. With patience though he now Sits, Down, Stay, and Paw's without treats! (Though treats don't hurt ;P). I am also currently teaching him Crawl, Spin, and Catch.

But as I said he was smart -and is he ever! I hold up my hand and he will stop! Some other words he knows are Out, Whoa (Stop), No, Leave-it, Come, and Wait.

Koko has great recall because he wants to be with his people, so he does very well off leash!
He does not chase bikes, he will stop and watch them go by though - but that is more because he would like to say hi to the person on the bike, if they stop he will wait for them to invite him over, and then he calmly goes up for a pat :) He did the same thing for this nice girl in a wheelchair during our walk, he went up very nicely and calmly and she got to pat him - he is a very calm dog most of the time. He does have a active streak in the sense that he likes to be outdoors doing fun stuff, and likes to play, but he is more of a low-medium energy level dog. He would need about 1-2 hours of exercise a day

He is great on leash! He doesn't pull, and will usually walk next to you unless he is sniffing smells in the grass.  He does not pull for people, dogs, or birds, though does seem interested in squirrels. He seems interested in sniffing the birds, but no real interest in chasing them. With dogs, he will look at them, but won't pull. For people he doesn't pull, but he wants to say hi so he will stop and watch them, but just calling his name is usually enough and he'll trot back to you.

Because Koko loves bring with his pack, he does have separation anxiety, but he is getting used to spending time alone more and more every day. He is non-destructive, his anxiety is more of the pacing and whining kind. But we find that french or classical music calms him down and if he has a nice walk and then is given a kong or some other time consuming treat that really helps him from getting anxious.
If he does vocalize it is only for a few minutes, and then he finds a place to lie down until you're home.

Koko has great manners both indoors and outdoors. He doesn't jump up or take food from your hand, and if something falls to the floor, if you say no he will leave it alone. He just likes to be where the people are and will relax when they relax and will play when they want to play. He is a very polite dog.  He stays still nicely while being petted, and loves belly scratches! He has eyes that will melt your heart!

He is a good guard dog! When I am on walks with him if I ever get nervous about another person he will shift in front of me. At the door he is very polite and never barks, but if someone comes into the house or yard though that he has not met, and I am not nearby he will bark until I get there. He will stop when asked, and if it is a friend that was coming in, I just call Koko over and say "It's okay" and he greets them and then will suck up for more pats :)

With other dogs, he will greet them nicely on walks, and when introduced correctly he gets along with other dogs. He does prefer female dogs over male dogs though, as Koko can get nervous and defensive if a dog is too dominant and intense.

He is very funny with Rikki (female pitty x rottie x greyhound mix) - he likes her and thinks she is funny, and she runs around him play bowing and trying to get him to play, and he will play a little chase, and then just stares at her all confused hahaha! He seems to want to play but is not sure how, so we bring Rikki over once a week at least to play with Koko, and he is learning how to play!

He can be a bit possessive of his person and growled at Rikki, but only when she got very close to Adam and I and Koko - but I just gave him a push to the side and said "No." and we walked away. And as I said before he loves to be with the "pack" - so he learnt really fast, and He hasn't growled at her since! We even had them side by side petting them :)! And as I said, he is enjoying Rikki's company and he is quite a mellow guy, Rikki is helping bring out Koko's playful puppyish side :)

Koko's dog manners are very good, if they are polite he is polite, but he will tell a dog when he's had enough if they are being rude, and will walk away.

He also has a couple funny quirks :)

-Koko is a shoe thief, so if shoes are left around and he gets bored or anxious he will pick them up and carry them to his bed. We have been working on that though, and he rarely picks shoes up anymore.
-He won't eat his kibble without some water in it (he wasn't very confident with crunching with his back teeth).
-And the cutest one... When he's tired he will speak in groans to you :P

Koko is looking for a dog-savvy home where he will have company most of the day. He would like a home who will help him continue to be a wonderful dog, and will love him as much as he loves them! 

If you think that could be you - send in an application to Turtle Gardens using the link in the side bar!

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Will post more soon!