My name is Casper - Stratford!

Meet Casper, an energetic young dog with a remarkable story of resilience! Found as a stray, Casper was severely underweight, and you could see nearly every bone in his body. Since entering care, he's gained plenty of weight and muscle and is now ready for his forever home.

~ Casper is extremely high-energy and would thrive in a very active home, ideally with experience in working breeds. He's the perfect candidate for a job or agility training to keep his mind and body engaged.
~ However, Casper struggles with impulse control around food, likely due to his past. He eats very quickly and benefits from a slow feeder.
~ When it comes to treats, he can grab them hard from hands, so care is needed. He has also shown some resource guarding behaviours, so it's best he's fed separately from other animals or people, and food should always be traded, never taken directly from him.
~ Due to his guarding and impulse control issues, we're looking for a home without young children, but Casper would do well with teenage kids who understand his boundaries.
~ He's still young and learning, so leash and basic obedience skills are new to him, but he's quick to pick things up!
~ With his separation anxiety, a house rather than an apartment is essential. Casper could also benefit from living with another high-energy dog who can help him learn the ropes.
~ To help Casper succeed, he will need to be signed up for three in-person training sessions with a positive reinforcement trainer. He would do wonderfully in a group obedience class to improve his socialization skills.

If you're ready for an adventurous, loving companion, Casper could be the perfect fit!

Regularly Exhibited Behaviours Noticed:
Jumpy
Mouthy
Under-socialized
High energy
Resource Guarding

Explanation of Behaviours:
~ Casper has resource guarding for food & high value items. He should always be fed separately from other animals & people. He can lack impulse control when taking treats and can take treats roughly.
~ Casper is a high-energy dog who requires plenty of daily exercise, training, attention, and mental stimulation to thrive.
~ He needs a lot of work on his manners and self-control, particularly with challenging behaviours such as jumping and mouthing.
~ Casper is under-socialized and will need slow, positive socialization at a pace that makes him comfortable.

This dog would benefit from:
An active home
A family with all adults or teenaged children
Ample time, attention, and training
Proper socialization and desensitization

Training needs/behaviours to work on:
Basic manners (jumping up, mouthing, self-control)
Basic training
Socialization/desensitization
Resource guarding of food & treats
Impulse control

For more information on the behaviours listed, please check out our behaviour fact sheet: https://kwsphumane.ca/BehavioursandDefinitions

Please note that animals coming from foster care may exhibit different behaviours when back in the shelter environment.

If you are viewing this animal through 24Petconnect by PetPlace or Adopt-a-pet, please visit our website https://kwsphumane.ca/adopt/process to submit an application. Applications submitted outside of this site may not be received.