Tank

**Before applying, please remember that adopting a puppy into your home is a huge commitment, and very demanding of your time. Puppies require daily exercise, positive socialisation with other people/dogs/puppies, grooming, training and playtime. When applying, please consider your work hours, holidays, and how busy your personal life is as puppies will need someone who is home for most of the day with regular focused input, especially in those first six months after adoption **
NAME: Tank
BEFORE SAFE ESPERANCE: Owner surrender with his 2 littermates.
ENERGY LEVEL: Typical pup at the moment, plays, eats, poops and sleeps! Down the line he will need daily walks with regular socialisation and interaction with his owner and other people and dogs/puppies around him.
MAIN BREED MIX: Bull Mastiff X American Staffordshire Terrier
BREED TRAITS: Bull Mastiff: originally bred as a guard dog, this breed is affectionate with family but can be standoffish with strangers. Sensitive and loving to his clan he is a powerful and courageous guardian. They are independent thinkers so training and socialisation to people, places and other dogs should start young. Best as an inside dog he needs to be protected from overheating. They have low to medium energy requirements but can excel in various dog sports. He is a drooler and definitely not for novice owners.
American Staffordshire Terrier: they are quite high energy, playful, affectionate and intelligent but do require training as they can be headstrong. They are very social with adults and children and are extremely loyal but can suffer from separation anxiety if left for long periods. Their sociability with dogs is a facet that needs work from an early age.
ASSETS: He's easy-going, friendly but a little shy and unsure when meeting people or going to new places, affectionate, devoted, eager to please, sweet and playful!
FAVOURITE THINGS: He loves to play tug of war and plays well with the other dog in his foster home. He also loves to roll around in the kids sandpit and is enjoying learning new things. He loves to be around his humans and will fall asleep under the washing line when his foster mum is hanging the washing! He also loves his chew toys.
WORKING ON: Housetraining. He's pretty much there with his housetraining but will need consistent, gentle signals to remind him to go outside to do his business. Expect some accidents while he's perfecting his technique! He will also need lead and command training. Puppy school and ongoing training is a must for him. He also jumps up when he gets overexcited, so this is something to bear in mind with children in the house. Gentle reinforcement should correct this behaviour in time. He also barks to get attention.
HOME ESSENTIALS:
* Stability: An experienced home, where someone is around for most of the day on a permanent basis (not just through Covid 19) or can take him with them when they go out.
* Time: Tank needs an owner who will put in the time to expose him to new experiences and to train and socialise him with new people as well as dogs/puppies. Structured classes where he can learn, socialise and have safe exposure are a must and 2 good walks a day are essential to keep him happy. He would love another youngish dog to play with. He chases cats so will need to go to a home with no cats or small animals.
* Space: Tank needs a well fenced, secure yard to run around in to burn off his playful energy, with lots of grass and interesting things for him to sniff.
* Love: Tank needs to be allowed to be inside or out as he chooses, and to be included as part of the family. He will need to be allowed inside at night to sleep. He would be great with gentle children (6+) who have had a good amount of exposure to dogs throughout their childhood.
If Tank sounds like the perfect fit for your family, please send in an enquiry and we will be in touch.