Hey guys, my name is Kairo. I came into rescue in November of 2022. I know that’s a long time to be with my foster family but I had a lot of stuff to figure out. I was rescued from a breeder, where I had minimal to no human contact. I was, for lack of better words, borderline feral when I arrived at my foster home. They had no clue what to do with me because I wouldn’t allow any human contact. I didn’t even want to be looked at or talked to. I just wanted to be with their pack (four resident dogs). Thank goodness this wasn’t their pack's first rodeo so they knew to take the lead and show me the ropes and rules of the house. For the first few months I was just learning from them. My foster people were basically just meeting my very basic needs.

After the first few months, I really started showing some true Aussie colors. I would sing the song of my people in my crate all night long, rip up and eat the stuffing out of my bed, chew the corners of my foster sisters’ beds, demolish any collar that was put on, and I would reach my little skinny legs through the sides of my crate to pull anything I could grab in to chew and eat. I would pee on my foster sisters before they were done peeing because I had to mark it and that herding play style really started to shine (vocal and biting the necks and heels of my foster sisters). Addressing these was a challenge because my fosters still couldn’t leash me to take me running to wear me out because I would alligator death roll in fear. They started trying to wear out my mind first with some puzzle feeders and scatter feeding.

Once that all went well, back to the leash training we went. It took about eight months to leash train me but once I realized what fun we have when leashed, I was all about it. As you know, a tired dog is a good dog and many of those not so great qualities started to diminish as I developed a routine and got the exercise that I needed. I do have an off switch and will snuggle with my foster sisters in their beds for hours when exercised. I still like to micromanage everything, so if my canine friends are sleeping and I’m awake and ready to roll, I’ll follow you around just in case you need some help with anything. Another well socialized dog is the best educator and confidence builder for a shut down dog like myself. Given my past, that is why I require at least one other dog in my forever home.

I am also requiring a fully fenced-in-yard with the door to go outside within the fence. Truth be told, I am an expert chewer of leashes and collars. I’ve never had them prior to rescue. I have gotten better about this but will still chew through a leash in two seconds flat, if given the chance. When fitted properly, I will leave a martingale collar alone. I will require a martingale collar, a Sporn harness and a chain link leash that I cannot chew through. Having the fenced-in-yard will allow us the ability to safely gain confidence in each other before you have to hook me up to venture outside of the safety of the fenced yard.

I enjoy playing with other dogs but I may be a bit much for a dog who likes their own space. I picked one favorite foster sister. I play with her, sleep with her during the day and follow her almost everywhere. Sometimes my foster mom has to give my friend a break so just know that your dog is going to be my BFF. I enjoy chewing on elk antlers, bones and other hard chews. I should not have the soft toys with squeakers or the rope toys as I think it’s my mission to destroy and eat parts of them. One of my favorite hobbies is to collect as many bones as I can. My foster family calls it going “shopping” as every night they are put back in the toy box and the next day I recollect them one by one throughout the day.

Basic commands are a work in progress. I am very food motivated so when tasty treats are involved, you have my full attention. I understand “no”, “off” and “wait”. I have just started to work on “sit”. I enjoy practicing my recall. I will bolt like lightning to you for a treat. I am considered potty trained in my foster home, when on a schedule. It is important that you understand that I have had no potty training up until rescue, so accidents may happen during my transition to my forever home. I keep my crate clean and know the command “kennel up”. I either get a treat or it’s mealtime, so I always get a great reward for going in.

Take into consideration that I am a mix that requires frequent grooming and this is not fun for me. Considering how I am leery of human contact, I actually do extremely well being groomed. My foster grooms me right at home so there are no noisy blow dryers, barking dogs or other unfamiliar noises. I will need a groomer who understands dogs like me and has the patience to work with me and above all, keep me safe. It would be ideal for me to get groomed right in my own home.

Although I still do not enjoy human contact, I enjoy being talked to and will occasionally let you scratch my nose. What really grinds my foster's gears is that I will seek her affection when I’m stressed (at the vet, during thunderstorms, occasionally at an adoption event). The ability to accept love is there, it’s just deep down in there and you have to work really hard to earn that trust from me. She hopes that one day I will willingly accept love, not just when I need reassurance.

My ideal home is going to be child free, have another dog, a decent sized fenced-in-yard and the ability for my forever people to have the patience and persistence it takes to help me develop into my best self. I know that I’m a lot to take on but my foster mom says that seeing me progress into the pup I’ve become is so worth it!

If you are unfamiliar with rescuing a dog who has lived like I have, visit this website to learn more! https://nmdr.org/.../2013/11/NMDR-From-Puppy-Mill-to-Pet.pdf