ADOPTED
Let me introduce you to Cosmo who is what I like to call a Northern Manitoba Mix, because you never really know what you’re getting. He has definitely got some Border Collie, Husky and German Shepherd in him. Cosmo is approximately 3.5 months old and weighs around 20 pounds, and while he is still a pup and has lots of growing to do, it is hard to say exactly how much he is going to weigh, though he is certainly going to be a larger sized dog. Cosmo is a giant fluff ball of a puppy with thick puppy fur, he is all black and has some beautiful white markings on his chest, the tips of his feet, and a little white patch on his chin which make him a stunner of a boy. Cosmo is such a sweet natured dog and you can see it when you look into his soulful brown eyes that still show a bit of hesitation, but also so much wonder and excitement. He is honestly just a big gentle giant.
Cosmo was a pup that was rescued by Save a Dog Network in Northern Manitoba and made the big journey to Ontario in order to be taken in by Pound Dog to give him the best chance at finding his forever home while also helping the other rescue to continue saving dogs. Cosmo was a very friendly pup from the time that we got him, though he was very hesitant if you walked up towards him quickly or if you bent down quickly to pet him, it is clear that he may have had some less desirable interactions with humans. Cosmo has really made big strides with his confidence while with us and he is really coming out of his shell, he will happily run up to you for lots of pets and kisses or to play with a toy and he no longer shies away from us when we reach down to pet him. This boy loves to seek out affection and if you’re petting another dog, you can pet he will run in and try to get in on some of the action too, or else he will try to get the dog that you’re petting to play with him instead.
Cosmo would do well in pretty much any home situation as he is a pretty easy-going guy. He absolutely loves his foster dog siblings and wants to run around and play with them all the time. When they are outside he will do his business but then follow the dogs around and initiate some play time or a game of chase, once he comes in he tries to play with them a bit more and loves to wrestle on the floor or the pet bed. Cosmo is also happy to find a good toy or chew bone to play with and will curl up with it and play quietly for a time. Cosmo loves to take a nap pretty much anywhere, he will sleep on a bed with one of the other dogs, in the middle of the floor, or under the chair that you’re sitting in, sometimes he will have to get up and find a new spot if his spot got too warm, he sure does have a lot of fur! Cosmo’s ideal home would have an
other playful dog for him to get some energy out with and to help him navigate his new surroundings and experiences. Cosmo has a good mix of confidence to walk into new situations as well as laid back enough to follow the other dogs and just go with the flow of what they want to do. Cosmo is also currently living with a cat, he has certainly shown interest in the cat and will mostly just bark at her if she is sitting just out of reach of him. Cosmo also lives with two young teens in the house, Cosmo loves them and loves when they get down on the floor and play tug of war with him or when they snuggle in and give him lots of belly rubs. Cosmo is still a puppy and with this comes some puppy teething and some nipping, this is actively being worked on in his foster home and he gets better all the time, but it is something that should be taken into consideration when looking at adopting him if you have children. Given his nature we think Cosmo would do well in a home with kids that are over 7yrs of age and understand proper and respectful play with a dog, especially since we expect Cosmo to be a bigger boy.
Cosmo would love a big fenced in backyard to be able to run around and play in, he loves playing outside so much and it is probably his favourite thing to do, especially whenyou’re outside enjoying this time with him. Cosmo is crate trained, so when it is bedtime or time for the humans to leave the house he runs right into his crate and waits for a couple of treats. Cosmo absolutely loves his crate and as soon as he hears that crate door open he comes running to go right inside. We have made his crate a very comfortable place with a big bed inside, he is very clean in his crate and definitely loves the luxury he has been enjoying. Cosmo will on occasion make some noise while he is in his crate, usually it’s just once he knows your home and he is so excited to see you, he doesn’t normally make any noise in his crate during the night or while we are gone during the day. We currently feed Cosmo in his crate to help foster a positive relationship with it, and he will certainly bark to let you know when he’s all done his meal if you’re not paying attention to him.
Since Cosmo came to us we have had the occasional accident in the home, as he is still a puppy. If he has lots of access to water it’s important to understand that you will need to give him frequent pee breaks as his bladder just isn’t very big yet. Cosmo has been fantastic with his house training and knew right away that he should do his business outside, that being said, there is still the odd time that he will go in the house if we are not making sure to let him out. Cosmo knows to come when he is called and he knows “Sit” and “Down”. Overall, Cosmo is such a well-mannered little guy that he has been an absolute dream to have. Once he gets some playtime outside he mostly sleeps on the floor or pet bed until it’s time to play again! Cosmo is a pretty chill and relaxed pup, he doesn’t mind hanging out in a different room then you and doesn’t feel the need to follow you everywhere you go (finally some peace and quiet in the bathroom – almost). Cosmo has been testing his boundaries and will occasionally test is he is able to chew on something he shouldn’t, he is however very responsive to correction. It is extremely important that puppies be watched constantly in the home for the safety of the dog, as well as to make sure that you are there to avoid unwanted behaviour.
Cosmo has been a good passenger in the car on the many trips that he has taken both long (3 hours) and shorter, he usually sits on the passenger floor and will curl up and wait until you arrive at your destination. Occasionally he will get up to see if there is anything good to look at, but usually gives up and lays back down. Cosmo has been on a few walks now, his first couple walks were difficult because he is just getting used to his leash and the large world around him. However, his most recent walks have shown vast improvement and he is more than happy to take a stroll around town. He doesn’t always like staying on the sidewalk, he’s more of a darting all over the place type walker currently. Cosmo does walk well on a flat collar currently, but he has been starting to show some tendency to pull, his new family should be prepared to use a gentle leader head halter to help him master his walking skills. Cosmo’s new family will need to make sure they continue working diligently with his leash training to ensure he develops a happy relationship with it, with consistency and training he will continue to improve each day. Obedience training will be a must with Cosmo as it will help him develop a wonderful relationship with his new family, but also it will help him to understand what is expected of him and help set out rules in his new home. Cosmo will need some basic obedience at minimum, but he would really benefit from seeing several levels of obedience.
Being Cosmo is still such a young puppy, we will only consider a home for him where someone is home or has the capability to come home throughout the day. Puppies need to be taken outside for bathroom breaks very regularly when they are small and will not be able to hold it for an 8 hour work day. We are also looking for a family or person that is fully aware of the time commitment of a puppy and the work involved. Puppies are a total joy and bring so much love and happiness into a home, but you cannot underestimate the work and time involved in raising a puppy properly. They need constant supervision while young to expedite the house-training stage and to ensure they
aren’t chewing on anything inappropriate.
Cosmo is looking for his forever family with someone who will show him patience and lots of love as he grows up and grows past the things that scared him when he was so young. Ideally he would like to have a large fenced yard with another young playful dog to keep him company and run around with. Cosmo is such a handsome, calm and sweet natured dog and he is looking for someone who will love him forever and be active with him. Cosmo has been such an easy dog to love, his eyes and mannerism say it all in how sweet he is, if you’re ready for your days to be filled with looking at him and your heart breaking in a happy way because of how sweet he is then maybe you are the home for him!