Simba

Simba is an 8 month old Cocker Spaniel/ Poodle mixed puppy. Although he is a Cockapoo, he already weighs 30lbs and may continue to grow. Simba is happy-go-lucky to the core. He is a friendly puppy who either wants to snuggle beside your legs or play with anyone who seems mildly interested. Although his life started out in a puppy mill, he shows no signs of fear or anxiety. He came into our house ready to be a part of a family and I don’t doubt that he will be ready to be a part of yours. 

Simba currently lives in a house with another dog and a cat. At times, he can be a bit too rambunctious for our adult dog in typical puppy fashion. However he responds well to corrections and when our adult dog tells him that he’s had enough. Simba is very curious with our cat. He can often get up close and personal with the cat so he would likely do well with a dog savvy cat. He has never tried to attack or overly chase the cat. For the most part, the two co-exist. Most days, the two dogs and cat will end up snoozing away in the same room. Simba has been around multiple small children while on leash. He has never tried to lunge at anyone but will try and nibble on garments unless corrected. He has met multiple people of all genders and ages and has yet to have an issue with anyone. 

Before we get further along in describing this fantastic puppy we do have to mention that Simba came to us with a significant heart murmur.  We had a cardiac ultrasound done on him to delve into this more.  His heart murmur is created by a congenital defect of one of his heart valves, known as “pulmonic stenosis”. In this condition, the valve does not open properly during fetal development so the blood must be pushed through a more narrow opening, which in turn causes increased work for the heart and leads to thickening of the heart wall muscles. Currently, the degree of narrowing (or ‘stenosis’) is considered mild to moderate but his heart wall muscle is moderately thickened. As per the cardiologist’s report, this degree of stenosis should not increase Simba’s risk for adverse cardiac events at this time, but the concern is that the heart wall muscle could continue to thicken over time, which ultimately leads to less effective heart muscle contractions and cardiac failure. The cardiologist suggested a medication known as a ‘beta blocker’, which slows heart rate in an attempt to decrease the workload of the heart wall muscle. We went ahead with this and Simba is doing quite well on it. So much so that he was able to safely undergo his neuter surgery and had no issues with the anaesthetic.  He will need to be on the beta blocker for life and will need his heart to be monitored with bi annual check ups with his new families vet to track any possible changes.  Anyone considering Simba has to be committed to his care and his check ups and keeping him on his medication.  He can live an otherwise normal life and we have noticed no adverse effects of his heart condition.  Obviously strenuous exercise needs to be avoided but Simba is not a dog that requires hard running anyway so that is fine.  

Simba is comfortable with his crate. It took some getting used to he is now mainly fine in it. He eats his meals in there and stays in his crate while we are upstairs working or in the basement. Sometimes he needs a treat or some guidance going into his crate. He has not quite figured out stairs so he mainly spends his time on the main floor or in the backyard. He has been known to chew on items like shoes and cords when left unattended so being in his crate or with his humans are the best options for him. Like most puppies, he needs a lot of supervision.

Simba did not take long to house-train and has gone months without an accident. He does well at sitting by the backdoor when he needs to relieve himself. He will not be vocal about it so keep an eye out for him and when he tries to let you know what he needs. Speaking of vocal, Simba is known to bark at neighbours and other dogs walking by our fence. We have been trying to correct it and he usually stops when being told or redirected to come back inside. Simba is a very smart dog. He picked up sit, stay, and come in a matter of minutes. He is food motivated and will do almost anything for a treat. He does well with simple corrections and often listens right away. He is still working on being on walks especially without his foster brother to keep him confident. He will follow along beside or just behind me and sit when asked. His main issue is that he will veer towards any person or dog that he sees on his walks. It is not a lunge or aggressive in any way. I think he just really wants to be friends with everyone. We have been working on a “leave it” cue to keep him focused on us on his walks but he will need to keep working on this. Simba likes to think of his medication time as treat time. We tell him it’s “time for treaties” and give him the tiniest bit of greek yogurt with his dose in it. I have never had a dog take medication with such enthusiasm.

Simba would do well in most family structures. He has yet to learn stairs but I don’t foresee a home with stairs being an issue for him. He has never been to an apartment or been on an elevator but he really does not seem afraid of anything. He is still a puppy so he has not been left alone for more than a few hours at a time and I would not trust his bladder beyond that. He won’t be a suitable pup for anyone working away from home for a full day.  He will also need a lot of patience and structure as he is still in those puppy months. Luckily he has a face that is pretty hard to stay annoyed with. Please also be prepared that he will need regular grooming as he has a lot of hair. Luckily he really doesn’t mind a quick brush while lying on the couch and will put up with most other grooming activities with enough cookies provided. He will also need daily walks. He enjoys hikes in the forest where he can sniff what the world has to offer.

Simba really is your typical happy-go-lucky puppy. He has been a joy to have with us even with all of the work that is involved in having a puppy. You would never know how his life started or that he has any sort of health condition. If you are looking to add a puppy into your life, and are fully committed to a puppy with a heart condition and keeping up with his heart monitoring, this might be the guy for you. He wants nothing more than to love and be loved.