Zuko

This handsome sweetheart is Zuko. He’s an almost 4 year old Vizsla/ Hound mix (born May 2022) , and he’s just the bestest boy you ever did meet.

Due to some very unfortunate family circumstances, Zuko was not able to stay with his previous family where he was loved very deeply. This love is so apparent to us as his fosters, because Zuko is such a super sweet and well-mannered boy. His personality is fun, curious, calm, and very loving. He already knows so much about how to be a good boy both in the house and out.

Zuko is a striking boy, with his soulful brown eyes, velvety hound ears, and his lean, tall legs. Zuko is short haired with a sleek, shiny coat. He’s a large dog who doesn’t let his size stop him from being a supreme cuddle bug on the couch with you. He’s currently on a weight loss journey as he enjoys more consistent exercise, weighing about 95lbs as of writing this. His goal weight is somewhere around 85lbs and he’s already well on his way. Zuko is committed to finding someone that will help him reach his health goals, with high quality food and consistent exercise each day. 

Zuko is an athletic and playful boy who’s also very comfortable sharing down time with you. This makes for an exceptionally adaptable family dog. Zuko is happy to go out and hike with you all day long, or even run with you, but he’s also happy to just chill on the couch with you for hours. We want Zuko to live a long, healthy life, and this means he needs a solid routine of exercise for both his body and his brain, no matter how comfy you are just cuddling together! 😉

That being said, Zuko is familiar with being left alone in the home alone for up to 4 hours at a time when needed. He will pace and doing some whining for 10 min when left alone before he settles nicely into his bed/place and awaits your return, eager to smother you with happy kisses. 

Zuko is such a good looking guy, and he’s learned to use that adorable sweet face to convince us to do many things, from extra snuggles to sneaking in an extra walk together. He’s a very calm, relaxed boy in our home, but ready for playtime whenever you are. He’s well mannered, and has not gotten into a single thing in our house from day one. He gets along great with our family dog, and in his previous home he grew up with kids and cats. 

Zuko is also adorably playful. When he wants to play he’ll often go get his Moosey (a stuffy he’s had since puppyhood) while wearing his goblin ears (what we call his ears when he pulls them back and out in a submissive way) and will prance around the house with Moosey until you can’t resist giving him some attention.

Zuko’s biggest challenge is really just that he’s shy and sensitive. He’s nervous of new people and dogs, which simply means that he likes some space when meeting someone, and asks that people be patient with him. If someone he’s never met gets too close he simply moves away to create this space for himself, and looks to you to be his advocate. His preferred way of meeting people is to sniff them on his own time, without the added pressure of being pet. Once he knows you he’s very happy to be pet, and he really likes liver treats and can be won over quickly with these.  Zuko is not reactive, he’s just a shy boy.

Zuko is well-mannered when walking through the neighbourhood on leash, and has no issues passing people or dogs. He’s friendly with people he’s knows, and walks on by people he doesn’t know. He notices squirrels and rabbits and will watch them, but all we do is tell him to come along or leave it and he listens. We are aware though that he has a fondness for raccoons and may chase them if he encounters one. He is a hound after all!

Speaking of his hound nature, Zuko is actually a quiet boy with us and rarely barks or howls. He’s only used his voice occasionally, when he’s very excited during playtime or when he’s unsure about something he smells or hears. He enjoys watching the world go by the window from the comfort of the couch. He does very much like to sniff, naturally, and thoroughly enjoys his longer bush walks where he gets the opportunity to smell all the things. He will also whine quietly when he needs something, like to go outside or if he wants to play or walk. While he’s adjusting to a new home, he’ll likely whine when he’s unsure or nervous. He responds very well to being asked to go to his place, which in our home is a designated spot for him on the couch where he can relax.

Zuko is a very sweet boy with our family dog, respecting her space while also being up for playtime when she’s into it. They even relax together on the couch. Zuko also gets along well with our family’s male Bernese, who doesn’t live in our home. Zuko is respectful and sometimes even playful when they walk together. He does however know how to use his size to his advantage during playtime, and so we always monitor to ensure nobody gets hurt. He loves to play but does have a tendency to play rough when he gets excited, and can body check other dogs or accidentally knock them down, so we supervise outdoor playtime to ensure that nobody gets carried away.

Because of his size, we recommend a home where Zuko can either be an only dog or in a home with bigger dogs. Zuko seems to like the companionship of a female dog, and he would do best with a calm, well-mannered dog to help balance his more gregarious play style. Zuko can go to an adult only home or a home with kids over 5 years old that understand how to play with a large dog.

Zuko is very good around his food and we’ve had zero issues, he can be hand fed treats and food no problem. He’s quite gentle. He shows no food guarding behaviour around our family dog, and will happily share in food rewards together with her beside him. However we never leave dogs and food together unsupervised to ensure safety and manners.

Zuko loves going for walks and is game for just about any outdoor activity. He’s also happy to just hang out in the yard and entertain himself if you’re doing some gardening, yard work, or other outdoor activities. He doesn’t seem to mind any weather, rain, snow, or even blizzards. If it means he gets to play outside he’s up for it! Zuko would do best in a home with a fully fenced yard, so he can exercise, play, and sniff outside in a safe environment.

Zuko is also currently learning canicross, a dog sport where the dog wears a running harness and pulls the human while running together. He really likes to run, and is quite comfortable around a big group of people and excitable dogs because we don’t force interactions. He’s only just begun but Zuko is doing great here, and is learning how to pull into the special harness.

Zuko is a very good boy who wants to do what’s right, and caring for Zuko has been easy from day one. He has a hint of the stubborn hound nature but Zuko is really a people pleaser. Zuko already knows most of the basic obedience stuff, but we’ve been working on a few extra things with him to make life even easier, like crate training. He’s already able to happily go into his crate for mealtime, and we’re in the process of extending the amount of time he stays inside.

While he already knows a lot, a big part of forging a strong bond and helping Zuko understand what’s expected of him in his new home, will be going through the formal training process. Anyone adopting Zuko should be ready to complete at least basic obedience training with him. This will also greatly help Zuko because it will show him that you are his safe space, build trust, and help him navigate new situations. 

Zuko is a very good traveler in the car, and will usually lay down and relax while driving, or even fall asleep. He occasionally whines a bit from nerves at first, but calms down after a short time and relaxes. He can be nervous when going into new environments, like the pet store for example, but with time and trust in his humans he warms up and understands that these places aren’t so scary after all. 

Zuko is a very affectionate, sweet boy who’s had a confusing time of late, but he would like to move forward and find that special someone who will help him feel safe and loved. Zuko takes time to feel safe with new people, but once he does he is so happy to see you, even if you’ve just been gone for a short while, he can’t wait to give kisses and cuddles! He needs someone who understands that building these relationships takes time. He won’t be comfortable giving hugs and kisses right away, but once he’s ready he will greet you with a kiss every morning and say goodnight with a hug every evening. Zuko does like to be tucked into bed by the way, his bed or yours, whichever you allow. 😉

Zuko has been diagnosed with lyme disease.  His previous owner musn’t have been consistent with the preventative which would have ensured he was protected from this disease.  Lyme disease is a preventable disease that is spread by ticks.  This disease is in Southern Ontario and we are seeing more and more of it as each year passes.  We are a rescue that heartworm/lyme tests all of the dogs we take in for exactly this reason.  The good news is that Zuko is completely free of symptoms and is an otherwise healthy dog and Lyme disease is a very manageable disease.  Zuko does not require any medication at this time as his protein levels are normal.   We have had other dogs in our program that have had lyme disease and those dogs were managed successfully and all are living active and healthy lives.  Zuko has no idea he has this disease and is in every way a happy dog.  Zuko has been cleared to be adopted as there is no reason to hold him back.

Zuko would do great in a home with a family or person that wants a dog that will bond with them closely. He would enjoy a fairly active lifestyle with regular walks and outings together, and of course some dedicated playtime and snuggle time! If you’re into trying out some dog sports or other fun activities together Zuko would love that, but he also really just enjoys being with you no matter what you’re doing. 

Zuko is a very sweet natured boy who deserves a great life, full of love, cuddles, and fun. He’s a little sensitive, and just asks for a bit of time and patience from his new family. Once he understands that he’s safe and loved, that he is home, Zuko will become part of your heart for life.