“I love you and keep those treats coming!”
Zydeco is Handsome with a capital H! He’s an athletic, energetic, fun-loving pal who makes for the perfect jogging buddy. Super smart and eager-to-please his people, Zydeco does really well on walks and is thrilled to get to sniff around in the great outdoors. If you ask him if he wants to go for a run, he’ll eagerly answer yes with sweet affectionate kisses! Zydeco is so happy to get out in nature that he’ll press his face into the grass then wiggle worm along for several feet. He also LOVES toys and can entertain himself with them if he can’t talk you into a game of fetch or tug of war. This exuberant pup just has so much love for life and he can’t wait to become part of yours!
While Zydeco is very friendly with known faces, he can be standoffish when meeting new people. Some humans he takes to right away, but once he’s decided someone’s okay, you’ll never be in doubt how much Zydeco loves you. He’s super cuddly with his people and does tippy taps and wiggles when his friends at the shelter approach his kennel, even kissing their hands and arms while they put his leash on.
Zydeco is house-trained and knows LOTS of skills – all of the basics as well as place and recall. He has solid leash manners, and he’d definitely love to continue to learn new tricks with you. Zydeco responds well to structure, and he appreciates the routines and rules you establish. He has brain energy to spare and is very treat-motivated, so it’s no surprise that he’s thriving in APA!’s Total Obedience Program, which is is modeled after the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.
As a TOP dog, Zydeco has a personalized training plan and works with a volunteer trainer several times a week to help him learn skills like sitting calmly when approached by strangers or other dogs, staying in a sit or down until told “free,” coming when called, and “place”, which means Zydeco will go to a specific place in your home on command. As part of APA’s Total Obedience Program you can work with APA staff to continue to build a training relationship with Zydeco after adoption and master all the TOP dog skills together. Check out a video on APA’s CGC program, on which the TOP was based: https://vimeo.com/89434193
Zydeco really is the epitome of the ultimate loyal best friend, he has so much love to give his perfect family, and he can’t wait to cover them in kisses! Zydeco would love a lower traffic, adult-only home with a yard and an active owner who is home most of the time. We also believe he would do best as your one-and-only pet, but with Zydeco in your life you couldn’t possibly need much more!
To learn more about Zydeco and how you can adopt/foster him, go to austinpetsalive.org.
