We adopted Nanimo (now known as Niko, as he likes and responds to the name
better, it seems!) from the King County Humane Society and are absolutely
thrilled and just in love with him! What a sweetie he is! He is
incredibly well-mannered, too! What a dream dog!!!! He is our ultimate
new family member and we are extremely happy with him.
My 16 yr. old daughter and I had originally attempted to place a hold on
Niko when we first saw him on July 03rd, but another family had a first
hold on him. He was originally adopted by this family on July 05th, but
they returned him due to his "jumping & power." (They had 6 kids.)
After they returned him, we saw him again and simply fell in love with
him. We found yet, another family with a first hold on him wanted him,
but the father apparently said no, so our 2nd hold won out! I guess we
were just meant to have him! '-) It amazes us that we ended up with him
after all of this commotion! So for those people who would give up when
they see a hold on a dog, my advice is . . . be persistent!
As a former owner of a purebred Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky for 14
years, I know the standards and breeds well and have not found Niko to be
aggressive or misbehaved in any way. The first evening we had him home, I
was expecting him to potentially show signs of some type of mishap with
housetraining, or behavior. He, instead amazed us by coming to us and
gently nudging our hands to come with him to take him out. Early the next
morning, he awoke me with a gentle kiss on my chin to let me know he
needed to have his walk and to be fed. There were no "accidents." How
good can it get?
We already had a 6 year old tuxedo cat, named Misty, who had been with
other dogs in the past. We were concerned, due to the Alaskan Malamute
breed that this blending might not work. She and Niko hit it off
famously. They actually seemed very happy to have one another. They
gently play with one another and seem to tolerate each other well, with no
complications.
Niko is a perfectly mannered gentleman! We can't believe anyone would
have ever let this animal go! I simply believe the former people who gave
him up, or adopted him, must not have understood the breed, or known how
to handle him. Fortunately, we believe we do and he has shown us that he
is very happy and extremely well-mannered and well-adjusted in our home.
He is very loving, yet independent, with a passion for people. He
thoroughly enjoys the lavish praise, play, exercise and tummy rubbing our
family offers him. His curiosity is overwhelmingly indicative of the
Alaskan Malamute breed and he is exceptionally obedient for having such a
trait.
He knows all of the commands of "come, sit, down, heel and wait." He very
quickly learned, within a day, to "roll-over, stay" and to distinguish the
difference between going "outside" and going in the "car." His
intelligence and his loving willingness to please have truly endeared him
in ways we never imagined for a dog of his size, power and breed. He is
very perceptive, sensitive and has more than proven himself to be a
wonderful companion. When one of our teens (we have three in high school)
was upset about something, Niko couldn't wait to go to him and comfort him
with kisses. Niko truly has made a difference with our teens being more
responsible, too!
My husband and I never thought we would end up with a male dog, much less
one who's purebred history was unknown. Nonetheless, Niko is not sexually
aggressive, or aggressive to other dogs, even though he shows himself to
be an Alpha dog. He is calmly territorial with other dogs through his
body language, but is in no way ever misbehaved or unduly aggressive. He
definitely has manners. He is truly a gentle "leader."
We had his health checkup with our vet and found he had no evidence of hip
dysplasia and was in exceptionally good health. They couldn't believe he
would have ever been up for adoption, as he seems to have some champion
traits of his breed.
His mellowness and overall intelligence are a true joy to our family.
What a gem of a dog! His word recognition and his sensitivity to people
are incredible. He even talks and sings to us, without barking. Need I
say more?!! In short, we are totally enthralled with Niko and feel
extremely grateful to have found him.
We will forever be grateful for the Rescue League finding him and for the
Humane Society offering him for adoption to our family. He truly is our
new baby and a very dear and loved family member. He definitely has a
permanent home in our residence, as well as in our hearts!
Back to the adopted 2003 page
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