Formosan Mountain Dog Needs Adoption

Ok, I usually don’t do advertise too much specific rescues on my site, but when I saw this, I had to post it.  This is Locke, a Formosan/Kelpie mix up for adoption on the AHAN Web site. Currently, Locke is in Taiwan. Yes, I know there are tons of dogs in the states that need adoption. But if you’re looking for a very smart, intelligent dog, albeit challenging as all working dogs are,  this breed is for you.

In one of my old posts, Adventures of a Formosan Mountain Dog, a commenter, Chris, living in Taiwan writes “Most Taiwanese only want the imported dogs. It is so sad. They are such great dogs but everyone just treats them like a pest.” (That sounds like what they think of dingoes in Australia.)

Taiwan has an amazing national dog. Why import dogs when there’s such a great breed, wandering the streets? I found my Formosan dog, Loki, to be incredibly smart and loyal. Other Formosan dog owners who write in, like Sugar’s mom, and Popeye’s foster mom  write the same thing. These Formosan dogs learn fast and furious. They can be working dogs or they’re content to sit by your feet. Loki is by far the easiest dog to teach anything to. He has his some behavioral challenges most likely learned by on the streets by himself for so long. Then he was passed from home to home which also didn’t give him much confidence. But learning? I can’t keep up with how fast he learns. He’s challenging me to give him harder and harder tasks. Outside of the basics (sit, stay, down, come, heel), he can sit or down during a recall, stand, bow, touch, weave between my legs, out a toy from his mouth, bite/take a toy or object on command, retreive items,  bang/you’re dead, ignore food thrown toward him, get in the car (from a long distance), jump over or under any obstacle even without him at heel position next to me, sit or down him with me telling him from a 2nd story window or another room, come out of play with another dog or chasing something he shouldn’t, climb or descend ladders, stay down while other dogs tempt him to play, lay down while other dogs jump over him and the list goes on.  The hardest thing I had to teach him? Getting into a kiddie pool to cool his feet on a hot summer day. What can I say? He’s not a water dog.

This type of learning is not unique to Loki. This is pure Formosan (and German Shepherd) drive.

Reading Locke’s info on AHAN’s pet adoption page, and going to see more pictures of Locke, I can tell he is definitely part Formosan. His paws (long toes for moutain climbing) are a dead give away. That long jaw, triangular head and HUGE ears are another dead give away. My Formosan dog, Loki is very big for a Formosan dog. He’s 72 lbs. Most are about 30-45. But this is because Loki is half German Shepherd. It looks like Locke will be smaller, around the 40 lb size.  His photos show him too thin and he needs some weight put on him.

Formosan dogs make GREAT agility animals. Aside from Loki’s anxiety (unique to him not typical of the breed), Loki’s working drive makes him a “plug and play” dog, like a Mac computer. You plug it in and it works. Many times I just point at something say something and he does something. Whether its right or wrong, he tries and uses his brain to solve the puzzle I present to him. When he gets it correct, he’s rewarded, when he doesn’t he gets “try again” which frustrates him to keep trying different things until he gets it right. A “working” dog uses his brain to learn what the handler is asking.  A working dog stays engaged and looking at you for the next job. Formosan dogs are incredible at this.

Locke is a gorgeous Formosan dog crossed with kelpie, it seems. Oh my, if you adopt him, you’ll have your hands full, but in a great way! Please adopt him. Otherwise Mr. Wild Dingo, who’s in love with him, will force me to adopt him and I’m just all dogged out at the moment. I know we’ll be watching to see if he gets adopted before September (when his time runs out). Because if he doesn’t, we’ll then there will be three at Wild Dingo. Please help me keep my sanity and adopt him!