Zeus is a 4.5 year old male Doberman. In typical Dobie style, this boy is a velcro dog and doesnt want to lay beside you, he wants to lay ON you. He came to us from a very remote community in Nunavut after one of his owners passed away unexpectedly. You can see a bit of frost-bite on the tips of his ears, poor guy! Zeus is housetrained and is not destructive in the house, but he will countersurf and pull things out of the garbage if he has the opportunity. We have an automatic garbage can in our kitchen that opens when you wave your hand over the lid, and Zeus quickly figured out how to get himself tasty treats by using his nose to activate the sensor. He has only done this with food garbage, thankfully.

Zeus was originally placed in a foster home with 2 other energetic dogs, 2 kids, cats, and in a busy neighbourhood in the city. We quickly found out that this is NOT the right environment for Zeus. He started exhibiting reactivity towards different things, and showing some aggressive behaviors like growling, barking and snapping, at what seemed like random triggers. We have since moved him to our acreage and he is a different dog. We think that he was likely overwhelmed in such a busy household that was so different from what he was used to. The only negative behavior we have seen in our house is when he perceives that you are trying to force him to do something he doesnt want to, he will ask you to stop by growling or lifting his lips. When he first came to our acreage we had him drag a leash for a couple days, and we saw this behavior if we tried to coax him off the couch with his leash to go outside or to his kennel. We quickly learned that Zeus needs to think that going outside (or back inside) or in his kennel is HIS idea. He is food motivated so that has helped, and he is very quick at picking up routines. Now that he knows what is expected of him and at what times, we rarely see this behavior anymore. He eats his meals in his crate, very enthusiastically, but can be left left loose in the house with no problems.

Zeus currently lives with a female Doberman, a pack of little dogs, and a hairless cat. Zeus can be selective and even reactive with certain dogs, but has been good with most after a brief on-leash introduction (yes, counterintuitive, I know). He actually gets along best with small dogs and needs to go to a home with NO MEDIUM OR LARGE MALE DOGS. He has been in dog fights with other males, and recently redirected on a person who grabbed him while in the middle of a fight, so we do not want this to happen again. He will sometimes pin other dogs upon meeting, so we generally introduce him while wearing a muzzle and paying close attention to his body language. Zeus was originally scared of our Sphynx cat, and would stand in front of her and bark. Now he just gives her a little sniff here and there, but ignores her for the most part. Hes really a very gentle dog and has good bite inhibition. He does jump up on occasion and has headbutted us all a couple times when excited, but he is improving. Despite his gentle nature, due to his history, we will not place Zeus in a home with children. He really needs a laid-back, quiet home with an owner who understands dog behavior and body language.

Zeus has been neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and dewormed. His adoption fee is $500. All adopters must agree not to use any punitive training methods including, but not limited to, leash corrections; pinning; alpha rolls; and prong, pinch, choke, shock, or e-collars. Apply to adopt Zeus by submitting our adoption application at https://adoptadobe.com/adoption-application/.

Donate to Zeuss care by visiting adoptadobe.com/donate/.