Benji *courtesy post* for Beyond The Walk Shih Tzu & Miniature Poodle Mix montclair, NJ

This is a courtesy post for Beyond The Walk in NJ.
Benji is a 4 year old shitzu poodle mix. Benji will require an adopter that is willing to follow his behavior plan developed by his trainer. He has made so much progress and following his behavior plan will help ensure he is a harmonious dog companion. He MUST be adopted by a home without other animals or kids; he has not responded well to other animals and due to his behavior history, he should not be around children.

Benji is a courtesy post. He is not a WTFR dog and WTFR does not have information about Benji. Please use the below link/contact for more info or to adopt Benji. (video will be posted in a few days in this listing; please check back)
contact: beyondthewalkdogs@gmail.com
adopt: https://beyondthewalkdogs.com/adopt-benji

Benji is incredibly smart, food motivated, and knows many commands and tricks including sit, stay, here, in (crate), out (come out of there), jump, through, walk, quiet, cross, stop (wait), down. Benji is housebroken and crate trained and does not chew on household items. He loves to sunbathe and does not require a lot of physical exercise. He currently goes for three 20-30 minute walks a day. He is definitely a "sniffer". He Loves to sniff out treats, toys, his human, every leaf flower and blade of grass on his walk. He walks nicely on a leash and doesn't walk very fast.

Benji does well with a "consent-based" behavior plan for petting and physical touch such as putting on a leash. He will give permission for "pets" when desired and comfortable with the person by pawing them. He does not respond well to being grabbed at or reached for quickly without him understanding what is happening. Benji needs his safe space as he often likes his "quiet time" through out his day. He takes time to warm up to people. He needs a calm environment to thrive. Triggers easily stack up for him and he becomes overwhelmed so busy households are not ideal. He requires structure, understanding, and dedication to his behavior plan (which has been working well for him!) from his human. He is sensitive, does not respond well to "uncertain" reactions or behaviors, loud tones, or chaotic gatherings. He will become overwhelmed. He perceives certain actions as confrontational so nonconfrontational slow greeting and interactions are necessary. If you have visitors over, he would prefer to relax in his own room with his toys or a food toy. He has progressed well with accepting single low key visitors that follow the behavior plan and ignore him so he may be able to progress even further, but he will never be a party animal.

Benji is not confident with stairs so he is carried with a collapsible basket. This may be due to his weight or lack of muscle strength, however he physically struggles with stairs, even crashing into steps if he is made to go up them. For his safety, his current home taught him the adorable skill of stepping into the basket and taking a little ride up the stairs. See video! Being willing to continue this easy routine he knows very well is required. He might be physically able to do stairs later in life as his fitness continues to improve.

Benji is a special diet (OC raw fish and produce and/or Dr. Marty's) and fed twice a day. He was very overweight for his size (27lbs) and has lost 7.5lbs over the past few months. He should lose a few more pounds to be his ideal weight. He may be able to switch to a premium kibble once he's at an ideal weight, but higher carb foods could cause him to gain weight again. He recently learned how to play with treat toys independently. He may get a little truculent when frustrated and unable to take out his treats so offering food toys that aren't exceedingly challenging but still stimulating is ideal. He does enjoy this mental stimulation as well as trick training.

He is still learning how to engage in play with humans (ex. fetch). He does very well with his groomer (Bark bath and beyond in Hawthorne), however this may be because he is shut down with nervousness at the groomer, so a groomer and a vet that are experienced with behavior dogs is important.

Benji aka Benjamin, neutered, UTD on vaccinations
4 yr old Shi-poo, Black coat with white paws and chest,neutered.
Selective, smart, independent, sensitive to overstimulation.

Currently being fostered and continuing work on his behavior plan which he has progressed nicely with. Benji's trainer will continue to offer training to his adopter at a 50% off rescue discount to his future adopter.

Benji is a courtesy post. He is not a WTFR dog and WTFR does not have information about Benji. Please use the below link/contact for more info or to adopt Benji.
contact: beyondthewalkdogs@gmail.com
adopt: https://beyondthewalkdogs.com/adopt-benji