Kita Australian Shepherd Mix Manhattan, KS

This is Kita! She is 19 months and is a puppy at heart. Her first home loves her, but someone was seriously allergic to her and had to rehome Kita. Unfortunately, that home was not a nice home. Kita came back to her original owners cautious of men. She was also covered in fleas and malnourished. She lost a lot of weight which her foster mom has been working on getting her weight up. She currently weighs 75lbs. Since she wasn't being fed properly, it is best she ears separately from other dogs. You can feed her on the opposite side of the room where other dogs are or in her crate. She is fine with either choice. She does have a meal routine. She sits, waits, then eats. Those are her meal and treat time commands.
Her original owners had to find a foster for her and she has been with her foster family since October 2018. She was cautious with the man of the house, but seeing how her foster dog siblings were around him, she trusted him. Wherever her foster mom goes, Kita has to follow. Wherever her foster dog siblings hangout, Kita wants to join in too. She is very much a pack mentality type of dog. She lacks confidence but that is something her foster mom has been working with her.
She was recently adopted, did amazing at her meet and greets, but it wasnt the right fit. Kitas lack of confidence and manners means she needs a family that will work with her. She needs a family that is committed to training with her and understands that she just needs to be given a real chance to excel. Kita is really smart, loves to be a part of the family, and will protect you with her loud barks. She loves to snuggle. Once she feels comfortable and has a bond with you, all she wants to do is be a lap dog. She sleeps in a crate with bedding. She let's you know when she needs to potty and is completely house trained. It is best to feed her 3x a day. she is still underweight, so give her a frozen kong filled with yummy treats if you'd like. That will keep her occupied for a while. She will still try and sniff human food if its within reach. When she does this, put some of her food in her bowl so you're eating together. This shows her that she has her food and you have yours.
Kita is starting to like the game fetch. She likes to chase and gets the zoomies. Especially, when it is snowing, Kita will hop around enjoying a fun snow day. She does get excited when she sees you. Whether it's first thing in the morning, after a day of work or running errands Kita will wag her fluffy tail as if you'd been gone for years. Be careful to tell her down. She still jumps without realizing how big of a girl she is. This is something her foster mom is working on with her. Her excitement just gets the best of her sometimes and needs to be reminded of greeting manners.
She would be great addition to your family if you have older kids, other dogs, and had experience with dogs that take time and patience to learn where they fit within your pack. She would do best in a home environment, living the farm life, and having a yard so she can enjoy free roaming. If you live in an apartment, she would do good with trips to the dog park and a good walk. She's still learning leash manners, but she is doing great with her training leash. Just know that Kita sheds a lot and her tail will knock things down from time to time. So, make sure you have a pretty spacious living area for her.
She can't wait to meet her forever her family.
If you'd like to adopt Kita, please fill out an application at www.purple-paws.org. Our adoption fee for dogs is $200 - this covers the cost of getting them fixed and updated on preventatives.