Johnny Utah
Adoption Status: Accepting Adoption Interest
Gender: Male
Breed: Shepherd Mix
Age: Est DOB: 09/2024
Dog Friendly: Yes- needs another dog in the home
Cat Friendly: Likely due to young age
Kid Friendly: Likely due to young age
House Trained: Doing great!
History: We recently held our annual Out of the Cold Rescue Effort and welcomed back 200+ animals to rescue. This rescue effort helps animals out of the cold, frigid weather of North Dakota and welcomes them to loving foster homes at Coco’s Heart who work towards finding forever homes for these sweet pups.
A Note from the Foster: Woof, herro! Hi everyone, my name is Johnny Utah aka Johnny, Johnny Boy, John Boy!! I am a pretty bashful fella, and sometimes it takes me a little while for me to come out of my shell. Once I start to feel comfortable I can be a pretty silly guy; I love to snuggle, play and be a goofy boy with my human and dog friends!
My foster momma has been really patient with me to help me come out of my shell, I am so unsure about all of the things in this big world. There are so many sounds and smells and sometimes it just gets a little overwhelming and she needs to help me be confident. I have made a lot of progress, but occasionally still need some reassurance.
I am learning very quickly that I am supposed to go potty outside. Leashes make me really unsure, so my foster momma puts me on a tie out and stands outside with me; this allows me to go about doing my business without feeling like she is going to pull me or lead me somewhere. I am more confident on my tie out than my lead, and the resident dog comes out and plays with me to help me be brave. I know that if I cannot make it outside I am supposed to use the potty pads by the door, but I have noticed that if I start heading down the steps my foster momma starts to follow and asks “Johnny do you need to go potty” so I just sit by the door and wait for her to let me out!
Some things that I really enjoy are playtime with my foster fur siblings and the humans in the house! I do best when the people in the house sit on the floor to play with me so that they are at my level and I do not feel intimidated. I am very unsure about little people (kids), they make a lot of crazy noises and they move so sporadically that it scares me; I may do best in a home with big kids that are more aware of what might scare me. I really like to play tug-a-war, I’m working on learning how to bring back the ball when I fetch it, and I definitely know how to savor a good chew bone! When not playing I just love to lounge and snuggle with my fur friends and humans! Oh, how I have learned that snuggles can be just the absolute best ever!
I do really well in my crate when my foster parents are not home and at night, they usually keep me in their room so that I don’t get scared that I am being left behind. I either sleep on the floor in my bed or in my crate; she usually needs to let me out to go potty once a night too when she gets up to go.
A little about my background. Myself and my four other siblings came to Coco’s with the OOTC 2024 rescue effort. We did not have our mother for very long which is possibly why I have such skittish tendencies, but I am working oh so hard to improve them. I think I would do best in a home with another dog that is past the puppy phase and willing to accept me into their home; otherwise if there is no other dog to help me be brave I am going to need humans with patients to help me build my confidence in being the only dog in the home. There are cats in my foster home and they really interest me, but for the most part I leave them alone after they let me give them a sniff!
I really hope that after reading a little about me, you’ll want to reach out to get to know me, because I cannot wait to meet you!
Adoption Fee: $750 + tax
Adoption Status: Is this dog available? Submitting an application is the best first step to learning if a dog is still available. There is a chance this dog could have a pending adoption when your application is submitted, however our team will offer approved applicants to be put on a waiting list for that dog. Additionally, we can make recommendations on other dogs that may be a match. Pending adoptions do not mean the adoption is finalized. Why did we implement this change? We implemented this update because, unfortunately, dogs were pending for applicants for several weeks and then the applicant would change their mind. This happens more often with puppies, as applications are submitted impulsivly more often for them. Our process is great because it takes a little time, so impulsive decisions fade. However it was unfortunate for the dogs, and the foster homes, as then the process needed to be re-started. By securing a wait-list we are able to move forward more quickly if a pending adoption falls through. This is a new process for us, so your feedback along the way is helpful! Thank you for supporting rescue and adoption!
