Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Good with kids,
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
Hello, my name is Áine (Ahn-ya). My foster family calls me Ani, or Ani Bonnie, unless I am in trouble… I always know when I hear my full name that I’ve been up to no good. It’s okay though because “trouble” is nothing to me! I know what real trouble looks like and I made it out of that when these nice people came and saved me from certain death. I was in VERY rough shape with no fur and no weight on my bones, but after a few months of being with my foster family, I looked in the mirror and WOW, I’m gorgeous! You should see me prance and show off my mad moves; walking normally is sooo not my style.
I would love to find a home where I can run, play fetch with MY humans, and show them how grateful I am for the life they gave me. Oh, and fetch… yeah, I play it so well! I will make sure you keep playing by throwing the ball back to you! It just proves what a smart, beautiful princess I am. I LOVE life. I will love you enthusiastically every single day and you can bet I will greet you with full-body wiggles, climb fully into your lap for kisses, then rest my head on your shoulder for a good snuggle.
Because my life used to be so scary, it is sometimes hard for me to remember how safe I am now. I like a lot of routine in my life to help me feel stable. I take anxiety meds to help balance me out, but my foster mom says that a loud home or place with lots of change is a bad idea… I think I agree. I do NOT like city noises or dogs or any of that nonsense. I do like cats; they are great to chase! Foster mom says that means I can’t hang out with them though; it’s kind of unfair, but I guess they don’t like chase as much as I do.
From foster family:
We named this girl Áine because it means “radiance.” The first photos of her rescue were so shocking and unbelievable heartbreaking - the literal worst shape we have ever seen a dog be in and still survived. But we immediately noticed the light in her eyes, how radiant her light shined, and we knew she was special. It is a true miracle she survived and this girl lives it up every day in gratitude.
Ani will need a home who can work with her to help her feel safe. We can tell you that she will pay your time and effort back with endless amounts of love. She is the happiest, sweetest girl that always greets us with her big smile, happy eyes, and a constantly wagging tail. She is house trained, crate trained and is SO smart. She knows: sit, down, nose, touch, spin, spin the other day, drop it, leave it, sit pretty (sits with her paws up), and will kennel on command. She is pretty consistent with her recall in a fenced yard, and she is working on her leash walking skills with distractions. Every day we work on something new and she LOVES it. We are currently working on bow, roll over and wave. Áine also will go paddleboarding with you, and I'm sure she would also sit in a kayak! She LOVES the water - including chasing sprinklers - and absolutely loved spending time on the boat this summer.
Due to her reactivity, we have worked with professional behavior trainers to assist us in muzzle training and management skills. She does great in a muzzle and will wear one when at the vet or any other areas where they may potentially be other dogs. Áine is also treadmill trained and we utilize the treadmill when the weather does not cooperate to get her runs in outside.
While she is currenlty living with another dog successfully, Ani has severe reactivity towards any other animal that we have tried to (slowly) introduce her to. Including other foster dogs we have had for months. Becuase of this, Áine cannot go to a home with any other animals. Young children that are dog-savvy are okay, but she will knock them over… frequently. She wants to love them, but they just can’t match her size and energy, so older may be better. Zero cats for her.
We sent a DNA test in for her and she is 28% Chesapeake Bay Retriever, 22.3% German Shepherd, 20.2% Australian Cattle Dog, 6.4% Rottweiler and 23.1% a "Supermutt" mix of Pit Bull, Siberian Husky, Australian Shepherd and Chow Chow. In other words, she is A LOT of dog and her breeds reflect that.
Áine's ideal family would be one that is experienced with working breeds and know all of the time and energy it takes to own a working breed. Ani needs to live in the country with access to a private fenced area to run, play and get her energy out safely. She absolutely needs to continue her work with behavior training and behavior medications. She requires a high level of management and constant supervision so she can be safe, happy and successful.
We know this is a unique set of needs, but trust us when we say: Áine is worth it.
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