Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with kids,
Good with dogs,
Not good with cats,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Sweet Yukon is unfortunately looking for a new home. He was adopted from Northern Star at 4 months old and is now 4 ½ years old. His birthday is somewhere in September. He came into rescue after being found on an Indian reservation.
Yukon is a love bully (that’s even more than a love bug). He is goofy and very playful; he loves to roll and twist around on his back, playfully bury himself under blankets, running around, playing with the family, play tug of war, and chasing tennis balls on occasion. He loys big stuffy toys and ropes for tug of war. He loves wrestle playing and just being around his family. He doesn’t run off outside and you can do yard work with him and he will stay in your yard even with fence open.
His foster mom says he has a soft and sensitive personality and big feelings; for example, “if I get on my boys for something and raise my voice or appear upset, he will just take himself to his kennel to be safe. So I have always seen him as very aware and affected by his environment. He doesn’t like to be inside when I have the stove on or am cooking sometimes, but he just asks to go in the backyard. And he doesn’t love storms or fireworks, but he just likes to be closer to us during those times, nothing severe like some stories I have heard.”
Yukon is not shy about wanting attention, so he definitely needs to go to someone who is looking for a companion dog.
The owner says: “We named him Yukon for three reasons: 1) we got him while living in Idaho and Idaho is known for potatoes, so it made me think of Yukon Gold Potatoes. 2) I thought of Yukon Gold Potatoes because he is also gold in color. 3) He was found on a reservation, and I thought about the Yukon River among Indian stories.”
About his activity level and exercise needs his owner says: “I would say relatively high. He does carry a lot of energy with him, but he is also really good at reading the room and will lie around if the whole family is choosing to do that. During the summer I would walk him 3 miles almost every day. But less in the winter.”
Yukon is amazingly kennel trained. He never complains about being in his kennel and often chooses his kennel to rest in even when it is left open and he doesn’t have to be in there. They kennel him at night.
Yukon is great with toddlers: “He is just big so will get in their face, lol”. His current family has 8 and 10 year old boys that he does really well with and they have never had any issues. With big kids: “I would assume even better than the former, too. He likes to know where he stands with people and the older they are, the more consistent they get.”
Yukon does not like cats and probably will do best in a cat-less home. “Not because he will hurt them, lol, but because they will rule him. He is easily pushed around, and I think he deserves a home where all attention is on him. But he loves dogs! He has never had a bad experience around other dogs. He is super playful with them.”
He is fairly easy going with other animals than cats. Loves to chase squirrels and birds. “I have never seen him angry with another animal.” He would rather make friends.
With visitors and strangers, he can’t wait to say hi to them and greet them at the door. He is hyper for about 2 minutes and then he goes back to his usual behavior."
Yukon is a good family dog. “He will gravitate to the people who are most consistent with him. But chooses to be around all of us all the time.”
Yukon has wonderful manners: “He is potty trained. Will ask to go outside by standing by our back door. He is great on a leash, will walk alongside me at my pace but will pull if he sees a squirrel. Never poops on walks. It’s kind of funny. I think he has maybe 3 times in four years. He waits and goes in our backyard after the walk. We put an alarm collar on him at our house when we are all outside and he will stay in our yard and driveway. If he ventures, we just beep or vibrate him and he comes back immediately.
He willingly jumps into our 4 Runner and loves to have the back window down when we drive. He does fine. I wouldn’t say he loves being in the car like some dogs, but he does just fine.”
He does well in public places and just wants to greet everyone and be loved.
“He responds pretty well to being called - unless there is a squirrel. Lol. He is highly food motivated and always wants more but he has never shown food guarding. He is fairly quiet; he barks if someone knocks on door, but only a couple of times. And he barks when he gets playful, so if we show playful high energy he will respond in kind.
We have standard high fences. He has never jumped that high. He is pretty content. He does not door dash, even when he gets out the front door, he just goes and pees in the front yard and greets whoever comes over and asks them to pet him.
He loves food and has definitely gotten stuff off the counter, so I do have to watch him for that.
I actually think he would be fine in an apartment as long as he got his walks.”
He is a true Heinz 57 dog. Embark identified a mix of 8+ breeds. Chow chow, supermutt, Australian cattle dog, boxer, American pit bull terrier, Rottweiler, German shepherd, and border collie.
He is currently 59lbs. Tall, long, but slender.
If you're interested in Yukon, please fill out a pre-adoption application on https://linktr.ee/northernstardogrescue
