Mickey
Labrador retriever/Great Dane Mix | Male | 1 year Old | 70 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with dogs! ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ House broken! ✔️ Loves car rides! ✔️ Good running buddy!
✔️ Enjoys doggy daycare! ✔️ Loves to learn new tricks! ❌ No cats! ❌ No young kids! ❌ No apartments please!
Updates
Congrats to Mickey on his adoption March 16, 2021!
PUPDATE 3
Just a few updates on Mr. Mickelson. He's gotten much better at "come" and "stay" and I'm currently teaching him to roll over and play the cup game. He absolutely LOVES the snow, and doesn't seem to mind the cold. He likes running through snow, digging in it, and catching snowballs. He's also been cross-country skiing with me and really seemed to like it. Mickey's now going to daycare at the Dog Den East in Madison once a week (had to switch due to my schedule) and is so excited to be there every time I drop him off! They report he likes to play with anyone who will play with him, but he's respectful of dogs that don't want to play. He's also finally figured out that if he's very patient and gentle, he can get my grumpy old resident dog to play with him for a few minutes.
I thought I'd try and clarify what I mean when I say Mickey needs a "strong leader". Basically, he's like a little kid, and he needs rules and structure or he might get up to no good. So he needs owners that have the time and willingness to do a little training. The types of rules I've put in place for him include: sitting and waiting for dinner, waiting to come out of the crate or walk through a door until I say "ok", sitting at crosswalks on walks, waiting for permission to get on the bed or couch, etc. You also have to be comfortable telling him "no"--he knows what it means! None of this really takes that much extra time, and since Mick is super smart and will do anything for a treat, he catches on really fast.
Overall Mickey is a big goofy goober, and while I can't believe he hasn't had many applications, we're happy to hang out with him a little longer while he waits for his forever home!
PUPDATE 2
Mickey has been with us for a few weeks now and has settled in wonderfully. He’s a really entertaining dog to have around! We took him for a short run and he did pretty well. With just a little practice he could definitely be a good running buddy. He also went for a hike and LOVED all the new sights and smells. I can’t stress enough how good he is in the car—he just curls up and naps til we stop.
Since he’s met a few more dogs, we’ve realized Mickey is dog-selective, meaning he gets along great with some dogs, but others, not so much. He does best with submissive dogs and is not a fan of other dominant dogs. Speaking of “dominant” dogs, while Mick will definitely elect himself leader of your household if you let him, he’s not the kind of dog that challenges you for control every single day. I think he’s actually much more comfortable being a follower, so once he realizes that you’re the boss, he happily falls into line.
Mickey’s leash reactivity is also improving a lot with the prong collar and treats for distraction. When he first got here, he would bark and lunge at any dog he saw. Now we’re down to just whining!
If you’re looking for a dog who’s a solid mix of activity and snuggles, Mickey is your guy!
PUPDATE 1
This is Mickey, aka Mick, Mickelson, or Moose. He's a big goofy guy waiting for his forever home!
Mick is a medium-high energy dude, and he gets about an hour total of walks per day, generally divided into a morning and afternoon walk. During the day, he goes to Dog Dog Daycare (east side of Madison) a few days a week and hangs out at home the rest of the time. As long as he gets sufficient exercise, he's happy to lounge, nap on the couch or in his crate, or play with toys while you're working. When we leave the house, Mickey goes in his crate. He'll whine for a few minutes but calms down quickly, especially if you throw a peanut butter-stuffed Kong in with him. He actually really likes his crate and will go in there on his own just to nap.
Mickey is 100% potty trained! He doesn't have a way to tell you he wants to go out, but he does great on a schedule--he goes out twice a day for walks and then once more before bedtime. He walks very nicely on a leash with a prong collar. He is reactive towards other dogs on walks, but he responds to the prong collar well and we're working on redirecting his attention when he sees another dog. Off leash, he's generally good with other dogs. He's still a puppy at heart and typically wants to play with every dog he meets. He can be a little overwhelming for dogs that don't want to play 24/7! He's possessive of his food towards other dogs so he should be fed separately.
I've never seen him with kids, but I suspect he wouldn't do great with younger kids just because of his size and energy level. Mickey still gets puppy zoomies where he'll charge around the house at top speed--he earned one of his nicknames because he's about as coordinated as a newborn baby moose! He loves all adults he's ever met, inside and outside the house.
Mickey thrives with structure. He's very smart and food-motivated, which makes him lots of fun to train! He knows (and is good at) sit, down and shake. We're working on come and stay. He needs an owner that will be a strong leader, otherwise Mick will decide he's going to be the boss. He doesn't necessarily need an experienced owner, but he probably wouldn't be good for someone with little to no dog experience.
Mickey has been lots of fun to have in our house. He's a great cuddler and is super good in the car. He'll entertain himself with toys--he especially likes bones, puzzle toys, and stuffed toys that he can de-stuff. Are you ready to be his forever home??