When friends visit with their dogs, Sullivan takes it upon himself to be a protector of smaller dogs. (We think this is very cute but does create some problems if we take him to a dog park with another dog he feels he should protect)
Sullivan needs a yard. Loves to run and has been nonaggressive and fun for the kids we have introduced him to. We have not introduced him to children younger than 8. Will bark just because the morning doves annoy him sometimes. Sullivan has the biggest grin, is great in the car and loves to ride, and I have taken him to dog parks lots of times with no incident. He will run all over the park and say hello to every dog and run with some but is not aggressive to any and while he will run alongside them while they chase the ball, he has no interest in the ball. Loves to be brushed. I thought his coat would require a lot of care but honestly it is surprisingly easy to care for. I brush him about 10 minutes a day and I will supply brushes that he is accustomed to.
Sullivan hangs out with me in my office and is well behaved office partner. He sleeps at the end of my bed on his own blanket but often chooses to sleep under the bed or even out in the living room. It took a few months before he wanted to be anywhere other than near me but as he got more confident with his surroundings he branched out. I have not used a crate with Sullivan since he had not been crate trained when I got him, but I do close him in my office where he has a bed when there are workman in the house and he is very well behaved.
I put Sullivan in my office before I go to the door to let people in. Then I let him out to greet them. He is naturally protective with barking but not in any other way. When I put him away and then let him out, it works well, avoids drama at the door, and the trainer says it communicates to him that he is not in charge of being protective. He is happy to meet new people when I do it this way. I do work with him on leash every day especially around NOT reacting to dogs on a leash, or squirrels, or bunnies. Finnish spitz are a breed used to hunt small furry things and that certainly shows. Because of this, I have not attempted to introduce Sullivan to any cats. He does sit when I tell him to but he doesn't always stop barking.
When I rescued Sullivan he was eating fast food (McDonalds, etc) and then had been taken in by a rescue that fed them different food every day and had 100 dogs in a farm pen. It took quite a while for his stomach to get right and for him to stop barking at the McDonalds sign every time we drove past. I feed him dry food that is designed for sensitive stomachs, and I give him pieces of carrot and apple for treats and the occasional piece of banana. I'm sure he would prefer a cheeseburger, but he has made the adjustment well. I routinely leave him for up to six or seven hours with no incident, accidents, or acting out.
Sullivan's vaccinations are current and he is on heart worm medicine monthly that also includes a tick repellent. He is healthy.
