NICHOLAS* - Mutt Male Dog For Adoption in Santa Cruz, California, USA

Dog Breed: Pit Bull Terrier / Mixed (medium coat).

Meet Nicholas, the brown brindle mixed breed. We are not sure what Nicholas’ breed mix is but some sort of Dutch Shepherd mix is our best guess. Nicholas came into the Shelter via animal control after he and three other dogs were reported to be running around a rural area of South County. A good Samaritan and our animal control team were able to get all four dogs into safety at the Shelter. We are not sure their relation or exact age. They did not have identification (microchip or tags) prior to arrival to the Shelter. Nicholas is the most timid of the group. He tends to move away from things that make him nervous. But he’s growing to be quite the brave little toaster as he gets used to the Shelter ongoings. Day by day, Nicholas is meeting new volunteers and learning the world is not so scary. It may take time for him to open up his new family but we anticipate he will fall hard in love when he does. A lot of the modern day dog things (leash walking, potty training, etc) are new to Nicholas. Adopters should prioritize decompression in the new home and then help Nicholas learn all his new things in a slow, thoughtful manner. Positive reinforcement based training will help to both build the bond between the adopter and Nicholas as well as his confidence. Having easy access to a securely fenced backyard will likely help Nicholas to learn potty training as he is not super comfortable walking on leash at this time. Nicholas came into the Shelter with three other dogs but they seemed to have a contentious relationship. We aren’t sure how they related to each other but there were some hormones involved and competition for attention and resources. Nicholas has met new dogs at the Shelter and, although a bit socially awkward, seems interested in making friends. A home with a resident dog may be a fit after a meet ‘n greet at the Shelter. We do not have any experience with Nicholas around children or cats. Nicholas is available for pre-adoption. Come meet him, fall in love and take him home after his neuter surgery. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation is now offering “Pawsitivity Bucks” with every dog adoption. This $200 training voucher is a way for newly adopted canines and their guardians to connect with local positive reinforcement based behavior consultants and get their relationship started off on the right paw! Please note: Our Santa Cruz location’s Shelter hours are 11-6pm, 7 days a week! Although clients can walk through and see any animals in their kennels during open hours, we end “meet and greets” (aka meeting an animal out of the kennel) at 4:30pm every day. If you’d like to meet an animal out of the kennel, please arrive before 4:00pm to allow for time to discuss individual animals and meet them.