Coco

Coco, now called 짜장, is making himself at home! He went to the vet, had a check up, got micro chipped, and got a haircut! He was shaved ㅜㅜ.....but his pretty hair will soon grow back! We also found out he has early stage heartworms, but we have started treatment! He sleeps a lot! And he likes to sleep completely under the covers. I get paranoid and check to make sure he is breathing but he just gets annoyed that I let a draft in his little cave! One problem we are having is that he barks A Lot when I leave, but two days later its already getting better! To my neighbors, please be patient!!! He is also really smart! He is learning sit very quickly! And teaching him to heel is a breeze! And he is already house trained, I guess from his days with his previous owners! Since he has been shaved, there is some obvious scaring, I wonder what he got up too in his early days! Only he knows! Pics coming soon!

짜장, formerly called Coco, is in a bit of a situation. I brought him home on a Saturday, and when I left for work on Monday, he barked all day. On Tuesday, one of my neighbors called the school multiple times and threatened them. I felt bad for him because he works a construction job at night and sleeps during the day, but the receptionist at my school said he was very scary on the phone. Someone from the school escorted me to my apartment and we took Jjajang to the vet, where he had his checkup, for boarding. So now he spends every weekday there. I walk him there in the morning and pick him up after school. My school director has told me that, because of the complaints and liability to the school, I cannot keep him. My school owns the apartment, and they are changing any future contracts to not allow dogs or any other pets. But, she is at least giving me a little time to try and find him a new home so that he does not have to go back to the shelter.

Since then, I have spent every evening and weekend crate training and working with his separation anxiety. When he is alone, he pants and shakes at the door, jumps and scratches at it, paces up and down the apartment and barks…for hours. He also HATES going in his crate. I have put blankets in there, a pillow, and covered it with a blanket to make it feel more comforting, but he barks, whines, scratches, and bites at it. He also refuses just to go in. Sometimes, he splays his legs around the entrance like a spider and braces against me. I have to pick him up and forcefully put him in, but I have been trying to work on that too, and he is resisting less and less. Since I have been working with him, he is less noisy, but even if he is lying down, he shakes and whines a little, but he is slowly getting better. The longest he has been quiet is three hours, which is better than 3 minutes. He also does not accept most treats or dog food while he is in his crate. He ignores toys and rawhides, and the only thing he will eat is cooked chicken. As for leaving him alone, some days are better than others. I have left him for periods of up to ten minutes and sometimes he is quiet and sometimes he barks, whines, paces, shakes, and scratches. The fact that sometimes he is fine gives me hope. When I leave him, I don’t give him attention, and I leave the tv on. I used to give him a rawhide chew, but he didn’t even touch the chew until I came back in the door. I have stopped giving one to him because I don’t want him to think he can have a reward for barking. The vet has told me that he barks when he is alone there too, and that he is also trying to work with him, but he is kind of a nuisance to the office. I have recently tried a new method where I put him alone in the bathroom and I wait outside the door so that I can more easily correct his barking and other habits with a sharp “no”. Even being in the bathroom alone is scary for him.

I hope someone who has lots of free time and patience can take him and give him a new home or at least foster him. I have asked all my friends here and even all my relatives back home, desperate for someone to take him so he doesn’t have to go back to the shelter. I think the best fit would be someone who can be home a lot, at least at first, so that he can get constant training. When I am with him, he is the perfect dog! He is older, and doesn’t play much, especially since he is on heartworm treatment and needs to be calm. I thought I was doing the best thing for him to start the treatment as soon as possible, but then on Monday, everything got out of hand, and now it is a big road block to his training. He really needs a calm environment. He is housetrained. He only peed in my apartment once, on one of his first days here. He walked to the bathroom and did his business on the tiles, and walked right out like it was a normal thing. But I prefer that he do his business outside, and since then he is very good about going outside. He is friendly with small dogs, but he gets a little barky around larger ones. He also seems interested in cats. He has seen a few on our walks outside, and wants to chase after them, but he is small enough that a few tugs on the leash makes him focus on walking again. He doesn’t jump on the furniture except the couch and bed, he knows how to fetch (even though lately, he has no interest in toys because the treatment makes him lazy) and he is learning/relearning sit and hand. I am also trying to teach him “place” which is supposed to be good for anxious dogs. He also responds well to “no” when I want him to leave things alone (usually sniffing things he isn’t supposed to). He also lets me wipe his feet every time we come in from a walk outside. He is friendly with my building guards and everyone at the vet likes him (except when he barks ).

His FAVORITE thing to do is sleep under the covers. He sleeps most of the time. I wish he would sleep when he was alone. The vet didn’t believe me when I told him that he would rather sleep than eat his breakfast in the morning. I took a video and showed it to him. I usually have to wake him up three or four times like a teenager and add a bit of chicken to the food to make it worth his while, hahaha! He also doesn’t really cuddle or ask for attention, but he loves to touch. He lies down under the covers and presses against my legs or back when he is sleeping, so he is a nice little foot warmer. He also loves being petted, especially on his chin, butt, and ears. He is a charming little guy.

I really hope someone can adopt or foster him. He needs more stability than I can give since he goes back and forth to the vet everyday and my school won’t let me keep him. He needs consistency, patience and understanding. I love him a lot, and he is really smart, and he only wants to please. He deserves the best. I have spent over $1,000 already on checkups, heartworm treatment, other minor treatments, grooming, supplies, and boarding and spent every evening and weekend working with him so that he is more desirable to new fosters or owners. I would hate for him to have to go back to the shelter and have his training be undone! Please, someone help him!

I live near Ssangmun station near Nowon. I don’t have a car, and all of his supplies would go with him. I would also be willing to cover any further heartworm treatment he might need.