Sjaak

Meet our Sjaak, a young Boerenfox crossbreed just a year old.

Despite his young age, Sjaak has already had many different places of residence. After changing owners at least five times, he was eventually surrendered to us. His last owners were also unable to give him the proper care and attention he needs.

Here at the shelter, Sjaak is known as our cheerful bundle of energy. He has an enormous amount of energy and sometimes seems like a little dog with a battery that never runs out. But behind all that busyness is mainly a young, playful, enthusiastic dog with absolutely no malice in him.

Sjaak loves walking and enjoys going out several times a day. However, walking alone isn’t enough for him. He also has a great need for mental stimulation: think of brain games, searching for treats in a snufflemats, learning exercises in a positive way together with his owner, or other activities where he can use his clever brain.

When Sjaak gets very excited, he can sometimes nip at hands or arms. This isn’t meant to be mean, but comes purely from his enthusiasm and excitement that he can’t quite channel at that moment.

With so many changes of owners and not always the right approach, Sjaak has unfortunately never been able to learn that being home alone is a safe option. With his last owners, Sjakie stayed in a crate when he had to be home alone for a bit, but he would scream and whine very loudly. Sjaak was also not yet fully house-trained in his previous home.

Both staying home alone and house-training will therefore still need to be taught.

Sjaak generally gets along well with other dogs, although he can occasionally show that he likes one dog less than another. He regularly joins large group walks and finds this very enjoyable. The very first time, he found our big Elmo a bit scary and showed some fear-aggression. But by the second walk, he liked Elmo (Dalmatian X Boxer) the most and kept seeking him out. He also loves running across the field with Keesje (Keeshond), where they can burn off some energy together.

We are looking for a home for Sjaak where another stable, social dog already lives. We have noticed that Sjaak can find strangers scary. He doesn’t quite dare to get close and barks at people from a distance. It makes a huge difference for Sjaak if he has a companion he clicks with. With another dog by his side, he isn’t alone, he can burn off his energy better, and he can find support in the presence of the other dog.

We are also looking for an active owner with patience, time, and experience in positive dog training. Someone who enjoys being active with him and can offer both physical and mental challenges. A house with a garden would be ideal for him, so he can also burn off energy there. And an existing four-legged friend who is also up for some action! Do you already have a nice, enthusiastic dog and think you both might like Sjakie? Do you want to finally give Sjaak his long-awaited home, a home where he can finally grow old? Then fill out the form below!