We purchased Loki from Norma Spivey when he was six weeks old, just before Christmas, 1996. He came into a home with a 2 year old Basenji and a 10 year old cat. When he was approximately 11 months old, my elderly mother with Alzheimer’s joined the household. He became her companion and protector until she was moved to a nursing home in February 2002. My husband came home from rehabilitation from a severe stroke when Loki was about 1 1/2 years old and he showed the same behavior toward him. He was always very protective of both of them and you could tell whether one of them was having a bad day by his behavior. He would lie next to my mother in bed and not want the caretaker to come near her. If someone in the house he would get between my husband and the stranger.

We had a number of caretakers through the house over the next few years. When we moved to Reno in November, 2000 it was difficult to find steady caretakers. One caretaker was relatively new and waving her hands around my mother’s head at the table one day and Loki took her wrist in his mouth and tried to pull her away. My son looked at the caretaker’s wrist right after that and there were no skin breaks. She later claimed there were and had Loki quarantined at home. The post-dog bite notation in his health record refers to this incident. My husband has had two additional strokes and is no longer able to be cared for at home. Hence, Loki has gone from having people always at home to very long stretches without anyone at home, except the Basenji. The cat died a year ago. I work very long hours and do travel some for my work and this has been very stressful for him.

Loki is more comfortable with women, than men. The exception being my son, who helped raise him but has not been at home for four years as he is away at college. He does not like strangers coming to the door and gardeners with large, noisy machines. He seems to get along well with other dogs, in fact better than the neutered Basenji. He gets along well with cats too. He has no experience being around small children and I would not recommend him to a home with children under about 12.

He is used to sleeping on a bed, preferably under the covers, or on a soft couch, chair or padded dog bed. He has always had a very large, fenced yard and enjoys running laps with the Basenji, especially over things he can leap off of. He is trained to an invisible fence. He loves having the back and sides of his neck scratched, his paws massaged, pad by pad (my husband had one functional hand and he would do this a lot), and his leg muscles massaged. He enjoys having his toys thrown for him and fetching them…he gets relatively close to you when he brings them back. He has always been fed ProPlan Beef & Rice and enjoys Milk Bones and Beggin’ Strips (or a variation thereof) as treats.

He loves to go on outings that involve a trip in the car even though for short trips he will stand for most of the trip. For long trips, he will settle down.

Loki has been through many people, mainly caretakers, going in and out of the household and deteriorating health among people he was attached to. He is a sensitive dog and needs a home where he can have adequate human companionship, not one in which someone is gone all day long and he is left alone for long periods. He also needs access to a fenced yard where he can exercise.

I appreciate your willingness to place Loki in a good new home. He is a loving dog to anyone who is kind and loves him in return. I will miss him greatly