TONGAOur
Tonga is the best of two magnificent breeds...half Eskie, half Cocker Spaniel.
He was bred as a "designer" dog, which seems to be all the rage these
days....except when they wind up in rescue...as a "mix." Fortunately,
Tonga is the result of two of the prettiest breeds, and he is really a stunner....the
Eskie look, with those glorious cocker ears. |  |
| Tonga has a sad story to tell. Earlier this year, Tonga's owners welcomed a newborn into the family and within a few months the papoose developed horrendous eczema...which turned out to be dog allergies. Heartbroken, Tonga's owners were told that for the health of their child, Tonga must be removed from the home immediately. Tonga was beloved by his owners, who took amazing care with his health and training, |  |
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He is very well-mannered and beautifully house trained and is up to speed
on several basic obedience commands. Of course, Eskie people will be pleased to
hear that he can be a royal pain in the butt when uninvited houseguests show up....an
"alert watchdog" to be sure...but also one that requires a good deal
of savvy dog understanding and assertiveness to maintain a happy, balanced outlook,
and to prevent the boy from putting the chomp on Aunt Bessie. Most Eskie people
and...probably...Cocker people too, appreciate the protective aspects to these
breeds, but know how to apply the appropriate mix of discipline, exercise and
leadership to keep their dogs from getting out of control. At least that is the
level of expertise that we want in adopters for our Tonga. |
| Tonga is completely vetted. He is about 5 years old and weighs about 30 pounds. He is neutered, up to date on routine shots, and heartworm negative. He has extensive vet documentation, dating back to the puppy days, which will follow him along to adoption. Below is an update from his foster home. |  |
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Tonga has been a delightful guest. He is not the least bit alpha and gets along with his hosts Ollie and TT Twig. He is excellent with the resident cats. Coming from a one dog home he is outstanding in his ability to share everything except "his" tennis balls with TT Twig. He would do well with a very playful companion. He is untiring in having the ball thrown then returns it to you unasked. He is very high energy and enjoys walks around town. Has beautiful leash manners. Also enjoys running on a very long lead in a local vacant development area. He really needs a family that can keep him active with running, swimming or sports. Likes to ride and jumps right into the front passenger seat then I buckle him in. Loves to swim. Took him to the lake today and he couldn't get enough of swimming after the stick. Had the 50' lead on and he swam as far out as possible. I believe I screwed up when I left his tennis balls in the car. Will remember tomorrow. |
| Tonga seems a bit on the chunky-monkey side of weight but is a very light eater here. Not at all food aggressive. He has aced the morning ritual of me sitting in a half circle with the dogs and a cat or two to spoon feed them some canned food. He politely sits until his name is called then gently takes the offering. He is on Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul and like my dogs pick at the kibble throughout the day until I put it up for the night. |
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There have been no accidents here but I attribute that to running a hormone-free establishment. Tonga's new family will receive a belly band and supplies "just in case." He sleeps in the kitchen with my two dogs and stays quiet until I get up for the day.
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| His fur was previously cut in an attempt to alleviate allergy problems in his family. Although short, the fur is healthy and soft. He enjoys being groomed. He has pretty, long white Eskie eyelashes and a curled up tail. |  |
| Barking: Why, yes he does. The barking is related to the new sights and sounds rather than boredom. Also barks when he brings you the tennis ball and it's time to play. The up side is he doesn't bark nearly as much as any 100% Eskie I've met. Children: Don't have any and this won't be tested here. Children make me nervous and grumpy. |
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Jumping: High and hard. Jumps to greet, jumps when excited, jumps to go out or come in and jumps ahead instead of waiting for a command. He could easily knock down a child or someone who is not steady on their feet. Training classes or experienced owners could stop this. I am working on "sit" when I approach him as his time here will not allow for much more than that. Quirk: Tonga has, upon meeting someone new, curled his lip a little and gave a faint growl. I will know more about that as time passes but it just may be the Eskie/Cocker wait and see attitude when meeting strangers. He did it to me so I ignored him and by the time we got home he couldn't get enough of my attention. He is very affectionate and likes to cuddle. |
| Eskies Online is a private breed rescue group that has served unwanted American Eskimo Dogs for the past decade. Our group of private foster homes spans the North East, and our adoption territory extends from Maine to eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and parts of northern Maryland. Once an adopter is approved, we arrange transportation.. We do not adopt dogs beyond our territory. Please visit our website, www.eskiesonline.com for more information about our group and our adoption procedures. |
