Mimi’s owner contacted rescue looking for a kennel that wasn’t too expensive to board her.  Not quite sure why she wanted to board her.  The owner had moved from a house to an apartment because of a divorce. The apartment allowed pets.  We gave her the names of several kennels, but two months later, Mimi ended up in a local shelter. She was frantic to get out of the shelter. Now we know why. Mimi does not do well confined.  We initially crate a dog when she is going into a foster home until we find out if they are destructive when left alone, how they will deal with any resident pets, etc.   We found out that she became frantic in the crate, even with midday walks from another volunteer. The long side of the crate was parallel to the windows, but all she did was put her butt against that side and ram her head on the other in an attempt to open the door.  She was gated off in the kitchen with an extra tall, metal  baby gate that is fastened to the wall.  Mimi started being destructive in the kitchen: pulling things off the counter and destroying them, pooing and peeing, chewing the walls around the gate, pulling apart the gate. When her walker arrived, she was always stressed.  After consulting with our vet, we put Mimi on Prozac. There was a time when we scoffed at the idea of putting a dog on drugs, but after research, found it helped many dogs.  With the anxiety under control, she has learned new behaviors.  She can be crated now when her foster goes to work. She is happy to see her walker mid-day. After walking and some scratching time, she will go right back in her crate.  The joyful dog we caught glimpses of is now present most of the time.  If humans can have chemical deficiencies in their brains and be helped by drugs, why not dogs?  She may have to be on Prozac the rest of her life, a small price to pay for the lovely girl we see now. What a HUGE difference it has made in her behavior !!  .

Although the owner said she was good with cats and rabbits, that turned out to not necessarily be true.  She chased the foster home’s kitties, but not sure of her intent. The kitties stay in a safe area while we are further evaluating.  Since she has calmed down, she ignores the kitties more often than not.  Mimi is not crazy about car rides. Getting her in the car can be a challenge.  She is fine once in the car, but at times refuses to get out.  Mimi appears to have never had any restrictions or rules and is having some difficulty realizing that she is not the queen.  She is learning to walk well on leash. On the plus side, she is a very joyful dog, who is very food oriented. She loves to “talk” to you, especially upon your arrival.  She will grab a toy, wiggling around with it while telling you about her day. Mimi is a tweenie; part American Akita, part Japanese Akita.  She has the stockier build of the American Akita and the markings of a Japanese Akita.  We knew there was a good dog in there and we found her!!!