Kuba

Weight: 7.5 kg

Shoulder height: ~ 38 cm

Our worrywart Pinscher Kuba... actually, Kuba was given to us in the spring of 2024 due to the health reasons of his first owners, and not because of behavioral problems. Now we hope that the little guy doesn't become a long-term stay-at-home dad.

Kuba is a real character. Cheeky, lively, fully in his rebellious phase, fast as a greyhound, clever, cheeky, always a bit "over the top" and controlling. At the same time, he also seeks a lot of closeness with his people, is cuddly, playful, incredibly sweet, and loves being the center of attention. What makes finding him a new home difficult is that Kuba has learned to discipline people with his teeth when something doesn't suit him. The behavior, which started with threatening signals and nipping, has become established after too many successful experiences, and he now unfortunately shows clear intentions to hurt. Even as a young dog, Kuba probably didn't learn many boundaries and seems to have been more of a "lapdog." Often it is the dogs that have received little or no training that later exhibit controlling behavior like Kuba. After he was placed with us, there were initially no real problems, but after a few weeks, Kuba increasingly began to defend resources from his owners, especially resting places on the bed and sofa, or food and vomit. As this escalated and he was sometimes no longer touchable, his owners... By the time Kuba started struggling with things like putting on or taking off his harness, the human-dog relationship was already so strained that training was no longer an option. Kuba returned to our animal shelter. With a later prospective adopter, the behavior in the home became even more pronounced and noticeable than before, so that adoption did not go through. A prerequisite for Kuba's adoption is now a longer, gradual transition to his new home with accompanying training by our trainer/animal caretakers. Since the problems so far mainly occur in the home environment and daily life. At the animal shelter, Kuba is sometimes a bit of a rascal and occasionally questions whether and how quickly he should do something when we ask something of him, but he doesn't show us animal caretakers any seriously dangerous behavior. However, he has shown that he is capable of it and will bite if necessary. After a longer muzzle training period, Kuba accepts wearing a muzzle. He wears this in all critical situations and when meeting strangers. Apart from the situations described, he is generally friendly towards people, but doesn't like to be pressured or touched too quickly. He seeks contact himself, and then quickly and with full physical commitment, once he likes someone. It's important to find the right balance between how far his behavior is okay and playful, and when his controlling behavior might start to kick in, which should be interrupted calmly but firmly. Clear boundaries and structures will be essential for a harmonious coexistence with Kuba in the long run. We only place Kuba with people who have advanced knowledge of dog handling and who take his behavior seriously from the beginning. Kuba will not be placed with first-time dog owners or with households with children. He should finally find his forever home and not have to endure any more back and forth.

When out for walks, Kuba is excited, pulls occasionally, but not constantly, and shows a hunting instinct. He loves long walks. However, he is fully engaged with his surroundings and constantly scans everything. Without a leash, he would be long gone at the first sign of distraction. Training is needed so that he keeps his attention on his people, even when in doubt. In the past, Kuba got along well with other dogs on neutral ground; he's initially happy to see them, but can also bark on the leash. In confined spaces and near interesting resources, the chemistry between him and the other dog is very important. Kuba is apparently more tense around intact male dogs and has been involved in serious fights in the past. So far, his interactions with female dogs and neutered males have gone much better. Kuba practically idolizes some of them and lets them tell him off without resistance when he gets too close. Here, too, one observes a lot of controlling behavior, or at least signs of it. He also sees the dogs he likes somewhat as his own property, which he defends against others. When traveling by car, Kuba gets very excited and can chew things up. He should ideally be secured in a suitable crate in the car. A seatbelt isn't safe from him. ;)

At the animal shelter, Kuba marks a lot due to the presence of so many dogs, even in his room. So far, however, he has been house-trained in the homes where he has lived.

Kuba was able to stay alone without any problems in his last home after the settling-in period. In his first home, he almost never had to.