Miko's Adoption Ad

Finally up. It was mostly written by Robin (thanks, Robin!), who I consider to be Miko's true Foster Mom. After about a month with us, Miko returned to Robin, primarily because Popeye developed another seroma, and it was difficult to keep him calm with 5 dogs in the house. It's strange how 4 dogs are so much more manageable than 5.

Miko Peli Grosa
Miko is approximately 1 year old and weighs 25 pounds. She probably won’t get much bigger, if at all. We have no idea what her breed is--we can merely guess. She is very shy and fearful, but has learned to be trustful of me, in spite of being treated cruelly just a few months ago when she was living in Taiwan. Sadly, Miko’s history is not unusual for dogs in Taiwan.

Miko is housetrained and takes great comfort from her crate. She gets along well with cats and is playful with other dogs. She walks great on leash and is food-motivated, once she learns to trust the person handing out the food. However, she is incredibly fearful and it will take quite some time before she learns to trust you.

Miko’s History
Miko was found in an industrial area of Taiwan, lying unconscious, near death. Someone had placed a rubber band around her neck. As she grew, the rubber band began cutting through her neck and throat, which lead to severe swelling of her head. Luckily for her, the Animal Rescue Team Taiwan was alerted and took her to the vet, where her neck injuries were treated, and she has since fully recovered. Physically, at least.



Miko’s Arrival
Miko was very scared when I brought her home. After entering my house, she immediately ran from me. I found her huddled on a bathmat on the bathroom floor. She was terrified and was about to run again when my little white cat Reg walked in. He approached Miko, the two sniffed each other a little, and Reg settled in, curling up right next to Miko. She seemed to be comforted by this, and settled down somewhat. The two have been buddies ever since. It took until the next day for Miko to feel comfortable with Logan, the resident Formosan Mountain Dog, also from Taiwan. Now, they are nearly inseparable.







Miko Today
As Miko was never properly socialized, she is still very hand shy and often moves away when approached by me. Miko is a jumper and very much a flight risk. She has Kung Fu moves like you wouldn’t believe. She can leap tall buildings in a single bound, or at least my 4 foot high fence with no problem. And she does not need a running start. She is very fearful of strangers and will struggle, even when on leash, to put distance between herself and new people. She loves going on walks, but due to her flight tendency, I use a Martingale collar in conjunction with a harness. I attach a coupler to both and the leash, or two separate leashes. This works quite well. Miko also loves to play fetch with a ball, or any toy, for that matter. She usually will bring it back, too. She does fairly well in the car, considering she’s only been in one a few times. She pants a little from feeling anxious, but with time, I’m sure she will enjoy the ride.



Miko is quite sweet (when not scared) and loves to play on the bed, especially in the morning. She looks to be an alpha dog. When she doesn’t get her way with Logan, she’ll start barking at him, trying to “boss” him into playing with her, despite their difference in size. She can walk right under Logan’s belly without even touching it. She is usually very quiet, except when playing with the dog or cats. And she does like both dogs and cats, but is fearful of children. She follows me around the house, and is quite smart. She moves like a cat – all stealth and quiet. Do not leave an unscreened window open; she’ll jump right out. She’ll jump back in, as well. She is very food motivated, although not the least bit food aggressive. With the right treat, I’m sure she would quickly learn most any trick. Miko is agile and playful, full of energy when you push her “on” button, but more than willing to settle down when play time is over.

Miko doesn’t have many bad habits. She is very curious, though, and is having to learn that items left on the floor or a table do not necessarily belong to her. She is rather oddly attracted to articles of clothing, whether clean or dirty. She’ll steal them and take them back to her crate or on top of my bed and just lay on them. Most of the time they are intact, but there has been the occasional sandal or shirt that she has chewed. Perhaps she does this as I initially put a shirt of mine in her crate so she could get use to my scent.

Because Miko is incredibly fearful of new people and environments, she is a high flight-risk and requires an experienced adopter familiar with undersocialized dogs. Although she would not harm them, she should not go to a home with children as she spooks easily. But the ideal home for her would have 1 or 2 other well-socialized dogs who can lead by example.



Miko is crate trained and house trained. She is adorable, and wants so badly to jump up on the couch and cuddle up with me and Logan, but she’s just not quite there yet. She has so much potential, but it will take a person of patience to allow her the time she needs to bond. But once you do, it will be a life altering experience.

This is not the Miko you will see when you first meet her, but this is the Miko she can become if given the chance.
















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