MEET MAXIMILLIAN!!
Where to even begin with this guy… He’s handsome, he’s big, he’s beautiful, and well, he’s a bit difficult to say it nicely. He is however a fantastic guard dog and highly family oriented. But he’s got some faults. Please read his whole post as we will be very direct about his personality.
Maximillian is a 4 year old male. He’s about 120 pounds. He is neutered, up to date on vaccines, microchipped and Heartworm negative.
He has had DNA done and he’s majority Karakachan (Bulgarian Shepherd) This is an ancient livestock guardian dog and his genetics explain much of his personality. They were often referred to as “wolf killers” due to their dedication to protecting their land and families.
This is a guarding dog. It’s what the breed was raised to do. He will guard the yard and the home. You’ll need to understand that new people need to be introduced to him so he knows you want them there. He’s fine meeting everyone out in public it’s just his territory he guards. If you’re looking for a super sweet boy that will definitely scare away intruders then he’s your man.
Part of the trouble with Max is that his breed was meant to make decisions on their own without the input of humans. This big boy doesn’t always want to listen as he thinks he gets to make the decisions. He needs a very firm and dog savvy owner. He will test you to see if he can get his way. This can be very intimidating given his size. He has never hurt anyone but has a very ferocious bark and will growl when he’s not getting his way. He is learning now that he’s with our foster. He’s being held to a standard of behavior we just know he’s going to test the adopter the same way he did with his foster. He also needs to be sedated to see the vet unless you can muzzle train him over time.
His energy level is very low key. He’s very independent and doesn’t need much from you. Despite his size he eats very little. He’s fine with just walks or a yard to hang out in. He will need a 6ft fence if you have a yard as he can jump smaller fences.
Maximillian is best as the only pet in the home. He has done okay with certain dogs outside of the home (smaller than him and submissive seems to work best) He will however lunge, bark and pull toward dogs he sees. He’s never been around cats. He’s very bossy and never did that well sharing his indoor space or food/toys with another dog.
He was living with several young children and overall he does well. What you need to consider is that he’s not always trusting of non family members and that includes friends of your children (or your kids that are only with you on weekends etc) He’s never tried to hurt a child but he’s also never been pushed with strange kids in his face or being inappropriate with him such as climbing on him, pulling ears and tail etc. He’s also the dog that will try to separate play fighting kids to keep the peace. That is his breed showing through. If he were to pull a child away from another or bark/growl at them during this it may be falsely seen as aggression. Big things to consider if you have kids. We also have no doubt he would defend you and your children from a threat without hesitation.
Maximillan is great about potty training. He was crate trained previously but when he didn’t like using it his family just left him out. He’s definitely irritated that we are once again making him learn the crate. He will sometimes growl when you shut it and tries to push his way out of it. This is something we are working on. He’s pretty good on the leash most times but extremely strong and will pull hard when he sees another dog. Otherwise he’s very gentle when walking. He’s also excellent on car rides.
Is anyone still reading this?! LOL. We know he’s a lot to deal with. He really can be a great dog with the right adopter. It’s so hard for these breeds to have such strong independent genetics for being a farm guardian and then be expected to live in a home setting like a normal dog. It can be done it just takes a lot of understanding and work by his family.
We don’t know if anyone will give Max a home. We truly hope a special person will want him. If you’re antisocial or even just want an absolutely stellar guard dog then he may be perfect. He gets very loving and attached to his people. He wants nothing more than someone to hang out with and protect.
Vet and home checks required.
Located in Hampton VA.
(He would ideally be adopted within a 2 hour drive radius but we may make exceptions for the perfect home)
‼️Please message the Village Dog Resource Facebook Page directly with questions or to get an application.‼️
