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Is there a reason that your Aki would be any less capable of adjusting to Costa Rica than any other ten year-old dog? Plenty of folks have brought plenty of middle-aged dogs here and, so far, there haven't been any reports of major problems. If this one is accustomed to being part of your life, your family, most of his or her experience will not have changed. The rest s/he can deal with. S/he isn't a china doll.

@daveandmarcia.   Thank you for your input.  My main concern with Aki is that (as I stated), his prey drive is through the roof.  I am simply a little worried about him wanting to go after literally anything (moving) that he sees. Whether it be a snake or a bug, these dogs have been used as hunters in Japan for many thousands of years.   It will be a definite adjustment for him as well as myself. I am not so concerned about him wanting to chase a monkey or a coati, or whatever else.  That, I can project and control.  But the small, dangerous creepies is what concerns me. Here, all I have to be aware of are black widows and rattlesnakes.  There, it's a whole different story.   He could easily snipe any bug off the side of a trail, without me seeing it, if I am not very cautious. This is not a deal breaker, as I need to do what I need to do.  But it is weighing in the back of my mind.

Well, lots of folks, costaricans and expats alike, have successfully kept lots of dogs with high prey instincts. Our Belgian malanois, who runs free on our property, is among them. Guapo actually found a snake in our house a couple of years ago. When I yelled at him to back off, he did. They seem to know. (And, just so's ya knows, Costa Rica is reputed to have eleven varieties of venomous snakes.)

Maybe the worst encounter Aki is likely to experience will be with a porcupine. Years ago, a friend's terrier got mixed up with one. We and the vet pulled about half a pound of quills out of her face. Nothing prepares a dog for such an encounter but hopefully it's a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thank you for your input.  I appreciate it.

@grudr2023 Oh, I thought you were talking about that garbage "crypto", not the actual dog.

@RootBeer-GMT

Haha!  No, the real life teddy bear one.  They're a lot more fun.