"Hi, I'm GiGi! Do you want to be friends?"
We're not exactly sure what kind of dog GiGi is--other than a great one! GiGi is about 8-9 months old and as of her most recent vet visit, weighs 35 lbs. She was found as a stray and spent over a month at the Merced Animal Shelter--so long, in fact, that she eventually got on the red flag Urgent list.
With her black coloring and mutt-ish appearance, it's not terribly surprising that she was overlooked for so long at the shelter. What is surprising though is that when we rescued her, her spirit and happiness and good nature had not diminished one whit.
GiGi is a dog just filled with joy, a joy of life that is simply contagious and touches those around her. GiGi gets along with everyone, from man to woman to dog to cat to child. GiGi was quite the rock star on a recent trip to Lake Tahoe. Her doggie roommate, Logan, usually gets quite a bit of attention because of his unusual looks, but GiGi was quite literally mobbed by fans while Logan was more or less ignored. GiGi loved all the attention she got. She was so happy to meet new people, on more than one occasion, we were swarmed by 4 to 8 people, with new folks replacing others who had already asked questions and petted her.
On a recent visit to the vet, she stole everybody's heart. A woman had brought in her injured cat and was sitting in the lobby, waiting to hear from the vet and worried sick. GiGi walked up to her, licked her a little on the hand, and then just leaned in against her. It was the sweetest thing and made the woman smile.
GiGi is active and playful when it comes to playing with the resident dog, but she is also able to wind down and mellow out in the house. She is a quick learner, very responsive to voice commands. GiGi is housetrained and is in the process of being cratetrained. She's learning "sit," "down," "stay," and has already grasped "off" and "no." She's still has some puppy habits like light mouthing when she gets excited to see people, but immediately stops when corrected. This girl wants to please.
GiGi is very agile and athletic. She's amazing to watch as she runs and leaps. She would be great as a frisbee or agility dog.
"I bet I'd make a good garbage disposal too. Yum!"
GiGi is a wonderful dog, but she is still a puppy who needs the consistent training and discipline to help her understand what is expected of her. She can be a little mouthy or jumpy when she gets excited meeting new people but responds well to correction. Her biggest drawback, although admittedly rare, is that she's so strong that she can be unmanageable when she gets excited. She can be a rather willful girl, so if you give her an inch, she'll wiggle, lick, roll over, dance around, all while taking the mile. So she needs someone who understands the importance of leadership and boundaries and who is comfortable being her alpha. With those added ingredients, GiGi will make the perfect canine ambassador who will draw everyone who meets her into her orbit of love and sunshine.
GiGi will be spayed, current on shots, microchipped, and current on flea & tick and heartworm preventative prior to adoption. If you are interested in adopting GiGi, please email your completed Adoption Application. GIGI IS BEING FOSTERED IN SACRAMENTO. There is a $225 tax-deductible adoption fee, which will help to cover a portion of GiGi's medical expenses. For an additional $50, we will also provide a doggie starter package, which includes a dog bed, ceramic food & water bowls, toys, kong, shampoo, leash, collar, and a 20% off coupon good at Pet Food Express. A homecheck will also be required to ensure that she goes to an environment suited to her.
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If you are unable to adopt GiGi but would like to help, please consider making a small tax-deductible donation. Any dollar you are able to contribute will go a very long way in helping to pay for GiGi's vet care.
"We'll even let you humans share our bed if you want. It's so spacious!"
"This bone, like so many other things in life, makes me so happy!"
"Won't you bring me home?"
