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My basic info
Breed
Shih Tzu
Color
Tan/Yellow/Fawn - with Black
Age
12 years old, Senior
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
10 lbs (current)
Sex
Female
Pet ID
–
My details
Not good with kids
Good with dogs
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Roxy is a 10-12 pound, 9 year old, complex little dog.
She was surrendered to an Ontario shelter, as she had a hernia that needed repair and her owners choose not to have the surgery completed.
We fixed her hernia with her spay.
She also arrived to us with a limp, but we can find nothing showing evidence of injury, and the limp went away, so she may have just pulled something.
She wasn't eating at the shelter, so they did x-rays, and found nothing wrong. Just overly stressed. She is a picky eater, for the most part.
She was also under investigation with a regulatory animal welfare body, for neglect, but the case was closed. She arrived to the shelter in horrible condition, severely matted and unkept.
The shelter says she's good with cats, but we personally haven't tested her. She is in foster care with another foster dog, and is uninterested in the other dog.
Roxy is also a guarder of toys (not food) with humans and dogs. She will bite if you try to take her toys away or another dog approaches. She can be redirected, but this is something an adopter will have to learn to navigate.
She's a super sweet and loving velcro dog, but she is very bossy and adamant everything be done on her terms. If they are not to her liking, she will bite you. Fortunately, she does communicate well and will give you lots of signs before biting.
We will not place her in a home with children living or visiting under 13 years old, just because she can be a biter and kids can miss dog warnings easily.
We prefer she be placed in a home without other pets, as she'll be most comfortable in that setting, where she can get all the attention to herself and not have to share her toys.
She is a dog that will require regular grooming, but is not a fan of getting groomed, so an experienced groomer will be needed.
She is mostly housetrained, but does still occasionally use her pee pads, but we continue to work on eliminating pee pads in her foster home.
Roxy will need regular grooming, so be sure you have that in your pet budget.
FROM HER FOSTER MOM:
Boxy Roxy may look big, but is quite petite under all that fluff. She will let you get her harness and collar on easily for walks, but you’ll have to move her legs into the slots for her.
She will attempt to eat poop or gunk on the floor so it’s good to be aware of that on walks.
She can be a bit chompy, but if you pay close attention you can see her
upper lips come up before she does.
I have found taking her toys away at night helpful with reducing her tendency to
resource guard them.
She sometimes snores at night.
She has been ok with being in her crate while gone or sleeping but she
does whine and bark sometimes. She behaves well if left out as well though. She'll just lie around, switching positions every little while, finding new spots to lay.
She understands “come” and occasionally “sit” so more work around commands
would be good but she’s not very treat motivated.
She has cohabitation with cats before, and another dog here and is fine as long as
they don't get too close / in her space or play or eat her ‘“things”.
More tolerating than playful with other dogs. She can get a bit jealous if she’s not getting equal attention as well.
Likes:
Head scratches
Toys
Walks (at a slowish pace)
To sleep in the same room or bed as you (by the foot of the bed)
To move around every so often
Pillows and blankets to lay on
Caesars dog food
Mashed Sweet potato
Tuna & Salmon
To do spins around the spot I’m thinking of pottying on
Lots of pets on her terms though
Belly rubs
Dislikes:
Being pet on the back legs (may snap/bite at you)
Her hair being cut (guaranteed bites)
Sharing toys
Her dry dog food (She’ll eat it if it’s mixed with some of the above food in likes)
Being in the crate while I’m gone
Treats
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As of today, though our protocols could change tomorrow, we are still moving forward with adoptions. Our process has changed from some of the previous elements: We are a registered animal welfare organization, so we are deemed an essential service.
All paperwork completed online, video home visits, meet and greets outside respecting social distancing, leashes/collars/supplies wiped down and disinfected (GermiCide 3 wipes), disinfectant on the dog prior to handoff (Aqueos wipes for dogs)
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To note: the above description is relevant to this dog in his current & previous setting. Home changes & adopter personalities can bring out different behaviours not previously seen.
We do not specifically kid/cat test our dogs when they arrive at Mattie's Place. That just wouldn't be fair to the dog or child/cat.
We also do not claim, endorse, suggest or hint at, that any of our dogs are hypoallergenic, low shed or no-shed.
Adoption fee includes: spay/neuter, deworming, defleaing, vaccinations, food, nose to tail health exam, leash|collar, 6 months of preventative based on season/need, DNA test for entertainment purposes, dishes, poop bags, food and any extras accumulated in foster care
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