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My basic info
Breed
Chihuahua
Color
Tricolor (Tan/Brown & Black & White)
Age
7 years 11 months old, Adult
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
8 lbs (current)
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Not good with kids
Good with dogs
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Juan is a curious little 5 year old and 8 lb fella who started out with a rough life living in a cage without the level of socialization a puppy should have received. His foster mom's favorite (sometimes least favorite depending on his mood) physical feature is his snaggletooth that occasionally sticks out of his mouth. On his recent 5th birthday (March 20), Juan touched grass for the FIRST time in his life! Juan has since had a crash course in the ways of the world. He learned how to walk on a leash (though he still pulls), go potty outside, use the stairs, relax, and that humans are not all bad, especially when they give pets/massages, toys, treats, and unconditional love.
As he's started relaxing in his foster home, his personality has come through more. Currently he does not bark much. His foster mom laughs when she wakes up to find him sleeping on an upside down bed across the room from where he started, unclear if that was the goal. He can be rather playful and excitable at times! He doesn't understand yet how to play with humans with his toys, but he tries to engage in play with his foster mom's chihuahua and plays with toys solo. His foster mom often catches him mischievously sneaking toys from his foster dog sister (who doesn't mind all that much) or playing with random objects/cords on the ground. She has occasionally caught him moving her worn clothes around the apartment when left about (he was just reminding her to clean up).
His foster mom found it funny watching him discover his mirror reflection for the first time--from scared, to confused/curious, to playful/engaging. Whenever he sees his foster mom petting her dog, he eagerly trots over to join the party. However, there is such a thing as smothering for him. In time he could be more cuddly, but for now, he enjoys his space to adjust to his new life and do some observing first. After a month, he finally gave his foster mom her first baby kisses on the hand.
Juan is still learning what is actually scary versus just new to him; so he can still be jumpy or nervous around loud noises and sudden movements, but he's made significant improvement. Initially, you could not mess with any treats, toys, or objects on his bed without him guarding his possessions (i.e. growling, snap reactions to grab objects). With some training, he's already learned that he doesn't need to be defensive about nearby objects or treats--now it does not bother him, even when his foster mom moves things abruptly or may not have treats handy as a reward.
His biggest challenge is learning that putting on a leash is not something to be upset about. He acts cornered and tries to protect himself from putting on a leash through warning growls, attacking the leash, and biting (which he seems remorseful about afterwards). It helps a LOT to have treats he enjoys (e.g. freeze dried chicken), take it slow, provide firm but kind feedback of acceptable behavior, and sometimes have him in your lap to put on the leash. Using combinations of these methods, he has successfully put on a harness/leash without aggression. Afterward he is happy to cooperate to go outside for a little and is learning to enjoy walks more! Because he is still working through his fear of putting on a leash, we recommend that Juan be homed with someone without kids, who has previous experience with Chihuahuas, understands Juan's background experiences, and will put the effort and patience into working through this learned defensive behavior. A FENCE is a MUST for this little guy while he learns to trust his forever family.
His foster mom is very optimistic about his ability to overcome this fear with consistent training and unconditional love as he has already made great progress overall. In time and in the right loving home, his foster mom sees Juan becoming the fun loving goof he should've been.
He is neutered, UTD on shots, HW neg and on HW prevention.
His adoption donation is $300.00.
If you are interested in the above dog, please do not email us and tell us that you are interested, but submit an adoption application. The link for the application is below.
To submit an application go here……chihuahua-rescue.com/adoption-application/
An application must be submitted and approved before a meet-n-greet can be scheduled.
Your current dogs/cats must be spayed or neutered unless a veterinarian has determined that your current pet(s) should not be fixed due to medical reasons. They must also be up-to-date on shots and on HW preventative.
Reference checks and a home visit are required so SE dogs can only be adopted in NC/SC, VA, TN, AL, MD and GA.
