My name is Heather!

Heather- 14 weeks & 11lbs (as of 2/6) Beagle/Lab Mix, Spayed 
Expected to be about 40lbs Full Grown 

This dog is eligible to join our foster-to-adopt program.  Please email fostertoadopt@socialteesnyc.org with the animal’s name in the subject line if you are interested! Want to straight up adopt? Submit an adoption application at socialteesnyc.org.

Thier Foster Parent Says: "Heather is a sweet, eager-to-please pup. She's a big fan of her toys, and loves playing fetch, which she was quick to pick up! She's certainly into her food and treats, but not overly motivated by food or trying to grab or beg for people food. She's gone to a couple different restaurants and has sat calmly on her blanket on the ground or in a lap, and was very well behaved, and seemed to enjoy the social component, interacting with people who say hello. She's great with kids, showing to be very patient and calm, and happy to have the energy of someone young to play with. She loves to cuddle, sure to come snuggle up any time the opportunity presents. While she has a natural puppy curiosity, and interest to grab things, and chew, she's a good listener, stopping when told no, or redirected. She's working on potty training and is getting close to being fully trained on wee pads. Walking is a work in progress, with the longest being about six blocks, but it was with a lot of time, patience, and treats. She's doing pretty good on the leash, with neighbors commenting how great she's doing considering how new it is to her. She's great in her crate—quickly adapting to sleeping in it, and loves hanging out with all of her toys in it even when she doesn't need to."

Level of dog ownership experience needed:
INTERMEDIATE: As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day. The adopter must have relevant primary care experience with a similar breed, temperament, and/or energy level. (Primary care experience includes ownership, fostering, or dog sitting as an adult, not a dog you grew up with.) Relevant puppy care experience is a huge plus, but bare minimum the adopter must have TONS of time and patience. Raising a puppy can be a lot of fun, but it’s also  tremendous work. Puppies’ personalities and exercise/stimulation requirements change dramatically between now and when they’re a year old as their bodies and brains develop, so an active lifestyle and the ability to adapt to a pup’s evolving needs are a must. We strongly urge professional dog training with a rewards based trainer from the get go. Adults only or kids ages 8 and up – all puppies go through a mouthy, rambunctious phase and often accidentally hurt children when playing. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN BREED RESEARCH to make sure you have a better understanding of the kind of temperament and exercise requirements this dog may have as an adult.

Energy level
MEDIUM: Very young puppies sleep and nap a lot, but their energy level skyrockets when they become teens (4 months to around a year). As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day at a minimum. (This is regardless of dog size – many small breeds were designed for lots of activity and will exhibit unwanted behavior when they’re understimulated.) 

Cuddle Bug Level
Medium -- Likes to snuggle when he's in the mood but often stays in his own bed

Potty Trained
Working on this skill. Puppies under 12 weeks old are often on track with their wee pad skills, but they’re too young to walk outside in public NYC areas yet because they haven’t finished their puppy vaccine series. Puppies older than 12 weeks are usually learning to do their business outside. Potty training takes a lot of patience, consistency, and clean up. 

Comfy with strangers?
Sort of -- Fine with meeting new people but not particularly interested, kind of shy in busy social situations like a gathering or a packed day in the park. 

Social with dogs?
Yes. Some puppies are shy, others are bold, but all have the potential to be taught healthy socializing skills. It’s a huge part of raising a puppy and must be done carefully. How they interact with other dogs depends largely on how their humans help them learn to. 

Social with children?  (ALWAYS requires adult supervision)
Yes… but most puppies are not a great match for a home with kids under age 8 because they go through intense mouthy play and rambunctious phases and often accidentally hurt young kids while playing. Children must always be monitored and taught to interact with dogs of any age respectfully.  

Social with cats?
Yes. Almost all puppies have the potential to be friends with a cat. It’s on the adopter to know their cat’s temperament and preferences and to teach their puppy respectful manners. 

Mouthy Behavior?
Medium – Is respectful of hands, feet, etc. but does like to chew on things it’s not supposed to like shoes, furniture, etc. 

Leash Manners?
Getting the Hang of it – Probably hasn’t been on a leash much in its life but he/she is figuring it out. Might be a mild puller but responds to correction. 

Okay in the city?
Working on it -- Spooked easily by loud noises and bustling areas but walks pretty well and probably just needs more time to adjust (may be a puppy or a brand new rescue) 

Jumping on People to Say Hi?
Medium – Jumps up only on people the dog knows when really excited. Stops with correction. 

Separation Anxiety?
Low – Completely fine being left home alone. Doesn’t cry or do anything shitty when you leave the apartment or house. 

Crate training?
Yep/mostly – Seems comfortable in the crate, may whine a little at first but settles pretty quickly. We use the crate when we leave the pup alone and/or at night. 

Medical status:
Healthy as far as we know. Up to date on their DHPP and Bordetella vaccines (for dogs under 4 months old, adopters will need to finish the DHPP vaccine series and administer the Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age), spayed/neutered; microchipped; treated with dewormer upon

How this dog ended up with Social Tees:
Most of our dogs come via partner groups who help us save them from shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia in Tennessee or St. Thomas. There are very few spay/neuter resources there and many more animals in those areas than there are people to adopt them. Rescue groups like ours bring them to the northeast where the desire for pets like these allows us to save their lives. 

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee any breed mix, exact age, or full grown size (if the dog is under a year old). We do our best with very educated guesses though! 

This animal is not at the Social Tees office, all are in foster homes.

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