Yeah, we know she's beautiful. She's one of the lucky ones who just cannot take a bad picture. She has some good qualities to go along with those looks, too. She is smart and loves to take a bath; she bonds strongly with "her" person; she is very communicative, and loves to go on walks. And she's tiny - she only weighs about 5 pounds!
With all those great qualities it's hard to imagine an imperfection. However, Tiffany does have a shortcoming. Remember that part about "bonds strongly"? Well, Tiffany can be very selective about who she picks as her guardian. Right now she is attached to her foster care provider and would be fine if everyone else in the family decided to move out. She feels the same about visitors, too. To be clear, Tiffany does not take too kindly to everyone she meets, including dogs and cats. We haven't asked her how she feels about the entire animal kingdom, but our guess is that if there is fur or legs involved, and that pesky task of sharing lap time with them, the result will be the same. She's picky! She likes some animals/people, she doesn't like others. It's part of who she is, whether it is predicated on past abuse, we do not know.
We certainly don't excuse her behavior - we like it when dogs like everyone, of course, even though as humans we often feel the same way about people we know or meet. So, with Tiffany we are left to work with the facts. Fact is, Tiffany is choosy and will need a bit of work in her new home environment. She will most likely not give her adopter a warm-and-fuzzy greeting when she first meets them. She will need some time, love, and attention to become a perfect little companion. We know she's capable of this as she is doing it in her current foster home. She just needs someone to make a commitment to her and trust that she will change with a little bit of time in her new home.
Tiffany is most likely responding in this defensive manner based off some form of past abuse or improper socialization when she was a puppy. But at 5 years old and only 5 pounds, she is certainly trainable with rules, structure, and rewards. We believe she deserves a home with someone (single or couple, but preferably no children or teens) who can be understanding of her past and is willing to work with her to help her blossom into the kind of loving companion we know she has inside. She just needs to learn people are not going to hurt her, and it's okay to trust.
If you can get past her pretty picture and know she's a work in progress, we'd love for you to consider adopting her. She will be a great companion and a loving and devoted pet. Please consider fostering her for a bit to see if she will be the right match for your home. If you're interested, please submit the application.
Please see our other available dogs at A Leg Up Rescue such as Brandi or Ferris. A Leg Up Rescue must charge an adoption fee which is $200.
If you are interested in adopting, please complete our online adoption application, or please email aLegUprescue@me.com.
