Shay
Adoption Status: Accepting Adoption Interest
Gender: Female
Breed: Bichon Frise
Age: Est DOB: 07/2020
Weight: 10 lbs
Dog Friendly: Yes- needs another small breed dog in the home
Cat Friendly: Unknown
Kid Friendly: Unknown
House Trained: Yes
History and A Note from the Foster: Meet Shay, the most petite and charming Bichon you'll ever meet. She had a traumatic past and is working really hard to overcome that!
When she first came into our home she would hide behind furniture and shake. We saw no signs of happiness and no signs of confidence. Shay has begun to blossom but will take a patient home to continue this progress. She is proving us wrong constantly and really is a happy gal!
Shay has so many terrific qualities - crate trained and doesn't make a peep overnight, potty trained with consistent breaks, playful and goofy with other dogs and never aggressive with humans or other dogs. She is even starting to yip and play bow at me in the yard! I also get the most aggressive tail wag from her when I come home from work or let her out in the morning!
She has not been around kids yet. While I know she would be gentle with them, they might scare her a bit if they chase her.
Shay had a neglectful past which makes her fearful of humans. Her grooming and dental was also neglected for years. She did have 15 teeth pulled, but now she has the cutest snaggle tooth that her top lip is constantly getting caught on. It's one of my favorite things about her! Due to this she would love to eat wet food, or if that's not feasible you can soak her food in milk or water. She does take anxiety meds with her meals which will need to be continued as well.
Her rust-colored fur around her paws and mouth is from nervous licking, however her nervous licking has really dwindled down! There are many "remedies" out there for rust colored fur. It's nothing bad, it just has to do with what's in her saliva. Some allergy testing might help as well!
The perfect home for Shay MUST have:
-No expectations for her. She may come out of her shell after 1 week or 1 year. It's impossible to know when (or if) she will become a "normal" dog. She may always be shy and progress isn't always linear. It has really been a blessing seeing her gain confidence and show joy. It's important to celebrate small successes! A home with experience with shy or shut down dogs is a huge bonus. She does not seek affection or touch from humans yet, however she has started to approach if I have a treat and beg for human food alongside the other dogs :)
-Another dog (or two) around her size. She will look to your dog to not only be her safety blanket but also her teacher. Shay has 3 foster siblings. One is her size and shares her quiet temperament so they get along wonderfully and love to cuddle. The others are also the same size but a bit more aggressive with their play style and not quite the right fit for Shay long-term.
Shay is always trying to play with her foster siblings! She play bows and spins in circles yipping in attempt to play.
-A fenced in yard. Shay is still fearful of the leash and a walk is still too overstimulating. She loves to run around a fenced in yard as her primary source of exercise and is doing so fantastic with potty training!
She has not had an accident inside in months.
If you are looking for a quiet companion that needs some more patience and TLC then Shay is your girl. She really deserves the world and all we want to see is her be happy!
Adoption Fee: $510 + tax
Adoption Status: Is this dog available? Submitting an application is the best first step to learning if a dog is still available. There is a chance this dog could have a pending adoption when your application is submitted, however our team will offer approved applicants to be put on a waiting list for that dog. Additionally, we can make recommendations on other dogs that may be a match. Pending adoptions do not mean the adoption is finalized. Why did we implement this change? We implemented this update because, unfortunately, dogs were pending for applicants for several weeks and then the applicant would change their mind. This happens more often with puppies, as applications are submitted impulsivly more often for them. Our process is great because it takes a little time, so impulsive decisions fade. However it was unfortunate for the dogs, and the foster homes, as then the process needed to be re-started. By securing a wait-list we are able to move forward more quickly if a pending adoption falls through. This is a new process for us, so your feedback along the way is helpful! Thank you for supporting rescue and adoption!
