*IF THIS LISTING IS STILL POSTED THIS DOG IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. NO NEED TO EMAIL ASKING IF THE DOG IS AVAILABLE. PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS BIO THOROUGHLY AS INFORMATION ON HOW TO APPLY IS CONTAINED IN THIS LISTING**
For Adoption: Dierdre!
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We at PDR believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process.
To apply for adoption and for more information on our process and requirements, visit our website at https://pounddog.ca/adoption-info/.
This lovely lady is Dierdre. She is a 7yr old Cocker Spaniel and just the sweetest girl. She weighs about 25lbs and is at an ideal weight for her breed and build. Dierdre is a sweet natured, gentle dog looking for a quiet life with lots of outside sniffs and grass to roll in, and most importantly, a lap to sit on and someone to snuggle with.
Dierdre came to us from a puppy mill where she had spent her life up to this point being used solely for breeding as many Cockapoo puppies as possible. Once she was past prime breeding age she was discarded but thankfully ended up in our rescue. Amazingly, though treated poorly and heavily neglected prior, Dierdre is a very social dog and absolutely craves human affection and companionship. If there was a photo definition of “Velcro dog” it would be of Dierdre. She is a dog that is happiest when on your lap getting pets. If she can’t be on your lap then she would like to be lying right next to you, touching you...offering little kisses and seeking pets. Dierdre is 100% a lap dog and wishes to spent the majority of her day being a lap dog if possible. When being attached to her person isn’t a possibility Dierdre can be found lying on a dog bed nearby but needs to have her person in her sight. If you leave the room, Dierdre will be right behind you. There is no telling Dierdre that its ok, she can stay, you’re only going to the bathroom...she will follow you. Dierdre wishes to be with her people all of the time. She will require a home where someone is home most of the day; she is definitely not a dog suited to those who work outside of the home all day. Dierdre takes her velcro dog role very seriously and wishes to be at her person’s side always. You won’t find a more dedicated and loyal dog. In fact, often in the yard, we will be looking around wondering, “Where’s Dierdre?” only to look down and see she is right at our feet. If you can’t find Deirdre, look down! We recently had Dierdre at a public meet and greet and she spent the entire time there convincing complete strangers to sit on the floor of a pet store so she could sit on their laps! She isn’t picky about who’s lap she sits on, she just wants to be there and get pets and give kisses.
Because of her puppy mill life up until rescue, Dierdre had never been exposed to anything other than the inside of a barn for 7yrs. She is only now learning about the world outside and the world inside of a home. Dierdre is doing so well and she has learned to love being outside, and rolling in the grass and leaves has been one of her favorite things to do. She LOVES a good roll! She is nervous of loud noises or sudden appearances of things. Dierdre is a definite flight risk and must be secured on leash at all times when outside of a very secure fenced area. Dierdre startles easily and will try and bolt. We always have a good grip on her leash and she is walked on a martingale collar for safety to ensure she can’t escape. Her people need to be very aware of her propensity to try and flee from scary things and keep her safe. Inside the home too, sometimes things scare her. Something dropped, the baby gate tipping over, a loud sudden noise on TV, etc, can cause her to startle. She is getting better and better with these things, but we always have to keep in mind that she is a mill dog...she never experienced anything at all prior, and she can’t see well to gauge what scary things are..so we have to give her some leeway with this and just reassure her that all is well. She settles quickly and calms once she realizes that she is safe.
Dierdre’s home will need to be a quiet and calm home without a lot of people coming over. A peaceful home environment is needed for her so she can feel safe and not be started by a lot of things happening. She would be fine in a home with children that are of an age where they can be counted on to shut all doors to the outside quickly and not leave them open for Dierdre to run out. She is a gentle and affectionate dog so a home with quieter natured children that want a dog to cuddle and pet rather than romp and wrestle is suited for her. She is not one to play with toys or want to run around. Dierdre is a calm and gentle dog...always one for the cuddles, not so much for rough housing. She requires a home that has easy access to a secure fenced yard. Ideally a yard that is larger and will allow her to roam around and sniff as she loves to do this. When she is outside her nose is always to the ground. She loves to explore and sniff all over! Dierdre would do well being the only dog in the home, but could do just as well with a dog sibling that is calm and mature. Dierdre does not wish to play with other dogs but coexists nicely with them, She is very dog friendly and doesn’t cause any issues with the dogs in her foster home. She enjoys going on walks with them and hanging out with them but is not one to seek out a dog to interact with or lie with. Dierdre is also very good around cats, finding the cats in her foster home very interesting and wanting to smell them, but very appropriate with them.
Dierdre is crated when we aren’t home and at night. She is good in the crate at night and will sleep through the night, but she is an early riser and needs to get outside for a potty break right away or she may have an accident in her crate. She is not one for sleeping in so needs an early riser person in her home. You will be greeted with a wiggly tail thumping away in her crate when you go to her crate in the morning. She is generally clean in her crate but care has to be taken that she gets her bathroom duties done before she is crated. Dierdre tho is vocal in her crate during the day if you arent home and won’t be a dog suited to apartment , condo or other attached living arrangements. She just wont be a dog that will do well being crated for a full workday, Dierdre would like to have someone home more than away. Ideally we are looking for a home for Dierdre where someone is home the majority of the day and doesn’t mind a little redheaded sidekick for the days activities.
Dierdre has not messed in the home, but we take her out regularly and are proactive about getting her outside for bathroom breaks. She doesn’t know how to let you know she needs to go, you have to take her out. If you don’t take her out and don’t notice her getting anty, then an accident that may happen, but again, with supervision and regular outings she has been very clean in her foster home.
Dierdre has come to really enjoy her walks and is doing much better on leash. She is a dog that is still learning to go the way you want and prefers to set her own path based on where the good sniffs are, but she is figuring out the whole going for a walk in the direction the people want to go thing. She needs a quiet and calm outdoor environment as well. Things like bikes, skateboards, kids etc coming fast at her will be very scary for her. She is being fostered in a rural area that is very quiet and she loves this. Her adoptive home will need to be a rural area, or a small town or very quiet subdivision where she can explore on her walks without having things terrify her when she is out. She does ok with some traffic noise as long as it isn’t super loud like the garbage truck, but general traffic noises she is ok with. She is a low energy dog and does well with some casual walks that let her explore and sniff rather than formal walks. She also enjoys yard time to explore and sniff. She is building up her endurance but for now is a dog that is best for short walks at a casual pace, letting her just take in all the smells, and definitely time for some good grass rolls.
Dierdre is getting more comfortable in the car and is still getting used to the whole car ride thing. We crate her in the car and she tolerates this decently enough. She needs more short car rides to fun areas, like a remote park to go for sniffs, to learn that car rides can be great!
Medically Deirdre has been spayed and had all her core vetting done. She also had an extensive dental and lost 7 teeth. She will probably need to have another dental done in her lifetime, but would be a great candidate for teeth brushing and oral care...for her teeth brushing time will just be cuddle time so she will be all for it. But any mature smaller dog is expected to have a few dentals in their lifetime so her family will need to be prepared for that. Dierdre seems to be a bit hard of hearing. She does hear and it doesn’t affect her at all, she just doesn’t seem to hear quieter things. She came to us with an ear infection and 7yrs of untreated ear infections will have had their toll on her hearing. Dierdre also had some mammary masses removed. She came through her surgeries like a trooper, this is no dainty dog. She is a hardy little dog.
Overall Dierdre is very easy to live with. She asks for little; a couple good meals a day, some snacks in between (Dierdre is becoming quite the connoisseur of snacks), a lot of good scratches and petting sessions, a dog bed to call her own to lay on during her many naps, and a good place to safely sniff outside to her hearts content.
AVERY
Shih Tzu
🇨🇦
Drumbo, Ontario
female, small, adult
Shih Tzu
Drumbo, Ontario
