Nigel is an 11 year old male Bichon. He weighs 17 pounds. Despite the many hardships that Nigel has experienced in his life, he is a very sweet boy. He is shy around people until he gets to know and trust them. He responds very well to kind words, touching, petting, eye contact, and any reassurance that you are his friend.
Nigel will react positively to men, but he really loves women. Apparently, his strongest emotional bonds throughout his life have been with women. He enjoys cuddling with women whenever he has the opportunity. He also loves to follow you around (especially if you are a woman) in hopes of getting affection, food, or just because he enjoys being near someone who cares about him.
Nigel does not seem to understand how to play, and he acts as if he never learned about toys. However, he definitely appreciates going for a walk. He is an excellent traveler, and sleeps very well on a long trip. He has a good appetite, and he also likes to chew rawhide bones whenever they are available. After living in his current foster home for the past month, Nigel is probably about 85% house-trained. He does not bark much, but he will make some joyful noise when greeting you at the door.
After being removed from a kill shelter in Metro Atlanta on 3/18/14, Nigel was scraggly and matted and had to be completely shaved. He then had to have surgery on 4/3/14 in order to have a benign baseball-sized mass removed from his rear end. His hair has begun to grow back well, and his sizeable scar has healed. As his hair thickens over the next month or 2, he will be able to get more of the distinctive Bichon grooming, and become quite a handsome little pup. Since he is cleared medically, has had his vaccinations and necessary vet exams, he is ready to meet and love his new forever family.
Here is a brief overview of Nigel's history. This information may provide some insight into why he is shy, and why he may require a little extra attention in order to feel like a part of your family. What Nigel needs as much as anything in his life is stability. It seems that whenever he has become attached to someone, he has ended up being separated from them. That is extremely sad, and possibly difficult for Nigel to process. a. Nigel's family in Austin, Texas had to relocate to California. Nigel, along with a female Bichon named Chloe, was surrendered to Small Paws Rescue so that Nigel and Chloe could start a new life together with a different family. That was 2006, when Nigel was 3 years old and Chloe was 13 years old. b. Nigel and Chloe were adopted by a wonderful woman in Texas named Sarah, who was also a volunteer with Small Paws Rescue. Nigel and Chloe had the perfect home for one year, at which point Sarah was diagnosed with a very aggressive illness. Sarah surrendered both pups back to Small Paws before she passed away. She requested that her 2 babies be adopted together, as a bonded pair. c. While waiting to be adopted, Nigel and Chloe were fostered by a very kind lady in Georgia named Crystal. Crystal fostered them for 2 years, from 2007-2009, where they happily shared a home with Crystal's own Bichons. Because many families were reluctant to adopt Chloe at the age of 14, 15, or 16, Nigel was not adopted until Chloe passed away. d. Nigel was adopted in the Metro Atlanta area. For reasons that remain a mystery, Nigel was wandering the streets, picked up as a stray, and taken to the kill shelter on the north side of Atlanta in March of 2014. Thanks to Nigel's microchip, Small Paws Rescue was eventually notified of Nigel's desperate situation. Small Paws paid Nigel's vet bills, raised the money for his surgery, and put him on a path that will hopefully lead to a forever home where he can love and be loved.
Special Considerations: 1. Nigel tolerates other dogs, but does not interact with other dogs. However, if you have another dog of a similar size who is calm and not aggressive, then the 2 of them should be able to peacefully coexist. We have no idea how Nigel feels about cats. 2. A woman who spends a great deal of time at home would be an ideal situation for Nigel. A husband and wife would be fine. Nigel gets along well with guys, but is crazy about women. 3. We have not seen Nigel with kids. But since Nigel really prefers calm and quiet, it would probably be best for him to be adopted into a family without kids. Occasional visits from the grandkids would probably not be a problem. If the stress of grandkids gets to be too much for him, he might prefer to stay in his crate most of the time when the younger kids are around. Children above the age of 12-15 would probably not be an issue.
In summary, Nigel is a very sweet boy who needs a caring family (or a caring individual) to give him a lot of attention. He has obviously had his share of bumps in the road, and he's ready for a stable and nurturing environment. If you have a place in your home and in your heart for this special pet, then Nigel may be the little guy that you need ……….. just as he needs you. If you like to cuddle with a Bichon, Nigel is a Bichon who likes to cuddle.
Nigel is being fostered in GA
If you would like to adopt this dog, please fill out the Small Paws Rescue Preadoption Application.
