Breed: Shih Tzu Mix/ Havanese
Gender: Female
Weight: 30 lbs
Age: 2 Years Months
Life Expectancy: Average of 12-16 years
Location: Winnsboro, LA
Adoption Fee: $450 (includes transport and vaccinations for a year)
For more information about this dog, contact: RescueDogVillage@yahoo.com
If this dog has stolen your heart, don't wait!
Please apply online now to be considered as a potential adopter.
ADOPTED ON 09-19-15 - Sophie was a wet, dirty, matted, nearly frozen puppy when she was picked up off the street by one of our loving rescuers who just happened to spot her lying there. She was so sick, covered with snow and sleet, and very near death. After spending several days with the vet she pulled through. Who knew that she would end up an absolutely gorgeous Shih Tzu / Havanese , with a sparkling personality to match?
Sophie is a two year old, 30 pound princess and her southern foster mom can't say enough about her! She loves everyone she meets, is very laid back and is the most happy-go-lucky girl you will ever meet. She loves to take walks, ride in cars, and play in her back yard. She is completely house trained, healthy, and has wonderful manners in the home. Sophie does like to wander, and this may be how she was lost in the first place, so a fenced in yard would be strongly recommended and ideal for her. We would never want this to happen to her again! She is great with children and other dogs.
Sophie is very special, and if she could talk she would tell us that she would love her very own pillow bed for daytime and a special human to sleep with at night. She'd thrive with love and attention, walks and playtime. With her carefree spirit the rest would be a breeze!
ABOUT THE SHIH-TZU BREED
Shih Tzu are lively and energetic companions. Yet, they are also amazingly low-key and satisfied—assuming they get an adequate amount of attention. They like nothing better than to be held, stroked, petted and pampered by their owners, and are perfectly happy sitting on the couch with you for hours while you dote on them. This is a noble breed—but they are never too proud for a roll on the floor with a treasured squeaky toy.
His name means little lion, but there's nothing fierce about this dog breed. The Shih Tzu is a lover, not a hunter. Bred solely to be a companion, the Shih Tzu is an affectionate, happy, outgoing housedog who loves nothing more than to follow his people from room to room. In recent years, however, owners have started taking the Shih Tzu off their laps and into dog sports, training him for obedience, rally, and agility competitions.
PET COMPATIBILITY
Shith Tzu’s are generally good with other pets. The majority of Shih Tzu behavior problems occur because a dog is not clearly shown that their human family member is the "Alpha Dog" or "leader". If a dog gets mixed messages or if a dog is inadvertently led to believe that they are the "Alpha Dog", this will cause a dog to think and act as if they are the head of the household and that is when behavior issues, such as aggression issues, will occur.
When you have a Shih Tzu and you bring another Shih Tzu into the home, or you bring another dog breed into the home, this opens up the question of "Who is Alpha Dog?”. Your Shih Tzu will then need to figure out how this new dog affects the household.
Your Shih Tzu will begin to think "Is this other dog now in charge?" "Am I still in charge" "Do I need to fight to hold my place as Alpha Dog?" For your Shih Tzu to get along with another dog, clear boundaries must be shown and both dogs must be trained to understand how you expect them to behave.
CHILDREN
A Shih Tzu will either think of children as his peers or he will consider them to be part of his “Alphas” and therefore he will listen to commands, behave well in order to receive praise, etc. Rarer is for a dog to perceive a child as a “Beta” (ranking lower than the canine and making for a terrible household environment in which the dog tries to rule over the child).
For a happy and peaceful household, we will want to eliminate any chance of children being seen as peers or as betas. If a Shih Tzu, shown in a loving and gentle way, learns that a child of any age is indeed an Alpha, that puppy or dog will then behave as such: He will not nip at, will not bark at, will walk beside and will gently protect, play with and respect the child.
How to Accomplish This - The methods of achieving this are very similar to how adult humans should approach the care of a Shih Tzu. Children who are involved in the care and training of a puppy or dog will be seen with the proper ranking. This is so important, as a Shih Tzu (or any dog) will rarely challenge ranking that has been established AND reinforced.
TEMPERAMENT
The Shih-Tzu is a happy, hardy, alert, and spunky little dog. It is dignified, courageous and sometimes arrogant. This dog does well with polite, careful children. It is gentle and affectionate, makes friends easily and can respond well to consistent patient training. This dog makes a very alert watchdog. Some can be difficult to housebreak. It is a naturally active dog but if it is allowed it will lie around in its favorite spots. Daily walks are a good idea.
PERSONALITY
The Shih Tzu is an alert, lively, little dog. It is happy and hardy, and packed with character. The gentle, loyal Shih Tzu makes friends easily and responds well to consistent, patient training. It makes a very alert watchdog. It is courageous and clever. Playful and spunky, this affectionate little dog likes to be with people and is generally good with other pets. Give this dog rules and limits as to what it is and is not allowed to do. Be its firm, stable, consistent pack leader. Take it for daily pack walks and you will bring out the sweet, trustworthy dog in it.
ABOUT THE HAVANESE BREED
Havanese are gentle and affectionate breed that thrives on human companionship. They will often follow you from room to room throughout the day. He's intelligent as well, and will enjoy making you laugh with goofy antics, or simply sitting on your lap watching the world go by. They pack a lot of personality into a tiny little body. They are spunky little dogs who enjoy being the center of attention, but they don't demand it like some other breeds. They'll simply do their best to charm and entertain a person in order to get a reaction. They are easy to train and travel well, and they will want to come with you wherever you go, because they hate to be left alone. As long as the Havanese has a loving family to call his own, he'll be a happy dog.
You should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he's eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog's food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
Whether you adopt through Rescue Dog Village or any other similar organization, the LEAST we can do is thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering welcoming these deserving dogs into your hearts and home. One of our favorite sayings is "RESCUE IS THE BEST BREED," and we believe that wholeheartedly. Help us help these dogs and submit your application today! We appreciate that you want to help make a difference in the lives of dogs who need us most!!! RESCUE ROCKS!
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THIS DOG AND ALL OUR ADOPTABLE DOGS,
PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE Rescue Dog Village
Disclaimer: Please note that the breeds posted on our dogs' biographies are our best guess based on years of working with rescue dogs. Adopters who need to know the exact breed or mix of breeds of a particular dog must have the dog's DNA tested at their own expense.
OUR DOGS ARE MICRO-CHIPPED AND
READY TO BE PART OF YOUR FAMILY TODAY!
About Our Rescue
These dogs deserve all of our attention, and in Rescue Dog Village, we are committed to our adopters and our dogs equally. We offer full disclosure and hope to make the best matches possible. Please know our adoption fees never cover our expenses. We rely on the generosity of our adopters and supporters to help us help the dogs.
Our rescue is ONLY in the business of offering FULL DISCLOSURE to adopters, and expects and hopes to engage your questions and concerns fully. We owe it to the dogs we rescue and all the wonderful families/adopters who might consider welcoming our charges into their hearts and home. Our dogs are waiting for that ideal forever home where they will be cherished as deserving family members. It's sad these second chances are even necessary for these dogs, but we are committed to them and will devote the time and energy to their rehoming, and not just MOVE them to save more dogs. We diligently and responsibly seek good matches as we don't want to re-home the dog again. These animals have already endured more than they should have, and through no fault of their own. It behooves us to be honest and forthright, and we appreciate the same in return from applicants. It's that winning combination of reciprocal trust and respect that allows for successful placements to be made. Happy adopters translate to happy dogs, and that's our goal!
Our rescue volunteers will be more than honored to be in touch with you directly and promptly, after receiving your application and conducting a mandatory a veterinarian check. If you have never owned a dog before, please submit your application regardless, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible. TAKE NOTE YOU SHOULD CHECK YOUR SPAM AS SOME RESPONSES FROM US WIND UP THERE WE'VE DISCOVERED. Also, take care to contact your veterinarian to let them know a member of rescue will be inquiring about your pet history!
Thank you for respecting that we all donate our time to saving these animals, and understand we value your philanthropic and compassionate desire to help be part of the rescue team. That said, you'll understand why we are committed to the well-being of our charges and consider this veterinarian check mandatory. If you are a first-time dog owner, we will work with you every step of the way! ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ARE AS MUCH A PART OF RESPONSIBLE RESCUE AS ADOPTION! And it takes a RESCUE VILLAGE to help the most dogs possible in a thorough manner to ensure success on all fronts, and then some! It is an awful feeling to fail a dog, and we can't continue rescue if we don't do everything we can to ensure good matches for the dogs and tender families who might adopt them. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.
Although we are an extremely small rescue group, we understand and respect your family's eagerness to be in touch and learn as much as you can about the dogs you are considering adopting. Our very experienced and devoted trainer will be happy to share all aspects of OUR RESCUE DOGS to determine compatibility once you've submitted your application, and another of our volunteers will explain the whole process of our rescue and answer any questions you might have as well
If you have the time and love to offer this extremely bright dog who can make you laugh for hours at his antics,
PLEASE APPLY TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A RESCUE DOG VILLAGE DOG AND GIVE ONE A HOME. Our dogs deserve all that a committed family can offer. Make no mistake about it, this is one spectacular dog!
Please contact
RescueDogVillage@yahoo.com and we will be happy to return your correspondence, but please submit the application now so we can have that information as a starting base for our dialogue.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING RESCUE AS A MEANS OF WELCOMING YOUR NEXT FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND INTO YOUR LIFE!
ALL interested adopters MUST complete an application; agree to a vet reference check, phone interview and home visit. ALL family members MUST be in attendance for home visits - no exceptions. This helps us get to know everyone in the family so that we can help find the right dog for you
