Mia is a super sweet Italian Greyhound who is white with blue patches over her body. This girl loves to cuddle and hang out, so you will have a second shadow when she is around. However, Mia does have some trust issues and doesn't like to be picked up unless it is on her terms. She does not like to be chased down to be picked up. But, if she jumps in your lap then she is generally ok being picked up then. We think she may have a little pain somewhere and that may make her sensitive to being picked up or moved, so that is being evaluated.
Mia is about 14 lbs, so right about medium size for the dogs we see in rescue. Mia is a dominant dog, so she needs a home with no other pets, or ones who are submissive. Mia gets along great with other dogs once the pack order is established, and wants to play with them often. At her previous home she wanted to play enough that she annoyed one of the other dogs and the bigger dog was too rough with her, so for her safety they decided to re-home her. Now she sees to be very cautious about big dogs, so a home without a larger dog may be best for her.
Mia is potty trained to go outdoors, and also doesn't mind cats either. She is trained to be in her crate while nobody is home, and sleeps in bed at night under the covers. Mia is a very sweet dog, she is overly friendly toward everyone she meets. She can be a little needy at first. She is full of energy, loves to play, has some accidents in the house like most IGs! She hates getting her nails cut and absolutely hates going to the vet. She loves to be held, but cannot be picked up certain ways. She loves to play with other dogs and wrestle. And is quite content being in anyone's lap.
Mia does have some quirks, as all dogs do. But once you learn her behaviors she's a great pup. Here are some of the good and bad:
- loves to walk, great on leash
- loves new people
- can not be picked up unless it is on her terms
- doesn't bark a ton (although whines but usually when she wants to go outside).
- would probably benefit from pee pads or something similar
- loves to sleep in bed
- good in crate if needed to be crated, sometimes just needs a stern voice or treat to go in
- needs someone to be in charge or else she will quickly take charge
- good with food except with submissive dogs because she knows she can boss them around
- she can get snippy but only if super afraid (vet hospital for example).
- finally, her harness. She LOVES to go for walks, but she gets timid if you come toward her with something until she realizes it is the leash or harness. Never bit over it, just looks hesitant until she understands she is going for a walk.
From her foster home, here are a few more details:
She is very affectionate and loves to give kisses and jump into your lap – especially when you get home from being out of the house.
She loves to go on walks – she could probably go for miles without slowing down.
She loves car rides.
She loves to lie on the couch under covers.
She is very smart and listens well to stern orders – she is very eager to please you.
She doesn’t seem to eat a lot in the morning or during the day. However, she eats a lot in the evening. I usually give her as much as she wants in the evening. I start with ½ cup and then give her another ½ if she finishes her food. If she wants more after that I give her another ½ cup. She is a very good water drinker.
She potties on pee pads, outside in the yard and marks a lot on walks. If you see her in the house “kicking back”, this usually means she has just pee-ed somewhere.
She like all kinds of treats and toys. She doesn’t necessarily play fetch with her toys, but she likes to play with them by herself.
To get her into the crate, I sternly state, “kennel up” and point for her to get in the crate. You may have to say it a few times, but she is smart and will go in. Don’t force her physically into the crate.
I praise her a lot when she is doing something good – “Good girl, Mia.” And I redirect her when she is doing something not so good.
Things NOT to do:
She HATES vacuum cleaners. I would suggest her be away from the house when you have to run the vacuum or at the very least outside in the yard. She gets very aggressive when she hears the vacuum.
Do not pick her up. Let her come to you. Eventually, once she gets to know and trust you I am sure you will be able to pick her up. Her old owner always picked her up and carried her around like a baby.
She hates the vet. She must be muzzled at vet. She is very fearful.
If she has something you do not want her to have, do not touch or try to pick her up. Redirect her (like getting the leash or lure her with a treat) – then take the object.
Make sure her harness is tight enough when taking her on walks. If she doesn’t want to go somewhere and starts backing up, she could back out of her harness. Just be careful if she starts backing up. You don’t want her to back out of her harness.
Her previous owner stated that “can sometimes be a bully with submissive, smaller dogs.” I didn’t see this with her. I can see her as a little dominant – from her marking on walks and in the yard. I think she has a lot of fear from her past experiences.
If for whatever reason she growls or shows teeth to you, I suggest redirecting that behavior. For example, try to get her to do something else, get her to follow you, ignore her, walk away from her, ask her to sit, etc. It just depends on the circumstance. Once she calms herself down, give her a “good girl”. Do not respond with aggression – this won’t be good for anyone. Once she starts to know and trust you and her new environment, I believe this behavior will go away for the most part.
I suggest slowly introducing her to other family pets.
