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My basic info
Breed
Poodle (Miniature)
Color
Black
Age
Young
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Good with dogs
Purebred
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Coco is an 8 pound not quite 2 year old (born May 2, 2011) who was purchased from a breeder, kept a while then given to someone else who also decided they didn’t want a dog.
Poor Coco arrived at our shelter feeling like he was a ping pong ball, being bounced around from home to home with no one to love him like a puppy should be loved. Coco has never really been socialized, totally the fault of the owners; don't hold this against Coco!
He is feeling insecure, which is very understandable, so all he knews to do when he meets someone brand new is make scardy-cat sounding growly noises to tell new people he just doesn’t know what to think!
However, once he figures out you are one of the good guys and won’t dump him off somewhere else or kick him around, he becomes sweet and affectionate. He is doing really well with staff here now and loves to jump in your lap for snuggles.
On a recent outing to Country Park, he walked confidently among the crowds of people and enjoyed himself thoroughly. When taken to Petco, he rode quietly in the cart, just observing everything with great interest.
It does seem that Coco is his best when with other dogs and when he is in situations when he doesn't feel cornered or forced to meet new people one on one. He does not feel the need to growl when he is just around people in every day settings out in public, only when he is cornered and feeling trapped.
You can tell that he very much wants to trust people and feel like a normal dog, he just needs some time to learn that he will be safe and treated well from now on. Poor guy just doesn't have much faith in strangers right now but at least he is doing very well with familiar people.
Coco is a quiet guy and is perfectly housetrained. He gets along great with all the other little dogs here. He loves to play and run around with them.
Coco would really benefit from having a doggie companion in his new home, especially one that is confident, playful and loves people so Coco can imitate that good example.
Once he finds someone who will commit to him and show him all the love he missed out on, he will open up and be such a cuddle bug. He’s already making some nice people friends here at the shelter and he seeks affection from people he trusts, acting like a regular, happy guy!
He walks very nicely on the leash, never pulling and enjoys exploring the neighborhood. He’s really an easy care kind of guy who will bond thoroughly with his new owners.
Coco loves going places but is nervous in the car and can get car sick. More happy, peaceful experiences with travelling should help that a lot.
Because of being bounced around so much, he may continue to be a little fearful and growly with strangers but we are thinking this will improve as he learns that people are much nicer and more trustworthy than he imagined possible. He is treat motivated and treats may help him make new people friends. All he needs is some good experiences under his belt!
Coco must be adopted by an experienced owner who has the patience and knowledge to teach him how to deal with new people in his home. The no-touch, no-talk, no-eye contact approach should be helpful right at first to help him not feel pressured or threatened.
