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My basic info
Breed
Maltese
Color
White
Age
8 years 10 months old, Young
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
10 lbs (current)
Sex
Male
Pet ID
20-100
My details
Not good with kids
Not good with dogs
Not good with cats
Purebred
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
MEET MOE. Moe is an adorable little male maltese who is 5 years old and weighs 9.8 lbs. Moe is being fostered in Lighthouse Point, FL. Due to Covid-19, all Florida foster dogs must be adopted by Florida residents at this time. No exceptions will be made.
UPDATED BIO 07/22/2020: Moe has been in our Foster Care Program for several weeks now. This little fella has gone through a lot of changes recently. He was surrendered to an animal shelter for euthanasia by the owners that have had him since he was a puppy. Moe nipped at a 3-year-old child in the home, and the parents decided that the penalty for that was to have him put to sleep, even though the shelter offered assistance with behavior modification training. The owner said that she did not have the time for that. As often happens, small dogs may not be a good fit with young children, as little children move quickly, may make loud noises, and think that the small dog is a toy.
Moe is a bit shy and standoffish but that is just his personality, although that could potentially change. Moe appears to be a dog that has sadly suffered an abusive or neglectful past. He wants to be with his people very much, but he appears to have become distrustful and protective of himself due to his prior abuse at the hands of people. Moe is initially wary of most humans, but not unfriendly. He needs time to get to know any new people in his life, and at first he may growl or even attempt to bite you if you try to move at a faster pace than he is comfortable with. Moe tolerates other dogs but does not play with them and for this reason, he would do best in a single dog home.
Moe follows his foster parents around the home and will sleep on the bed or under it. He loves to take walks (and will go as often as you are willing to take hom), and has walked up to three miles with his foster parents, so an active home where he can expend his energy on walks would be ideal. He will choose to sit next to his foster parents on the sofa or chair and sleep on their laps. But he wants to do it on his time.
Moe will jump up on his foster parents to get himself picked up. He will sleep with them and snuggle against them. However, if he is picked up without him asking to be picked up, he may growl or bite. The expression Don’t Wake a Sleeping Bear should be his mantra, since if he is awakened by petting him, he may startle and bite. When Moe is awake, he will growl to warn you to stop any behavior that he deems threatening, even if the intent is loving on the human’s part. He desperately needs to be given some time to build up trust and his adoptive parents must be patient and willing to give him this time. If he is pushed, he appears to feel violated and may get a bit of an attitude, but he quickly returns to his quiet self if left alone and allowed to approach on his terms.
Due to Moe’s history with children, he can only be adopted into an adult only. In addition, his adoptive parents must be willing to take the time to be patient with him and recognize that this little fella was likely severely neglected or abused at one time. Once he gets to know you, he is a very friendly and affectionate dog. Once he becomes attached to his humans, he does not want to be left alone, so he would do best in a family there is at least one stay-at-home person. Moe may bark, whine and cry if left alone so he needs a home environment where this will not disturb neighbors – no apartment or condo living for him. Moe is reluctant to accept strangers due to his trust issues, so introduction to persons unknown to him needs to be slow.
Moe is almost being fully paper-trained. He is a good eater and seems to prefer soft rather than hard foods. Even though he loves chicken and beef, that is not recommended to feed as it could cause pancreatitis, which could be very dangerous.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to his history with children, Moe can only be adopted into an adult only home.
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