Size
(when grown) Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Details
Good with kids,
Good with dogs,
Good with cats,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Applications at leiashope.org
Apple Butter is located in Decatur, IL. She is believed to be a Teddybear (Shih Tzu/Bichon) and was born in our care after her mom, a 10-pound Shih Tzu, arrived pregnant. Apple Butter is the smallest of her litter, but what she lacks in size she certainly makes up for in personality. She loves playing with her siblings and snuggling with any warm body she can find—whether that’s a foster sibling or one of the adult dogs in the home.
She is currently going through the Puppy Culture program, which introduces puppies to age-appropriate learning such as confidence-building games, early socialization, problem solving, and gentle communication skills. Apple Butter gets excited for her one-on-one training sessions and enjoys showing off her new skills.
She is an excellent cuddler, but she and her siblings are also notorious for being under foster mom’s feet and nearly tripping her multiple times a day. Because of this, Apple Butter will do best in a home without small children or anyone with mobility concerns.
Apple Butter was weaned onto a balanced raw diet to help support her gut biome. She will go home with a few days of food to transition. She does not need to stay on raw, but it is preferred for optimal health. Teddybears are sweet, loving companions who require frequent brushing and routine grooming every six weeks to keep their coats healthy and mat free.
She has been examined by our veterinarian and is in perfect puppy health. Apple Butter will be ready for her forever home once she is fully weaned and has received her second puppy vaccine. Her adoption fee is $650.
Included in her adoption is the next-stage Puppy Culture program, a $100 online course designed to set both puppy and family up for long-term success. This course guides adopters through training, socialization, and developmental milestones to help Apple Butter continue the strong foundation she has already begun.
Apple Butter will go home with two rounds of vaccines and microchipping. Subsequent boosters are the responsibility of the adopter. She will not be spayed at this age; our rescue covers a portion of the spay cost if it is completed between 6–9 months. A spay contract is required and enforced.
Applications are available at leiashope.org. We are a volunteer-run organization, and applications take 7–10 business days to process. We do not schedule meet and greets without an approved application. Adopters must travel to Decatur, IL for the meet and greet and to complete the adoption, and all family members (including dogs) must attend. Puppies are a 15+ year commitment, and adopters should be fully prepared to love Apple Butter for her lifetime. We do not allow rehoming, nor do we offer transport or allow our dogs to fly cargo.
