Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Spayed or Neutered,
Story
This sweet, lovey girl is looking for a home where she can have her very own person (or people - she has LOADS of love to give!) that she doesn't have to share with a large and constantly changing pack of other dogs.
HISTORY
Nori was one of a litter of six pups abandoned on a country road outside Kennewick in January 2023. All her litter mates were adopted, but a vet examination, confirmed by x-rays, revealed that she has hip dysplasia. Her adoption was put on hold while we consulted vets and considered her options. During that time her foster family fell in love with her and offered her a permanent home, and she has been with them about two and a half years. However, this family has a large permanent pack and a fluctuating number of rescues and boarders, and over time it has become clear that Nori is not comfortable or safe sharing her space with so many dogs. For this reason, they have asked HART to find her a home that better meets her needs.
Nori's current family love her very much and are willing to transport her to an approved home anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, and to work with her adopters to ensure a smooth transition to her new home.
SOCIALIZATION
Where humans are concerned, this girl is, first and foremost, a LOVER. She adores all her people, schmoozes visitors, and never hesitates to make a new friend, old or young. She is good with children, but because of her hip dysplasia she will not be placed in a home with very young children who might fall over her or accidentally hurt her.
Nori tolerates the five permanent dogs in her home and is generally friendly with them. However, she has very little interest in playing with other dogs - when it comes to ball time, she is fully focused on the nearest available human. She does not like rough play, can get irritable and nippy when dogs are too loud or run zoomies too close to her, and sometimes - especially when dinner is being dished up - she gives them the intimidating border collie stare and stalks them. Due to a couple of minor but troubling bite incidents she is not allowed to interact with visiting dogs at all (the family boards dogs through Rover). She is not safe with small breed dogs, but we believe she would do well sharing her home with one very mellow larger adult or senior dog, given time to get properly acquainted. Nori is not highly reactive, and she doesn't go looking for trouble, but she protects her space, and she gets stressed around rambunctious or unfamiliar dogs.
When supervised she ignores cats and chickens, but if they run, she will chase, and if she catches one, she might hurt it. However, she responds immediately when told to leave it. She could probably share a home with a very confident, dog-savvy cat, given a careful introduction and provided it had places to go that she couldn't get to.
TEMPERAMENT AND BEHAVIOR
The thing Nori loves best in the world (after snuggling) is playing fetch. She loves to run and will bring the ball back to you as often as you'll throw it. Because of her hips it's important to meet her need for exercise and play without letting her hurt herself. She could probably adapt to apartment life but will do best in a home with a fenced yard. She doesn't jump or dig out, but if a gate is left open, she will go exploring. Nori is not a good candidate for dog parks, but she would probably enjoy casual neighborhood walks and easy hikes that give her exercise and mental stimulation without overworking her hips.
Nori enjoys toys used for throwing, and she likes chewing bones and chewy treats. She's not greatly interested in other toys or different types of play - and no toy will ever compete with you for her attention.
When snuggling, Nori would ideally like to get right inside your skin with you. But she's not a needy dog; she'll happily settle for just hanging out with you if you tell her you need space. If you're busy, she finds a place to snooze and doesn't get underfoot. Although she has never been completely alone, we believe that, given practice and time to adjust, she would cope well with being home alone while you're at work or running errands. She would also do very well if invited to accompany you to work.
She will bark when people come onto your property - but only because she can't wait to welcome them! This girl can alert you to strangers, but she's no guard dog.
She has a yes/no attitude toward cars. When one of her special ball-throwing friends arrives she leaps eagerly into their car to accompany them up the driveway, but sometimes when told to get in the car she is less enthusiastic - possibly because she thinks that could mean a potentially painful visit to the vet. If car rides were an important part of her daily routine, however, she would quickly learn that they mean more time with someone she loves. She's a good traveler, calm and well-behaved.
TRAINING
Nori is an intelligent girl with a strong desire to please, who will quickly learn to respect your household rules and routines. She is reliably house-trained and crate trained; she likes her crate but can be trusted loose in the house when you're gone.
Because she's naturally calm and polite, Nori has never had any formal training. Her people don't ask her to sit or down on command because of her hips, although she can do both when she wants to. However, she is very trainable - she is highly motivated by treats and praise, and very much wants to please her human. She usually comes when called (her recall will probably need work before you let her go off leash in interesting places). She walks well on a leash, takes treats gently, and responds to "leave it" and "no".
HEALTH STATUS
Nori has been spayed, kept up to date on vaccines, microchipped, and kept free of internal and external parasites. Apart from the hip dysplasia she is in excellent condition. She weighs about 45 lbs. Her estimated date of birth is August 14, 2022. Her adopter will receive her full vet records.
Logically, we know Nori must experience some degree of ongoing pain, which is probably why she guards her space and gets irritable with dogs who might crash into her. However, although her x-rays show severe hip dysplasia, this doesn't slow her down. She walks and runs naturally, and she generally doesn't show signs of significant pain, although she may need some extra medication after an unusually active day. She currently receives a low dose of carprofen and tramadol, and for now this seems to keep her comfortable. She has been examined by two local vets and by a team at WSU veterinary school. They have all advised us that she is not a good candidate for conventional dysplasia surgery. It's possible that a full hip replacement would work for her, but that option is so expensive it's way outside any rescue budget. Instead, her vets recommend lifetime pain management, gentle daily exercise, keeping her weight down, and accepting that this condition will significantly reduce her quality of life as she gets older. For this reason, we are looking for an adopter who understands and accepts the responsibility to manage her condition, and in due course help her across the Rainbow Bridge when pain management is no longer effective.
For more pictures of Nori, please visit her Facebook album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=HearthfireAnimalRescueTeam&set=a.1342250918055994.
