Size
(when grown) Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Details
Good with dogs,
Needs special attention,
Needs experienced adopter,
House-trained,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Yuki is back with us but currently being fostered by her previous adopter, this is what they have to say about to her.We want to be really detailed about what Yuki is like to live with so that anyone considering adopting her can make an informed decision.We think she’s 11 months old and is a Chihuahua/Dachshund/Terrier mix (according to a DNA test). She is deaf, but she is very smart and has learned several hand signals. She is potty trained and spayed.She loves to cuddle, play tug-of-war, chase ice cubes, sniff and explore, and do enrichment activities. She does well with people and other dogs, but can be timid at first. She is sensitive to people who walk “different” (limp, cane, strollers). We think she would do really well with another dog in the home to learn from. She has been around a cat and did fine, but she will chase if the cat runs because she wants to play. Not sure about a home with a cat, would need to do introductions.The biggest thing to understand about Yuki is that she is not an easy dog. She is very particular, can be easily spooked, and needs a lot of patience and continued training. She is still very mouthy, especially when she's excited or frustrated. She has also shown some resource guarding around high-value items, so her adopter will need to be comfortable managing that and continuing to work on it. We’ve seen lots of improvement here, but don’t know how that will change in a new household.We have been working with a professional trainer, which has helped us a lot, especially since we didn't have previous experience training a dog. Yuki has responded well to the training, but she still has a lot to learn and we think continued professional training may be needed. We are happy to provide the contact information for the trainer we've been working with to whoever adopts her.She is very attached to her people and has a lot of FOMO. She wants to be involved in everything and will follow you from room to room. If she can't follow you, she may scratch at the door. She needs more work on being independent and learning to settle and be comfortable when she's not involved in what's happening.Yuki also has boundaries around physical affection. She likes to cuddle and be close to her people, but she doesn't want to be touched or handled all the time. She can be easily startled, and it's important to pay attention to her body language and give her space when she asks for it. Because of her mouthiness, sensitivity, and need for boundaries, we do not recommend a home with young children. Young kids may not understand when she doesn't want to be touched or when she needs some space. Last time we took her to the vet to do an exam, they had to put a muzzle on her and gave us some meds to give her before her next visit. Again I think she just needs more sensory training which we have been trying to do but progress here has been slow.She does well in her playpen when left alone and is potty trained. She does fine on walks, although she sometimes wants to chew on her leash when getting into her harness. She needs regular enrichment and mental stimulation, but she also still needs help learning how to settle and be bored.Does okay in the car, but still learning. Hasn’t been on a drive longer than 30mins.We care about her a lot, and she has a lot of qualities we adore. But she does require more patience, understanding, and training than some other dogs. We don't think she is the right fit for someone looking for an easy, laid-back dog.We think the right home for Yuki would be someone who is patient, has experience or is willing to learn about dog behavior, and is prepared to continue working with her rather than expecting these things to resolve on their own. Know this is a lot but it’s not like all this stuff happens all day everyday, but these are some of her tendencies. We want to be upfront about all of this because finding the right fit is much more important to us than finding her a home quickly.
