Size
(when grown) Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Details
Good with dogs,
Story
Muffin is an incredibly beautiful Heeler mix, although we cannot say for certain exactly what breeds make up her family tree. She was one of a litter of 11 puppies who came to BENCHS from another shelter, ready to grow up and begin searching for families of their own. Instead, shortly after arriving, these babies found themselves facing a battle none of us expected when the litter became sick with parvovirus.
Muffin fought hard, she BEAT PARVO, and now those scary days are behind her! Today, Muffin is healthy, thriving, growing, and getting sillier by the day. After spending so much time worrying about whether these puppies were going to be okay, there is something incredibly special about watching them run around, play, cause a little puppy chaos, and simply get to enjoy being puppies again.
Muffin currently lives with several of her siblings and has never gone a single day of her life without the companionship of other dogs. She has grown up eating, sleeping, wrestling, playing, exploring, and learning alongside her canine family. That has given her tons of early experience socializing and communicating with other puppies. As the weeks go by, more and more of Muffin’s personality continues to emerge, and she is becoming such a fun, silly, joyful little puppy who is ready to take on the world.
Our best guess is that Muffin and her siblings have some Heeler, or Australian Cattle Dog, in their family tree. Heelers are intelligent, energetic, loyal working dogs that were bred to stay busy and use both their bodies and their brains. They tend to thrive in active homes where they receive plenty of exercise, enrichment, training, structure, and opportunities to be included in family life. Muffin is looking for an active indoor home that is excited about raising a smart, energetic puppy and continuing her training and socialization as she grows.
Potential adopters should also understand that herding breeds can sometimes bring their natural working instincts into family life. Chasing, circling, and nipping at heels can emerge as they mature, especially around small children who are running, squealing, or playing. These behaviors do not necessarily mean a dog is being aggressive. They can simply be an extension of the instincts these dogs were bred for, but they can still be overwhelming for very young children and require consistent training and appropriate outlets. Because Muffin is still a young puppy and we do not yet know how strongly those instincts will develop, families with very small children should carefully consider whether an energetic herding breed puppy is the right fit for their household.
Muffin has already overcome something enormous in her short life. She fought through parvo, recovered, and came out the other side ready to LIVE. Now we want the rest of her story to be filled with adventures, training, toys, treats, muddy paws, ridiculous puppy antics, and a family who gets to watch this special little survivor grow up.
Come meet Muffin at BENCHS and help us give another one of our Parvo Puppy Survivors the happy ending she fought so hard for!
BENCHS puppy adoption fees are $500 plus tax. Muffin’s adoption fee includes her spay, microchip, dewormer, flea and tick prevention, heartworm prevention, distemper boosters, Bordetella vaccination, and rabies vaccination.
Our puppies also head home with a gallon bag of food, a leash, collar, harness, tote bag, blanket, toys, and some other little freebies to help them settle into their new homes.
Muffin’s adoption also includes a professional family photo to capture the beginning of her new life with the people lucky enough to call her theirs!
