Size
(when grown) Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
Details
Good with dogs,
House-trained,
Spayed or Neutered,
Shots are up-to-date,
Story
In addition to the following profile for this dog, please first read the Adoption Information at http://www.shihtzurescuemn.org/adopt.html to understand the process, requirements and timeline for adoption. An adoption application can also be found in the Adoption Info section. If, after reading that information, you have any questions, please submit your question via e-mail and it will be answered. Please do not request a phone call. A personal phone call will only be made when an adoption application has been submitted and the foster parent wishes to consider the application. Thank you!
Toby is a 10 pound, 10-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu mix with a sweet and affectionate personality. He is easy-going and full of love and is looking for his furever home. The thing he loves most is a cuddly blanket on a warm lap.
Toby would do best in a house with lots of love and cuddles. He's always wanting to be near his family and loves to stay warm and close.
Toby wasn’t initially interested in playing with squeaky balls and toys, though he was intrigued by them when the foster family dog played. It took some time for him to get comfortable in his foster home, but he’s recently started to play a bit with soft toys and gets along well with the small resident dog. Toby will continue to come out of his shell as he gains confidence and trust in his home. What Toby really enjoys is an outdoor adventure, wandering around his foster family’s fenced in yard. He's so fun to watch with his adorable prance. His greatest dream is to catch that squirrel in the backyard, but they're just too dang fast for this little guy. Toby has tried to be a bit of an escape artist so he should be kept on a leash if his yard is not securely fenced in.
Speaking of leashes, Toby really enjoys his daily walks with his foster family. He walks very politely on the leash and loves sniffing all the neighborhood smells.
Toby’s a great eater and does eat dry food but he prefers food that is softened with water or chicken broth.
Toby is a sweet boy that wants to find that perfect home. Here are the requirements for Toby’s new family:
- Toby needs a home where people are around most of the day since he can get anxious when left alone.
- A calm home with gentle and patient humans would be great for Toby. Toby has a mild collapsing trachea and can occasionally have episodes of coughing when he gets very anxious. Keeping him calm and relaxed helps minimize the episodes. Day to day, Toby does great and has had very few coughing episodes.
- Because Toby needs to be in a calm environment, an adults only home would be best. However, a family with children over the age of ten will be considered if they have had experience in gently and respectfully interacting with a small dog.
- Toby must wear a harness any time a leash is used. With his collapsing trachea, a harness will avoid further injury to his trachea. Toby always wears a loose collar around the house for his name tag, but whenever a leash is used it’s attached to his harness.
- Toby is house trained, but his foster family is still learning his signal to go outside. Right now, he gets taken out every few hours, and aside from a couple of accidents in the house when he first arrived, he’s done all his business outside. Toby needs a family that’s able to bring him outside every few hours.
- Toby loves to be near his humans so a family that allows him to sleep in bed at night would be preferred. He sleeps on a soft blanket at the foot of the bed between his foster parents. He loves to come up and get belly rubs and cuddles before going to sleep and in the morning when he wakes up
- An ideal home for Toby would likely include another small dog. He gets along well with his foster family’s shih tzu and seems to have gained some confidence with another dog in the house to show him the ropes. Toby being a solo dog is not a dealbreaker, however.
- Interested adopters should live within a 40 minute drive from downtown Minneapolis and commit to attending the Shih Tzu Rescue Reunion held each year in September.
We understand that there are quite a few requirements for Toby’s new family, but Toby is totally worth it, and he is sure to bring lots of love to the perfect home. He's an expert cuddler and can't wait to share all his love with you.
Toby will be neutered in early October and also have a full dental, including some extractions. He is current on vaccinations, microchipped and on heartworm and flea/tick preventative. Toby’s adoption fee is $220.00 plus $19.86 in sales tax for a total of $239.86.
To meet Toby, please complete an adoption application at the website listed in the first paragraph. Or you can also see him and the other dogs available for adoption from Shih Tzu Rescue of Minnesota by visiting with us at the rescue’s Meet and Greet from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon the first Saturday of every month at Chuck & Don’s, 8537 Lyndale Avenue S., in Bloomington, MN.
