Teddy (ADOPTED!) is very quiet, friendly, go with the flow, muscular Shiba-Inu and chihuahua mix, who weighs 13 lbs. and we estimate is around 2 years old. He loves other dogs and cats, and is very easy about meeting them. His foster has two cats and Teddy enjoys hanging out with them. Teddy acts like a big brother, who looks out for the more delicate cat, to make sure he’s okay. Our boy was initially wary when first meeting new people, but within minutes, as soon as he knows you are friendly, he will greet you warmly. Once he knows a person, he will completely trust you, and enjoys playing with you one-on-one. If he can reach, he will try to place his front paws and his head on your lap to ask for attention. Teddy loves human contact, to be touching you, and snuggling. One of his favorite things, is to lay next to you, or on top of you, if you are laying down, on the sofa. He likes children, but we do not recommend small children, who may suddenly grab for him, or scare him with sudden moves and loud noises.
Teddy loves going out for walks and fairly nicely on leash. When he sees the leash come out, he runs around the house in happy excitement. Our boy also love toys and playing fetch. He is a quiet dog, who will find ways to entertain himself, whether it’s shaking his toys around, stockpiling his rawhide chews, hiding his toys. As a young dog, Teddy will get bursts of energy, sometimes jumping on and off the sofa, or rolling around on his bed and rubbing his face on his blanket, while making happy noises. He is extremely quiet, and NOT a barker. The only time he has barked was when other dogs started barking first. While he has a lot of the playful young pup in him, Teddy can also be a very calm, relaxed dog, who is happy to snooze on the couch or on his bed for much of the day.
Teddy is currently being fed next to his crate. He does NOT guard his food or toys, but if he is eating and you come near his food, he will stop, afraid that you may take it from him. He does well in a large crate, with lots of bedding and his toys all around him. He sleeps in his crate at night, and will make squeaky noises to let you know if he needs to go out. If he is crated with the door closed and he sees you enter the room, he will whine to be let out so he can greet you. If you have been away, when you return, Teddy celebrates your return by racing around the room and then inviting you to play with him. Teddy loves riding in a car. He will sit in the back seat and rest his front leg on the arm rest.
Because of some abusive treatment he has had in the past, Teddy does need a gentle, quiet, and patient people. Teddy shows the flight behavior of a dog who has been abused. He is not skittish by nature, but if you reach for him quickly, he will run. Also, anytime he sees an open door, he will bolt out through it. If pursued he will run and try to evade being grabbed, even by people he knows and loves. In the first days with his fosters, when they approached him, he was anticipating being punished. He would squeal and cry, and cower or fall to the floor, thinking he was going to be hurt. We are also sure that Teddy was kept outside 24/7. He was originally found wandering down a road, dragging nearly 7 lbs. of chains, which were wrapped around his neck. Teddy He is very smart and learns very quickly. He was recently neutered and his fosters are still working on his potty training. He is making good progress, but needs to be watched and continued reinforcement.
In summary, Teddy is an incredibly happy, loving and playful boy, who clearly had a bad start in life. He has a big heart and is making great strides in gaining confidence and overcoming his past. If you are interested in meeting and potentially adopting Teddy, we ask that you first complete our adoption questionnaire, which is the first step of our pre-adoption process. At our website (hittgv.org), please click on the Adopt tab near the top of the page, and scroll down to find the online Adoption Form.