DAVID - ADOPTION PENDING!!! - CHIHUAHUA / MIXED (SHORT COAT) DOG FOR ADOPTION

Description

Posted Breed: Chihuahua / Mixed (short coat). Meet David. This adorable little guy with the incredible ears was spotted running as a stray in Pageland, SC. A Good Samaritan concerned for his welfare reached out to animal control for help getting him to safety but the shelter was full and there was a wait for new intakes. She continued to feed David when he came around and finally got him into the shelter. The shelter staff quickly discovered David was sick and had signs of parvo. Parvo is extremely infectious to other dogs, and the shelter was not equipped to treat him or support his recovery, so he needed another option. The shelter reached out to Worthy Dog, and David went directly to one of the local animal hospitals we use and spent the weekend there getting treated with fluids, anti-nausea meds, and antibiotics. He had a surprisingly quick recovery, so we named him David, after David & Goliath. He may be tiny but he is mighty. He fought a monster of an illness and bounced back quickly, truly living up to his name. David has been in his new foster home for about a week living with his foster mom, Carrie, and her pack of three older pups, and has lived with cats too! We checked in with Carrie for a Q&A to learn more about David: How is he doing integrating into your pack? He’s done well adapting to their various personalities. Gavin has decided this is his new bestie, Luca is furious with jealousy and acting out of resentment, and Dallas doesn’t care as long as he’s left alone, but has corrected David a couple of times. David takes it all in stride and just wants to play with everyone. He has zero food aggression, which is great. And Eva mentioned that he's good with cats. He's such a sweet, happy, smart dog who just wants to be loved. How would you describe his overall personality? He is shy and reserved at first, but quickly warms up. He's definitely a people pleaser which makes him easy to train. He already knows “sit” and is doing very well with "wait" commands for door boundaries. He also walks great on a leash, although I recommend a harness because he gets excited in the beginning and will pull. He is very sweet and just needs exposure to new things, so he becomes more familiar and confident. For example, he may bark at strangers and big dogs at first, however, he's met multiple neighbors and friends and did great with everyone. I took him out this weekend for a walk with a friend who has a larger dog and while he barked at her initially, he relaxed in about 5 minutes and by the end of the walk they were best friends. He loves to play and finds ways to entertain himself that aren't destructive, although he will chew off pieces of soft toys and destuff them, so durable toys are a must. How is he doing with crate training and house training? David does amazing in a crate! This was such a pleasant surprise. Occasionally he'll do the tiniest bit of whining in the crate but it only lasts a minute or 2. He stays in his crate whenever I leave the house and he sleeps there at night without any issue. He'll wait patiently in the morning for me to let him out. No anxiety but he does like to be close to his human as much as possible. He also rides great in a car and would do well with someone who likes road trips. He seems to be housetrained and has not had any accidents this first week. I used a belly band the first few days to prevent any marking, but he’s already graduated from the belly band and he’s getting neutered today. Energy Level? He’s a young, active dog who would prefer a playmate. He's learning boundaries with my older dogs and does handle their corrections of him well. I wouldn’t place him with a senior dog who does not want to play, but he would do great with a playful dog who wants to engage with him. He's done well with my 1 dog who will play with him, but my dogs are all seniors so the play time is short-lived. He loves to go for walks. We've been walking ~2-3 miles and he keeps up well. He'll nap for about an hour after and then he's ready for more playtime. He needs an active family who will engage with him. I love working with dogs like David where you get to see them grow and evolve and become more confident. Davey is such a sweet and smart little pup who has already learned so much in a few short days. I’m excited to work on more training with him. So far, we’ve picked up 3 satellite channels with his ears but trying to get more FOSTER UPDATE - 5/29/24 "David is an absolute sweetheart who just wants to be loved and is such a quick learner. For being a puppy, he is incredibly well-trained and behaved. He is super playful and gets some zoomies, but that’s to be expected. He’ll go into his crate whenever asked without any incentive, sleeps through the night, and actually loves to sleep in, which makes my mornings less hectic. He’s had no accidents or markings since getting neutered. He’s making lots of friends, both human and canine. He was a barker when he got here, but correcting him a few times already had an impact. He is also amazing on walks, with more of a “man on a mission” style than the type to stop and sniff everything. I’m so excited for his next chapter. Whoever decides to adopt him will be in for such a treat." ******** We are looking for a fun, active family who is ready for a little puppy mode, preferably with a dog buddy in the home for him. Apply today to welcome him home! BREED ESTIMATE: Chihuahua Mix GENDER: Male APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: 13 lbs APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 6 mos old COAT TYPE: short coat ADOPTION FEE: $425 OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/microchipped LOCATION: Middleburg, VA FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to adopt.worthydog and complete the application. You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to foster.worthydog and fill out an application. Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.

• Physical Attributes

  Coat Length:	Short
  Likes to Vocalize:	Some

• Behavioral Characteristics

  OK with Kids:	Yes
  OK with Dogs:	Yes
  OK with Cats:	Yes
  Energy Level:	Moderate
  Activity Level:	Moderately Active
  Exercise Needs:	Moderate
  Fence Required:	Not Required
  Obedience Training:	Needs Training
  Owner Experience Required:	Species
  Other:	Leash Trained Crate Trained Housetrained Good in a Car Likes to Play with Toys Likes to Be in Your Lap

• Personality

  Personality Characteristics

  Playful Timid Affectionate Eager to Please Intelligent Even-Tempered

• Additional Information

  Was the Dog Found	No
  Other	Up-to-date on Vaccinations