UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2023 – Rosie has been adopted and is now permanently warmly embraced by her furever family!
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If you are looking to adopt a dog, Rosie the Chihuahua is looking for a furever home! This little love bug was surrendered to Furever Pet Care when her original family were no longer able to care for her. She is 9 years young, has slimmed down to healthy weight, and received the attentions of our wonderful vets for a thorough health check.
Adopt a Dog at Furever Pet Care
Rosie came into care with a few issues we worked through. The first was her weight. When she arrived, she weighed 7.4 pounds – she is now at her ideal weight is of 4.5 lbs. Her nails were overgrown to the point where walking was painful; not moving much likely added to her weight gain. She has lost all her teeth but one upper canine.
For many years, Rosie was house bound, did not have interactions with people, creatures or places other than the house and yard in which she lived. Now in her foster home, Rosie is being positively re-introduced to new people and dog strangers. She does very well with a proper and slow introduction. She is currently living with a number of resident dogs, and is regularly introduced to dogs of all sizes, with whom she does fine.
She does practice coprophagia but will leave it when supervised. She is fully housetrained and asks to go potty at the door by means of her cute little seal bark. She will use potty pads in extreme weather.
In August 2023 she was diagnosed with Grade 3 luxating patellas on both hind legs, and she has a touch of arthritis in both knees as well. We have started her on a monthly Librela injection, the cost of which is under $80. A full medical history will be provided to pet parents interested in adoption.
She LOVES to snuggle and have all the petting you can give! She likes to be squished up next to your leg or snuggled against your side as close as she can get. She will make a tent out of any blanket she find find and cuddle inside – watch where you sit!
Rosie’s Profile on Facebook
Healthy Lifestyle Chihuahua Rehab
Weaning her off grocery store brand dog food, we first put her on a mix of raw pet food and pureed veggies with supplements of fish oil, flaxseed, and omegas 3 fatty acids to help with inflammation and joints. CBD oil also helped with inflammation and pain that likely caused her to lick her forelimbs a little too much. She does so less frequently now than the first few days. Once she was stabilized, we fed her low fat GI canned and GI soaked kibble food to bring her liver health into line in the longer term.
After some dedicated training, she is now choosing to sleep in her soft bed in a larger crate. She had never used a crate previously. We believe it helps her feel safe, get the rest she needs, and be comfortable traveling by means of carrier when needed.
She now does a nice “sit” when asked and is learning a spin trick, so she is obviously eager to please and loves to have a task that make her people happy. If she wants up she’ll put both front paws on your leg!
Rosie gets VERY excited for her outside walks — she now bounces down the street all proud and eagerly checks in with her person to confirm all is well. She is cautious with new experiences, either barking at or crowding close to her person. She is gaining confidence with positive reinforcement training and proper, slow exposure.
Having frequent crate rest plus mental enrichment and regular physical exercise ( now that her feet are more comfortable) is having a beneficial effect in reducing fear-based and nuisance behaviours (lunging, barking, etc). Being more comfortable physically is also making her more calm and tolerant of being apart from a human. Rosie can be stressed absent human company, so it is nice to see her confidence rise. As of this update (she came to us on March 10, 2023) her barking has decreased to appropriate alerts, for instance having to potty, or getting dinner ready!
Next Step to Adopt a Dog Chihuahua
Rosie would do well with a family who appreciates a good snuggle and regular leisurely walks. She is ok with children, but due to her tiny size, we recommend children over twelve. She was surrendered with a sibling Chihuahua whose company she enjoys. However, she seems to be much calmer without his constant attentions and inclination to run interference between her and other dogs. With a proper doggy introduction, she is fine with new friends. She has lived with our pack at Furever Pet Care, and is now being fostered by a home with a young Chihuahua mix and adult Shih Tzu. Rosie would do fine with other resident dogs. She has been introduced to two dog-savvy cats on different occasions and so far is indifferent to them, i.e. does not bark, chase or pester them.
She has been to the vet for a thorough health check and vaccination update. She has some mild issues to keep an eye on that are typical of aging in dogs. Full reports will be provided to pet parents interested in adoption.
If you are interested in knowing more about how to Adopt a Dog Rosie Chihuahua, please send an email (address on our Contact Page) with some details about you, your family and your home. We will send a formal application after a brief telephone interview.
If you are interested in donating to assist in Rosie’s healthy rehabilitation and foster care, Rosie and her foster team thank you for your consideration!
