Joanie

Joanie had a lonely life before she arrived in our care.  She lived without love or kindness, outdoors in what amounted to a wooden box with another dog (who has since been adopted from us – no worries, we did not leave him behind).  She was fed and watered, and by law, that was enough.  When she arrived in our care, her little eyes darted and her body shook.  She had no idea what to expect and we promised her we would go slow.  She was carried outside to do her business, and her interactions with her foster mom were a mix of excitement, terror, curiosity and a desire to hide.  In short, she was conflicted.  Fast forward to today, and this little dumpling is in love with love.  She loves treats, playing, gentle and inviting voices and especially ALL OF THE CUDDLES.  She still is terrified and runs and hides when scared abd will likely always hold on to a bit of her past.  When she  is afraid, she needs a little convincing, but kindness, good treats and a soft encouraging voice all go a long way!

Joanie is not yet comfortable on leash and this is a work in progress, so for now, she mostly enjoys her time outside in her fenced yard, playing with her canine friends and investigating!  She initially had no idea how to play, but her canine foster buddies have really shown her where all of the fun is at!  She will randomly jump in on a game of fetch, steal the ball and run like the wind with the dogs following!  She gives it up and comes running to her person for a good cuddle in the end.  She’s really enjoying life, finally, and looks to her people for comfort.  To be on the safe side though, we will require that she use a GPS collar in her new home just in case.

You can easily see how much she wants to be your best buddy.  She will jump up on your lap, turn with her back facing you, and will push herself back and then lie on you with her paws in the air, waiting for you to rub her belly!  She will even tuck her head under your neck and close her eyes  Not kidding at all.  This girl will be your cuddle buddy anytime she sees your lap space is going to waste.  She will respect if you ask her to get down, but don’t be surprised if she tries again in 3 minutes!

She is crate trained, enjoys all of her meals in there, and runs in at full speed at bedtime with the promise of a bedtime cookie. She is slowly learning to be comfortable sleeping in bed at night but she is still too overwhelmed to be left loose and panics if she does not know where her person is, so being crated really makes her feel safe.  She is almost fully house trained, but sometimes has accidents if she does not go out regularly, and this is more likely to occur on  inclement weather days.  It really upsets her to upset you, so it is best to just ensure she gets more breaks outside.  She needs a home full of understanding and love in order to thrive. We do feel she would be happiest with a single person or a couple in a calmer home and neighbourhood. Another sweet and friendly dog in the home would be very fun.

This little bud is blooming and we are hopeful to find a home that will continue to help her grow into the beautiful girl she is!  We are only considering homes that fully meet her needs as described, so please keep her needs in mind when applying.