Chili (11-20)
Posted in Adoption Pending on 825
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CHILI HAS BEEN ADOPTED!
Name: Chili (11-20)
Age: 4 years old
Sex: Male
Weight: 11.2 lbs
Spayed/Neutered: Neutered
Coat: Smooth
Color: Light Clear Red
Fee: $250
Location: Tallahassee
Email: smrchld@gmail.com
Chili is the ever so handsome poster child for amazing transformation. He was reluctantly surrendered when his parents had a new human child, and his people felt he was too excitable and unpredictable to be around the baby. He came with a history of submissive/excitement urination, potty mistakes in the house and in his crate to the point that he was diapered when not crated, uncontrollable energy, a toy and dog bed destroyer and eater. He didn’t learn much of anything in the training course he was enrolled in, so he didn’t seem very bright. Since his dad had allergies to dogs, he was never able to sleep in the big bed and was crated during the day while his people were working and at night. Coming into foster he had a weight of 8.2 lbs, far too little for his tweenie sized frame; you could see every bone in his body. The first night he was here he almost literally bounced off the walls. Chili, on intake, was a sweet but confused and very nervous hot mess.
We immediately had a series of blood tests run to see if there was physical cause for his emaciation. While his digestive enzyme amylase showed low, indicating difficulties in digesting carbohydrates, serious underlying disease was thankfully ruled out. We confirmed that Chili has a very high energy level and metabolic rate…he simply wasn’t being fed enough of the right food. We increased his portions, fed three times daily for two weeks, put him on a grain free/commercial raw diet, and added some extra vitamins, probiotics, and supplements. As a result, he’s gained 3 lbs. in the three weeks we’ve had him and only needs to gain another couple of pounds to be at his optimum weight. But that’s not his best accomplishment.
Chili lost his frenetic bounding around by the third day here. From the moment he came to us, we’ve never seen one instance of submissive/excitement urination, even when we deliberately challenged him by introducing new people and other dogs. He had a couple of accidents in the house in his first week, none since he’s learned our routines; he does not mark. He comes to tell me when he needs to go outside. He does not soil his crate. The only time I crate him is if I leave the house to run errands. He’s learned many of the commands we use here quickly; he’s actually a very smart dog and is eager to please. He still loves to run wildly around the backyard chasing squirrels, butterflies, birds and anything else that moves, but in the house, he’s calm and loves to snooze in laps or in a pile with our three doxie girls. He’s sweet, affectionate, and has a very docile attitude with the other dogs; he’s a lover and a playmate, not a fighter. After one verbal correction for nibbling on the dog bed, he hasn’t tried to chew it again. He’s graduated to sleeping in the big bed and acts like he’s slept there his whole life. Walking into a busy pet store he’d never been to before he was a perfect gentleman, curious but well behaved and not afraid. He walks beautifully on lead and adores going for walks. You couldn’t ask for a better companion in a car; he’s interested but settles immediately. He is a happy dog now and you can see it in his expressive face. He loves people and is friendly to everybody no matter how many legs they have.
Except the cat. Chili has a focused prey drive and he absolutely, positively cannot co-exist with a cat. He gets enormously excited if he has a large ball to play with since that seems to also trigger his prey drive, and he’ll still shred soft toys, so right now our toys are restricted to nylabones and other hard chew toys.
Chili will reflect the energy level of the home in which he lives. For that reason, he needs a forever family that’s calm and structured but still active physically. Older dog savvy/respectful kids would be fine, other dogs would be a plus; he enjoys being part of a pack. This boy has the talent to do well in agility; he can jump vertically and can bounce up and down like a kangaroo. He’s the fastest little guy we’ve ever fostered and he keeps his muscles strong. He needs a securely fenced yard for his exuberant running and he’ll be your best buddy on long walks.
In short, Chili’s a great little boy and he’s looking for a great family with which to share the rest of his life. He’s loving and loyal…except for that cat thing; he’s a fantastic little man.
If you think Chili is the right dog for you, please fill out an application with his name on it and email his foster family at smrchld@gmail.com about your interest or with questions, so they can contact you about becoming his new forever home.
