Adoption Area: East Tennessee
Charlie needs:
- Someone home quite a bit during the day
- Adult home or one with children over 12
- Regular professional grooming
- If there are other dogs in the house, need to be quiet senior like him
Meet Charlie the 10-lb Yorkie. If you’ve been looking for a loving pal, who is easy to please, with simple needs, come get your boy! He’s waiting for you! This sweet little man is 14 years young and ready to find his forever home! When his person passed away he found himself at the shelter and thought it was a pretty terrifying place. Thankfully he only had to spend one night there before getting whisked away to his foster home where he came out of his shell pretty quickly.
This gentle man adores his person, and would like nothing more than to fall in love and follow you everywhere! Not your average Velcro dog, Charlie likes a little bit of space. He prefers to know where his person is in the house, but once they are found he is content to find a cozy place to lay down quietly. If there is a bed in the room you are in, he would certainly rather stay nearby, but he will happily wander to the closest room with something soft to snooze on if there is not. Charlie’s favorite place to be is on the couch next to his person, or lounging regally on the back of the couch behind his person. He will beg for belly rubs with a cute little wave of his paw and big puppy dog eyes, but he would prefer to get his loving while laying next to you, rather than right on your lap. He is so amiable that he will let you pick him up when you need to, but he would prefer to get where he is going with his own 4 feet if possible. Though he can be bit hand shy with strangers touching his head, he loves attention and welcomes shoulder and chest scritches. Once he feels comfy he would very much appreciate some behind the ear scritches as well.
At night he sleeps well in a dog bed next to his foster mom’s big bed. While he would love to be in the big bed too, he never complains about not being invited. When left home alone in the crate or play pen, he may complain briefly before he settles until he gets the hang of the routine in a new place. Once he knows the drill he will go to his place willingly and be content to settle right in. If left to free roam the house, which is what he would prefer, he waits quietly in the bed closest to the door for his person to return. He is generally a pretty quiet boy. Occasionally you might hear his silly little bark when he would like some pets or that bone he knows is on the counter. It sounds a bit like he is clearing his throat. Sometimes he even moves his mouth like he is barking but no sound comes out, it makes his foster mom giggle. When his foster mom is busy and can’t stop for cuddles he gives up and quiets down after 3 or 4 request barks. He will also alert you about the mail man… if he happens to notice… but he is usually pretty oblivious to what’s going on outside.
Charlie is doing very well with his housetraining and has never tried to mark in his foster home. His current schedule has potty breaks 4-5 times a day and he would like a home with someone around enough to keep that schedule up. While he will do his very best to hold it until he gets outside he may have an occasional accident if left alone for a bit too long, as older pups sometimes do. It’s a good idea to put him in a play pen, strap on a belly band or gate him in a kitchen or room with a floor that’s easy to clean if you need to leave him longer than 3 hours, just to be on the safe side.
Charlie walks well on a leash and enjoys a short walk (1-3 neighborhood blocks up and back depending on the heat). He also loves a wander and a sniff in the back yard unless it’s raining in which case he need a bit of coaxing and a pal to hold an umbrella. This old man has some pep in his step, but there won’t be any big hikes in his future. He knows his name and comes when called at a very leisurely trot and will take his time yawning and stretching before he moves if you’ve woken him up from a nap. In the car he will ride politely in a crate, doggy booster, or in the car seat. He does his best to be a brave boy, but cars are not his favorite and rides make him just a little bit nervous. Though I have the suspicion that having more rides that don’t end at the Vet and include lots of pets and treats will settle him into the idea of enjoying the car.
Charlie gets along with other small dogs, and by that I mean he is happy to ignore them on the way to his person! He will say a polite hello, and then be back to his own business. He has not met big dogs, cats or kids yet but, he is so chill that he would probably be happy to coexist as long as they have mellow energy and do not expect him to be a playmate. Pushy cats, very boisterous pups or kiddos that don’t know how to move slow and give him space when he needs it, are likely to make him nervous, shy, and shut down. He’s not sure what you expect him to do with a toy, but he loves a good tasty bully stick or small bone to chew on.
It’s probable that Charlie had not seen a vet for years before coming to Small Breed. He had quite bad dental disease and lost 17 teeth, but not his love for food! The vet says he can stand to lose a pound, so don’t spoil him too much! The Vet also found that he has a mild heart murmur and a slight enlargement of the heart (because he’s such a lover!) but he does not currently require any special care or medication, though he may in the future. That is another good reason to keep his weight at an appropriate level. In all other ways Charlie is a happy, healthy boy ready to love some lucky person or persons to the moon and back. Charlie is up to date on shots, neutered, micro chipped, heartworm-negative and on flea, tick and heartworm preventatives. His adoption fee is $100.
