Jolene needs:
– A quiet adult home
– Another calm dog
– A patient experienced dog owner
– Someone who can walk her on a leash
Meet Jolene! She is a 10-year-old, 13-pound Shih Tzu mix. Jolene came into rescue after being found wandering the streets very dirty, covered with fleas and matted. The wonderful citizen who found her took her in, listed her at the shelter, gave her a much needed clean up, a good meal, warm bed and reached out to Small Breed Rescue when no owner could be found.
It is unfortunate that with many dogs that come through rescue, we never know their background. It was pretty evident from the beginning that Jolene likely ran away from a not so loving, caring home and probably spent the majority of her time, if not all, outdoors. She loves to be outside because it is probably what she knew. After a good night’s sleep, her favorite thing is to go roll in the green grass and soak up some sun. Jolene gets frightened very easily. Loud sudden noises or movements may send her running and in the three months she has spent in foster care, she has improved greatly but still has her moments. A quieter, calm adult home would be in her best interest.
Jolene will likely take longer than usual when it comes to trusting humans. Because of this, she tends to be more distant than most dogs, physically and emotionally. She freezes and cowers when being reached for to be petted or picked up. Once she realizes she is not going to be harmed, she relaxes. She does get excited when people come in, at feeding time and at night when she wants to cuddle on the couch but it took several months of positive reinforcement to get her there.
She lives with four other dogs in foster care and does well with them. She has just started to play a little but it is always initiated by the other dog, she has shown no interest in toys. She walks well on a leash and rides well in a car but a travel crate would be recommended. During the day she is gated in a kitchen and does well. She is very good about pottying outside as long as taken out regularly.
As with most Shih Tzus and Shih Tzu mixes, she will need frequent cleaning around the eyes. The problem is, she is not tolerant of this. She does great for baths and nail trims but anything around her face is not tolerated. Her foster mom has worked with her to get her to allow a muzzle be placed so that her eyes and ears can be cleaned, but she still protests it. She will tolerate scissor trims of her hair but the sound of hair clippers are too scary for her.
Jolene was examined by a veterinarian the first day she arrived into rescue. She had a severe ear infection, severe dental disease and cysts that had ruptured. Her ears have been treated but she may be prone to chronic ear infections. She had a dental cleaning with several problematic teeth removed. She is a lumpy bumpy girl, several fatty lumps and cysts all over her body. One large cyst that had ruptured prior to coming in to rescue was surgically removed. She has some spots on her eyes but doesn’t really have any issues with vision except for things far away. Bloodwork revealed renal values that will need to be monitored, they are normal now but on the high end of normal. She also had chronic anemia that has been investigated but no clear reasoning why. After several rechecks of her bloodwork, that has resolved and is back to normal. Good news, she is heartworm-negative, current on vaccines, flea and heartworm prevention and microchipped! We believe she had been spayed at a younger age.
Jolene is a unique little girl, she wants to love but isn’t quite sure how to do so or how to accept it, but she is learning. She may follow her person around curious about what is going on but not one to really seek a warm lap out to cuddle with frequently. Oh and her biggest quirk is that she does like to eat dirt on occasion. It would be best if she was leash walked rather than let out in a fenced yard so she doesn’t eat dirt and learns that being inside is a positive thing as she prefers to go outside and stay outside if given the opportunity. A house with kids or first time dog owners would not be ideal for her. Another calm dog in the home would help her continue to learn that humans are kind and help her build confidence would be nice. If you want to open your home to this sweet girl trying to learn to trust and love humans, please contact Small Breed Rescue. Jolene’s adoption fee is $100.
