Astra

Say hello to Astra, an adorable sweetheart who will melt your heart with her affectionate nature and capture your soul with her piercing eyes! Astra is a 12 week old Beagle and Pomeranian Husky mix (although sometimes in the puppy mill world this could mean Pomeranian/eskimo spitz, based on her size we suspect the latter) who will likely be under 30 lbs when fully grown, and is currently about 10 lbs. She’s absolutely stunning with her bright blue eyes against her striking black, brown, and creamy white coat. She has an adorable little black nose, tiny white socks, and floppy beagle ears. Astra is affectionate, playful, and very sweet. She loves cuddles as much as she loves playtime. She’s rather gentle for a very young puppy, and full of excitement for the world and for you! When you walk into a room she’s all wiggles and kisses.

Astra had a difficult start to life, living in pretty rough conditions until recently when Pound Dog rescued her, but you would never know that now. Astra is a bright-eyed, happy puppy and a very good girl. All puppies are a lot of work but Astra is quite gentle and very good natured for such a young pup. She of course has her puppy moments, and will grab anything she can catch in her mouth while doing zoomies around the house or yard, shoes and shrubberies beware! She’s also a puppy-pee champion and could win contests I’m sure! Her bladder is still very small, so during the day when she has access to water she requires pee breaks every 15-20 min and therefore requires someone to be present to take her outside until she grows enough to hold it longer. She’s already come a long way at night however, and can hold it for four hours, so we only need to let her out once at night if we restrict her water a couple of hours before bedtime.

Astra is very sociable and gets along well with her foster dog sibliing, they play chase together, do a bit of wrestling, and even share toys. Astra would love to be in a home with another dog(s), and while this is not necessary she would love to have one or more male siblings to play with. Astra has not shown any guarding behaviour so far, but she does like to test what her foster sibling will put up with. She will jump on her and grab at her tail or fur, typical puppy stuff but this means that she should only go to a home with other dogs that are friendly, playful, and tolerant of this puppy behaviour. Our dog is very tolerant and this means that Astra can get away with some things that other dogs may not like. For example Astra and her foster sibling will happily play tug together with the same toy, or she will take a toy directly out of our dogs mouth, which can be a deal breaker for many dogs. Astra will learn more about what is considered rude as she grows, but until then she should only be with very friendly, tolerant dogs. Astra hasn’t shown any interest in chasing small animals so far, but given her breed mix she may one day want to chase, so we wouldn’t recommend she go to a home with a cat that isn’t dog savvy.

Being a pomsky beagle cross, Astra is happy to sing her songs and use her voice to make her feelings known. Especially when it comes to being alone. She always wants to be with you (preferably in your lap) and when she can’t be she will cry. Astra is learning that being alone isn’t scary, and has come a long way here but will cry or howl for a little while when by herself, before quieting down. This means that she wouldn’t do well in an apartment or condo or in a home with shared walls. She’s actually pretty quiet most of the time, only barking when she’s very excited, but she is still learning to be independent and that she is fine to be alone for short times,  and will take a bit more time until she’s confident being left alone. With consistent practice she’s already improved in the short time we’ve had her.

Astra is ready to explore the world, see all the sights, listen to all the sounds, and sniff all the smells that she can get her little beagle snoot on. She enjoys her short walks, which are still short because it’s cold and she’s so little, and will happily check out all the sights and smells on her walk. She is still a bit nervous and shy of new things and people though and so just needs more exposure with you by her side to help her build more confidence. 

Each morning when Astra wakes up she eagerly greets you at the door to her crate and pops directly into your lap for cuddles and kisses before heading outside to do her business. She already knows how to pee on command which is so nice given how cold it can be. Astra is crate trained and finds her crate to be a safe place to relax, but she will cry in her crate for a bit at first when left alone. She usually quiets down after 10 min, rarely more than that but occasionally it takes 20 min or so before she relaxes or falls asleep. She eats her meals very happily in her crate, or sometimes rolls around a kibble ball which is so funny to watch. Sometimes she thinks that if she just squishes it with her two front paws that the ball will voluntarily offer up it’s tasty morsels. Astra is also happy to do some training with her kibble, and has already learned how to ‘sit’ and do a ‘down’ on command. Astra enjoys her play sessions with her foster sister, they often chase each other around the yard or like to wrestle in the dog bed. She also does this adorable thing where she grabs toys around the house one at a time and takes them to her crate or her bed where she hoards them like a dragon hoarding her treasures, happily chewing away in a nest of stuffies.

Her usual daily routine consists of games like fetch or tug, general playtime, meal times, plenty of bathroom breaks, and naps in her crate or even in our lap. She will happily chew away on a toy or treat on the couch with you while watching TV. Astra really enjoys her crate and retreats to it if she feels nervous, it makes her feel safe and secure.

Astra is still learning to only go pee outside. She will go on command however she does have some accidents on the floor or in her crate because she’s still so young and can’t hold it for long. She needs to go out right after a good play, a nap, or if she’s recently had a meal or a big drink of water. Astra likes to chew puppy teething sticks, she will chase little bouncy balls or stuffies, and will even bring them back to you.

Astra loves to chew (she is a puppy after all) and so will need a safe home with good chew toys and nothing left out that could hurt her. She will try everything at least once including blankets, shoes, slippers, plants, etc. She is super easy to redirect though and once given a good toy she’s happy to chew something more appropriate. It will be important for her new family to teach her what is and isn’t ok to chew, and equally important to stay strong (and avoid laughing) even when Astra thinks stealing your slippers and escaping under the couch with them is a great game, and remember she will use those baby blues to manipulate so be firm and don’t give in! 

Astra is a very sweet dog and while we haven’t had her for long it’s clear that she responds well to training. She wants to make you happy and it shows, when you’re happy with her she does full body wiggles and tail wags and really wants to give kisses. Astra will require obedience training and will greatly benefit from the bond it will create between her and her family. She will specifically require strong recall training with her breed mix, so she should be leashed when outdoors in an open area and you need to be sure that in every situation she will come when called for her safety.

Astra does very well in the car, and is happy to relax or even sleep in her crate. She does sometimes cry for five or so minutes but quickly calms down. She will need continued practice here so that she develops more confidence, making car trips fun adventures for her. Another wonderful thing about Astra is that she’s easy to handle. She is comfortable being pet anywhere, easy to clean her ears or clip her nails, she was even super well behaved during her bath, with her spending most of her time trying to drink the water or just leaning into my arms. She was very sweet at the vets and even dozed off for part of it, only fussing when she had to get one of the larger needles for her microchip done. 

Astra would do best with a fenced in yard where she is safe and can be supervised outdoors at all times while she’s still young. She would do best with two or three good walks a day (shorter ones while young), and will grow into a very active dog that would benefit from longer activities and hikes. She is going to be a very energetic dog that requires a lot of fast paced exercise when older.  She will not be suitable for those who can only accommodate a short, slower paced walk.  Although she won’t be big, she will be very athletic and very active and only those who are currently very active and outdoorsy people should consider this cute puppy.

Astra is the type of dog that will form a very strong bond with her family, and will want to go everywhere with you, exploring new places and meeting new people. With proper training, exercise, and mental stimulation Astra will grow up to be a close companion. She is super sweet, often silly, and entirely entertaining. She will make you smile frequently and at the end of a fun-filled day Astra will curl up in your lap to cuddle the night away… or sprawl across it, or flop upside down onto it, or climb into your sweater, endless comfy possibilities.  Astra will be fine in a home with children over 8yrs of age who know how to properly interact with a puppy.

It has been so much fun fostering Astra and now that she’s been given a chance at a great life she’s ready to pounce on it, and then directly into a fluffy snowbank. Astra deserves to grow up happy and healthy, and to live a great life full of new experiences, joy and play, love and laughter, and plenty of cuddles! Does this sound like your perfect companion?

Anyone interested in Astra needs to live within one hour of Cambridge, Ont as she must be returned to our vet at six months of age to be spayed. She will be adopted out on a contract that stipulates this and it is mandatory. This is covered in the adoption fee.