Michele

Please read our dog bios carefully to be sure that the dog you are applying for suits your family and lifestyle. At Pound Dog Rescue, we believe in the benefits of post-adoption training for our dogs and their families. This allows for continued socialization, and learning and helps to create a well-mannered and balanced dog. Post-adoption training is a requirement in our adoption process.                                    

This adorable girl is Michele and she is a 5-year-old Shih Tzu. Michele is 100lbs of love and joy packed into a 16lb package! She has a soft white and tan coat and the typical flat face of her breed with the occasional toothy grin. She is ready for her new life and we are ready to help her find the best family!

Michele has spent her life so far as a breeding dog in a large-scale breeding operation. Her lucky day came when she was surrendered and Pound Dog scooped her up. She is still learning about the new world around her but so far, she’s a big fan! Michele is still very uncertain about new people and situations but she has shown that with love and patience she can be brave. She needs a calm and consistent family who can help her continue to evolve into a loving companion.

Michele is quite quiet, only making noise when she gets excited for a meal or playtime. She has not yet mastered the stairs but with more confidence and practice she will get there. I think she would be fine in any home environment although meeting strangers in an elevator would not be ideal. Although I’m sure she would enjoy running around a big yard, she is not a dog who requires this in her new home. As long as she has a safe place outside to do her business she will be fine. Michele is also not a dog who requires endless amounts of exercise – a couple of walks a day with added bathroom breaks outside will be sufficient. She walks well on the leash and only needs extra encouragement when there are a lot of strangers around. This will continue to get better as her confidence grows. She is unaffected by other dogs or small animals, happy to trot along beside and enjoy all the sniffs. She is an incredibly easy dog to have around and she wants only to be with her people and make them happy.

Michele is a bit of an adorable bull in a china shop, not recognizing her own power or size. She recently got the zoomies for the first time and I had to quickly get her Chihuahua foster siblings out of her way! She wants to be where her people are, even if sometimes at a bit of distance. Once she has been encouraged up on to the couch she really enjoys relaxing in style! She is also just starting to be interested in toys, especially anything that makes a noise. She is quite good about being handled now and accepts bathing and basic grooming with little concern. This has taken time in her foster home and I would expect her to be apprehensive in her new home BUT she has proven that with time and space she can and will trust her family. Michele has only had a few accidents in her crate when she first arrived in foster care and is now completely house trained. She is also crate trained and her crate is her safe space. She eats in her crate and spends time in there when I am at work as well as overnight. During the day she is crated for up to 5 or 6 hours at a time and has not had any issue with this schedule. She has had several car rides now and although she is still nervous in the car, she is calm and quiet. For her safety she should ride in a crate or buckled into a dog seal belt. Michele has made incredible progress over the weeks she has been in her foster home so she just needs a home where she will continue to feel encouraged and loved.

Michele has four canine foster siblings in her foster home and she has been perfectly behaved with everyone. She doesn’t seem to have any boundaries herself but if she pushes a little too much or is a little excited with another dog she has been great about taking their corrections. She would be fine in a home with a dog of similar energy and size but I also think she would adapt to being the only dog and getting all the attention. She has not been cat tested but I think she would be fine with a dog savvy cat.

Michele has not been exposed to children but I feel like she would be as afraid of them as she is of any new person! The quick and unexpected movements of small children would be too overwhelming for her as she adapts to the world but older children or teens who could be taught how to approach her would be fine. She is not a dog who is going to enjoy playing with children for the foreseeable future.  

Michele has not learned any formal commands but she is starting to understand the relationship between completing tasks and receiving treats – and she LOVES her treats. She goes into crate upon request and is starting to understand the routine of the home. Michele will need to attend formal training with her new family as this will solidify her bond with them and help her gain some much-needed confidence.

Michele is micro chipped and up to date on all mandatory vaccines and her heartworm and fecal tests came back without concerns. During her spay it was discovered that she has a grade 4 heart murmur of unknown origin. This required using a slightly altered drug protocol for this procedure which was completed without issue. Her new family would need to monitor this murmur with their vet team and talk about any further testing or treatment. She does not have any symptoms at this time. Michele has a level of dental disease but nothing that required any intervention at this time. Her new family will need to assess with their vet team and she will likely need a dental procedure in the next few years, but this is something to be expected with any middle aged small dog.

Michele is starting to lounge in the lifestyle of a couch dog and has really started enjoying physical affection. She is looking for a place to continue to grow and learn about the big world, a place with lot of patience and consistency and room enough for some healthy zoomies! In a home with lots of encouragement and love, she will blossom into the best companion you could ask for. She is a different dog from when she joined us and I can’t wait to see how she continues to learn and grow. If you think you could give this beautiful girl the life she deserves please take a minute and submit an application – we’ll be zooming around the living room while we wait to talk to you…