Shandy

You may have heard of a “shandy”; a classically refreshing beverage that is best enjoyed while kicking back on your favourite patio. But this year, there’s a new, even better Shandy in town! For this particular Shandy, simply combine two parts gentle energy, one part cuddle-bug, and a couple dashes of sass, and you’ve got yourself the perfect addition to your summer: Shandy the Shih Tzu!

Shandy is 4 year old Shih Tzu weighing approximately 16 lbs, with buttery soft white fur topped by splashes of cream beige patches. She might be a small dog, but don’t let her size fool you; this girl’s got a comically long body that equips her to go into ‘sport mode’ on walks and she’s ready to keep up with anyone! She is a big time cuddler and enjoys nothing more than finding a tiny crevice to squeeze into between the couch and her person.

Throughout the day, you can find her on her favourite spot on the couch, snuggled in blankets, or following her foster mom around the house to observe her activities. She is the perfect cuddle buddy; she’ll quickly leap up onto the couch, twirl around to get comfortable, and curl up in a position that allows her to rest her head on your body. Shandy’s other favourite place is the yard, and she loves to explore the garden as if it’s an adventurous jungle, eventually settling into a spot among the flowers when she’s ready to kick back and relax outside.

Shandy is spayed, up to date on vaccinations, and received a clean bill of health at her vet check up, making her fully prepared to enjoy the good life from here on out. She is a great eater and loves to chow down on chicken, her kibbles, and is even open to testing out fruits (although, jury is out on whether she actually likes blueberries – she spit out the blueberry and nuzzled it under a blanket before concluding that it was, in fact, edible). Her excellent appetite may be a contributor to her muscle mass; the vet noted that she is particularly strong and muscular for her size!

Before coming into our care, she was used for commercial breeding purposes where her job was to produce as many puppies as possible, all while living in deplorable conditions. As a result, she’s learning about what life is like as a cherished family pet. At first, Shandy had fear of common day-to-day happenings like hearing noisy cars, being near kids kicking a soccer ball, or passing by people on walks. However, her under-socialized past was no match for this curious, brave girl; she is now completely unbothered by loud noises and fully enjoys her time exploring her busy suburban neighbourhood, and now even finds soccer games interesting enough to stop and watch with an inquisitive, tilted head.

Shandy is still unsure of men and has trouble trusting them. This will improve with time, and already is improving, but for now, men in her life need to be patient and prepared to build trust in small steps. In foster care, this has meant building up positive male interactions without expectations, like tossing high value treats to her and walking away. Her sass will be on full display if she feels men are not respecting her boundaries and/or she is not sold on their intentions; she will growl and/or grumble if men try to get in her space with pets or cuddles, or bark at them in protest if they talk to her with a higher pitched voice. When she growls, it’s a form of communication and she has not ever been aggressive or taken it beyond a ‘go away’ growl. She’s simply not a fan of men right now, and not afraid to say it! Each week, she has become more accepting of the men in her life, and is slowly building trust. Potential adopters should be prepared that learning to love men will be a process for Shandy, and will not happen over night. Do not be offended or surprised if she chooses a woman as her favourite, go-to person in the initial stages of joining her forever home.

Shandy would be suitable for a mellower family with (or without) kids over 12, and with (or without) another mature, calm smaller dog in the home. She is a lower medium energy dog who is happy to do whatever her favourite person is doing, and enjoys active hiking days just as much as she enjoys her time snuggled up on the couch watching TV. She will be good in a condo, townhouse or detached home as she is not particularly vocal unless she’s unsure of someone. Ideally her forever home will have a secure fenced yard, as that will be a great tool for settling in. The first two weeks of foster care, she stuck to the yard before she got comfortable cruising the neighbourhood.

Shandy’s curiosity and bravery make her a great adventure companion and walking buddy. She is a fitness queen, and has no problem trotting along on a 2 KM+ walk, taking occasional stops to soak in the outdoors and sniff the flowers. She walks well – and quite fast considering her size – keeping pace the whole time and not pulling. It’s quite comical to see her little 16 pound body trailblazing along the trails like a graceful gazelle. She is unreactive to other dogs or people on walks, but occasionally will stop and stare when certain things are interesting or odd – like bigger dogs or loud people. She genuinely enjoys walking – although she never demands it – and would love to continue her twice a day ‘bigger’ walks in her forever home.

Shandy is the only dog in her foster home, but would be fine with other dogs in the home if they are a similar size and temperament, and properly introduced. She has met other small dogs on walks, and has been completely indifferent. Plus, being from a mill, she was around many other dogs in her past life. However, some larger dogs seem to make her a bit nervous, and she hasn’t been keen to stop and chitchat with owners of dogs that are 3x her size. We believe this could be due to her past; she has a small scar on her head and the vet staff noted that it could from a past dog bite. She is unreactive to cats that have been passed on walks, and given her size and temperament, would likely do well in a home with a dog-savvy cat.

Shandy is crate trained and sleeps quietly in it overnight. She doesn’t seek out the crate on her own, but will go in if lifted – once she’s in, she cuddles up in her blankets and enjoys quiet time. She is periodically crated throughout the day to help build confidence being alone, and is happy to kick back and relax during these periods. Although she’s been great in the crate, she does get offended if she is crated for more than 4 hours during the day. In these cases, she will serve you some “how could you?!” energy when she is out and may choose to protest this by ignoring you for a while. For this reason, someone who is home more often than not would be best for Shandy.

Shandy is house trained and  does well with her bio schedule. When she needs to go in the morning, she will start running around near the door. She can hold it for quite some time but until she learns to officially alert that it’s time to do her duties, she should be on a bathroom schedule (every 4-5 hours, and immediately after waking up). Sassy Shandy doesn’t mind meeting new people in the house, but generally will select a spot to observe her visitors before interacting. Usually this is behind a couch, in a corner, or peeking through her crate. Once she feels safe and has determined that the guests are worthy of her time, she will trot around the house and do a quick ‘perimeter check’, quickly making an appearance in the room where the guests & entertainment are happening, briefing observing what the hoopla is about, and then swiftly returning to her chosen observation post location. Visitors who come bearing high value treats may convince Shandy she can take a few more breaks from her guest monitoring duties.

Shandy will make an excellent travel companion and does well in the car. She was car sick once, but all other car rides have been a breeze and she’s happy to chill out in her carrier or while otherwise secured in the back seat. She has been in 1.5 hour car rides and was happy to hang out and relax the whole time.

Shandy is a super sweet, go-with-the-flow girl who will be a loyal, gentle companion. With time and patience, she is going to blossom into a super well rounded dog; she is already a gem and is going to shine even more with each passing day. She will thrive in a forever home that is committed to her ongoing confidence building and socialization. Whether it’s snuggling up on the couch, or hitting the hiking trails, Shandy is ready to take on the world by your side.