Huey Shih poo Charlotte, NC

***Please Read The Requirements Below ***

Meet Huey, a budding senior, who came into rescue after one of our veterinary partners contacted us for help. Huey’s owners had asked them to euthanize him, and they felt it was an extreme measure. Huey had ongoing ear infections and some behavioral issues that had gone unaddressed, but we felt that he deserved a chance to live, rehabilitate, and get the medical care he needed.

Once he was in our care, we were consistent with his meds and vet follow-ups and changed his diet to see if that would help with allergies…It did! He’s no longer constantly licking his paws or living with infection, and his ear issues seem to have resolved. We also started him on a light anti-inflammatory and pain medication that’s fairly typical for pups his age, and you can tell he feels much better. HIs new owner will need to continue his diet and he’ll need bi-anual exams like all pups over 7 years old.

We found a good foster home for Huey and wanted to see if a change in environment would impact his behavior. He had learned how to dictate the terms of how you interact with him, snarling and guarding his space to get his desired outcome of being left alone. This behavior is likely the result of prior abuse, pain, or a combination of both. We don’t know his full history but believe someone was rough with him, and his instinct was to avoid human touch and affection.

While he had moments of softening, he was protective of any area he deemed his personal space in his foster home. His foster mom couldn't pet Huey without some snarls and she had to manage him around the other dogs. We knew he was trapped in this pattern and enlisted the help of Daniel with Lakeside Dog Trainer for help. Huey started board & train and has been fostered with his trainer for the past few months rehabilitating.

TRAINER/FOSTER UPDATE - 9/01/22
Daniel shared that during the first few days Huey showed his defensive side and aggressive behavior towards other dogs and the trainers. He avoided eye contact and had NO interest in engaging. They used gloves to handle him and started working on verbal cues and eye contact. After a few days, he started to relax and realized he liked having someone else in charge. He started to engage more and seek out affection and snuggles with his foster mom and trainer, Amanda. They worked on basic obedience and commands to build rapport. Huey is now crate trained, housetrained, has learned to sit and wait for food, and has solid leash skills.

Huey has been with his trainer Amanda for the past three months. She started doing very structured training with commands for Huey, continuing to build his trust. He has a preference for men, which we feel is a result of his prior home. She’s also been working to get him more comfortable with grooming and being around other dogs.

Even after a hard life, Huey is a sweet and loving dog. After time with constant structure, Huey has learned to trust Amanda but LOVES her husband, Jason, the most. He's made great progress and finally has a positive female influence in his life. Amanda and Jason have spent countless hours working with Huey sitting on the floor with him, and showing love and kindness, and he’s responding.

While he’s improved with human touch, he still wants to be the only dog in the household. We suspected Huey was possibly bullied by other dogs, which makes him go into a “bully” state of constant fight or flight. The trainers have continuously exposed him to other dogs for short, safe, and positive meetings. He’s learned that humans will advocate for him and keep him safe, but he’s still better in an only dog home.

Huey needs a calm, structured, only-dog home — no kids or loud noises. He is still a little jumpy when new people attempt to pet him, so he’ll need a patient owner who will give him time to trust. Males are preferred, but he can learn to love women too. Structure will also be vital to Huey’s success. Simple things like not allowing him on couches or beds, as he tends to guard them, or making him wait for his food until given the command will teach him to respect his new owner. He has learned his “place” in his foster home and will need to have an established place in his new home and learn to go to it on command. Once trust and respect are established, Huey is a very sweet boy.

We want to give Huey the opportunity to live out his golden years in a loving home and are looking for a special adopter with the time and commitment to work with him. The trainers will stay involved with his new owners during his transition to his new home and be a resource for support as he settles in. This dapper little guy is truly a precious pup who was dealt a bad hand, and now is his time to shine and prosper in a new home.

Apply today!

REQUIREMENTS:
Must have prior dog experience and be ready to provide a structured environment.
Calm quiet home required - not a fit for kids
Only-dog home strongly preferred
Can be adopted to families in the DC metro AND Charlotte, NC metro area

BREED ESTIMATE: Shi Tzu or Shih-Poo
GENDER: Male
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: ~19 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~9-10 years old
COAT TYPE: Long/Low-shed - Requires regularly grooming
ADOPTION FEE: $350 (senior discount)
OTHER INFO: UTD on shots/neutered/microchipped
LOCATION: Charlotte, NC