Pixie Chihuahua Arlington, VA

Meet Pixie. This little nugget was tossed out of a car while still in her crate and left by the side of a highway in Chester, SC. She was emaciated and had a large abrasion that appeared to be road rash. Thankfully, someone saw her and contacted Animal Control. Knowing she would need more care than the shelter could provide, a volunteer contacted Worthy Dog for help. Pixie has been in her foster home for the past 3 weeks, living with a mom and 3 other Chi's. She's done great with all the dogs in her foster home and is quickly picking up on potty and leash training.

We checked in with her foster mom, Carrie, for an update:

"Pixie is doing great! She has opened up so much, and in typical Chihuahua fashion, is 95% sugar and 5% spice :joy: Likes: soft toys, cuddles, any and all food, white noise when she sleeps, fur-friends her size, pajamas (surprisingly), rolling around on the couch, hanging out on foster mom's lap while working, more cuddles Dislikes: outfit changes, cold weather, anyone she can see outside from the window."

Is she crate-trained? "Yes. I've been using a puppy pen for her because she does well with it, but I'll start using my large crate so that she gets comfortable. She does hang out in her pen very quietly and will just lay down and entertain herself. She also has been sleeping in her pen at night without any crying."

Housetrained? "She is doing great with housetraining! I would say she's about 75% there. I've noticed she will hold it rather than using her puppy pads most of the time, and if she does have an accident, it's usually a poop. She has picked up potty training incredibly well."

Energy level? "I would say low to moderate energy level. She spends a lot of time cuddling but is good about being independent when I need her to be. She likes to play from time to time but not entirely in a high-energy kind of way. She does have a tendency to want to chew on fingers, so I'm working on redirecting that. It's pretty harmless, but still something I prefer to train out. She is also a vocal player, so her family will need to learn the difference between her growling and play biting because she's feeling playful, and growling and snapping because she's unhappy about something."

Social skills with other dogs? "She has done really well with my three dogs, who are all around her size. She's had a couple of arguments with my 2 sassier pups but backed off as soon as I raised my voice. I watched my friend's 2 dogs this weekend and got to see Pixie interact with them. She was not a fan of either :joy:. One was a bigger dog but relatively calm, and the other was a Yorkie puppy. I think she was intimidated by the size of the bigger dog (~60 lbs) and annoyed at the puppy's energy. I think she fits best in a home with calm small dogs or as an only dog."

Leash skills? "She's gotten braver on leash and is pretty unreactive to her surroundings, so I think she would be fine in an urban environment. She definitely needs more leash practice and likes to wander and go where she wants to go. She's also not the dog that strangers should walk by and pet. She needs to come to people on her own terms and will nip if she's scared by a stranger."

Overall personality?
"She is 80% cuddly, 20% sassy lol. She definitely gets spunky when she wants to play but is generally really cuddly and accepting of affection. She really is a people pleaser and wants to make her person happy. She can get a little snappy occasionally, but does really well with verbal corrections."

NOTE: Pixie is new in her foster home, so we are still learning about her. She is generally very sweet but has a little bit of Chihuahua spice. She can be nippy when scared or protecting her space and is still learning manners. Her triggers come from overhandling (e.g., putting on clothes) and taking away high-value items if she is focused on them. Because of this, we do not recommend she be in a home with small children. She needs an experienced owner who can understand her triggers and will handle them appropriately.

Chi lovers and experience welcomed.

Apply today!

BREED ESTIMATE: Chihuahua
GENDER: Female
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: ~ 7 to 8 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 2 to 3 year old
COAT TYPE: Short coat
ADOPTION FEE: $425
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/spayed/microchipped
LOCATION: Middleburg, VA

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.