MEET TANGERINE!!
This sweet girl is trying so hard to embrace her new life!! She is one of the now 22 dogs we have taken in from a horrible hoarding situation. She survived being in a feces covered home during freezing temps with no heat, no water and no electricity for a very long time. She’s made a lot of progress so far.
Tangerine is approx. 3 years old. She is a Chihuahua mix best guess. She weighs 15 Pounds and is full grown. She will be spayed, up to date on vaccines and microchipped as part of her adoption. She is heartworm negative and on monthly preventions.
She is shy and submissive at first and takes time to adjust to new people. She becomes comfortable with women faster than men. She’s still very scared of men but trusts her foster mom. It’s a slow process of building trust with a dog that’s been neglected like this. When she first arrived it took three people to restrain and muzzle her for the vet, just a week later she was able to get an ultrasound and exam without any issues. No muzzle or medication needed. Huge progress with her in a short time. We are so proud of her!
Tangerine has done well with other dogs after she sees they are safe. She is not fostered with cats so we do not know how she will do but we suspect she would do fine. She’s seen indoor bunnies at her foster home and doesn’t seem to have a high prey drive at all.
She is not fostered with kids but we think she would do well with calmer older kids. She will need kids and adults in the home to be willing to give her space and time to adjust to them and feel safe. As with any dog she would need any children in the house to be respectful and not treat her like a toy.
Tangerine is not crate trained but she is doing well confined in an indoor X pen. She has done very well on car rides and does not get sick. She had clearly never been on a leash before and was terrified of it at first. With the use of a harness, she has gotten better about it but still has a long way to go.
She is not fully potty trained. She came from a place where they were trapped inside and had no options for going anywhere else. She is doing a lot better going outside and uses the pee pads most of the time if she goes inside. The more she builds her confidence outside and on the leash the more we see her potty out there. She is slowly figuring things out but her new owner will just need to be patient and understanding given her history.
Tangerine had to fight for limited food in her last home and due to this she is allowed to eat separately here. Dogs coming from horrific situations like this may have lasting issues sharing food with other dogs. She is fine with people around her food. She may end up able to eat around other dogs but she may not. It is easy enough to feed her in her crate to allow her to feel safe and secure after what she has been through. She takes treats quickly and could accidentally nip at your fingers. We believe this behavior will improve over time, as she is currently worried that one of the other dogs will steal her treats.
She has a low energy level so far. We do expect when she is more comfortable that her energy level will increase. She seems like she will turn out to be a very fun dog once all the fear is gone.
Overall Tangerine is working hard to overcome a rough start to life. The progress she’s made with the vet alone is a testament to her resilience and ability to overcome her fear. She’s still very scared of new people and things but she has so much potential.
If you are willing to help her learn the rest of her training and give her some time to trust you then you will end up with a great addition to your family.
***Do not apply to adopt one of these hoarding case dogs if you’re not serious about giving them time to adjust. It’s absolutely unfair to expect them to adjust in a day or two. We’ve had 3 adopted and returned within 24 hours of adoption for not being immediately settled and perfect in a completely new place. All returned for things we explained upfront about them. It’s completely unreasonable and unrealistic to expect that from dogs that have been through what they have. The last thing they need is to be shuffled around due to adopters not listening or being serious about their needs***
Vet and home checks required.
Located in Hampton VA.
(She will need to be adopted within a 1 hour drive radius)
‼️Please message us directly with questions or to get an application.‼️
➡️(If you comment on the post instead of messaging us you may get passed over due to us not seeing your comment.)⬅️