Leo is available for adoption
Sponsored by Toba, in honour of Toby, Riley and Penny. Every furbaby deserves a loving home and happiness.
Chihuahua mix looking for personal assistant, experience is an asset. Job duties include (but not limited to) boundary creator, food management, sidewalk navigator, schedule keeper, light cleaning duties and lap provider
Does that sound like your ideal job? Well then Leo might be the dog for you!
As boundary creator, you need to be able to set boundaries for Leo and stick with them. This 3-year-old spicy little firecracker will pull you in with his big puppy eyes! But don’t be fooled. He is very sweet, but he also has a side of spice. His confidence and strong will did him well on the streets, but now his personal assistant needs keep him in check. He will rule the roost if allowed, but with some gentle guidance, structure, regular routine and solid rules he does so mucsh better, he settles into a much calmer state and more willing to comply with requests even if he particularly doesn’t want to ie. going out to for a bedtime pee.
As food manager, you will need to be aware of Leo’s habit of stealing food (and refusing to give it back) whenever he can. He is sneaky and will climb to reach that smell. As a former street roamer, he does have some issues with resource guarding. We have been working on it with him, and it is coming along but will take more time. He does eat his meals very quickly, so a slow feeder would probably be a good plan for him. He is very food motivated which helps so much when asking him to do anything. He is far more agreeable when there are treats involved. And just to make him sweeter, he has quickly learned the routine for mealtime and will sit patiently in the cage waiting for you to serve him.
As sidewalk navigator, you will need to be one step ahead of Leo. Sounds easy enough, except Leo goes full speed into any situation without thinking. He is a very self-confident dog, and nothing will get in his way. Only issue is that he doesn’t see very well, so things do get in his way. His leash training skills are a work in progress, and he is eager to learn. He needs someone who can match his confidence and speed, keep up with him but also take the lead. Ensure his safety out in the big world, where he can be the free spirit he is but have you be his eyes.
In the foster house, his need to be with the humans and resident dogs is so great that he quickly figured out where the stairs are and how to navigate them. He now runs free throughout the house during the day chasing whatever noise he hears; he is very nosey and needs to investigate everything. No obstacle is a match for him. His lack of vision is hardly an issue for him.
As schedule keeper, you will need to keep him on track with his daily required sleep. He is a super star, and like all super stars he needs his beauty rest. While he loves to be a part of anything and everything, his jam packed daily social life really takes its toll. He is free to roam the foster house all day, except for his scheduled down time in his crate 2-3 times a day. This forces him to relax and get the much-needed rest he requires to keep up his sweetness. In a quieter home, this likely wouldn’t be such an issue, but his foster house is quite active and really puts a strain on him mentally and therefore unable to perform at his best for the rest of the day.
Which rolls into light cleaning duties…
Leo is a free spirit, and free spirits don’t like to be limited by the usual rules of social behaviour. House training has been a long process. He is getting much better, but still not 100%. Having the scheduled rests in his day also leads to immediate time outside afterwards to stretch his legs and do his business. But in true Leo style, he is constantly distracted by other more exciting things and will forget why he’s outside. He needs you to be his reminder of why he’s outside and what he should be doing. Leo is also a giver, and for all your hard work he will surprise you with little extra special trinkets around the house if not supervised. It is still a work in progress, with the expectation that in time will sort itself out.
As lap provider, you are required to provide your lap for snuggles a few times a day. Leo loves a good lap nap on his terms. It has taken some time for him to get comfortable being full body petted, but he is getting there. Ideally, a home with older or no kids would suit him better as he can be unpredictable with what he likes when it comes to touching. Chis are strong, confident dogs but also high maintenance and like things done on their terms. He needs a human who can keep that balanced for him.
Leo is a very happy go lucky little guy, with a couple of quirks, but isn’t that expected of a super star? If you have room on your lap and ready for the role of assistant to this big personality trapped in a small body, Leo could be a good match 😊
For more information on Leo, please contact Renee at randrpuppers@gmail.com
** Adoptions within the province of Ontario only
