Taco (Petey) has been adopted!
Sponsored in loving memory of Pumba (please see more information at the end of Taco’s bio for a tribute to Pumba).
A fun-loving, playful pup that will steal the right person’s heart! Taco is approximately a one-year-old, 9 lbs Chihuahua mix, brindle in color.
This is his story:
Background:
Taco was found as a stray in the USA. He was rescued by our team and brought over to Canada.
Upon arrival, Petey was excellent at his foster home. He played nicely with his foster siblings and new foster family and was ready to be adopted. Taco, who was renamed Petey, found what we thought would be his forever home, but soon after he was returned, it was discovered he has a fear of new people in the home, which, if not appropriately managed, could lead to a guest being bit.
Petey is a tiny dog with a huge personality. He is a very alert little dog of high intelligence. He is eager to please his humans and responds well to positive training practices. Petey seems well aware of how cute he is and has learned how to get his way. From the beginning, you must enforce that you are in charge. Never allow your Chihuahua puppy to do anything unacceptable in an adult, so a being firm but gentle is necessary when training.
His Arrival:
Upon his return, Petey was placed in another foster home with another Chi. When Petey was dropped off, he did not snap, growl, or bite the new foster family. When he was brought inside, we placed him behind a gate in a separate room, giving him time to decompress and get used to us.
When he first arrived, he was overwhelmed with our pups, but within a day or two, he came around and quickly became a part of the pack.
About Petey:
He is attached to his foster mom, which he follows everywhere around the home. He is extremely loving, kind, and affectionate, a typical chi quality we love. He loves to play alone or with the other dogs and shows no food or toy possessions. He is a funny little man with such a great personality. He is great with kids as long as they take it slow and know their boundaries and pick up on his signals.
Petey loves to go out for walks. He tends to pull at the beginning because he is excited but eventually stops. He does not bark at others walking by (Foster mom ensures there is a lot of space between people when walking and will often go to the other side of the street to allow Petey not to feel threatened), but sometimes he will growl, which is corrected with a gentle reassurance of “it’s okay.” Petey does not react when passing another Non-reactive dog. However, we are working on passing reactive dogs. He is manageable, and you can get his attention away, but he will bark. The foster mom also noticed a trigger for him: people on bikes & scooters, but he is okay with cars. When he is at the home, and people and dogs pass by he will bark at them.
Petey’s IDEAL home
1) Someone who works from home and considers themselves a homebody.
2) Someone who has few guests over – When guests come over, Petey is to be placed in another room gated off/door closed. Guests are to ignore him. Foster mom is working on muzzle training, only to be placed on when needed as a last resort or for training.
3) Home with another Chihuahua or smaller dog that is dominant. Adopter to have Chihuahua experience. Petey will also be okay as the only dog.
4) Home with no cat or small rodents- Although he does not hurt them, he loves to chase them, which can be stressful for the cat. He tries to bite the cages of the hamsters.
5) Someone who will consult with a trainer or has experience socializing dogs, working and managing his aggression/fear with the guest in the home (Petey has bitten out of fear, when guests want to pet him, and he isn’t ready. Please note none of the bites have been serious).
6) Someone who will give Petey all the time he needs to adjust. Who will be patient with his adjustment period and work to train and socialize him.
“Elliot and Taco are sponsored on behalf of Pumba, “a dude with a tude”. Pumba had the “godfather” look down pat. When Pumba first came down the stairs to meet me he gave me his “godfather” look, which clearly said “let’s get this straight from the get go. I am the boss, this is my walk, so we walk when I want, we smell when I want and we rest when I want”; and then he smelled me up and down. I past the sniff test and thus began Pumba’s and my daily walks. If I tried to move Pumba along before he was ready his “godfather” look would appear and I knew I had crossed the line. After every walk Pumba would sit at my feet and stare at the table with the treats and back at me as if to say “hey, don’t think you’re leaving without my treats”.
Last July Pumba welcomed Ellie, a sister from a different Mister and a Save Me Dog rescue, into his home to share his mom, his sister, Kenzie, his beds and his toys.
Pumba touched the hearts everyday of those who loved him. A gentle soul who loved to be with his mom, curled up in one of his beds at her feet while she worked or with his sister Kenzie or with Ellie
Rest easy Sweet Pumba”
