Sponsored by Wendy Cox – in loving memory of Zuzu the SJA Therapy Dog.

Meet Sam – aka Sammy, Sam Sam, or Mr. Sam – the super cute and playful Shih Tzu mix, who has a sweet little underbite, enjoys playing with toys and other pups, and will make a great little companion!

Sam (along with his brother) ended up in a shelter in Tennessee but was rescued and travelled all the way to Ontario looking for his forever home.

Sam is a little bit shy with people at first, but with time and patience he will blossom! He enjoys curling up beside his foster mom and enjoys a good belly rub. He also loves to be around other dogs, so having the opportunity to socialize with them would be great. He absolutely loves to wrestle and play flight but still needs to work on his play time manners – since he’s so young and gets so excited, having a confident dog in the home with him would do wonders.

When it comes to house training, Sam knows to go to the bathroom outside, but he doesn’t know how to ask to go out, so keeping him on a bathroom routine will be important. He is at the point where he will go outside on his own (he has adapted to the cold Canadian winter!), or he will follow the other dogs outside, but occasionally his foster mom needs to lead him outside. It will take a bit of time for him to get used to a routine when he goes to his new home, so heading outside with him frequently in his early days will set him up for success.

Sam is adjusting to being leashed, but he must not have had much experience wearing one prior to being rescued. He has some fear around the leash itself, so focusing on positive reinforcement and providing high value treats when the leash is on has been helpful. Also, switching him over to a harness has made a big difference – his foster mom will pick him up to put the harness and leash on him, and with a long lead attached to her, Sam will follow her outside. His future family will need to continue to work on leash training to get him totally comfortable.

Sam is currently crated with an x-pen attachment when his foster parents go out during the day, and he is crated overnight in their bedroom. He is given a kong or treat as a reward for going in the crate, and he settles in quickly. If his future family wants to give him more freedom, he will need a safe space where he can’t get into anything – he’s still a young boy, so he’s very curious and interested in new things that he finds around the house.

Sam is generally pretty quiet, but he will bark with the other dogs in the home, and occasionally when he hears a loud noise outside, so this is something to be mindful of if you live in a condo or apartment. His foster family plays music for him when they leave the house to drown out some of the outside noise.

Sam is still very young, but he has a lower energy level overall. He likes to play with toys (and is happy to play by himself, or take part in a game of fetch), and enjoys some exercise and mental stimulation, but isn’t overly demanding. He’ll run around and play for a bit, but then he’s quite happy taking a nap with the other pups during the day.

Sam would love a family that will allow him to be their little shadow and give him time to come out of his shell. With patience and guidance, Sam will flourish!

**Adoptions within the province of Ontario only