UPDATE: I have found my forever family, and I couldn't be luckier. I'll tell you all about them soon!!
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Presto, change-o! That's the way that my foster mom recently titled a note about me to Angela, and it's so perfect that I just had to use it here. You see, I am an extremely special Iggy boy looking for a VERY special forever home.
I have so much going for me! I am sweet, loving, cuddly and kissy. I get along well with cats, small dogs and even big dogs after I get to know them. (I'm staying with 17 other dogs in my foster home right now... 10 greyhounds, five Chihuahuas and two IGs!) I'm a typical Iggy... curious, waggy, love to stretch out across the back of the sofa or my person's lap. I counter dance in the kitchen in the cutest way, never touching the counter with my feet. When my foster mom stoops down, I come to her so that she can kiss my head, and I will sometimes offer my paw when I want to ask for some love. I am on the larger Iggy side at about 16 pounds, and as you can see in my photo, you couldn't ask for a more handsome IG!
So what do I need in return, you ask? Well, that's simple... I just need for you to give me a little time. Can you give me a week or two to start to adjust to my new surroundings, in my new home, with my new people? If you can just invest a little time in me, you will see my wonderful personality emerge and find that I am one of the warmest, most loving and adorable IGs around! (That's the change-o part!)
You see, I am six years old and until recently, I lived with the same family for all of my life. Unfortunately, my former owners recently went through a divorce and were not able to keep me. I wasn't socialized very much at all in my former home, and since I have never known any other life, this is all very stressful and confusing for me. When I first came into Rescue, I seemed very shy, timid and fearful. But after I had spent less than a week in foster care, it was clear that I was and am a completely different dog!
The most important thing is, I need a new family that is willing to be extremely patient with me during my initial adjustment period to my new home. I am quite nervous about any kind of change in my life, since I haven't known much of it before now, and it takes me a while to warm up to new people. Once I grow to love and trust you, I am a real lover boy, but I am not immediately trusting of strangers. I really want and need a lot of love and affection, but in the beginning, it's important that I get to know you on my own terms so that we can get off on the right paw with one another. This means that I'll need to be around you for a while and understand that you are trustworthy and I have no reason to be afraid. The longer that we are together, the more I will want to be handled and loved!
I have to admit that I seem to hit it off more quickly with men than women. With men, I can bond pretty instantly; I'll give tail wags, kisses and come when called from the beginning. I can definitely learn to love and trust new women -- my foster mom will attest to that, between kisses from me, that is! -- but we'll have to take things a little more slowly. I have to be honest... with the first new woman I met after my original owner, we got off to a bad start when she tried to handle me more quickly than I was ready for, and I couldn't stop myself from snapping in what I thought was self-defense. But in my current foster home, my foster mom has taken time to make me comfortable and less fearful, and although I was a little growly with her at first, I have never made a move to snap at her. After just a few days with my foster mom, I was very comfortable with her patting me and loving on me... I love to have my head, chin, throat, back and sides petted! I have warmed up to my foster mom quickly enough that I should do fine in a mixed-gender household, as long as the new woman (or women) in my life is willing to be gentle and patient with me in the beginning!
In my first couple of days at my foster home, I was a little nervous about the bigger dogs. But after just a few days, I became much more relaxed and was stepping over greyhound legs and heads to tour the house and sniff everything in typical, curious-Iggy fashion. I warmed up to my foster mom's two youngest Chihuahuas very quickly, and have been sniffing, touching noses with and even grooming them. The other night, mom's younger female IG was standing in front of my crate, barking softly at me, talking with me, then play-bowing at me. The next day, I was bouncing at mom's young male Chi on her bed, play-bowing at him, chasing after him to play! I also did grow up and play with a cat in my former home.
When I came into Rescue, I had never been in a fenced yard off-lead before. My first couple of times in a fenced yard, I just ran around like crazy and wouldn't come back... I was just overwhelmed and had no idea what to do. So for the next few days, I went out to potty on a leash... but after almost a week, I was able to be let out into the fenced yard and come back inside on my own! I was only taken out to potty three times a day in my former home -- 6:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. -- so those are times that you might want to make sure to get me outside, but going outside more often would be even better. I would really love a home where somebody is home a lot for me, since I was alone for a long time each day while my former owners worked.
Since I haven't been very well socialized, new situations are even more stressful for me than they would be for other dogs. I'm very frightened of the car and the vet right now; I didn't go in the car often except to go to the vet, so I can't help making an unhappy connection to the car. But just like everything else, I hope that you'll be willing to slowly work with me so that we can change that!
I am a good eater, and I love yummy treats like cheese on occasion. I take treats from my foster mom's hand and am looking for more! I am neutered and up-to-date on my shots; IG Rescue will make sure that I have a heartworm test and get my most current booster shots before I go to my forever home. Also, about a year ago, I had a tumor that required the removal of the end of my tail -- but I'm still extremely handsome, as you can see in my photo above, and thankfully the tumor was not cancerous.
I am making great progress with my foster mom right now, but each time I am moved, I will probably backslide a little bit. That's why it is very important that my next home has the patience and commitment to make sure that it is my home forever! I am being fostered in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and it would be great if my prospective new people would like to come and meet me before deciding that we are right for one another. Since I don't travel that well, I would really like to be placed in a home that is within a reasonable driving distance of Cleveland.
As my foster mom puts it, I am "a dear, dear boy" who will need "patience, love and a gentle hand." Are you up to the challenge of helping me adapt to the wonderful forever home that I so deserve? If you're willing to invest that time and patience in me, I promise that I will bring you so many rewards in return. Please let Angela know if you are interested in me!
