Lolly

Adoptable: Lolly
Age: around 2 years
Breed: Dachshund cross (possible Italian greyhound)
There are a lot of gorgeous photos of Lolly over the past month, but this is probably my favourite one so far. It almost captures the look she gives me, with her happily waggy tail and that smile! She does it all the time, but not for the camera, so it's hard to catch.
Lolly is pretty amazing. She is very intelligent, and walks super well on the lead. Since arriving, it's clear she loves kids! Anyone under 11 is met with lots of licks (no doubt she's been in a home before, where kids had sweet, sticky hands!) Like most small dogs, if a stranger comes at her she is not comfortable. This is something no dog has to deal with in my care, so a stern word telling people to let her come to them, and she is greeting them moments after with her waggy tail. She is only around 6kgs, and has the most adorable way of wrapping her tail around your lower back, while carrying her. It's like she's holding onto me with her tail. She loves other dogs, and has obviously not had any negative experiences, as she can be a little too much in their face. Like a lot of small dogs I've rescued, she acts like a puppy, and this allows her to get away with SO much from the big dogs. This includes stealing their bones, from their mouths, so her owner will need to be very in tune with other dogs to make sure she stays safe and doesn't learn the hard, traumatic way, that it is inappropriate. Whinnie has done some groundwork here, (thanks Whinnie). Lolly can get overwhelmed in a new setting, (ie; at a cafe, or picnic). However, if she's given space and time, she is able to bring her anxiety under control, and have a great time by the end of her outing. When she first arrived she was highly anxious travelling in a car, and would pant, scratch, shake and carry on. It only took a couple of trips, and now she loves the car! Lolly learns quickly, she understands there are some thresholds you can't cross (ie, not allowed in the bunny room, she will stand with the other dogs looking in, but her paws remain on the "line"). She knows to sit for her dinner, wait, and look at my face and not the food while I put it down, until I give her the "ok". Likewise, she knows how to sit and wait until I tell her to "come". Previous to this, she was such a bouncy, wiggly pup, but shows a great ability to practice self control when she needs to. She is a big foodie! No need to mash up the veggies to mix with the mince for this pup, she is very appreciative of my cooking and is thrilled to have discovered vegetables such as brussel sprouts, capsicums, peas, etc. She also enjoys a cube of watermelon, and has even eaten a stray leaf of lettuce on a picnic. She is not fussy. Due to this, careful attention must be given to ensuring she doesn't become overweight. It is concerning how many visitors to the shelter have mentioned her being "skinny". She's not skinny, she is long. She's out of proportion, but has a great covering over her ribs, and should not lose her "waist". Failure to keep her in good condition and allowing her to become obese will seriously affect her health, being a sausage dog. Just imagine her with longer legs, and you'll see. She's not skinny. Lolly gets along well with all the animals at the shelter, and has every potential of being in a household with pocket pets or cats, given the right direction and supervision. She is well behaved, during her supervised and off-lead time with the chickens. it takes a minimum of 6 months to correctly introduce any dog to other animals, so I'll never rehome a dog saying they'll be fine with your bunny or cat. It is up to the owner, all I can say is the potential for her is there. She is also wonderful with getting her nails trimmed. She likes to stay pretty.
Lolly is so perfect, but like everyone, there are some things she struggles with. Her number one challenge is with house training. I don't know who had her before she got to the pound, or how she lived, but Lolly was determined NOT to pee on grass or anywhere outside. With a lot of effort, and patience, we overcame this, and she is now more than happy to pee and poop on the grass. However, she is still equally comfortable doing this inside. Anywhere. She wont hesitate to pee on her bed, and then lie in it. Despite not being restricted. Sometimes you have to modify your training, so instead of trying to get her to only go outside, we are now trying to get her to use the litter box when she wants to "go". She is also crate trained, so cleaning up in the morning is easier. She now mostly uses the litter tray, but it is not 100% by any means. The only other negative, if it can be seen that way, is Lolly's FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Are you going outside? She wants to come too! Are you going to leave her sight? Oh no, you could be doing something fun without her! Lolly would not leave my side if she had her way. Despite this rather endearing sounding trait, she does need to learn coping mechanisms, and it's great to see that she can settle herself when I don't give in to her demands. To set dogs up for life, you can't be their whole world, because there are times when you might not be able to be by her side for whatever reason. This is not to say that I don't accept her as a dog that needs lots of attention, and she would not suit someone who isn't able to take her to work with them, or spend the day together. She needs more than mornings and after school.
Everyone in apartments will be getting excited, because they're always after "small" dogs due to their "space". Just be aware, that Lolly's exercise needs far exceed any of my giant dogs here. She loves to run, and is so so happy on the farm. Dogs are adaptable, so with an owner that meets her needs of stimulation and exercise, she could, potentially, live anywhere. But it is hard taking away the joy dogs have when they get space, like pastures and rambling gardens, so the owner will have to be exceedingly good to compensate for this. Despite her toilet issues, I'd never rehome Lolly to an outdoor only home. She, like every dog, deserves to snuggle on the couch with you in the evenings, sit on your lap while you're typing (yep!) that sort of thing. You may have to adapt, like accepting that a crate needs cleaning every morning, but hey, she's worth it. Kids are, ironically, a bonus. But they still have to be nice kids, like with all our adoptions. I will judge your kids, and whether they show appropriate manners around animals. Lolly's new owner will have to understand that she will bond very closely, and be very devoted to her new family.
Lolly is not a bargain rescue. There are many, many dogs in pounds and shelters that have low fees, if that is what you are after. They need homes. Lolly doesn't need a home. I've often been accused of not wanting to rehome the animals I have here, because of my adoption fees. That is correct, I don't want to loose Lolly. I'm prepared to let her go to the best of homes, in order to allow another dog to come in, and break my heart all over again. As such, Lolly is priced according to what I think she's worth. It's funny how nobody blinks at the prices pet shops and breeders are charging, but it's "outrageous" for a rescue to have high prices.
If you would like to apply to be Lolly's new mum or dad, please pm the following information through:
Full name
Age
Email
Mobile
Home phone
Suburb
Reasons for wanting to adopt
Previous experience
Do you wish to breed the animal you adopt
Any other animals in the household (please list breeds when known)
Are there children in the household
If there are, what are their ages
How would the animals be housed
Are you renting
If yes, do you have landlord permission for pets
How much time per day would Lolly be alone for
Please include photos of where Lolly would live.