Momo

Not available for interstate adoption apart from the ACT.

Our preference is that Momo be rehomed with at least one other small dog who is friendly, playful, well-adjusted and socially confident dog. Momo may be suitable as a solo dog for the right home provided her new owners were home more often than not and would include her in their lives as much as possible.

Not suitable for a home with children as she is terrified of them. Untested with cats and pocket pets.

Please take some time to read the whole profile, we know it is long, however it is important information on Momo and will assist you in your application.

PROFILE AND NEEDS IN A HOME

Meet Momo! Like her namesake, the first thing you notice about her is EARS! We believe she is a Mini Pinscher x Chihuahua crossed with something else. Momo has absolutely the biggest and best ears we've ever seen, though we've no idea where they've come from and as she's already fully grown at 21 months old, she won't "grow into them" any more than she already has. The ears are here to stay!

Momo's background is one of significant anxiety and no socialisation or training, which has made her 6 weeks in foster care a journey in dog manners and self-regulation skills. She has come so far in learning to look to her foster mum for support and guidance instead of managing her fear with her go to behaviour, which is barking in the face of her potential enemies.

Underneath her fear is one of the sweetest and most affectionate dogs we've ever met - Momo LOVES to cuddle and is an absolute velcro dog once she's established trust. She's been learning to trust humans so she can expand the number of people she gets her cuddles from, and she's doing amazingly well. She loves that her foster mum works from home, and is often found snoozing next to her carer while she works.

Momo did show some signs of separation anxiety initially and her carer has been working with her on this with positive results. Momo is now okay with her leaving for a few hours or with going to her favourite aunty's house for a bit, she'd prefer a life with people around more often than not.

Momo has developed a lot of enthusiasm for walkies, and loves to get a decent adventure each day. She needs a human or family committed to maintaining exercise, socialisation and training for her including daily walks, preferably in quieter places with lots of spots for sniffing and training. She's significantly improved her loose leash walking and recall, though she still struggles with leash reactivity (barking, not biting) with new people and dogs and needs a confident but kind owner to lead her through these interactions. She is definitely not an off-leash dog park girlie atm and may never be.

Her new owner will need to continue to work on her skills so she can show ambivalence instead of fear towards new humans and dogs in the world outside of the home and will involve some safe, respectful and calm exposure when out and about.

Momo relies on her humans to set her boundaries for her, as her anxiety is rooted in her having to always do that for herself. When guided, she does accept new people and dogs into her orbit, but she needs to continue to practice this. We will provide you with support on how to work with her so she can eventually leave her anxieties behind and embrace the life full of love she so clearly desires.

Despite her somewhat anxious appearance when out and about, Momo has a very puppy-like side to her at home that includes playing with plush toys and balls, zooming with her foster sister, and destroying cardboard boxes to find the snacks hidden within. She then loves to cuddle on the couch and watch some telly, so access inside with humans to snuggle up with and soft cushions to nap on is a must.

She sleeps in her comfy crate overnight, and demonstrates excellent bladder control at home which was helped by a toileting schedule as she settled in (she learned quickly!). Your home will be a new environment of course and her new owner will need to set her up to succeed, advice can be given if needed.

A home with a secure garden or large courtyard in a quiet area would be the best fit for Momo so that she can have a safe space to play all the silly dog games. Momo may also be suited to apartment living in the right situation.

She has a smooth coat that requires minimal grooming, and she only sheds a little so she doesn't require a lot of bathing. Her nails grow quickly and require regular trimming with lots of positive reinforcement.

In summary, Momo isn’t just looking for a house - she’s looking for a home filled with love, companionship, and kindness. She needs a home that will respect her initial need for personal space, give her time to adjust, and continue her training and socialisation, using only force-free reward based methods while being mindful not to overwhelm her.

Please note: We do not have an application form. If you would like to meet Momo, please email us at sasrescue@gmail.com to provide some details about your lifestyle, including your dog and other pets (if any), your family members, your daily activity level, Momo's potential alone time, home access, contingency plans for when you're away, and your ability to cover vet expenses. Plus, any information about your experience with managing behaviours like fear and anxiety.