Bella (On Trial 9/2/15)~ Maltese x Shih Tzu

Meet Bella, a 10 yr old, female Maltese x Shi Tzu. Bella is very clever and obedient, she responds well to commands such as, "into bed", "wait", "come", and "stop". She gets on well with her foster brother and senior foster sister, showing no aggression at feeding times. She doesn’t seem interested in chasing toys but happily watches her foster brother chase them around the house.

Bella loves to go for walks and gets quite excited when her Foster Mum and Dad bring out her harness and lead for a walk. She needs to be walked on a harness as she can tend to weave a bit when she walks and the harness gives her and her owner more stability .

She has bounds of energy and she absolutely loves to run along the sand at low tide and paddles in the shallows along the secluded shores of Port Stephens. She is very good in the car, she doesn’t jump around or bark, she is happy to sit quietly on the back seat.

Bella is house trained and uses the doggy door to go outside, she picked it up very quickly by following her foster siblings in and out the door.

Bella is an indoor dog and must be allowed inside where she spends most of her time. She will need to sleep inside, in her own bed, close to her owner. She is just as happy to lie on the floor or the lounge, she likes to snuggle on your lap. Her foster Dad woke from an afternoon snooze to find her asleep on his lap. Bella loves to have her tummy tickled and will happily roll over for all the tickles and rubs she can get.

Bella also likes to go outside and is happy to sit quietly in the sun while her owner is hanging out washing or doing a spot of gardening. She likes to sit at the front screen door and ‘say hello’ to birds, people and dogs as they pass by. But overall Bella is a very quiet unassuming dog.

Bella has a low shedding coat which needs regular brushing (every few days depending on length), bathing (every few weeks) and clipping (every 4 to 8 weeks) to keep her comfortable and beautiful.

Bella shows no signs of distress during thunder storms. She doesn’t like being shut out of a room from her family, she prefers the run of the house and the company of her people.

When you wake up in the morning, return home from work or an outing, she is there wagging her tail, greeting you and is so happy to see you.

Bella would suit a home where she is part of the family, she would need at least a half hour walk a day.

If you would like to meet Bella, contact Michelle on 0417 433061 or email mishka1360@gmail.com. Bella is in foster care in Port Stephens NSW 2319 (30 mins north of Newcastle).

Bella's adoption fee is $200 and she is desexed, vaccinated, treated for fleas and worms, microchipped, and lifetime registered. You can see all our available dogs at www.dogrescuenewcastle.com.au