Aster

They say good things come in small packages and Aster is no exception!

Aster is a super cuddly and affectionate teeny tiny Chihuahua. Her favourite thing to do in the evenings is to snuggle up on the couch with you and share the blanket – good thing she is only 2.6kg as she would totally be a blanket hog otherwise! Even more adorable is when her tongue pokes out while she’s sleeping. After her initial shyness with new people, she loves getting pats and will give lots of kisses in return if you let her. You can always tell when she is super happy as she has the sweetest little waggy tail you have ever seen. It never fails to appear if there is food on offer as she absolutely loves food and will demolish anything you put in front of her.

Aster is currently living with 4 other dogs from 10-28kg and she is good with all of them. She does prefer her doggy friends to not get up in her face but she will happily snuggle up with them on the lounge. During her time in care we haven’t seen her play with other dogs but she is happy to meet and greet new doggy friends at the park and on walks. It is important though not to let large rambunctious dogs rush at her or squish her as this understandably scares her. Aster LOVES her walkies. She can easily go on quite long walks (30-45mins) daily and walks wonderfully on the lead. She also is great off lead and has good recall. Aster is also living with a cat and small birds who come out of their cages – she is great with all of them and is suitable to live with any type of pocket pet or cats.

Training and manners wise there are some great points – she rides well in the car, is crate trained, will settle in a pen well, can be left home alone and is not a nuisance barker. She does have trouble with toilet training though and this is likely to require ongoing management. The way this is managed in her foster home is that she is taken out to the yard very regularly and kept in a pen with puppy pads unless she is under direct supervision (e.g. snuggling up asleep on the lounge with you). A new home would have to be prepared to continue this type of management permanently. Aster requires a little bit of time to get used to slippery floors in a new house as well, but she builds up her confidence overtime and can be helped by some strategically placed carpet mats.

Aster needs a dog savvy and committed owner who will be comfortable establishing and maintaining some boundaries and routine in the home. She will need a quiet adult only home and someone home most of the time. Aster would do best with a dog who is just after a companion and not a playmate - size is not an issue but manners are. She also gravitates to older doggy companions over younger ones. She is also ok to be an only dog. Regardless of her toileting issues, she must be allowed inside and to sleep inside as she does feel the cold. Having a yard for toilet training would be preferable but with the right commitment a unit environment could be possible. Aster is doing well walking around a suburban environment but busy roads or loud inner-city areas are likely to overwhelm her.

If you think you can offer Aster the home she needs and deserves then please apply by completing the dog adoption enquiry form on the Fetching Dogs website as the first step.