Ginger

Pet's Name: Ginger

Primary Breed (if not in list): Mountain Cur mix

Birthdate, estimate is okay: July 2021

Age Category: Young

Where did you get your pet?: Agreed to foster

Adoption Day, when did you adopt your pet? An estimate is okay.: 5 January 2025

Gender: Female

Size (at full grown): Small

Weight (in pounds) at full-grown size.: 40

Primary Color: Brown

What are your pet's favorite toys and activities?: sticks, walks, car rides, cuddles, peanut butter filled Kong

Has your dog received any formal obedience training?: Not Sure

What commands does your dog know?: come, sit, give me your paw, sit up, wait, I'm sure there's more but I don't know them

Has your dog ever exhibited any challenging behaviors, such as biting a person or another pet? If so, could you please share some details about the situation?: She has nipped at people, particularly men. She does resource guard her food bowl and her peanut butter filled Kong but doesn't seem defensive of anything else. Sometimes she also gets a little growly and nippy if she feels her space is being forcibly invaded. It seems to be situational whether she likes other dogs or not.

How does your dog react to being left alone for short periods?: She seems to handle it fine. She will get upset if we have to take our dog with us but otherwise is quiet and calm upon our arrival back home.

Are there any specific triggers that cause your dog anxiety or stress?: She gets extremely anxious going to the vet, she does not like her paws being played with or nails trimmed (though she does know shake and is OK with that). She gets nervous if you toss anything as if it's going to be thrown at her. She has also freaked out when a toy was being moved with a shoe near her as if she' was going to be kicked. A trainer suggested this may indicate she has been kicked in the past.

Is there a particular routine that works best for your dog in terms of feeding, walking, and sleep?: She works well with a routine. Currently her routine is getting up around 7:30AM, going straight outside with us, followed immediately by breakfast. She seems to appreciate just being able to tag along with whatever is happening, and enjoys walks whenever they happen. Regarding sleep, she prefers to cuddle but when she is nervous she does frequently request to go out at night. Once settled in she will sleep soundly for about 7 hours. She sleeps better and possibly longer cuddling under the blankets.

Medical History and Care:

Does your pet have any history of health issues or medical conditions that potential adopters should be aware of?: Unsure of her long term health history but she did have an UTI when we took her in to foster but this is very common with female dogs. Also, she has an underbite but we were informed by our vet this shouldn't cause any particular additional issues though it'll be important to keep an eye on oral health through regular vet visits.

How often does your dog require grooming (e.g., bathing, brushing, trimming)? : Rarely requires bathing, brushing, or trimming. In fact if it recommended not to bath her primary breed to frequently because it will dry their skin out.

Does your dog have any dental care routines (e.g., brushing, chews, professional cleanings)? : Not currently. She does enjoy chewing on sticks, jerky treats, and a rope but no official care routine at this time. We were informed by our vet her underbite wouldn't cause too much of an issue in this regard but it would be good to keep an eye on at regular vet visits.

Personality:

How is your dog with other dogs?: Selective: Gets along with some dogs but not others.

How is your dog with cats?: Not sure: Haven't had enough interaction to determine.

What's the most endearing thing about your dog?: She is very sweet and curious. She loves to be around wherever you are and check out new things she hasn’t seen before. She is overall very cuddly and affectionate.

What criteria are important to you when considering an adoptive family or home for your pet?: A quiet home that doesn't have much stranger traffic in and out, especially other dogs. Ideally people she lives with will either be home a lot or able to take her with them where they go. If there are children they need to be old enough to respect her space as I am unsure how she does with children. The family needs to be active enough to keep her physically and mentally exercised as most young working breeds require.

Is there anything else you'd like your pet's new family to know?: Any of her behavior issues tend to come up very infrequently in our household probably due to it being a fairly quiet place. She has been in 3-4 homes and 1 known shelter in her 3.5-4 years. When she does something outside of her comfort zone she gets very excited and, like a puppy, will start to play with your hand almost like it is a chew toy. I have been working on redirecting this excitement to either a stick or another toy. I was informed that she has lived with a cat in the past but since I don’t have a cat currently I’m unsure how she behaves overall with them. I don’t know how she does going outside on her own. We do not have a fenced yard so we always accompany our dogs outside. We believe somewhere in her past is some level of abuse though I would not call her severely traumatized. She will need some patience and maybe a little additional confidence training. Sometimes she goes and lays down on the couch and behaves submissively if approached. I’ve been working on this by using her love of treats to get her off the couch, without approaching her, and show her affection then she usually accompanies me wherever I'm going. She is also very protective of her person so she does bark at delivery drivers, mailman, and some other people upon initial meeting but does calm down. Overall she is very sweet and very well behaved and just needs a home that will provide her lots of loves and cuddles and a little bit of patience while she settles in.

Why are you rehoming your pet (primary reason)?: Pet Parent Passed Away

Rehoming reason details (if necessary): We agreed to foster her after her pet parent passed away in December 2024 but have had no luck finding her a home. Due to a lot of changes coming down the line we are not an ideal fit for her regardless of being able to keep her safe, healthy, and out of the shelter.

If applicable, do you have the legal right or necessary permission from the breeder or rescue organization to rehome this pet? :

How long will you be able to keep your pet before you may need to consider surrendering him or her to a rescue?: Not an option, my pet will stay with me for as long as it takes

Who is your veterinarian?: Golden Animal Hospital

What do you feed your pet, and does he/she have any feeding quirks or preferences?: She came with Pedigree adult kibble. She gets about 1/3 of the provided scoop (a drinking cup that came with her food) twice a day with a large spoonful of Merrick wet food stirred into it twice a day. She also particularly likes a couple pieces of duck jerky in the evening when settling in.

Do you have pet insurance for your pet? : No

Would you consider a long distance adoption?:

City, State: Denver, CO

Zip Code: 80219

How did you hear about us?: Google Search

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