62
Healthy - Spayed
Stella was a stray found on the streets of El Cerrito. She is getting used to being part of a household which she loves. She is very friendly to dogs, unknown about cats, but she does not appear to have a strong prey drive. She is a Velcro dog and wants to be with her person all the time. She does have separation anxiety and that needs some work. She does not like a crate so if you want to use a crate, training may take some time. She can be a little mouthy, but responds very quickly to correction. Generally good on a leash but pulls when she’s excited. She is a big sniffer and can spend about 10 minutes at each blade of grass if you let her. I would not advise having her around small children at this point because if she gets very excited, she can jump around and, like I said, is a little mouthy (like a puppy is) , which might scare a child. However, older children, who know how to be appropriate with a dog would be fine. Stella absolutely loves affection. She loves to be petted. She loves to be hugged. She loves her belly rubbed. She is a very, very, very sweet dog. She would love a doggy pal, but would be fine without a dog as long as her owner was around most of the time. It would not be good for her to be alone while someone is at work for 8-10 hours every day, which is what I have been.
She is slowly coming out of her shell. She sometimes acts fearful. For example, if she is in a hallway and I call to her she seems afraid to come forward. Not sure what her fear is. She’s extremely food motivated so I think ultimately she will be very easy to train with some consistent work. We are working on sit and down and she is smart. The only thing that gets in the way is her fear.
If she is left alone, you have to be sure that there is absolutely no food or even the possibility of food that is accessible to her. She obviously was a forager on the streets and clearly doesn’t believe she will be fed. If there is a crumb on the counter, she will go for it. You cannot have a trashcan, even with a lid, available to her. Dog food, even if in a heavy, locked plastic container, is child’s play for Stella. She can eat a Kong, a tennis ball and pretty much anything in about 10 minutes except really heavy chewing bones.
The animal shelter said she was 7 but my vet scoffed at that and said she is a young dog. I agree. When she gets excited playing with my big dog, she runs towards him with big hops like a bunny.
Stella is excellent company. She could be on an adventure all day hiking or be a couch potato. As long as she’s with you, she’s happy. Helping her realize you will not abandon her is the challenge here. It’s sad to think she doesn’t have faith she is safe.
I hope she can land with someone with the patience and time to give her the confidence and joy each dog should have. She will be your best friend.
Stella is located with a foster family in Moraga, CA
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