CLIFF

CLIFF IS NOT AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY ANIMAL SHELTER. CLIFF IS A COURTESY POSTING FOR A FELLOW RESCUER AND FOSTER MOM. DO NOT CONTACT THE HUMANE SOCIETY SHELTER ABOUT CLIFF AS THEY HAVE NO INFO ON HIM. TO REQUEST AN ADOPTION FORM, WRITE TO [email protected]. This feisty lil' Chihuahua boy showed up in front of a busy southern Ohio veterinary hospital Monday morning, 4/21/08. The veterinary staff there always thinks that, with the exception of litters of puppies in boxes, the stray dogs have just coincidentally gravitated to the clinic. They don't get it that the reason dogs frequently show up there is because jerks dump them there, thinking that is the best way to get rid of their dogs without taking them to the pound where the dogs might end up being killed.

This Appalachian Region veterinary clinic knows that having dogs picked up by the Dog Warden will likely end up with the dog being killed after expiration of a legally mandated 5-day retention period for strays. Consequently, except for the purebreds and otherwise VERY cute dogs, the staff always asks Clifford's [future] foster mom if she will take these "strays" into her rescue and adoption program rather than their turning the dog(s) over to the pound. Though they haven't a clue as to how to screen for responsible homes, they usually place the highly popular looking purebreds with relatives, friends, and clients.

In Clifford's case, because he appears too muscular to be a purebred Chihuahua and possibly has some Terrier mixed into his heritage, they asked his [future] foster mom if she would take him in if their radio announcements did not turn up his owner. The owner did not show up, but one of the veterinary assistants meantime decided to take this dog for her aunt. The only requirement placed upon his adoption was that he be neutered before leaving the clinic. The woman agreed to this proviso but did not request that he be tested for heartworms or get vaccinations for him--which should have been BIG red flags for the veterinarian allowing the adoption. And, alarmingly, the veterinarian did not ask if there would be small children in the home. It is sad enough that uninformed (or uncaring) people can get a very small dog from a pet shop or backyard breeder without such questions.

Toy-sized dogs like Clifford are inappropriate for children under 8 years of age. Many members of the public seeking a family dog think the perfect formula is "small children, small dog." That UNEDUCATED premise all too often ends sadly for the dog: EITHER the dog bites a child because he/she was scared or hurt by an unsupervised child OR the dog is crippled by the child sitting on them or some other action taken by a child below the judgmental age threshold. Either is a death sentence for the dog.

CLIFF'S BEING PLACED IN A HOME WITH SMALL CHILDREN ALMOST ENDED UP BEING A DEATH SENTENCE FOR HIM. His CAVALIERLY approved adopter returned him to the clinic for disposal the very next day because he had bitten two children in her home. DUH ! He remained in the veterinary hospital until the veterinarian who had approved his adoption returned from a week's vacation. Upon her return on 4/29/08, his [future] foster mom was called to see if she was still willing to take him into her rescue program.

BOTTOM LINE: Clifford is not available for adoption into a home with children OR GRANDCHILDREN under 8 years of age.

A lot of the big dogs in his foster home call him "Attila the Hun." Cliff is bad about trying to attack some of dogs in the 40-90 lb. range (both male and female) in his foster home. He is very lucky that the ones he particularly hates (Marshall, Leroy, and Sebastian) are very docile dogs and react by trying to get away from him as he is jumping up at their necks ferociously barking or grabbing their ankles. This is probably how he sprained the middle toe on his right front foot 3 weeks after going into his foster home. While he plays fairly well with robust dogs within 20 lbs. of his size range in his foster home, he probably would be best suited as an only dog. And, likewise, he is more suited to being an ADULT "plaything," rather than being a participant in children's games. And, GET THIS, he views cats as "invisible beings," not worthy of his attention one way or another.

Though Clifford clearly exhibits some very typical undesirable Chihuahua behavior, he also has some charming Chihuahua traits. He is affectionate with his humans except for the pint-sized scary kind (aka children). He insists on sleeping with his foster mom and burrows underneath the covers, as with any "self-respecting" purebred Chihuahua would do. And he likes to sleep in, especially on chilly and/or rainy mornings, and likes to steal naps in his foster mom's bed if he can get past the closed baby gate to do so. He takes treats from his foster mom's fingers very gently. He doesn't walk; he struts. He likes to jump up and sit in his foster mom's lap and loves to hug and give little doggie kisses.(You've never been adored until you've been adored by a Chihuahua.) And he just LOOOOOOOOVES riding in a car...so much so that he will jump into any vehicle if the door is left open. (This could be a death warrant in hot weather if his person is unloading purchases and accidentally closes him up in the car.)

Obedience training is always recommended for bonding and safety's sake for any new canine addition to a family, and this smart little boy should excel with gentle, reward based training techniques. Being a very quick learner, Cliff learned his newly acquired name almost immediately and began responding to calls for him to come. Some formal obedience training should help quell his unacceptable reaction to dogs "whose looks he doesn't like" who might be occupying mutual space in the vet's office, on sidewalks, in parks, etc.

On 4/29/08, when his foster mom rescued him from an uncertain future, Cliff weighed 11.9 lbs. at an estimated 4 years of age. Though he looks like he is longer than he is tall, he stands 11" tall (at the top of his shoulders) and his torso measures the same (11" from the base of his neck to the base of his up-sickle tail.

Cliff now has been heartworm tested and started on heartworm preventive, vaccinated, and neutered in readiness for a loving and protective family.

PINT-SIZED BOY ISO A COMPATIBLE HUMAN FAMILY FOR MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY.

To request an adoption form, write to [email protected].