Kiki - Adopted!

Kiki is a Miniature Pinscher/Greyhound X…we think… 2-3 yrs old, female, spayed w/ tattoo, micro-chipped, leash trained, kennel trained, and house trained. She is being fostered in a home with no children, four dogs and three cats. Kiki is timid, but once settled she is good with cats…only chasing once in a great while and obeys when our “queen” cat stands her ground and takes charge of the house. She gets along with other dogs and prefers to pick one as her “bedtime” pal to sleep with in the kennel.

Kiki has had a very difficult life before coming to New Mexico. She has multiple scars on her body and her ears show definite signs of past abuse with ridges from past wounds and missing edges. Kiki was in a hoarder’s home with a multitude of other dogs. We assume there were fights amongst the pack for food and other basic needs.

Kiki’s personality is still developing along with her confidence. When she arrived at her foster home she would not come to you. She was afraid, she would hide, and she would avoid any contact. While she avoided us, she was also very vocal - barking at us as if we were intruders in our home and backyard. After ~6 days she finally allowed contact, but only with women and only for seconds at a time. If she is frightened she will do any thing possible to get away and will even bite. Today she is still timid, still barks at you, and still prefers women, but on walks in the open space away from the house she accepts “pats” from a man and will even walk on the leash next to a man without throwing a “Kiki-tantrum” (struggling to get away, spinning on the leash, excessive jumping, barking, and general behaviors that are not common with a calm, confident dog). Kiki needs a confident dog lover with plenty of patience and a nurturing environment so she can continue to emotionally/mentally heal, accept kindness, and build confidence.

Kiki needed some care with her general health. She was skinny, had very little fur, suffered from flea and tick infestation, and had every worm known to man in her digestive system. She has been treated for all that ailed her and is now a happy, tail wagging little dog. Although Kiki’s health has improved drastically, she continues to struggle with flaky skin and her fur is not growing in as fast or as luxurious as we wanted. She is receiving extra protein and oils, which have helped, but she will need additional time to recover from this condition. She receives fish oil on her food in the morning and olive oil with raw egg in the evening. Kiki likes baths and gets them once a week with a good dandruff shampoo like Neutrogena or other “name brand”.

Kiki doesn’t know how to play, but is learning. She is showing a tendency to be “mouthy” by nibbling on your hand and fingers, which we are trying to discourage by replacing our hands with a plush toy. Kiki shows no interest in learning to fetch, but she does enjoy chewing on natural treats like pigs ears, bully sticks, etc. If you attempt to retrieve the treat from her she will run away leaving the treat behind, or she will take it with her and you will not be able to get her to give it up. Kiki likes to run and she is fast. She has spurts of racing around the yard and wanting to play, but it isn’t lasting. She is an excellent jogging companion and goes on 2 mile runs 3x a week. Kiki also loves her morning walks in the open space with the pack and this is when we she is the most affectionate.

Kiki has beautiful teeth, a lean and muscled little body, she is very energetic, and she shows off her ability to look you in the eye by jumping when she is excited. Kiki is expressive with her front paws using them to hold on to you or other dogs. She is not tolerant of neighboring dogs that bark at the fence and will engage in barking and chasing. She has nipped the noses of dogs seeking more information from her through the fence so she must be watched and corrected.

Kiki can be very affectionate, lying in your lap, accepting occasional tummy rubs, and giving you the big-eyed “thanks for being nice to me” looks. She has great potential to be a wonderful dog in an all adult household with lots of patience, love, understanding, kindness, nurturing, and consistent safe environment.

If she sounds like the perfect addition to your family, please contact the NMAF OFFICE @ 881-7297