7 lb chihuahua looking for a forever home

Garden City ID

Description

READ THIS ENTIRE POST BEFORE CONTACTING ME: My husband and I are looking for a forever home for our newly adopted dog, Tommy. Tommy is a 7 lb chihuahua we adopted for $550 from a legitimate rescue in Texas. Tommy was found as a stray on the streets of Houston, and the adoption price included all of his shots, his neutering, and his transport from Texas. Tommy was initially extremely frightened of my husband and I, but within 24 hours he had not only warmed up to us- he became completely obsessed with us- he is SO LOVING AND CUDDLY. He completely and utterly trusts us, and when it's just the three of us, he is perfection. Also, he's completely housebroken, does great in the car, and sleeps deeply through the night. He has fantastic hearing, and is a wonderful little guard dog- he'll let you know if someone is at the front door or around the house. I consider that a great quality! The tough bits: Tommy does NOT like strangers- and to Tommy, that means anyone other than my husband and I. For many families, this would not be an issue given that he is only 7 lbs and easily controlled, however I am a therapist who works from home, and a small barking, growling creature is not an ideal welcome for my clients, especially because he will snarl and nip if anyone tries to pet him. I adopted Tommy with the hopes of turning him into a therapy dog but he simply does not have the right temperament. We do not fault him for this; Tommy was clearly abused before he was found on the streets, and requires his own gentle love and attention. We have already started training of basic commands and how to walk on a leash! Tommy gets jealous anytime we try to give our other dog love, which is tough because she is also incredibly cuddly. He growls and nips at her when she comes near us. Other than the jealousy, he seems to have no issues with her when they are left alone together. He does not have food aggression or any issues like that, he just doesn't want to share US. Tommy goes after our bunnies and chickens, and I believe he would kill them if we weren't careful to always keep them separated, which is a big adjustment to the little farm we have going here. In short, Tommy is not an ideal match for our lifestyle, but I genuinely believe he would be perfect for someone who is often home and wants a cuddly, loving companion. Tommy is heartworm positive, and requires treatment to eliminate his heartworms. We already have him started on 30 days of antibiotics which will be followed by two shots several weeks apart, after which he will be heartworm negative. We have already paid for the initial part of this treatment, but it will cost a few more hundred dollars. I do not believe in rehoming dogs out of convenience, and we will definitely keep and love Tommy forever, however if there IS an ideal home out there for him, we would love to find it. We are asking for a $400 rehoming fee. This includes two sets of small bed/couch pet stairs, harness and leash, and food. We have invested upwards of $800 in Tommy so far, and want to make sure he goes to a person or family that has the means to continue his heartworm treatment. If you are seriously interested in Tommy, I will be doing a home visit, interview, and meet and greet with Tommy. If you are not willing to do a thorough interview process, don't bother reaching out! Thanks for reading!