Demetri Chihuahua Mix Scarborough, ON

9 year old Demetri, born 04/13/2015, joined Mattie's Place when his family separated and they could no longer care for their 4 chihuahua's; Demetri, Ellie and their offspring; Elliott and Penelope.

We welcomed them to Mattie's Place and all went to separate foster homes and are doing exceptionally well

Demetri is a bit overweight at 12 pounds, but he's working on his weight loss journey with portion control and exercise. 9 pounds would be a good weight for this dog.

He's a really good boy. They all are.

He is up to date medically, including a recent dental in November 2023.

Demetri has lived with men and women without issue, but he's a very loyal dog and can show some stranger danger to men when he's with his foster Mom.

If he has a very high value item, there is a risk of him guarding it if you try to take it away from him. He will give lots of warning with lip lifting and growls, but if you continue to ignore his warning there is a bite risk with Demetri. Nobody should ever be taking food or toys away from a dog, and trade offs if absolutely necessary are the better route to removing an item.

We will not place Demetri in a home with kids 14 or under.

Due to his small size, we will also not place him in a home with a dog larger than 15 pounds. He has not been cat tested.

Demetri lived in a country setting. He's being fostered in a very hustle and bustle city setting right now in foster care, which is not his vibe. A home with a backyard, or quiet suburbia would be best for him so he doesn't have to feel so overwhelmed when outside, as he does really enjoy being out and enjoying walks.

UPDATE APRIL 9, 2024

Demetri woke up with some back pain. His foster Mom could see he was uncomfortable, though still doing all the things; eating, drinking, pee'ing, poop'ing, walking etc.

I brought him to the vet and we ran full bloodwork and all came back normal. He's been put on some pain meds and medication to reduce disc inflammation. He’s made a full recovery without further incident.


FROM HIS FOSTER:

MORNING TIME AND WALKS

During the time my alarm goes off Dimitri knows is time to go for a walk (around 7ish am), he gets excited however after getting him ready he doesn't jump or run to the door, once he feels the leash or collar on he freezes, I open the door and if once he feels the breeze he walks out by himself.

This boy loves his walks and is good at ignoring loud noises. When walking he looks like he's even moving his head out of happiness, also runs at times but his mood changes during the night with headlights and is more scary.

Dimitri walked better when harness was put on than with the collar because he kept itching at collar, it's a work in progress and really likes having a tiny air dried liver treat for his efforts.

Dimitri has shown discomfort when joggers, bikers passing by or sudden movements, he barks at them loudly.

He also shows some reactive behaviour when males are around or greet me. I haven't noticed this with females so far.

He also had sniffed, played and wiggles his tail excitedly when introduced to same size dogs but barks loudly and doesn't seem to like larger breeds at all, he tried to chase some squirrels during walks and during a fire drill he looked very uneasy with our neighbour cats.

Dimitri sometimes fully stops walking when he doesn't get to go his way or we walk a way he hasn't learned. He gets probably overwhelmed on different routes.

MEALTIME

Dimitri doesn't beg for food at all, he knows when I'm preparing his bowl of food and waits on the couch or his bed, once he sees his bowl he barks and makes his happy tail wag and eats his kibbles topped with some of his wet (fish recipe food). Since he's on a weight watchers bootcamp he tries to ask for more because he eats every single piece of his serving.

Dimitri doesn't mind having his canine foster sister or me around when he eats, I picked up his bowl when he was eating (without even thinking about a bad outcome) and moved to a different place and he didn't bother at all.


PLAYTIME

It took about 1 week, but Dimitri eventually started showing some interest in playing with his canine foster sister but just for a bit. He normally tries to get my attention and play with me either with a toy or jumps on me to have hugs or rubs (loves chest and bum rubs).

When happy or overly stimulated Dimitri chews on whatever he has handy, whereas its is a toy, pillow or a blanket. When chewing on his toy he gets carried away and even tho he's playing if you try to grab his toy he gets vocal and does a growl to warn you but at the same time it's a game because he wants you to toss it for him to catch it in the air.

BEING HOME ALONE

From day one Dimitri seemed very comfortable at my apartment. He settled in quite fast and when I left for work the next morning he cried just a bit and I got greeted with loud happy barks, jumps, violent tail wagging and lots of hand and face kisses when I got home.

I had noticed that Dimitri cries rarely when I leave, takes a minute or two, there's some barking during the day since he loves to watch through the window and I'm ground floor. He is a great guard dog and tells everyone off from the couch. No neighbours had complained at all and Dimitri also sleeps a lot during the day. He's not destructive at all.

SLEEP TIME

Dimitri isn't crate trained, he's a couch guy. During the day he takes his naps there mostly, loves cozy blankets and my bed. He likes to hide under the pillows and sleeps on the bed. May bark if he hears a strange noise but he's normally sleeping the entire night and likes to lean against your body or legs.

POTTY HABITS

The only times Dimitri has marked a spot was the first night by the wall and peed on the pad my dog had peed before, but other than that he lets you know he needs to go by barking or going to the door and barking to get your attention.



I love having Dimitri as a foster, he's a very loving and happy dog. I feel like when outside he may get overwhelmed and it's reflected on his behaviour; even though he's been such an easy guest and a great doggy in general.

He's popular around the neighbourhood already ;)


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To note: the above description is relevant to this dog in his current & previous setting. Home changes & adopter personalities can bring out different behaviours not previously seen. We also do not claim, endorse, suggest or hint at, that any of our dogs are hypoallergenic, low shed or no-shed.

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Adoption fee includes: spay/neuter, deworming, flea/tick prevention, vaccinations, food, nose to tail health exam, toys, leash|collar, go home preventative based on season, custom dog tag.