Elliot Chihuahua Scarborough, ON

Elliot joined us when his owner surrendered him after a marriage breakdown. He came with 3 other chihuahua's; Demetri (Dad), Penelope (littermate), Ellie (Mom).

Elliot weighs in at 2.40 kg (5 pounds) and has a DOB: 04/13/2017

Elliot does have mild luxating patella's in both hind legs, meaning his knee caps pop out and back in. He does not have any lameness in his hind legs. At this time, this is not something we are going to pursue surgically as he's not a surgical candidate for correction currently.

He did have a dental completed at our veterinarian and had multiple teeth removed so his dental health is back on track.

Elliot has always had someone home with him and is used to having all the dogs around, so he is exhibiting separation anxiety when left alone. He also loves being in the presence of human company, so a WFH or home most often would be important.

Because he's so small, a home with dogs 10 pounds or under is best, so he isn't at risk of being hurt. Also, dog friendly cats only, as he can't risk a swat to the face from an angry cat and being injured.

Kids 10+ only, again, due to his small size and being fragile enough for a small child to accidentally injure.

Elliot is just a heart stealer and will make an incredible canine companion for the right adopter.

Also being so tiny, he may not be a fan of the snowy winter months, so a pee pad may be a requirement for when snowfall does hit and temperatures drop drastically.

Important to note that chihuahua's can live up to 20 years, so before considering this boy, keep in mind all the changes you can potentially have in the coming 10-15 years to ensure you remain the right fit for this dogs life.

He has started sleeping in his crate at night and does best with that to ensure he doesn't have any potty accidents. He'll protest for a few minutes, but he'll settle in comfortably. He'll have a crate with him as part of his adoption fee.

He can be male selective but hasn't had any issue with the resident human male in the home.


FROM HIS FOSTER:

I usually have to get Elliot out of bed in the morning. We get up between 7-8 am. I call his name and he will wiggle around but quickly settle back under the covers.


We go directly downstairs and out to the backyard for potty. He has little interest in exploring, probably due to cold temps currently.

I say "Breakfast" he will sit next to his bowl. He loves to eat but when done he walks away. Sometime he leaves a bit and sometimes the bowl is licked to its original shine. He has about 2 heaping tbls of a food with a bit of warm water.

Next on the agenda is a morning nap on the couch under the blankets. If my dog has a play moment Elliot will get up to maybe join in for a bit or just bark at Beryl for waking him up.

He knows that when I say "Time to go to work" and its off to his spot on my desk in my workroom. He settles there for most the day.

Potty signals are usually he gets up and walks around looking for something. So quickly I say "let's go outside" to get his attention and he follows me to the back door and out he goes. Rainey weather doesn't bother him when he has to go. He will potty inside if you don't catch him.

We have dinner about 6 pm and its the same as the morning.

The evening is cuddles on the couch while we watch TV. If we do stuff around the house he will perch in one of the many beds we have scattered all around to watch us.

At the end of the day we say "Bedtime " and he will get off the couch and head to his crate. First night he barked a bit when we started reinforcing the crate in Janary, but for the last month he has been sleeping in there nightly.

Women he loves and the few times we had guest he loves to get in their lap for cuddle. Men visiting he has barked incessantly at. He keeps a close eye on them and growls when they make any movement. He doesn’t show teeth but he is on alert the whole time. With my son-in-law he was barking and growling and nipping his ankles, so I did put him in the crate with cover and he buried under his blanket and settled almost immediately.

There is no problem picking him up when he gets like this. He has never ever nipped me or Larry. As soon as I pick him up to remove him from situation he stops. It hasn’t happened a lot. With Larry he is fine and will sometimes get in his lap and ask for cuddles but he mostly is near me.

WALKS

Elliot is a tiny guy so walks are not necessary but he goes crazy to join me and my dog on walks. A couple of times we have bundled him up with harness and collar and a coat and he had a great time. We only go as far as a about 5 houses but he loved all the sniffing and getting the neighbourhood news.

Elliot is a tiny and mighty loving pup. He settled into our home and routine almost immediately. He was a bit wary of our resident dog for the first couple of days but now they are sharing the same space for naps and play.

Elliot has started to show his playful side. Once my dog started tossing around his chew toy and Elliot wanted in on the action.

He loves a soft surface. We have beds all over the house and he follows us from room to room and lands in a bed to watch.

He is a good eater at meal time. He has never begged for a treat; not sure he knows what they are. For the first few days we would put leash on him to take him out back to go potty to get him use to the backyard area. After a week of this he now goes out on his own and comes back in when done. The wet weather doesn't seem to bother him to not go out. He has never shown signs of wanting to escape. (our backyard fence is reinforced at the bottom all around the yard just to be sure)

Elliot does bark or growl at visitors but it quickly abates with a pet. That's the only sign of any behaviour and its pretty pathetic with his little voice but he tries.

Elliot has separation anxiety and displays it with large howls when you leave the house or thinks he is alone. You would swear it was a Husky.

Elliot loves to be petted. He will bow his head against you and hold still until you pet him and he loves belly rubs for hours. He buries himself in blankets and is quite adept at it - the more screwed up the blanket the easier for him to get into it seems.

He is good being picked up but hasn't asked for it. He does like being tight next to you but not always, as long as he can see you he will nap on his own.

Elliot is a cuteness overdose.

-----------------------
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.

-----------------------
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.