Fiona aka Fifi Pomeranian ST JACOBS, ON

Fiona aka Fifi aka Princess Fifi- DOB 2/17/2016
is a 13lb, female Pomeranian who was surrendered to our rescue in Feb as a retired breeding dog from a commercial breeder, rehabbed and fully vetted and was thriving in our care before she was adopted in June to a family we had screened extremely carefully as we always do.

Fast forward to Oct...Fiona rejoined our rescue, through absolutely no fault of her own, in a serious state of neglect.

She has now gained the weight she had lost in their care, and is once again thriving with TLC in her foster home after a thorough vet exam.

Fiona is a super sweet girl who deserves a wonderful, devoted, dedicated family who will always take the very best of care of her, as we wish for all of our dogs, for life.

PLEASE READ ENTIRE PROFILE BEFORE APPLYING

YOUR FOSTER DOG'S ENERGY LEVEL: Medium/High
If you are looking to add an affectionate, spunky girl to your home- Fifi is your girl! Fifi loves to play, loves to go on walks, loves to be pet and is highly food motivated dispite having no teeth. Don't let her small size fool you- this girl is large and in charge as we just adore her!

Fifi LOVES to go on walks- this girl has places to go and people to see! We typically take her on 1 walk a day for about 20 minutes- she would happily go on more walks. Fifi can be vocal when meeting other dogs on walks- she just can't contain her excitment! She will pull to greet people and dogs but with her small size it is easily controlled.

She loves to plays with her tricky treats ball throughout the day as well as outings in our fully fenced yard. Fifi's favorite backyard hobbies include playing in the snow and chasing squirrels.

Fifi is very good with other mature, respectful dogs who will let her be the star (she is not a fan of rude puppies!).

GOOD WITH STRANGERS? Fifi has no problems with strangers - everyone is her friend! When strangers come over she will excitedly greet and bark at them. Fifi has not been around children so I can't speak to how she would behave around them. She has no reactions to people seen from the yard or the window.

GOOD WITH CATS? Yes, we have 1 cat and they mostly ignore each other.

GUARDING ISSUES? None, but she is reluctant to give any chews back when chew time is over.

HOUSETRAINED? Mostly, Fifi doesn't give us a signal to go outside (this is something that should be worked on) so she will occasionally have an accident on the floor. She would be fine in an apartment but you will need to be committed to frequent trips outside, not just a few a day. (Fifi will use a pee pad if you put one out but this isn't ideal as it doesn't set her up for continued housetraining success outdoors)

CRATE TRAINED? Yes but Fifi is very well behaved in the house so we do not crate her. She does go into a crate for travel. She is not destructive and can be trusted in a pet safe home loose.

Fifi is great for grooming and handling, we regularly brush her hair, check her ears and nails and she is perfectly ok with this (and in fact loves being doted upon!)

PERSONALITY? Fifi is a laid-back bubbly girl- she loves to be around you, being held and being pet (she will insist you keep petting her if you stop!). She is the perfect companion dog: happy to hang out while you work, nap on the couch or go for a walk. Fiona is such a little character, she gets the zoomies and loves to zip around with a toy.

THINGS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT?
Fifi needs to work on her walking skills as she does pull and bark to greet other dogs
Fifi gets very excited when its play time, meal time or walk time- she will bark with excitement
Signalling when she needs to go outside

STRENGTHS/AREAS THEY HAVE IMPROVED ON: Fiona has really blossomed with us- she was so quick to settle in and make herself at home.
FOODS TO AVOID AND WHY? Anything hard she could choke on. Fiona is so food driven she will try to eat things she shouldn't if she is given the opportunity.

FAVOURITE TREATS/CHEWIES THAT ARE WELL TOLERATED: Freeze dried treats broken into small pieces, freeze dried chewies. Fiona will also happily chew on dried papaya chews, kale stems- she loves her veggies!

TREATS TO AVOID AND WHY: Anything too hard that could injure her gums while she tries to chew on it, anything too large she could choke on

TRANSPORTATION? Fiona rides in a crate in the car- she is quiet as a mouse but she isn't a fan of car rides and will shake in the crate. Some positive training around this would likely improve this but she is seeking a family who isn't going to the cottage every weekend or hoping to take her travelling often

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FIFI:
Fiona does not have teeth- she had them removed when she arrived into rescue due to severe neglect resulting in dental decay. She is very healthy now but cannot have any hard food or treats that she could choke on.

Fiona has tear staining- her eyes should be cleaned daily. This is common in her breed and is usually the result of genetics causing their tear ducts to drain partially outward vs draining internally

Fifi is a bit skittish with loud noises like the vacuum - she will leave when it comes on. She does not like power tools and will start shaking and needs some reassurance. When we need to use them, we try and have someone take her outside or for a walk.

As a mature girl, Fiona would do well in a calm household where she is the star of the show. She needs a family that understands her limitations (no teeth but hungry girl!) and ensures she is not put in a situation where she could get something she could choke on-NO children in her new home for this reason. She would love someone who will give her the affection and attention she deserves after a rough start in life. She is incredibly well behaved, not destructive in any way.

Notes:
* No children please
* Fiona is not a suitable match for older seniors/geriatric owners. Our goal is to place our dogs in homes where they will not ever need to be rehomed again and may receive the quality of care that they deserve for their entire lives.
*Must be located within Ontario Canada
*Inground/ground level Pools and deeper ponds must be separately fenced from yard
* Dog doors not acceptable

Hobo Haven is located in St Jacobs Ontario.
For approved families, we require in person meetings in St Jacobs ON
If you are not willing to drive to this location to meet our dogs after you are approved, please do not apply.
We do not meet elsewhere nor deliver dogs. Adoptions within Ontario only

If you are interested in applying to adopt a dog from Hobo Haven Rescue, please use this link to submit an application https://hobohavenrescue.ca/dog-adoption-application

Fiona's adoption fee is a minimum donation of $650
Adoption fees do not begin to cover our expenses for their full vetting and dental surgery, which includes spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations, deworming, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, and all vet care, food and supplies during their time with us.

For anyone possibly interested in adopting from Hobo Haven, here are a few, but not all, criteria to be aware of:

An adoption application must be completed and approved, including vet references as well as a home visit (Zoom during COVID), prior to meeting available dogs.

All dogs are placed in loving foster homes during their time with us, we do not have a shelter to visit.
We do not allow applicants to visit until pre-approved for adoptions. Our dogs are in private foster family homes, not in a shelter.

Any questions may be emailed to hobohavenpetrescue@gmail.com

Due to the high volume of applications received for our dogs, priority of replies will be given to applicants who meet the criteria mentioned in the pet's profile.

Please do not ask us to make exceptions, we set these protocols and policies for the dog's best interests which are always our highest priority.

Emails are best, our volunteers work full time and are often not able to answer or return phone calls in a timely manner.