Rio Terrier Mix Huntsville, AL

Rio, Rio, Rio, where to start? Let’s start with all the wonderful things about her. She is a smart, energetic girl who wants nothing more than to be right there with you. She’s a Terrier-mix and the perfect size, at about 30 lbs. Did I mention she’s a striking looking dog as well? In addition to being a beauty, she’s also, house trained, crate trained, and knows some basic commands like sit and down and is learning to walk on a leash. Rio loves treats and that will make it easy to continue her training. She gets so excited about them that she breaks out into a “happy feet” dance when they are offered, also when someone she likes enters the room. She’ll be a great watch dog too, because her bark is mighty! She enjoys playing with other dogs, once they properly introduce themselves and don’t overwhelm her. The same can be said when she meets new humans. Just chill and let her come to you. She hasn’t been kid tested, but should be fine with older children who understand that they need to let her come to them when she’s ready.

Now for the flip side of the news: Rio has been treated for heartworms, she will need a re-check in a few months to make sure they are gone. The cost is fully covered by Friends of Rescue. She was a stray before coming to a local shelter. As a stray, she somehow managed to injure the center toe on her right front paw, resulting in a painfully infected paw. Her vet has decided it was best to amputate the toe rather than risk the infection progressing into her paw. That missing toe shouldn’t slow her down at all. Just think of how many conversations will begin with, “Hey, what happened to your dog’s toe?” Telling all her secrets, Rio has a high prey drive and needs a cat-free, hamster-free, gerbil-free, rabbit-free, ferret-free home!

Rio is not a fan of going to the vet and can be a bit of a drama queen about it. Be ready for dramatic yelping and squirming during examines. An experienced vet and staff should be able to handle her reaction. It seems she may have been physically mistreated in her past, thus the overreaction to being suddenly picked up or pulled on. For safety, until she is more confident, I put a soft muzzle on her during vet examines/treatment. Please don’t let that deter you from considering her. She’s a great dog who loves large! Rio deserves an active, loving, secure home. She’ll bring in so much fun and love and total adoration of her humans! She is spayed, wormed, up to date on vaccines and flea, tick and heartworm prevention and is microchipped. Apply at Https://forrescue.net/dog-application