Shelby Poodle & Labrador Retriever Mix Hartland, WI

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MY AGE: approx. 1 1/5 yrs. WEIGHT: approx. 45 lbs. WHERE I AM FROM: AL (arrival 5/7)

MY STORY: 1/17 Lots of people have questions about Shelby. Recently, we conducted an interview with her and here is what she had to say:

Q: Labradoodles are very popular, why haven’t you been adopted yet?

A: I've heard everyone loves doodles, but I'm not for just anyone.For the first part of my life, I never met people. I’m very scared of people when I first meet them and I will require ongoing training to establish trust with my human and develop my confidence. It would be great if my new family has experience working with shy dogs and have access to great training resources. My new family should research this ahead of time. I cannot be rushed into anything and am very slow to adapt to anything new. I love routines. I need a family who is willing to spend the time with me to establish new routines and know that I am who I am. Please don’t expect me to be like your neighbor’s labradoodle. I am very special in my own way.

Q: What kind of family are you looking for?

A: I love calm people who are gentle and patient. Yelling is very bad. Everything I do is assessed by how scary it is. I might like to stay in my kennel a lot at first because that is very safe for me. Miniature people who my foster mom says are called “kids” are way too scary. I just can’t do it. My new family must have another adult dog that can help me feel safe. I have two dog friends at my foster home and they are great. They help my gauge if something is too scary or just a little scary or if it’s not scary at all. One thing that used to be scary, but not anymore is being pet by my foster parents. That will take a while with my new family. I love to sit on the sofa or chair or anywhere soft and warm. If someone else comes to our house, though, I will run in my kennel and hide.

Q: Are you housetrained?

A: I wouldn’t dream of doing that in the house. There’s something at my foster home called a cat and he “goes” in a box. That is disgusting. I am a southern lady and I have manners. Speaking of the cat, he was rated very scary when I first moved in. I would bark and bark every time I saw him. Now we are very good friends. While I would never do my lady business in the house, sometimes I get very scared and my business just comes out. My foster mom says this is an accident and those things happen. Sometimes I need a bath after an accident.

Q: What do you think about bath time?

A: VERY SCARY! Especially if I have to ride in the car. My curly poodle hair is considered high maintenance so I suppose I’ll need to get used to it. I’m getting used to being brushed, but baths are terrible. I sort of just shut down and lay in the tub. Really, I should get a grooming every eight weeks.

Q: It sounds like you live in fear, is there anything you enjoy?

A: Yes, very much. Now that I’ve been in my foster home for about seven months, I’m pretty happy in my day to day life. I wag my tail A LOT! I love watching for squirrels and bunnies out the big picture window. I have my very own seat with a cushion. I also love breakfast and dinner. It’s really fun to play with my foster brother and sister. They taught me how. Sometimes I even play with the cat, but my foster mom says I have to be “gentle” because the cat is just little. At night I love bedtime. I know when I hear the treat bag crinkle, that means it’s bedtime. We all run to our kennels and wait for our snack. It’s so exciting. I sleep in the room with my foster sister, but we have separate kennels. I like having company. Back in June, when I arrived at this house, it was way too scary. I barked and barked and barked for three days. My foster mom started to give me activities at bedtime. That helped calm me down.

I also love being outside and going for walks. When we get to the end of the driveway, I know we are going for a real walk. I get so excited and try to pull my mom so she goes faster. She never does. We even walked in the snow. I got to wear a jacket and it was so fun. I had so much snow stuck to my legs, it looked like I was wearing boots. If a new person tries to walk me on a leash, I try to escape. You should have a tight hold on me or I’ll be gone. A fenced yard might be nice for me, but never without supervision. I might try to escape. Do you know what a long lead is? That is a good way of letting me run around without running away.

Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about you?

A: My foster mom says I have a beautiful spirit. I don’t quite understand yet, but she says that even though I used to have a bad life, I enjoy my new life every day. I’m slowly learning that everything will be just fine and I can relax and actually live like a dog should live. I’m really smart and can learn anything you want me to, as long as you give me the extra time and love that I need.


11/7 Today Shelby rolled over for her first belly rub. We are so proud of her.

Who is Shelby? She was purchased from a breeder when she was three months old. This breeder had 150 breeding dogs. During the next year and a half, Shelby lived outside. The breeder waiting for her to go into heat and bred her. I believe she was only bred once and we did receive her and the pups from the breeder because they were all black. Before applying for Shelby, consider if you want a puppy mill breeder dog, as that is what she is. She was not handled or loved. She is in no way mean and we have never feared her biting. She is afraid of humans. When she is with an "owner" for a period of months, she will get somewhat used to them, but she will always be afraid of new people. Her current foster family is a couple with no children. They have two other dogs. The other dogs have taught her how to play. There is much for her to adjust to in her new world. She had never heard a TV, known a light to turn on, etc. With that said, she is a wonderful dog with a big heart. You just need to be the right person for her. She is never going to be the dog to take to the kids soccer games.

6/29 Shelby is shy, but she has come so far in the time she has been with us. Her fear is demonstrated by hiding or cowering, but this is when things are new and scary. She loves to play with other dogs and the cat. This did not happen overnight and Shelby needs time to feel comfortable before she will try new things. She has learned to walk nice on a leash around the yard when it’s time for potty. She also loves going for structured walks on the road. She pauses when a car approaches, but doesn’t try to run away. Shelby is a dog who relies on her canine companions to feel secure. She looks to the other dogs to know what she should do in a scary situation. It’s important that she not be an only dog. She is also not a dog for a first time dog owner. She has learned that petting is a good thing, but this took weeks at our house to unfold. Shelby has been able to adapt to life in our house very quickly considering she has probably not had any human contact prior to her Wisconsin arrival. The perfect home for her will be fairly quiet with no kids, but also people who will continue to work with her to help her progress and learn how to be a dog. For the right family, Shelby will be a success story. She wants so badly to do the right thing. In short time she has lived in our house; she has rewarded us daily with her spirit and progress. It will be equally rewarding for the people who are willing to take a chance on her.

5/19 Shelby is a very loving girl. She has learned to trust me and will even jump up for attention. She is still very shy when other people come around. She wants attention, but is so very scared.

5/7 Shelby is very shy. I mean very shy. We have a difficult time touching her and there is no way to even walk her outside. We have to carry her and then she just pulls to get away. She just arrived today and it will take time for her to adjust, but I don't see her ever being the all around family dog. She will need a quiet house where she can feel comfortable and be allowed to unfold.

Shelby's dad was a Yellow lab and her mom was a Poodle. She was purchased by a breeder off a craigslist ad when she was maybe thee months old. The breeder said this was her first litter. She has lived outside her entire life with 100 other breeding dogs. She was given to a rescuer by the breeder because her pups are all black. This is a good thing, as she was matted to the skin and had sticks and burrs sticking into her.

Shelby will only be adopted to a home with another dog.

HOUSEBROKEN? Yes GOOD WITH DOGS? Yes GOOD WITH CATS? Yes

ADOPTION FEE: $550 includes a $50 training deposit that will be refunded once confirmation of obedience classes is received.

To adopt the FIRST STEP is to complete an APPLICATION. The application can be found on our site www.fluffydog.net, or by clicking on the purple Fluffy Dog Rescue wording found in the left corner of this page under the dogs name.

Our dogs are located in foster homes throughout the state. We do not have a facility. Adopters must be 24 years old.We can not adopt to families with children under the age of six. We also adopt mostly in WI, IL, and MN. Most of our dogs are strays, so the breed is our best guess.
WI License #270548.

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