Wendy

Wendy - 7 months & 11lbs, JRT Mix, Spayed Expected to be about 30lbs full grown This puppy is eligible to join our foster-to-adopt program. Please email fostertoadopt@socialteesnyc.org with the animal’s name in the subject line if you are interested! Want to straight up adopt? Submit an adoption application at socialteesnyc.org Level of dog ownership experience required: INTERMEDIATE – As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day. The adopter must have relevant primary care experience with a similar breed, temperament, and/or energy level. (Primary care experience includes ownership, fostering, or dog sitting as an adult, not a dog you grew up with.) Relevant puppy care experience is a huge plus, but bare minimum the adopter must have TONS of time and patience. Raising a puppy can be a lot of fun, but it’s also tremendous work. Puppies’ personalities and exercise/stimulation requirements change dramatically between now and when they’re a year old as their bodies and brains develop, so an active lifestyle and the ability to adapt to a pup’s evolving needs are a must. We strongly urge professional dog training with a rewards based trainer from the get go. Adults only or kids ages 8 and up – all puppies go through a mouthy, rambunctious phase and often accidentally hurt children when playing. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN BREED RESEARCH to make sure you have a better understanding of the kind of temperament and exercise requirements this dog may have as an adult. Energy level: MEDIUM – Very young puppies sleep and nap a lot, but their energy level skyrockets when they become teens (4 months to around a year). As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 60 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day at a minimum. (This is regardless of dog size – many small breeds were designed for lots of activity and will exhibit unwanted behavior when they’re understimulated.) Potty trained? Working on this skill. Puppies under 12 weeks old are often on track with their wee pad skills, but they’re too young to walk outside in public NYC areas yet because they haven’t finished their puppy vaccine series. Puppies older than 12 weeks are usually learning to do their business outside. Potty training takes a lot of patience, consistency, and clean up. Social with dogs? Yes. Some puppies are shy, others are bold, but all have the potential to be taught healthy socializing skills. It’s a huge part of raising a puppy and must be done carefully. How they interact with other dogs depends largely on how their humans help them learn to. Social with children? (ALWAYS requires adult supervision) Sort of – some puppies enjoy interacting with children, others get easily overwhelmed by their energy and attention. Regardless, most puppies are not a great match for a home with kids under age 8 because they go through intense mouthy play and rambunctious phases and often accidentally hurt young kids while playing. Children must always be monitored and taught to interact with dogs of any age respectfully. Social with cats? Yes. Most puppies have the potential to be friends with a cat. It’s on the adopter to know their cat’s temperament and preferences and to teach their puppy respectful manners. Mouthy play: High! All puppies go through phases where they chew your stuff and grab your hands, arms, feet… puppies naturally explore the world, play, and test boundaries with their mouths. (It also happens when they’re teething.) Their teeth are super sharp, so it can be a very painful phase for humans and other animals in the home. Proper training, outlets, and socialization are key. Separation anxiety: Most puppies have some level of separation anxiety