Sylvia

My story

Sylvia is a very sweet little girl who was rescued from a puppy mill.  She had never had any contact with living in a home but she is really starting to get the hang of this being part of a family.  She is very curious about everything and slowly learning to trust that she is in safe hands.  She is making strides every day towards being a lovely little companion.  Sylvia is approximately 3 – 4 years old and currently weighs just under 10 lbs.  She has had all of her vetting done and just needs someone to give her a chance to have a real life. Sylvia has had all of her vetting updated and is spayed.  She weighs just under 10 lbs.  The picture above is when she was first rescued and shaved down and the other pictures are her in her foster home. Here is what Sylvia's foster family had to say: Sylvia is such an adorable sweet little girl. She loves being around our other dogs. She runs and plays with them all like a puppy. She loves being outside with the other dogs and can stay there for hours. She has her favourite spot under a tree in the backyard where she is very content.  She seems to be in good health and appears to be no more than 5 years old.  Her energy level is moderate. She can run and be very playful but is also content to lie around for hours at a time.  She is a poodle and doesn’t shed at all. Which is just wonderful. Sylvia’s behaviour is the same with adults and children. Fearful and timid. Because of what she has been through she is very guarded and will not approach any humans regardless of age or sex.  She has shown no signs of aggression but we are careful to approach her slowly and calmly.  Sylvia is amazing with all dogs. We have 2 males and a female ranging in weight from 16-40 lbs. She gets along with them all. She’s fine with all dogs we’ve met on our walks as well. She is FAR more trusting of dogs than humans. She has had no interaction with cats but I can’t imagine she’d have any trouble being around cats. Sylvia is fine when left alone, because she's with our other dogs and they bring her tremendous comfort. She does not bark at all. Not even when someone comes to the door and the other dogs are barking. She is still fearful when we approach her. She’s getting better but would still rather be on her own or with the other dogs. Her favourite thing is to be in close proximity to other dogs. She is definitely happiest and the most carefree we’ve seen her when she’s around other dogs. Any breed, sex or size. She settles into her crate most nights. She seems most content when one of our dogs is in view of her crate, the problem is when they walk around, she whines to be out with them. We have remedied this by placing a sheet over her crate.  Not a blanket (too warm).  I strongly recommend keeping up with this routine in the evening as well as when she’s left alone. Better for her as well as you!  Sylvia’s manners are good. She does not try to steal food or get into anything that doesn’t belong to her. She eats her food on her own and has no interest in people food. She does not respond to “come” out of fear and for this reason doesn’t know any other basic commands.  She is on her way to being house trained. She was “going” in the house several times a day initially but after just over a week we are down to once a day on average. We are not using training pads.  We try and bring her out every 2-4 hours and this seems to help a lot. She can go 7-8 hours through the night when in her crate. When Sylvia first came to us she couldn’t walk at all on a leash. She would just stand there and we’d end up picking her up and carrying her. After only a few days she is now excellent on a leash. She follows behind our other dog and just behind us.  She does not try to escape from the backyard or the front door. In fact she runs from the front door when opened.  She rides perfectly in the car. Both in a crate and free style. She lays down and doesn’t make a sound. We believe strongly that Sylvia would be best suited for a home where “her people” were retired or work from home. We also feel that she would thrive and adjust much quicker in a home with at least one other dog.  Sylvia requires lots of patience and love. You have to be prepared for her to run from you and not want you to be too close to her. We pick her up and pet her several times a day and she is becoming more use to it all the time. If you’ve always wanted to rescue a dog but have allergies or don’t like shedding then here is your chance! These are wonderful qualities indeed. She just requires a lot of kindness and patience. If you would like to give Sylvia a loving home, please visit our main website at http://www.uglymuttsdogrescue.com and submit an adoption application.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Sylvia, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.