Scarlett

Updated 2/26/12

Scarlett, age 2 1/2

AVAILABLE 

We don’t know why plump Scarlett was left at the pound, but we’ve been finding out everything else we need to know in the past few weeks. Namely – she’s a really sweet girl! Very kissy to humans and dogs. She "roo-roos" when you come home—not quite a bark, but sort of a "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" Since getting settled into her foster home, she has displayed more puppy-like behavior than when she first arrived. She actually unstuffed a sleeping bag when left to her own devices one day. “That was our fault – not enough exercise,” says her foster mom. “But no matter how hard I try to entice her, she is completely uninterested in balls, rope toys, and stuffed animals. She just wants to cuddle up with you and be petted!”

She’s definitely a people dog and will follow you around the house; she wants to be where you are. She goes on a couple of 15- to 30-minute walks per day and could easily use more; she does need to shed some extra padding, and walking her is fun, as she walks well on her leash and doesn’t try to pull your arm out, lunge after passing kitties, etc. She might even make a great jogging partner as she gets more fit.

For a well-rounded chubster, Scarlett isn’t the chow hound you’d expect – she’s a nibbler, and she’d probably be very happy to snack at a bowl of kibble as the mood strikes, a bite here and a bite there. Of course, with other Hoover-esque dogs on the premises, free-feeding isn’t a possibility in her foster home.

One important thing to know about Scarlett is that she’s quite nervous around kids, especially young ones who are noisy and make abrupt movements. When a nearly 3-year-old nephew came to visit, her reaction to him ranged from moderately fearful to slight avoidance. He never approached her (he's not that interested in dogs) so her anxiety never escalated beyond moving away and hiding behind things. We’d strongly recommend a home without small children, and even older kids should be advised of her shyness (and tendency to flee) when being put in new situations (especially if there’s noise involved, like a basketball hitting the ground). She definitely needs an understanding family who’ll respect her space and give her time to adjust. Likewise, though she’s just fine with other dogs, she’ll need adjustment time there, too. Her first day as a GRR dog, she picked out a lounging spot bside the computer. If another dog approached it, even if Scarlett wasn’t in that spot, she’d let them know “Off limits!” with a growl or two. Humans were another story, of course – all you had to do was say “NEH!” & she’d stop and come wagging up. Her astute foster mom at once blocked off that particular area: “My assessment is that she's had a wild ride and was attempting to carve out some space for her own.” For the next couple of weeks, Scarlett would still  grumble if a dog came too close to her while she was lying down, and now, even that behavior is subsiding. TIME is very important for Miss Scarlett! (And we should point out that the poor girl had an awful  bladder infection when she arrived, so she wasn’t feeling tip-top. A course of antibiotics cleared up  that problem.)

Latest discovery is that Scarlett is a water dog! “We went to Brushy Creek. I got in with her and she jumped right in and swam around. She even met a puppy who was a bit timid and showed him how to get into the water. I wish I had a video of that!”

This overall calm & gentle girl needs  a likewise calm, gentle and understanding home. She’ll be a wonderful companion. 

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