Next up, our gal Ella! Ella is a one-year-old poodle X who came to MUTTS as an owner surrender. She was rescued from an online owner but sadly her rescuers were unable to keep her due to severe allergies (see Ella’s intro post for more). Ella recently had a fabulous groom, which was the glow-up she didn’t know she needed. She is ready to continue flaunting her good looks and hopes to grab the attention of one lucky family!

Ella’s fosters have been ensuring a slow and steady introduction to her new space. She’s being fostered with a family who has kids which has been a ton of fun for Ella! Though anxious upon initial introduction, she quickly warms up and turns on “best friend” mode. Her excitement often translates into jumping (she doesn’t really know her own size!) which could be hazardous to small kids. Ella also loves to use her voice to say hello, and for those who haven’t heard it yet, she’s LOUD! With time and solid training, we know Ella will learn to channel that enthusiasm into a politer and quieter greeting!

Though she may look all growed up, Ella is still a young pup! We know that her foster home is now her fourth home, meaning that her exposure to training has been inconsistent. Ella would love to find a family who can commit to a regular training schedule! She’s dabbled in some basic commands and practiced a bit of leash walking, but what will really make the difference is consistent and structured training. This will also help Ella expend a lot of her puppy energy – never underestimate the bean-burning power of training! Training and treats will also bring Ella up to her perfect weight as she’s currently a little on the thin side.

When it comes to her favourite activity, Ella is all about her ball. She goes outside every two-to-three hours for a 30ish minute round of catch and a jaunt around the backyard. Her fosters have also practiced some leash walking in the backyard. Ella hasn’t had much structured leash time and it’s recommended that her adopters use a prong collar to help manage her natural excitability. Given that she loves her outdoor time and also appreciates a space to show off her vocal chords, Ella is best suited to a family with a detached home and a backyard.

Back inside, Ella loves a good snuggle and happily accepts as many hugs and pets as she can get. Her fur is very, very soft, which makes for even better cuddles! She loves a home with lots of activity and prefers to be close to her fosters. If her fosters need to run errands, Ella is easily crated and settles after only a few minutes of whining. When they return, she’s always jazzed to reunite! It takes a bit of time for Ella to warm up, but once she knows you, she loves you … almost as much as she loves her ball!

Ella is microchipped, spayed, up to date with her vaccines and potty trained! She loves her crate and opts to spend time in there during the day, often putting herself to bed. As a puppy, Ella was in an accident and had two surgeries on her front leg, resulting in some arthritis. She’s a bit stiff in the morning and when she first starts running around, but quickly loosens up. It does not seem to cause her enough pain to hinder her activity, but her adopter will need to keep an eye on this as she gets older.

Ella can’t wait to share her enthusiasm and lust for life with her new family! She knows she has some work to do but promises to be an A+ student!

SOCIABILITY: Humans (adults and kids), dogs and cats (very curious; proper introductions necessary)
ENERGY: Medium
QUIRKS: Ella loves listening to classical music – it calms her down!
TRAINING NEEDS: Leash skills, continued basic obedience, reactivity training (she’s easily excitable), continued socialization
MEDICAL NEEDS: Some arthritis in her front right paw from an injury sustained as a puppy; a little underweight, so training and treats are encouraged to help bring her up to her perfect weight!
WEIGHT: 55lbs
FOSTER LOCATION: Burlington