Thanksgiving may have been a few weeks ago, but the MUTTS team is excited to serve up our newest adoptable turkey, complete with all the fixins’! Francine is a three-year-old lab x poodle x who came to MUTTS as an owner surrender. She’s transitioned very well into her foster’s home and is looking for an adoptive family who will continue providing the support and space that she needs to thrive! Francine is as sweet as the whipped cream topping on your pumpkin pie and she can’t wait to meet her new family!

Francine is a very adaptable girl who knows how to avoid ruffling any feathers. When it comes to meeting other dogs, she can be a little timid off the top, but is quick to respond to the energy that she’s receiving. If the other dog is calm, she’s calm; if the other dog is in her face, she’ll stand her ground. Off leash, Francine enjoys running around with other pups, but isn’t much into horseplay; she’d much rather run and sniff! She’s also made a few doggo friends who she sees on the regular, one with a calmer energy and the other with a hyper nature – regardless, Francine reacts accordingly and always manages to have fun!

More than dogs, Francine is a huge fan of humans, particularly kids! Adults can make her a little nervous at first, especially men, but she warms up and moves toward BFF status in no time. She’s less hesitant of females and goes right into requesting head rubs! With kiddos, Francine is friendly and submissive. She greets the neighbourhood kids at the bus stop each morning, happily moving through the crowd for pets! At home, she loves to play and cuddle with her foster sister, which tells us that Francine would be the perfect addition to a family with kids!

Francine is still working on mastering the basic commands, but her good girl listening skills and love of treats means that it’s coming along nicely! She enjoys two walks per day, averaging 30-60 minutes each. She has a tendency to test her handler when on the leash, but with firm boundaries in place, she will respect the leader. On the weekend, she loves nothing more than hiking with her foster family and hanging at home. Bonus points if a few more kids show up to play! Francine is a very calm girl who loves being part of the family routine. Whether she’s cuddled up next to her fosters on the couch or enjoying a puzzle toy nearby, Francine is happy, especially once her humans have earned her trust!

Where Francine struggles is with separation anxiety. She’s very attached to her humans and tends to whimper if she can’t spot them. Her foster has been working on this by giving her short windows of alone time and gradually increasing them. She’s already made progress, but this is an area where her future family will need to focus. Rewarding her (with treats and/or praise – she responds well to both!) for calmly managing alone time will help build her confidence. The good news is that her separation anxiety does not manifest as destructive behaviour, so it’s simply a matter of making sure she feels more secure when alone!

Francine is 100% potty trained and loves her crate. She’s microchipped, spayed and up to date with her vaccines. She’s received a clean bill of health from her latest vet appointment, but is on a limited diet due to food allergies.

Francine’s original family had to make the heartbreaking decision to part with her. Though this means she needs a little more patience before she feels secures, Francine is eager to reciprocate the love. Let’s help Francine find the family who’s ready to give her a second chance!

SOCIABILITY: Humans (adults and kids) and dogs; not cat tested, but given her laissez faire reaction to squirrels and rabbits, we believe she’d do just fine!

ENERGY: Medium

QUIRKS: In the car, she will sit and look directly at the driver … for a long time!

TRAINING NEEDS: Separation anxiety, continued basic obedience and leash skills

MEDICAL NEEDS: On a limited diet due to food allergies

WEIGHT: 50lbs

FOSTER LOCATION: Oxford County