What better way to kick off the holiday season than by introducing you to our latest adoptable, Samuel! Part shih X, part stocking stuffer, Samuel came to MUTTS, along with his housemates, as an owner surrender. This cutie pie with the pompom tail is full of personality and love. Let’s help our tiny pal find his home in time for the holidays!

Samuel is eager to meet his new family ASAP, so in order to get to know him, he’s put together his list of likes and dislikes. His likes include: sleeping in, cuddles in bed, fetch, wet food, chicken treats, stealing underwear, having a human friend over so he can receive pets from two people at once, napping, and going to bed early. Dislikes include being picked up, having his teeth brushed, being bathed, wearing a coat, and only being offered dry kibble. In Samuel’s eyes, he’s really not that picky: pair him with a calm, quiet family who is generous with affection and companionship, and you’ve got a deal!

While Samuel exudes lots of confidence at home, he struggles to feel comfortable when out on walks. He walks well on the leash, requiring a bit of correction to prevent zigzagging, but his biggest issue is leash reactivity towards other dogs. Samuel is fine to pass another dog if there are a few meters between them; however, if another dog is close, Samuel will stop, stare at the dog and growl, and then bark and air snap. His foster is working on passing dogs calmly at a distance and rewarding Samuel with lots of praise anytime he shows no reactivity. His adoptive family will need to continue with this training, as it will be key to Samuel’s success on the leash. He enjoys around 25 minutes of walking per day, along with some fetch (on a long leash), so it’s in the best interest of all involved to ensure his leash time is enjoyable and stress-free!

One of Samuel’s favourite pastimes is anything to do with his ball! He instantly locks in whenever his ball is thrown and could easily play fetch for hours. When fetch is not an option, he happily keeps himself entertained with his BFF, the stuffed dino. Since he came from a home with other dogs, we know he would be just fine with canine siblings. Samuel is being fostered in a condo, and though it’s the perfect amount of space for this pint-sized pup, he is a barker. His barking is loud and persistent (too many unknown noises in a condo building for this guy!) so we believe he’d be a better fit for a family in a detached home. Samuel is also working through some separation anxiety (which leads to lots of barking!) and may benefit from having a larger space where his barking is less disruptive to the neighbours!

Samuel is potty trained, microchipped, up to date with his vaccines and neutered. He has no medical issues to address, other than receiving a Lepto booster.

With the holidays just around the corner, sweet Samuel would love nothing more than to settle in and enjoy the coziness of the season with his new family!

SOCIABILITY: Humans (adults and kids 7+) and dogs; not cat tested
ENERGY: Low to medium
QUIRKS: He loves to bunch up his blanket to make a comfy little nest for himself!
TRAINING NEEDS: Continued basic obedience, leash reactivity, barking, separation anxiety
MEDICAL NEEDS: None
WEIGHT: 18lbs
FOSTER LOCATION: Toronto