Look at this cute face!  This is Samson.  He's named that because he is very brave, and he has GREAT HAIR!  Samson is a Shih-tzu, or a Shi-tzu mix, and he weighs 11 pounds.  Sammy was brought into an animal control shelter as a stray, and liberated by LDDR.  Though dirty and matted, he had no fleas or ticks,  his skin was in great shape, and he was negative for heartworm, so he hadn't been on his own for very long.  Sam was very patient with his foster mom's grooming efforts, and he seems to be house trained.  All that means Samson likely had a home once, but for some reason, he found himself locked up in a scary shelter...and nobody came for him.  Poor fella! 

Samson's age was guessed at "8" at his vet appointment for neuter and shots. That's a wonderful age for a small dog: past all the puppy shenanigans, but only about middle-aged.  Sammie is happy to live with the small dogs in his foster home, and he paid no mind to a couple a big gentle Labs that spent the weekend with visiting family.  Samson is affectionate, loves to be brushed and to get belly rubs. He sleeps quietly in a kennel next to the foster moms bed, and does not need to go out at the break of dawn to potty, (thank goodness!).  He's not a barker, in general.  He's a quiet, mannerly dog.  Samson is in fact a very easy dog to live with, but he does have 2 special needs. 

First, it turns out he is almost totally blind.  He functions so well, it's hardly noticeable.  He does bump into things at times, and he will cruise the edges of a new place, to figure out what's what.  He found the plastic cone for his neuter to be quite stressful, as he couldn't see what was stopping him from exploring.  Otherwise, he is very capable.  He can easily do stairs, can hop up on the couch (though he rarely does), and he has no problem knowing where his foster mom is at any given moment! 

That leads into his second special need: separation anxiety. Sam is absolutely not a velcro dog, that needs to be on your lap or underfoot every minute.  He is happy to just be in the same room, or even the next room, but he doesn't want his main person to be inaccessible.  If you shut him out of the bathroom while you're showering, he'll bark every few seconds.  If you let him in, he finds a spot and lays down quietly.  He will settle down with his foster Dad, if his foster Mom is working in the garden for an hour or so, but if all the humans leave... he barks.  That's all, just barks every few seconds.  He doesn't tear things up, pee or poop indoors, panic and hurt himself, but yes, he vocalizes.  Since everyone needs to leave their dog home alone sometimes, an adopter for Samson should live in a space where this is not a problem.  Samson's best home would not be an apartment, or anyplace where this behavior will be an imposition for your neighbors.  It's possible that with time or specific training, this behavior could go away on its own or be changed, but it's also possible that it will not.

Samson has a lot of love to give.  His foster mom says, "While of course I give praise often, and affection whenever he asks for it; if Samson was going to be MY dog?....I would absolutely POUR on the love.  I would make sure he knew that he was loved with all my heart, and that he was SAFE here.  I would encourage deep bonding with all his family members, and I know he would just blossom. Honestly, he's so cute and sweet, it's tough to hold back, but I'm trying hard to save that joy for his "forever" family."

Don't make him wait too long!  Fill out an application, or schedule a meet and greet today! If you have any questions email his foster mom at  heatherwcraigl@yahoo.com