UPDATED BIO….PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING!

MEET WILLOW…an adorable 3-4 yr old, 14 lb, white w/ gray tips, Shih Tzu mix, who originally came from the SPCA.  She came to LHH via her owner, whose work/travel obligations have increased which has not been good for Willow. 

If you are looking for a lovey dovey crawl in your lap and stay there Shih Tzu, that isn’t Willow.  But she is young, smart and trainable and if you invest the time, you will be rewarded. 

We aren’t sure what her background is, but we don’t think that she had a happy young life.  She can be very insecure and until she trusts you, she can act out (being snippy).  The key to success with this little girl is consistency, which her current home could not provide.  After consistency, the new family must have patience to deal with her trust issues.   She is not a dog for a pushover…but once she relaxes and knows she is home, the reward is worth it!  It does take a minimum of a month for her to come around, so you need to be patient and expect to get nipped!  But she does love to sit by you when you are working and she will follow you everywhere once she relaxes…and she LOVES to go for walks!!

We know this sounds like a lot, but once you get past her fears, Willow can be an angel!  She is potty trained (no guarantees but as close as we can tell you).  She loves to dance and jump up and give you kisses not all the time, but especially when you come home.  That takes a few weeks…and training will be important because Willow needs to respect you.   We believe she would be good with another young, playful dog (of her choice) and no kids/chaos.  Her current mom had been working with a trainer and she was doing terrific… and training should be continued.   It’s apparent that she can be a great dog, she just needs boundaries and to know that she is not in charge!  BUT you need to be aware of her behavior, she is a bit temperamental, but when you turn the corner, she’s good.

When you come home, Willow will jump up on you, roll on her back to get belly rubs and bark to let you know you have company arriving!  She does bark (not yippy but an alert barker) so if you are in an apartment that might not work.  She also can be independent when it suits her.   It might take a while, but patience pays off.  Does Willow sound like a dog you could love?