daisy courtesy post

Daisy is 4-1/2 to 5yo, weighs 80lbs, is spayed, is up to date on her vaccines, and is microchipped. Daisy's guardian adds:

"Daisy is a sweet, smart girl, but is very reactive to people and other dogs. Her favorite things are sitting on the couch and chewing on indestructible toys. And of course getting pets. She enjoys cuddling but is happy to lay out on the floor and do her own thing as well.
Daisy likes to show her affection by sitting on people's feet, licking them, climbing next to them on the couch or bed, and nudging her head under your hand for pets. She is not shy about sharing her needs and will bark and whine when she needs to go to the bathroom (or wants a change of scenery) but is otherwise a quiet dog. She will occasionally woof and stamp her paw for pets.

She can become stressed being left alone too long (8-9 hours max) and become destructive. She's chewed up clothes and other objects that are in her reach but she doesn't go out of her way to destroy things.
Daisy is not upset by loud noises like storms or fireworks. She's also not aggressive about her toys or food and will easily give them up.
Daisy is sensitive to the emotional environment she is in, for example if people are upset around her she will also become upset and whine and cry.

She catches on to new routines quickly and is very adaptable to change. She has no trouble riding in cars and is curious yet cautious in new environments. She's not always the best listener because she can be stubborn, especially if there's a particularly interesting smell, but does pick up commands well and take direction. Daisy knows her basic command like sit, lay down, and stay. She also knows touch and 180 (turn around). She's also had 5 sessions of reactive dog training at Patrick's Pet Care in DC. From that training she learned 'walk away' and 'keep walking' to redirect her from other dogs on walks.

Daisy will come with her own equipment including: leashes, a harness, collars, food and water bowls, a crate, blankets, and many durable chew toys.

Daisy's guardian explains why she has made the difficult decision to rehome her: Daisy is dog and people reactive and bit another dog in the apartment building.

Lunge/Attack/Bite Incident: On 9 July 2024, in Washington DC, Daisy bit another dog; the bite broke the skin; medical treatment was required; animal control was not involved. Daisy's guardian explains:

"My partner was taking Daisy out to pee in the courtyard of our apartment complex when another reactive dog was leaving the building.
Daisy escaped from her collar and rushed the dog and bit her on the scruff. I was still at work at the time but apparently multiple bystanders got involved and the incident resulted in another big scene. The other dog ended up needing a few stitches. I did see the other dog after the incident and while she was hurt, she was walking on her own and wasn't bleeding heavily. Afterwards our apartment complex told us we need to remove Daisy from the building by the end of the month. While Daisy did demonstrably injure the other dog, I contend that had the situation not escalated to the level they did, neither dog would have needed veterinary intervention. The stress and commotion surrounding the incident made it much harder to get Daisy to release her grip. And trying to pull the dogs away may have caused what might have been light puncture wounds to become more serious injuries."

Daisy's guardian offers a brief a medical history:

"Daisy is a healthy girl. Her one major emergency visit to the vet happened when I got a new crate which she escaped out of and busted her eyelid open resulting in needing stitches.
Daisy hasn't been formally diagnosed with separation anxiety but she was prescribed Prozac for general anxiety at her last vet visit at the end of July. "

Daisy's guardian states the following regarding children: Since Daisy hasn't lived with children, her guardian doesn't recommend her living with children, stating...

"Daisy has had very little interaction with children but has been gentle and calm in the few instances when she has met some. There have been a couple times when kids have come up to Daisy without much warning and pet her; Daisy was unfazed and let the kids pet her. While her size and reactivity make her a liability around children, from what I've observed Daisy is not threatened by kids."

Daisy's guardian states the following regarding dogs: Since Daisy hasn't lived with dogs, her guardian doesn't recommend her living with dogs, stating...

"Daisy is very reactive to dogs. She has had a session of reactive dog training at Patrick's Pet Care in the first quarter of 2023 which definitely helped but did not totally alleviate her stress when seeing other dogs. She can see other dogs from across the street or from far away and her reaction is based on the level of interest in the other dog. If the other dog is uninterested or a small dog, Daisy is easily redirected. This becomes more difficult the larger and more interested the dog is. If she does reach her threshold, Daisy will jump and pull against the leash as well as snap about. I have also noticed that the time it takes for her to come back to herself has improved over time. If she does get close to another dog, she will try to latch on to their scruff in a show of dominance. She has been able to meet and play with other dogs but in very specific circumstances in the past, normally when the other dog is behind a fence and unleashed."

Daisy's guardian states the following regarding cats: Since Daisy hasn't lived with cats, her guardian doesn't recommend her living with cats, stating...

"Daisy is interested in cats but cats are not interested in her. She's actually been living with our cat, Butternut, for the past two years.
Daisy is able to relax and observe cats while she has some distance and supervision but her prey drive overtakes her if she sees them run. There have been a couple instances where Daisy has gotten loose and chased Butternut around the apartment and caught him in her mouth. When this has happened she never broke Butternut's skin or shook him. After these incidents, Butternut had a continued interest in Daisy and didn't behave fearfully. While I don't think she actively wants to harm cats, she does have a strong chase drive and her instinct is to bite when she catches them.
Daisy 's response to cat outside of the home is very similar to when she's home."

Daisy's guardian describes her as:

Playful Friendly Likes to be touched Affectionate Protective Nervous House-Trained Likes men Likes women Separation anxiety (undiagnosed by vet)

Daisy's guardian describes her ideal future home:

"It is clear that Daisy 's reactivity is an issue, but one I believe can be continually reduced by finding the right environment. I believe Daisy would thrive at home in a quiet neighborhood where she is the only pet and has access to a fenced in yard."

Rehoming Fee: None

Location: Washington, DC