Meet Rufus! Rufus is a 1–2-year-old, 17 lb. Chihuahua/Pomeranian/Dachshund mix with silky, medium-length fur and an incredibly sweet personality.
Rufus arrived at the Imperial Valley Animal Shelter with two other dogs and sadly, no one came to reclaim him. Their loss is truly someone else’s gain, because Rufus is a loving, social little guy who just wants to be part of the family.
He is mellow, fairly quiet, and wonderfully friendly with people, dogs, and cats. In fact, he enjoys playing with the cat in his foster home! Rufus walks well on leash, does great out in public, and is happiest simply being included in whatever his people are doing. After a day of adventures, he is perfectly content relaxing on the couch or chewing on a bone in his dog bed.
Rufus is currently fostered with River, one of the dogs he was found with. While they are not bonded and do not need to be adopted together, Rufus does not do well being left completely alone. Because of this, he will need a home with another friendly, confident dog who can help him feel secure.
At night, Rufus sleeps beautifully. His first choice would definitely be snuggling in bed with you, but he will also settle into his own dog bed. He is about 99% house-trained and is just working on consistently signaling when he needs to go outside.
Rufus is not a big fan of the crate, but he does well confined to a bedroom when his foster family is away, as long as he has another dog with him. His foster is also working on one mischievous habit: Rufus likes to chew—and sometimes swallow—socks and fabric from toys, so his future family will need to keep tempting items off the floor and choose his toys carefully.
The good news? Rufus is smart, treat-motivated, and eager to learn, so continued training should come easily.
If you’re looking for a sweet, affectionate, easygoing companion who gets along with just about everyone and wants to be part of your everyday life, Rufus may be your perfect match. He is neutered and up to date on vaccinations. His adoption fee is $300.
Follow his foster journey on Instagram: @im.just.here.for.the.dogs
