_________ B I O ______________
Name: Michigan
Size: (Once fully grown) ~ Medium range: 26-60 lbs
Adoption Donation: $250 (applicable sales tax included).  Adoption fees may be paid by cash or check. 
Other:  Spayed Female, Vaccinations current, Microchip, older/considerate children only, not apartment friendly
** Michigan is working with a veterinarian who is specializing in behavior to help her to manage anxiety and help to build her confidence. She requires a daily medication to help manage this and the cost is $45.00 per month.
Michigan is a sweet girl looking for love and patience in her forever home!
Foster Home Feedback
** Older/considerate children only, no apartments
7/4/24 Foster Feedback: I would like to introduce to you, the new and improved Michigan! As Michigan's foster since October, we have been working hard on finding the best way to help Michigan gain confidence when meeting new people and in new situations. I'm beyond proud to have been a part of her progress. We think it has been a magical trio of daily meds, positive interactions with new people/situations, and her growth from being an adolescent puppy to a young adult now! As her fosters, we have been blessed with seeing her sweet, goofy, lovable self all the time. The problem was she didn't let other people see that...she was just too anxious and had trouble recognizing the love other people wanted to share with her. While she has come a long way and adjusts much faster to new people coming to our house now, we still don't feel that a busy household with young kids and their friends coming and going would be the best fit for Michigan. I just don't think she wants to be the life of the party. She prefers hanging out with her family crew most often, which can include dogs and/or cats.
We still like to kennel her when guests come over just so it's not so overwhelming to Michigan and our guests. Once the guest is situated, then Michigan can come out and say hi. She might give a little bark and sniff the person, but tends to move on to other things after that.
Part of her mix of breeds seems to include a "herding" type of dog. When she is excited, wants to play or go outside, or is trying to initiate play with our dogs, she can be mouthy. For example, she nips at our dogs' back legs when she wants to play. As for us humans, she can easily be redirected to toys or a game of fetch.
She is the ultimate backyard pal! On these beautiful summer days, she is happy to hang out in the yard all day, if you let her! She loves to watch the birds and keep the squirrels and rabbits out of our yard. She reminds me each day that I should take time to just sit in the yard and enjoy my surroundings!
We had already been seeing improvements with guests coming to our us, but she really showed her progress when she stayed with a sitter over Memorial Day weekend and her recent stay at boarding and with a different sitter. The first sitter she met the day before she was dropped off for the weekend and quickly adjusted to her routine and life with a cat!
The next time we were gone, she had to spend a week at boarding. They said it took her a couple days to warm up but overall did well. Then a brand new person to Michigan picked her up from boarding and hosted her for a week. Michigan must think that lady was her guardian angel as she adjusted quickly and showed off her sweetness almost immediately!
This girl is ready to show you just how sweet she can be!
7/2/24 Volunteer Feedback: I had the AMAZING pleasure of officially meeting Miss Michigan today.
I went to her foster home to pick up some goodies for the 5k on 7/11. I was asked if I would like to help out Michigan by letting her meet someone new. Of course I had to say yes as I haven’t had a chance to meet this baby yet, only a glimpse from afar. I was told that the resident dogs were very friendly but may bark. No problems on my end - I’m used to that! I followed the instructions to provide the best experience for her. When the resident dogs came out there were roughly 3 seconds of barking, followed by immediate loves and demands for attention. While I sat for a bit chatting with the foster, I wondered when Michigan would make an appearance. Her foster mentioned how good she was doing, and I couldn’t believe it; she was one of the "resident dogs"! She was the one who first came up to me and promptly gave kisses. I had to be reassured that that was indeed Michigan. The combination of the amount of love and support these fosters have provided her (and a little help from the vet) has made such a humongous change in this girl. She is unrecognizable. Needless to say she quickly stole my heart.
I’m hoping to see her at some events soon. This girl is an absolute love bug and her forever family is going to be so dang lucky!
6/30/24 Temporary Care Feedback: We were lucky enough to watch this sweet girl for a week, and oh my goodness, let me tell you how wonderful she is. Michigan is the sweetest little goofball that stole our hearts very quickly. We went into this babysitting scenario aware that she is typically shy with new people and knew she'd likely need time to warm up to us. She ended up warming up to us and settling in within the first day. My husband needed to move slowly and let her investigate him for a good 10 minutes or so, but then she was happy to snuggle right up to him too. This girl met both of my dogs and made quick friends. She loved playing with them, but happily played solo or with humans when my dogs weren't up to playing. She gets an A in fetch and an A+ at lounging. She was an absolutely perfect house guest; she did not have a single accident or chew up anything she shouldn't. We did kennel her when we left the house and overnight; she quietly laid in her kennel the whole time. However, she certainly wouldn't need to be kenneled, she can easily be left to free roam when you're gone and she happily slept in bed with me when my husband was out of town. Michigan would let out an alert bark when she saw action outside, but she immediately stopped when I reassured her that the neighbors weren't assassins out to get us. (All I did was say "leave it" or "Michigan, you're okay" and she would stop.) One of her favorite hobbies was bird-watching on the deck. She sat outside and lounged in the sun for hours observing things. She loved chasing the birds that landed in the yard. She walked decent on a leash as long as we kept her next to us and pre-emptively distracted her before seeing people or other dogs. This dog is absolutely wonderful, we would love to keep her for ourselves but unfortunately aren't in the market for dog number three. Her fosters have clearly done a lot of work to help her feel more comfortable meeting new people; anybody willing to move slowly with her will get to know one of the most wonderful dogs. I hope this adorable little goofball finds her home soon. And yes, her ears always have that 'one up/one flopped' look.
1/16/24 Foster Feedback: We have been fostering Michigan for about 3 months now. She is learning all about what a loving, dog friendly home has to offer!
She still loves belly rubs, treats, car rides, chewing on bones/dog toys, chasing after toys outside, morning walks to check out the neighborhood, keeping the fenced yard clear of rabbits and playing with the older male resident dog. She has taken more interest in the old lady resident dog and tries to initiate play. When the old lady resists and tries to avoid her, Michigan does pick up on the cue after a few tries. Michigan kennels like a champ- throw a treat in and she happily goes in to find it. She settles in and hangs out if we need to be gone.
We don't think she was around many people as a young puppy which tends to make her a little anxious around new people and situations. She has adapted to many different sitters over the last couple months but does need a little time to warm up and trust her new people. We are learning ways to help her adjust. For example, when guests come over to our house...it's overwhelming! She is excited, nervous, anxious, and curious all at once. It's a lot for her! We have found success by kenneling her before someone comes in. She will bark initially - often because she also hears the resident dogs barking. After our guests come in and get seated, we let her out of the kennel. We offer her treats. She may initially bark at the new person, but we take her outside to run off a little energy. When she comes back in, she gets treats or a puzzle toy/peanut butter filled kong and that helps calm her. By the time she is done with that, she is more comfortable with someone new in the house. She is curious but prefers not to be the center of attention...right away! Eventually she settles in and accepts attention from others.
This is why we don't feel she is the right fit for a family with young children. She just needs more time to adjust to situations than young children are often able to give her. Once she is comfortable with a family, I think she has potential to be great with all ages, but she is still learning what situations she is fully comfortable in.
She is truly a sweet pup that has come a long way while she has been with the rescue. At her age, about 1 year, she is still learning. She is smart and definitely wants to please for cheese (or any treat)! She can be a little mouthy when she is excited and wants to play but is easily redirected with appropriate toys and I feel she will eventually outgrow that.
She recently wanted to help me do yoga - which for her meant licking my face if I was at her level. It was so innocent and sweet! When I sit down on the floor, she is also known for sitting so close that she ends up on my lap! Sometimes she just wants a hug, then can continue with playtime! In order to see her at this sweet level of comfort, please know it probably won't happen with the first meeting. Don't let that discourage you! She continues to build confidence each day and with each new experience! We have seen so much growth since Oct. We have also seen less of a reaction with people she has met more than once. When I first met her she barked at me for about 5 minutes until she got in my car, I gave her cheese and we drove home and became great friends! I feel like I won the lottery...I earned her trust and you can too!
11/22/23 Foster Feedback: Michigan has been with us for about a month. We are seeing her become comfortable with new people faster than when we first met! Once she is comfortable with you, she is incredibly sweet and playful! She loves car rides, walks, play time in the backyard, belly rubs, chew toys and playing with dog friends!
It didn’t take her long to be comfortable with our 2 older dogs. She respects the elderly dog and doesn’t try to initiate play. She seems to understand that one dog will play and the other will not.
She has attended events at Natural Pet Center and Valley Imports. A steady supply of treats from her foster mom and people she meets helps her excel at these events. She doesn’t feel like meeting the other dogs at these events, preferring to focus on treats from her new human friends! She even posed by a couple beautiful cars at Valley Imports!
We have attended a couple classes at Wags and she is so smart! Being treat motivated makes training a breeze! She aims to please for cheese!
She is fully potty trained, sleeps through the night and is content to stay in her kennel when we are gone.
Do you have room in your heart and home for this little sweetheart?!? Did I mention her wagging tail?!? When she is laying down, resting and one of her favorite people nears, she subtly exposes her belly and then you hear her tail start thumping! She is so excited to receive love and belly rubs from you she can’t control her tail! It’s adorable!
11/16/2023 Temporary Care Feedback: Michigan is a sweet girl that is waiting to find her forever home. She is a little shy at first, but once she knows that she can trust you she is so loyal and wants to be your best friend. She loves to go out and play and enjoys belly scratches. All she wants is someone to love her and make her feel safe! She will do the same for you!
09/08/2023 Foster Feedback: Meet Michigan, a well-mannered and affectionate companion. This sweet pup is not only potty trained but also kennel trained, making her a breeze to care for. She's a mixed bag when it comes to cats – while she's generally good with them, her playful instincts might lead to an occasional chase. At night, she peacefully sleeps in her kennel, ensuring a restful night for everyone. With other dogs, she's a friendly playmate, but it may take a little time for her to warm up to new furry friends, so slow introductions are key. Around people, she tends to be cautious initially, but once she trusts you, her loving nature shines through. Michigan can be a bit mouthy at times, a behavior that might not be suitable for very young children. Therefore, a home who can understand and work with her on this aspect of her behavior would be ideal. With the right guidance and patience, she's sure to become an even more delightful addition to your family, providing love and companionship for years to come.
To view additional dogs available for adoption, please see our website: www.4luvofdog.org
August 19, 2024, 10:55 pm
