About Peony

PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS: Peony is a young, energetic female. Fenced yard and a plan for exercise. Peony is great with other dogs, and children, but hates cats. PEONY'S STORY: Peony is as sweet as the flower she is named after, and her sweet personality makes her as popular as the flower, too! Peonies are among the most popular garden plants in many gardens throughout the country. Her foster mom is very smitten with Peony and feels very lucky to have the opportunity to spend time with this special girl. As you may notice from her pictures, Peony may not look like a full-bred GSP. That's because we're reasonably sure she isn't. We believe she is either a GSP/Chocolate Lab mix, or even a pure-bred Chocolate Lab. There was some confusion about her breed background when Illinois Shorthair Rescue was contacted to take her in as one of our rescues. Believing her to be a GSP/mix and based on the very positive information we received about her personality and disposition, ISR was more than happy to grab onto her, feeling we'd have no problem finding a fantastic home for this sweet girl. Peony is a beautiful solid liver/chocolate colored spayed female who is approximately 4 years old. She's playful, energetic, well-behaved, and loves playing with other dogs (see video link under her picture). Not only are other dogs readily accepted by Peony, but she's just as charming when she's with people, too. She's a very social girl which is apparent in her mannerisms and demeanor as she plays and spends time with her 'pack', human and dog alike. She already knows the basic commands of 'sit' and 'come' and is smart enough to learn new ones with a little time and training. Peony loves to go on long walks; she pulls slightly while on leash, but not terribly and is very manageable. She is crate-trained, but like many dogs, she prefers not to be in her crate; her social behaviors and characteristics win the 'battle' over the crate. She much prefers being with her people and/or doggy playmates instead of being crated; however, she doesn't experience separation anxiety or put up a horrible fuss if she must be crated. Peony is extremely gentle when taking treats from your hand. She hasn't shown any food or toy aggression and she loves playing with Kongs filled with kibble and/or peanut butter. Her foster mom believes Peony may have been around children in the past because she's extremely gentle in almost every interaction she has with people. Because of her gentleness and overall loving personality, we think Peony will probably be a good dog with children, however, since being with ISR, she hasn't had the opportunity to interact with children. Peony has a very strong dislike for cats, her foster mom even used the 'H' word when describing Peony's reaction toward cats. She said, 'Peony hates cats, even pictures of cats.' Wow - even pictures. Now that's one smart dog. Not smart because she hates cats, but because she can recognize a cat from a picture. Peony enjoys car rides and loves looking out the windows as the scenery rolls by. If you're planning to take her on a car ride, you'd best be vigilant and quick if you don't want her sitting right next to you in the passenger front seat. She thinks that seat is for her if it isn't occupied. If she does manage to make it to that spot, she'll sit there like a human, taking in the scenery, feeling very special and 'human-like'. And, may we add, a very well-behaved passenger, too. All in all, Peony is a wonderful girl and will make a delightful addition to any family. Adults, kids, dogs, just not cats. If you're considering adopting our sweet Peony, maybe these parting words will help you decide. According to the History and Meaning of Peonies from Proflowers.com, 'Nothing will lift someone's spirits or bring a smile to your loved one's face like a bouquet of peonies.' Even though our Peony is only one flower, she has the personality and beauty of an entire bouquet! If you are interested in Peony, please read about our adoption process at www.ilshorthairrescue.com and then complete the online application.

Midland County
Michigan