About Tippy

Tippy is a 3.5 year old female Chihuahua whose aging human parents could no longer care for her. Her human parents loved her very much, and she loved them, but it is time for her to find a home more suited to her needs. They loved to spoil her with treats and bites of their food, but could not give her the exercise a young Chihuahua needs, and now Tippy needs some help to drop weight and get back to the healthy active little girl she wants to be. She has been eating her new diet plan meals without complaint and enjoys snacking on healthy snap peas. She needs a home that is dedicated to help her lose her excess weight. She wants to live a long healthy happy life, and her weight loss will be a critical component of that. She has dropped two pounds since she moved into her foster home, and is already feeling much better with much more of that typical Chihuahua energy. Tippy is a love bug that is friendly to everyone she meets and has never shown aggression, though she will get nervous if somebody moves at her too fast or loud. She enjoys going for walks, but could use a little guidance on leash manners. She does respond very well to gentle correction and wants to be the best dog she can be, and once she is familiar with you and what you expect of her, she will be a wonderful companion. Her favorite things to do are cuddling with her people, getting belly rubs, and playing fetch with her tennis balls. Her previous owners were with her all day, and while she misses that attention, she has adjusted to being alone during the day while her foster mom works. Tippy is fully crate trained, just ask her to go home and she will hop right in. She would love to sleep in the big bed with you at night, but is also fine in her crate. She enjoys going places with you, but is not very used to car rides, so it would be best for her to ride in a crate until she gets the hang of it. Up until she moved into her foster home, Tippy had not been around other dogs or cats, so she had to adjust a little to not being the center of attention. Tippy now gets along fine with her two foster dog sisters, and while she went after the cat that lives in her foster home once, after being corrected, is no longer interested in the cat. Tippy would be fine with or without furry siblings. Tippy is very interested in the rabbits or squirrels in her foster mom's back yard and chases them. She will need a fenced in yard or to always be escorted out on a harness and leash for her own safety. Tippy will occasionally bark at a person passing by while she is out in the yard, but it is a gentle bark and she will stop if asked. Tippy becomes nervous when there are too many people, particularly if they are loud, which is understandable when most people's feet are bigger than you, but loves to meet new people in small calmer groups. She is a little frightened of small loud children, but has no problem with respectful older children. Due to her current weight, Tippy has a little trouble with steps and can't hop up and down off the sofa. She knows how, just can't manage it, but as her weight loss continues, she will be able to do it just fine. She can handle the two steps in and out the back door at her foster home, but more than that is hard for her. In the meantime, she has no problem being picked up and carried. If you are looking for a walking buddy, couch cuddle bug, and comical ball chaser, Tippy is the dog for you! If interested in Tippy, please complete an application found on our website www.gateway4paws.org and email to [email protected]. Only completed applications will be considered. All questions should be emailed to [email protected]

St. Clair County
O'Fallon, Illinois 62269