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Mitzie Steele: Notes on a foster dog

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Mitzie is an Australian Shepherd / Cattle Dog mix rescued from the Mountain City TN Animal Shelter where she was about to be put down. I understand that the manager there called Steele Away Home and said, “PLEASE help me save this one.” One of our fosters drove two hours to pick her up. But once she got Mitzie home, it was obvious that it wasn’t going to work because Mitzie has a high prey drive and was after the cat and the chickens. So, here she is, at Piney Mountain.

Last updated: Aug. 6, 2018

Base Info:

  • Arrival date: July 17, 2018
  • Breed: Australian Shepherd Mix
  • Sex: Female
  • Age: @ 1 year
  • Weight: @50
  • Spay/Neutered: Yes
  • General Health: Excellent
  • Temperament: High energy when playing, but sweet and attentive, even a little clingy, when calm. Brilliantly smart!
  • Gets Along with Dogs: Defensive-aggressive at first, especially if she is confined and the others are not. Playful and open once she’s settled in. May be too energetic for some small dogs.
  • Gets Along with People: Yes
  • Housebroken/Crate Trained: Yes

History

Surrendered to an animal shelter by her owner because the family was moving.

Transported to A Pathway to Hope on Aug. 3, 2018 for adoption.

Known Issues & Progress

High prey drive: cannot be trusted around cats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, or small wildebeests. This may have been misinterpreted: Mitzie loves to CHASE things, but may not be as focused on killing them as was thought. Still, I advise caution in this area.

High energy, she needs space to run. Walking on a leash is not sufficient all the time. She will walk on a leash, but is accustomed to being able to run.

Mitzie has a routine (hers not mine) of needing to get out in the yard at meal times (we feed at 7:00 am and 6:00 pm) so she can walk or run for 5 to 10 minutes and have a bowel movement. THEN she will return and be ready to eat. If I just give her her dish of kibble, she’ll sniff it, walk away, and refuse to eat until she gets her constitutional.

Mitzie has recovered well from her spay surgery and is again playful and happy.

Gallery

In roughly chronological order, newest at the bottom. Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Some pictures are linked to Doggy Tales or videos about Mitzie, click those to open the related story.

 

Mitzie
Yes, you may pet me.

Getting used to Rainy

I *like* this bouncy thing!

A first good look at Mitzie (vid)

(Video)

Blondie teaches Mitzie to play nicely.

Mitzie is fussy about toys, but she LIKES this one!

Mitzie and Dani get loud sometimes, but are mostly peaceful.

One last play session for these two friends.
 . . .
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Mya Steele: Notes on a foster dog