Willow is very bonded to Hazel and they must be adopted together.
Willow and Hazel's foster home is a calm adult-only home, without dogs or cats. Because their history is not fully known, they may need slow, thoughtful introductions to new people, children, and other animals. In their prior home they were ok with cats.
Willow and her sister would continue to thrive in a calm, structured and predictable environment with owners committed to helping them build confidence. Willow had not previously received focused potty-training support, but she is making excellent progress in her foster home. She currently goes outside every 2–3 hours during the day and is already sleeping through the night with a consistent routine. Willow is highly treat motivated, which has helped tremendously with potty training, and responds well to praise and positive reinforcement. She is very playful, affectionate, and knows several basic commands and words; sit, down, off, up, leave-it/drop-it, go potty, treats, crate (w/treats) kiss, breakfast/dinner. Continued training, such as puppy socialization, puppy classes, or nose work, along with close supervision and clear initial boundaries, will help set her up for success. Willow and Hazel are excited for car rides and enjoy going places. She is free roaming with watchful supervision while still learning house rules.
NOTES FROM WILLOW:
My People and Alone Time My foster family works from home, and when my foster mom leaves, my sister and I have shown some separation anxiety. I bond closely with my humans, so limited alone time, a predictable routine, and gentle reassurance that they will always come back will help me feel safe and settle in. I should be supervised when playing with stuffies or rope toys. Since I am still a puppy and may chew when bored, gentle redirection and correction help me learn.
Playtime and Walks I love my mini-Kong tennis balls so much and I’m happiest when someone throws the ball for me to fetch. I’m getting good at catching it on the bounce! I love to run, play and sniff in a securely fenced yard. I like to watch birds, squirrels and bunnies-sometimes I run after them thinking they want to play too. I also enjoy shorter quiet trail walks and shaded park visits, especially when I can walk side by side with my sister. I like my harness and I’m doing well walking on a leash. My sister and I love playing with stuffies and balls, and sometimes we just like to wrestle with each other. I’m usually the one who starts wrestling and playtime. We may have a little friendly sisterly rivalry over toys and food, but I don’t resource guard—it’s all in fun.
Rest and Affection I have so much puppy energy that sometimes I need a mandatory rest break. I happily rest with my sister in our large wire kennel for short periods of time and then I’m ready to play again. I prefer to sleep close to my humans at night. I love giving kisses, snuggling and being with my humans. I also like to stay close to my sister and can usually be found wherever she is.
