Greta came to Oregon Humane in January 2021 from Oklahoma. She tested positive for heartworm and underwent treatment for it over a three-month period while at OHS. We are pleased to report she is now heartworm free.
After being in the shelter for four months, our family decided to foster her in early May. Greta blossomed in our household. We’ve learned a lot about her in the time she has lived with us. As mentioned above, her DNA test showed her most predominant breeds are Chow Chow and Staffordshire Terrier. After speaking with others who have had Chows we think that this breed is what drives her personality traits. She does not solicit attention or affection (with some exceptions). She is gentle, mellow, and aloof and will usually move away when we try to approach her. When she is outside on walks she is much more outgoing and playful. She shows her affection in gentle ways such as a nuzzle on the leg, gently mouthing your hand while she walks along and even jumping up in a playful manner. She recently had a chance to experience the beach! She absolutely loved running on the sand, playing in the seafoam and playing with long pieces of kelp.
Greta would do best in a quiet household with another dog her size or smaller who is playful. She really wants a playmate. She likes to play with her toys and wants to play with other dogs. She would do best with children over the age of ten as she has shown some fear of small, noisy kids. She has no known experience with cats other than seeing them along her neighborhood walks where she looks at them curiously but does not attempt to chase them.
Greta is a champion at walking on leash. We have been using a Wonder Walker one-snap harness on her when she walks. She can be challenging to “catch” to get her harness on but once it is, she is excited about going. She does not pull on her leash, bark or react to other dogs, or become frightened when other dogs bark or she sees or hears everyday city sights or sounds. We have exposed her to walkers, joggers, bicycles, skateboards, scooters on her walks as well as cars, motorcycles and big trucks and busses. Nothing has caused her to “freak out.”
She likes two or three short walks a day, mainly to encourage her to potty outside. She spends a lot of time sniffing and stopping to look at people and other dogs. While she has lived with us, she has been recovering from Heartworm disease and has had to have limited exercise. She started walking with us in July, only a few blocks at a time. She has now worked up to a two mile (60 minute) walk and loves every minute of it. I know she would love to accompany you on hikes or walking on the beach.
She is not very experienced riding in the car, but she has learned to jump into the back seat after she watched my dogs demonstrate a few times. Once she is in, she is calm and has laid down in the back seat during the drive. We have taken her to the Columbia River when she was not hesitant to wade into the shallow water following my dogs.
Greta does not use her crate as a “safe place” and is not a big fan of it. She will go into her crate only with assistance from me. Once she is inside, she is not bothered being in it and does not bark, cry, or get anxious or try to escape. She just lays down in it.
She is particular about a few things. She doesn’t like to eat or drink from metal bowls. Plastic is preferred. She is not food motivated which makes training more challenging. Greta prefers to eat her kibble dry with no water or wet food on it. She seems to prefer to eat her kibble at night when no one is around. She loves to play with her toys but only when everyone has gone to bed and she is all by herself. (I watch her via a baby cam.)
Greta is essentially potty trained but it’s possible she could have “accidents” in a new household until a routine is established for her. She is good at targeting her potty pads in the house and she can hold her bladder for 12 hours. The key to getting her to potty outside is to put her on leash and walk her. We give her regular access to our grassy back yard during the day.
When Greta finds a new home, her new family should not be surprised if it takes her a month or more before she begins to trust them and she warm up to them. Persistence patience is key for Greta. She will need a quiet “safe spot” in the house where she feels comfortable and can be by herself. She spends most of the day laying down but awake in her safe spot. Check out her bio HERE!