Knox
Long-haired Chihuahua Mix | male | 2 Years Old | 12 Lbs
QUICK FACTS: ✔️ Good with other dogs! ✔️ Crate trained! ✔️ Potty trained! ✔️ Can free roam when alone!
Knox found his family on 1/31/2023!
Updates
PUPDATE #3
Knox has been settling in these past few weeks and is very at home and comfortable in his surroundings. He is barking a lot less, even when he hears the neighbor's dogs barking. We have also had people over, and Knox did really well meeting strangers (adult women), he did bark initially when they came in and he was crated, but quieted down quickly. He even let other people hold him. Knox spent the long weekend at a sitter's, who had a 8 year old border collie - he seemed to do well with the slow introductions with lots of treats. He also met some of the sitter's neighbor's kids (4 years old) and was "friendly, curious, and relaxed" around them. He also took treats gently from them. The sitter also mentioned that Knox slept in his crate quietly through the night, and was very excited about his bedtime treat (we give him a dental chew in his crate every night before bedtime).
Knox has also been doing a lot better at walking on leash. Now that he's more familiar with his surroundings, he doesn't bark as much at unfamiliar sights and sounds. He has also shown improvement in car rides - if you let him ride shotgun he will lay there quietly (I like to put a blanket down for him to snuggle in). He just likes to be next to your side.
Knox had a vet check up on 1/18 to follow up on the back pain issue. He has been doing well since his visit to the emergency vet on 1/4; he has not shown any further signs of discomfort or pain. The vet at Precision could not make a definitive diagnosis without imaging (i.e. MRI), but thought he might be exhibiting symptoms of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). This is a common clinical disorder in dogs that can affect the neck and back, and is managed by avoiding stressful situations long-term (i.e. tug-of-war games, shaking toys, rough play, and jumping on/off furniture) and pain medication.
Despite the recent vet visits, Knox has remained in good spirits and is still looking for his forever home. He is a sweet and friendly cuddlebug who would love to meet you!
PUPDATE #2
Knox has been settling in wonderfully - he still likes to look out the window and growl at passers-by but overall less vocal than when we first got him. Yesterday when we took him out for a lunchtime walk, we noticed he was displaying some muscle weakness in his rear legs. We got him out for a walk, but a block later, he started stumbling and laid down. After a visit to the emergency vet, they determined he may have tweaked his back, probably from jumping on/off furniture. He is currently following doctor's orders of rest w/pain meds; we are keeping an eye on him for signs of improvement or if it gets worse. He was an absolute trooper during his vet visit and was not whining or crying at all during the four hours we were there. I also have discovered that if you let him ride in the passenger seat in the car he doesn't mind car rides as much.
PUPDATE #1
Knox wakes up whenever we do (around 6:30am). We take him on a short walk to potty. Since it's cold outside, and he has alopecia, he wears a coat whenever he needs to go out. Then he gets breakfast and lounges around until noon. We both work from home and he is generally quiet (he will bark if he hears another dog barking, or if something loud is happening outside). He gets another walk at noon, we play with him a little, and then he naps in his crate until the workday is over. We take him out for another short walk, feed him dinner, play with him (he likes to chase after stuffed toys) and then he cuddles and watches TV with us until bed time. Then he gets another walk to go potty, and goes in his crate for bedtime. He spends the night in his crate, although his previous foster said he liked to sleep on the bed with them.
Knox is a little shy with new people at first, but warms up pretty quickly. He is barky towards strangers he meets on walks.
He has not spent time with any children while with us; his previous foster had older pre-teens/teens that he did well with.
I would describe Knox as low-medium energy. He loves to cuddle and will try to get in your lap when you sit down; if you stand up and walk to a different room, he will follow you. If you have food, he is especially motivated to try to find out what it is you're eating, and if he can have some. He has been getting four short walks a day to potty (he doesn't like the cold and snow very much; he also doesn't like going outside if it's wet). I'm sure this would probably change if it was warmer out. He would probably do okay in a home without a yard.
Knox has what I like to call "little dog syndrome", where he tries to compensate for his small stature by talking smack to larger dogs (i.e. barking at them). When our resident dog, who weighs 5x as much as he does, corrects him - he likes to talk back. When he sees other dogs (or people) when we're out walking, he can also get a bit growly. However, if he actually meets other dogs on leash, he will hide behind you. Knox has not had exposure to cats in our care.
We've been crating Knox when we leave the house, generally because we have another dog and are unsure of how they would interact in our absence. Barring that circumstance, I would be comfortable leaving him uncrated if he were home alone. He has never chewed on anything he isn't supposed to, and his house training is pretty solid (no accidents since we've had him). That being said, I think he might bark a lot if left alone.
Knox is the sweetest boy and loves to be the main character. He loves being held and is okay with being picked up; doesn't love when you put clothes on him (I think he just doesn't like the initial part of putting something over his head) but tolerates wearing clothes well. He is a real diva who doesn't like to get wet and hates baths. He is super food motivated and not a picky eater at all. He has a skin condition (one vet has said alopecia (genetic) and another one thinks it might be allergies) which has resulted in hair loss along his back. He gets krill oil supplements and baths with a medicated shampoo. He would love a home where he is the center of attention!
