If you come to this dance hoping to meet a bunch of cuties and hotties and whatnot, let us just say that you will not get two feet onto that checkered floor before you are gently but quite decidedly swept away by Cranberry. This lovely, friendly girl will tap you with her feather-light legs, stare at you with her big eyes, and next thing you know, the two of you will be spinning in slo-mo, and she’ll be your favorite thing ever.
Here’s some notes from her foster:
HANDS DOWN, Cranberry is one of the easiest & kindest dogs I’ve ever fostered! Cranberry is a shy, quiet, & peaceful dog that loves to be in the presence of people and always seems grateful to be safe and sound now that she’s off the streets. Currently, I work from home and so far Cranberry has been very easygoing by sleeping in her bed while I work, only getting up when she wants a nice cuddle or pet. Once she’s content, she goes back to sleep and waits for you to be done with whatever you’re doing. When I’m done with work, I usually go to the couch to watch TV and that’s Cranberry’s cue to jump onto the couch with me and sit by me to get pets and nuzzle with her hooman. She’s a quiet gal for the most part. The only noises I’ve heard her make are little whines when she wants you to pet her. At the moment, I can tell her confidence is a bit shot since she was a stray and lost on the streets of SF, but I can feel & see her confidence grow each day by letting her know everything is ok and her life is now taking a turn for the better. Around people, she is very polite and inquisitive by approaching everyone very quietly asking for a pet or belly rub. I have yet to hear her bark and so far, she has very little triggers that I can tell of. Usually, my fosters are triggered by strange noises or strangers, but little ol’ Cranberry is pretty much unfazed!
Around other dogs, she is as polite with them as with her people. She isn’t aggressive at all and will politely approach any dog to say hi. If the dog isn’t feeling her, she backs off and continues on her way. She did bark once at a young, big, energetic dog. So maybe young big puppies aren’t her thing. Around my parents’ dog (another chihuahua), she was very kind and respectful of him. The only odd thing about her so far is that she won’t eat out of her bowl and will only eat her food hand-fed. Usually, this is a confidence thing, so over time, this should improve once she feels safe and secure. She did exhibit some separation distress when I left the apartment. My roommate reported some extended whimpering and light howling, nothing too loud. But again, this looks like a confidence issue since she probably doesn’t want to lose her hooman again. She does have some bad breath because of some dental disease, but she will be having her dental work soon which should cure that ‘fun’ smell.
All in all, Cranberry is one of the kindest dogs you’ll ever meet and you wouldn’t even know she was 12! She walks fine and can handle stairs very easily. All she wants is a nice quiet place she can call home!
