Sweet, petite Elise is a lovely little lady that was released from a commercial breeder into our care.  She is approximately 5 years old and in good health.  When Elise arrived in foster care she was quite shy. She liked to be near the other dogs and snuggle up with them, but she wasn’t so sure about humans.  When approached, Elise would be very nervous, but she would wag her tail and she didn’t run away.  If you approached slowly and calmly, she would allow herself to be pet.  Elise quickly realized that ear rubs, and chin scratches are wonderful and soon welcomed the affection.  She would close her eyes and lay her head into your hand as she enjoyed a good ear rub.  As some time passed, Elise started to gain a little confidence as she watched the other dogs in the house seek out affection and she soon started to join the group when foster mom would sit on the floor to offer love to everyone. 

Elise has done beautifully with housebreaking and if she is regularly taken outside, there are no accidents at all.  She is still too timid to walk out the door on her own, so she must be carried outside. Once outside, she will walk in the door on her own when it is held open for her when she has finished. Elise sleeps well at night in her crate without a sound, but she is an early riser. She will bark once she is awake at about 6 am and want to be let outside.  Elise finds comfort in her crate and will often go to her crate during the day to nap in her safe space.  She also loves to pile in a dog bed with the other dogs and snuggle up with them for comfort.

Elise is absolutely adorable and a tiny little girl at only 11 lbs.  It is tempting to want to just scoop her up and cuddle her because she looks like a little puppy, but she needs an owner that will be able to resist all the cuteness and give her time to adjust to her new life and to learn to trust her future family.  Given a little time, based on the progress we have seen during her time in foster care, we feel she will eventually enjoy lots of affection and cuddling with her family, but she needs the time and space to decide on her own when she will be ready for that. 

Elise was recently spayed and had a dental where she had 16 teeth removed.  She is feeling so much better now and starting to show even more of her personality now that her mouth isn’t so sore.  She is also up to date on all vaccinations and heartworm negative. 

An ideal family for Elise will be a calm household with patient, gentle owners.  Young children would be too overwhelming for her, but gentle teenagers would be fine.  Elise really relies on the other dogs in her foster home not only for comfort, but for cues on social behavior and how to feel safe with humans.  Therefore, there must be at least one other friendly, social dog in the household who will not mind Elise snuggling up to them when sleeping. 

A securely fenced yard is a must, no exceptions.  Please be aware that we consider those who live within a reasonable distance of her location in CT.  We do not ship dogs, use transport services or put them on planes.  Please complete an application if you are interested so we know something about you, then contact Mary Coyne, mary401339@aol.com of your interest.