My mom calls me Gingerbread because she says I am so sweet! 

Ginger is 5 years old, 18 lbs., short and stocky.

Ginger terrified of people when she first came to rescue.  Her foster mom needed to keep a leash on her just to catch her.  She is still afraid of people but is getting better at being picked up and will still flatten to the ground eventually to be picked up.   She absolutely needs a securely fenced yard as do all of our rescues.  She needs to be carried down the front steps to go outside but has learned to come up the steps.    She is still working on housebreaking and will not ask to go out so it is up to her adopter to continue to bring her out regularly until she learns the new routine or watch for the signs that indicate she needs to go out.   She has recently started taking treats from foster mom’s hand and joining her canine siblings at treat time.  That is huge progress for her.  She may never be a lap dog.  She needs someone to continue to be patient and give her space to gain confidence.  She must be in a home with another Cavalier because she is very familiar with them and comfortable with her breed.  She must have been a good mother because she is very tolerant of a young puppy in the home (Harry, the hairless puppy) and is very gentle when playing with him.  She chases him around, tail wagging, clearly enjoying him. Harry brings out the playful side of her.   She would not be happy in a very active home or with young children since she startles easily.  She must have patience and space.  She is not leash trained yet because she is so fearful. 

If you can be patient, not expect too much and appreciate every small bit of progress she makes, she will bring joy to your life. Seeing a timid girl come out of her shell is very rewarding.  It is obvious she wants to trust but just hasn’t had the opportunity to do that in her life so far.  This is new to her.  She will bark when there are sudden noises and activity. Surprisingly, she is not afraid of household noises or activities like the vacuum cleaner.  She’ll follow her mom around when she is vacuuming.  She is also curious about new things and likes to investigate what is going on at a distance.  Overcoming her fear of people is her biggest challenge.

Medically, she is in good condition.  She does not have many teeth left but it was obvious that she had dental care at her breeding facility. She did not need many extractions when she was spayed so she had some dental care in her previous life, even though she had several teeth missing.  She is up to date on vaccinations, HW negative and has a microchip. 

She is being fostered in Maine.  We will not support a lengthy long distant adoption.  We do not ship dogs on planes.  Please complete an application, read the entire bio, then contact Mary Coyne, mary401339@aol.com of your interest.