MIKAELA

Female | 8 years old | 42 pounds | Low energy | Curious meeting dogs | No cats please, shows prey drive | Limited exposure to kids | From Mexico | Fostered in Toronto | Affectionate & gentle

Meet MIKAELA. This gal is as affectionate as they come and, with that in mind, will be asking for all the belly rubs and ear scratches you have to offer her! While playing isn’t her thing, socializing is, and when not busy with that, one of her preferred pastimes is alternating between napping spots.

Flexible in terms of her living environment, the one constant that MIKAELA requires (and enjoys!) is lots of naps. After the sun has gone down in the evening, she likes to stay all comfy-cozy in the warmth that the indoors offer. During her daytime walks, however, she’s all tail wags. 

Her foster family has been taking her for a few nice walks a day, and she’s been building up more stamina for them each time they go. MIKAELA finds joy in taking her time and sniffing all the smells. While she knows not to chase squirrels, it is still a love of hers, and sometimes the temptation can be too much! Note: She does show a prey drive, which means it’s best if she goes to a home with no cats.

With repetition, MIKAELA has been starting to understand the concept of boundaries, and overall, training is going well. House trained and sleeping through the night, MIKAELA is happy to chill on her own if you need to run some errands, using her crate during such time.

This scruff shows a calm interest in new people, though she’s still shy, and allowing her to approach in her own time has worked best. She has met one child in her current environment and was both calm and gentle when they approached her. With time and patience, MIKAELA becomes more comfortable with meeting larger dogs, and generally speaking, is curious when meeting other dogs.

We’d love for you to meet her! Apply to adopt.

KUMQUAT

Male | 3.5 months old | 20 pounds & growing | Medium energy | Good second dog | Hasn’t met kids or cats | Fostered in Aurora | Playful & rambunctious

KUMQUAT. A sunshiney, three-and-a-half-month-old pup, with a zesty little personality that rather perfectly reflects his name.

All playful puppy energy, KUMQUAT is the kind of scruff whose social nature would lend well to having a canine companion in the home. KUMQUAT’S curiosity often has him following his human companions around, if only to check out what it is that they’re doing. With other dogs, his intrigue is more present when passing dogs on walks.

The structured days that his foster family has laid out for him are what enable him to show off his best self. This scruff is smart, and he picks things up quickly. Case in point: both house training and, more recently, crate training have been going well. 

KUMQUAT has been enjoying playing indoors, especially since it’s been chilly out lately. One of his favourite toys to chew on is his Kong, which his foster family lovingly fills with treats. It’s the best! Outside, KUMQUAT has been getting the hang of leash walking. Every once in a while, he can pull a little when excited, but even when he does, he’s receptive to corrections.

Think you might like to bring this sunshiney pup home? Apply to adopt!

SINPA

Male | 8 years old | 56 pounds | Medium energy | Coexists with a dog | Hasn’t met kids or cats | From Mexico | Fostered in Brantford | Loves affection | Tripawd

Meet SINPA. 8 years old and looking for his furever, SINPA is the kind of scruff that loves affection from his humans and would spend every morning cuddling you if he could. Sound like the perfect match? We think so, yes!

He’s a tripawd (AKA tripod), meaning he’s got 3 out of the 4 legs that dogs typically have. Does this stop him from enjoying all the things he loves most in this world? Definitely not. With his medium energy level, SINPA has been getting the hang of leashed walks in particular and has already improved since being in foster care. 

Learning what his new routine looks like in Canada, SINPA over here has been decompressing while taking in his new surroundings and all the new sounds that come with that. His preferred activities include naps and sniffing all the best smells while out in the yard and during walks. What might he like in the future? We’re thinking scent games!

SINPA is learning to grow more comfortable living with his scruff brother, and when meeting other dogs, he’s often shy at first. In the same vein, he’s working on gaining more confidence while out on walks. The confidence he has built so far has given him more energy to pay attention to commands, which is major! 

He’s slowly but surely coming out of his shell. What’s going to really set him up for success is having a confident handler by his side who enforces structured routine on the daily in a leadership role. With some more recent guarding behaviours popping up, implementing boundaries will continue to be necessary, and obedience training will also be in his future!

If you think SINPA might be the scruff for you, we’d love for you to apply to adopt!

LURA

Female | 8 years old | 44 pounds | Medium energy | Needs slow, proper intros to dogs | Best with dog-savvy kids | No cats please, high prey drive | From Mexico | Fostered in Toronto | Excitable, curious & intelligent

She’s just a gal who loves her walks and chasing squirrels… and being with her humans, of course! Meet LURA. Highly affectionate, LURA enjoys being around her people and uses every chance she gets for pats and snuggles. On the flip side, she can be independent, easily entertaining herself with toys. The confidence she’s gained lately has encouraged her to come out of her shell, progressing from reserved and shy to playful and independent. Such progress!

At home, LURA has been busy learning new commands. Now and again, she might test a boundary. It’s important you reinforce them in such situations, as she thrives on structure, which is what rules provide. She’s a fast learner, and lately, LURA has also been improving on her leash walking skills and is always anticipating her next walk. Working through leash reactivity towards dogs and humans passing by, LURA has been receptive to her foster, who redirects her attention (typically towards treats!). Know that advocating for her space will continue to be necessary, though she’s made great progress. She coexists well with dogs after a slow introduction, though she’d likely do best as a solo dog in the home.

This gal loves to explore, which she does by checking out new walking routes and sniffing all the smells that she comes across in the neighbourhood. With her prey drive, you’ll likely find she’s interested in going after a squirrel or rabbit when outside, making it necessary to redirect her attention back to you while on a walk. She also happens to be a fan of tug (though her people have to play with her to get her really engaged), food puzzles, and structured downtime at the end of the day. Speaking of downtime - she is, in fact, very chill in the home.

LURA enjoys using her crate as her personal space for downtime and often uses it all on her own, doing well with a 9-5 schedule. On the whole, she’s well-suited to quieter home environments and would do just fine living with humans who work 9-5.

Keen to adopt? Apply today!

This dog is sponsored by PetSmart! This means their adoption process includes a visit to PetSmart’s Mississauga Lakeshore location to finalize the adoption. Adopters will receive an exclusive PetSmart adoption kit with $300 worth of coupons and special offers! Plus, adopting through PetSmart Charities helps support rewards and grants that benefit pets in need.

LURA will be a special guest at our upcoming adoption event on Saturday, October 25th from 11am - 2pm at Pet Valu in Hamilton (1550 Upper James St). Come meet her and see if she might be the right fit for you! Note: This event is only open to SOS adoptables. If you have your own scruff, we ask that you please leave them at home!