"Lucky"

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Overview:

• Arrived in NZCR care: 25/10/2024
• Date of Birth: 11/07/2021
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Chihuahua - Smooth Coat
• Desexed: Yes
• Micro-chipped: No - to be completed.
• Registered with NZCAR: TBC.
• Vaccinated: Yes
• DogsNZ (NZKC): No
• Council Registered: Yes - Christchurch City Council.
• Cat Friendly: Yes - dog confident cats
• Child Friendly: Yes - 6 years or older.
• Human Sociable: Yes.
• Dog Sociable: Yes.

* TBC = "To be confirmed" 

Background:

• Lucky came into care with her parents, Joey and Narla, alongside two sisters, Gwen and Poppy. Each dog is with a separate foster parent, and we anticipate they will be adopted individually (at this stage).

• Lucky's former owner described her as: "Social with other dogs. Lucky was the baby of our family, she gets carried around by my 5-year-old child everywhere! Lucky loves children. Lucky is a cheeky girl just like her dad Joey... She’s very boisterous but loves being cuddled like a baby (literally!) she’s quite barky when she first meets people but once she knows who you are she just wants picked up.”

• During her time in foster care, we will begin working on Lucky barking when strangers arrive, although she is said to calm down once she meets them.

• Lucky is said to be toilet-trained and able to use pee-pads. However, all 5 dogs have been living outside for a while so we will reintroduce and reinforce their toilet training.

• All 5 dogs have lived in a home with six children and a large breed dog. They've not been tested with cats or lived with any at their prior home. Lucky will be fostered by a couple and their older (tween age) children, plus two small breed dogs.

Personality:

• Lucky really just wants to be loved! She is a generally social little dog who enjoys cuddling up next to her person and following you around.

• Lucky’s foster mum says, “Lucky is very food motivated, so that makes it easier to persuade her to do things. She responds better to being called/lead rather than being told/pushed. You definitely have to lead by example instead of instructing her. She's also not happy if you pick her up and take her to wherever, and would rather walk herself there.”

• Like her father Joey, Lucky does think food gets dished out in bulk rather than individually, so will try to eat other dog's food once she finishes her own. But this is something she's learning not to do. Lucky has decreased her possessiveness, except for the initial growling. She's more scared of being hurt by other dogs than possessive of her spot/toy/food. Lucky, like her sisters, and will need someone confident to continue working on this with her.

• Lucky will need a well-fenced home as her foster mum tells us, “Lucky is crafty - any gaps in any fence if she's motivated to. She's worked out how to get into the chicken coop to eat their leftovers. She's not interested in eating the actual chickens though, so that's good.”

• Lucky’s foster mum states: “I think the biggest thing an adopter needs to realize is Lucky may be 3 years old, but she's more like a 7-9 month old. She's stunted in her emotional/mental maturity.  It seems she wants to please you, but has no idea how. Barely knows sit, can't contain herself when excited, has no clue she can't just help herself to whatever she wants. But she's learning and will continue, with patience and understanding.”

• Lucky would be a great companion for someone active who is also able to refine her training and provide her with plenty of stimulation. She may not be a match for someone older, given her energy levels and need for stimulation.

• Lucky can be possessive of “her” human, and this can cause conflict with other dogs. We are working on this behaviour, but her Adopter will need to be aware of it and continue her training. It is particularly important to note this if you have other dogs in the home. If they too are an affectionate dog who likes a lot of attention, it won’t be a match for Lucky.

• Lucky is very energetic. She loves to do zoomies and play. Sometimes her energetic nature is too bold for other dogs. For example, a  non-possessive, playful, younger, active, small breed dog would be her best fit. Lucky isn’t suitable for an older, grumpier dog who enjoys sleep and space.

• Ideally, Lucky will find a dog she is compatible with in her new home to give her someone to play with. Lucky might be ok as an only dog, but would need regular social time with others and to be kept busy by her owner.

• Lucky has now been cat tested and has passed with flying colours. She was totally uninterested in them initially, now she's trying to make friends with them.

Health: 

• Lucky was desexed on 14.11.2024. She recovered quickly and without issues. Lucky has had her veterinary assessment and is signed off as medically fit for adoption!

• Lucky will need to be desexed, microchipped and vaccinated prior to adoption.

• Note: All dogs from NZCR are adopted only after being medically cleared by our vet, desexed, vaccinated, microchipped (registered with the NZ Companion Animal Register and local Council), and treated for fleas and worms.

Adopter Requirements: 

• Ideally, a local Canterbury home is preferable. However, if an  Applicant fits ALL of the below criteria except for the location, we  would still be willing to consider out of town applicants for her.

• Lucky is fine left home alone for a couple of hours. However, she is a companion dog and would not suit being left for extended periods (without human companionship). Such as full time work hours for example. Lucky needs an adopter who is either working from home, able to take her to their workplace regularly (eventually after a settling in period) or who works part time.

• Lucky is best suited to aan active family or active adopter - she has plenty of energy and is very adventurous. 

• It is very important that any dogs in the home need to be suitable for her personality (see above). She will need an energetic companion, who is laid back and not posessive of their person, as Lucky has been known to start conflict over "her" human.

• Lucky needs an adopter who has some dog-training knowledge and is able to continue building her confidence and working on her possessiveness.

• Poppy needs a home with secure fencing in the backyard area for toileting.

• Children: aged 7+ years or older would be fine, provided they are  experienced with having a dog in their home and able to give her space as needed.

• Cats - fine with cats who are confident and have lived with dogs prior.

Before applying to adopt, please ensure you meet the adopter requirements listed above. These guidelines are set with the dogs' needs in mind, based on input from foster carers. If you do not meet these requirements, your application will be declined as there are no exceptions. Please review the criteria carefully. Thank you! 

Adoption Fee: $600.00 to be paid to the NZCR trust account no. 03-0823-0074502-000 

Our adoption fees reflect the dog’s age, health, and care needs. They cover microchipping (NZCAR registration), vaccinations, de-sexing, current-year council registration, and any necessary treatments, including flea/worm treatments, medications, surgeries (e.g., dental), and food. Payment plans are not available, as adopters must show financial readiness for the expense that comes with pet ownership. Click below for more details on our adoption process.