"Poppy" (1)

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   eOverview:

• Arrived in NZCR care: 25/10/2024
• Date of Birth: 11/07/2021
• Gender: Female
• Breed: Chihuahua - Smooth Coat
• De-Sexed: Yes.
• Micro-chipped: Yes.
• Registered with NZCAR: Yes.
• Vaccinated: Yes.
• DogsNZ (NZKC): No
• Council Registered: Yes - Christchurch City Council.
• Cat Friendly: Unknown.
• Child Friendly: 7 years and older.
• Human Sociable: Yes, with support (read more below)
• Dog Sociable: Yes -small breed dogs.
• TBC = "To be confirmed"

Background:

• Poppy came into NZ Chihuahua Rescue care with her parents, Joey and Narla, alongside two sisters, Gwen and Lucky. Each dog is with a seperate foster parent and we anticipate they will be adopted individually (at this stage). Poppy's former owner described her as: "Poppy  is just like her mum Narla, she can be shy but loves to be a baby.”  

Personality and Behaviour:

• Poppy is a sweet little do who will make a great companion for someone after a bit of patience, time and training. Poppy is a sweet, sensitive little dog, who loves attention. She enjoys being snuggled up on your lap most - she really, really loves cuddles! 

• Poppy is very human-orientated and happy to spend time with you - whether thats at home and cuddling on the couch, or heading out for a walk. Care must be taken not to overwhelm her with too much too soon, by touching her alot or expecting her to meet new dogs and new people right away.

• Poppy is a medium energy level dog. She breaks out in zoomies, plays with toys, and initiates play with other dogs in her foster home. But she's also often found sunbathing outside. You can often find her laying in her favourite place - on the raised dog bed outside, while enjoying the sun rays in our conservatory.

• Poppy is clever and highly food motivated, but also very eager to please which makes her great to train. As a diamond in the rough, Poppy would benefit from obedience or being taught simple commands with her new adopter (as this will help to build trust, gain confidence) With the right guidance, consistency, patience and positive reinforcement, Poppy picks up new skills or commands very quickly. 

• Giving Poppy patience within her first few days is essential. But equally important is establishing the "house rules" from the outset so she knows what is expected of her Initially, when she came into foster care she was very wary and used to living outside. We would reocmmend her adopter empooy the same strict toilet routine initially, place her outside and shut the door, letting her know she cannot return inside unless she has done what was expected. Treat her for "toilets" and she will learn quickly. Poppy has a tendency to "hold on" initially in a new enviroment. Once we established the toiletzone in foster care - she's been great. Poppy will happily take herself off to the backyard if our door is open, come back in again without trouble now without issue. 

• While Poppy is great once she knows you, she will continue to require socialisation. Poppy will require assistance building her confidence and social skills around both other dogs and humans. Poppy has a tendancy to be anxious (when not with her person) so it's crucial to treat her as "normal" as possible, even when she seems fearful. Setting boundaries and expectations will help build her trust and set her up for success. Poppy does tend to prefer females over males, she did have a prior male owner.

• As with many rescue dogs, Poppy, Narla, Gwen and Lucky can display some possessiveness around food, toys, space, or people—especially if feeling uncertain or overstimulated. This is manageable with clear boundaries, ongoing training, and consistent structure. Any existing dogs in the home should be well-socialised and not reactive to resource guarding behaviours. We recommend supervised interactions, crated  mealtimes to prevent disputes or when high-value items are around (ie. treats) while she continues to build trust and security in her new environment. They have come along way in care with socialisation and training and we want to ensure they only continue to improve.

• Poppy is trained to eat in her crate and uses a puzzle bowl. Poppy exhibits food-posessive behaviours, likely due to her high food drive and living with 5-6 other dogs prior. Poppy will upset other dogs by trying to "steal" their food or cause a dispute by guarding her own chew toys, food and treats. Even her possum tails or cow hoof. This is easily managed by making sure we address the behaviour if it begins + ensuring she is fed within her crate and only has her treats when she is on her own. This is the routine Poppy is used to now and she knows "go to bed". Her favourite toys or treats are possum tails or hooves. But make sure she doesn't have treats around other dogs as she can be posessive of them! over time this has eased off, hopefully with continued reinforcement it can be removed.

• Poppy is submissive to humans, often rolling onto her back, or seeking reassurance through excessive licking. While this may appear sweet, it’s actually a sign of her insecurity and a behaviour we discourage. It is important to remember that Poppy does this to appease you, not to show affection and it is not a healthy behaviour to encourage as it only reinforces her anxieties long term.

• Poppy has always lived with other Chihuahuas and is currently in a foster home with three Chihuahuas and two Griffons. While her social skills are still developing, she has integrated well into the group and has recently started engaging in play.
• She should be introduced to other dogs slowly and with supervision, but once settled, she enjoys the company of small dogs and is happy to share space with them. We believe she would do best paired with another small breed of similar age and medium energy—ideally a dog that respects her space and allows her one-on-one cuddle time with her human. 

• Poppy loves “her humans” but she can become possessive of your space and lash out if other dogs approach you while she is on your lap, this is behaviour we are working on presently. Again with consistency and rules, this behavior continues to improve. We want to ensure her Adopter doesn't reinforce any "jealousy" which can lead to long term behavioural issues.

• Poppy needs a patient and supportive owner who is willing to allow her to grow at her own pace as her biggest challenge is her confidence, especially in new situations. Her experience in the world so far has been limited and she needs ongoing support with socialization also. This will continue to be a journey for her eventual Adopter to build upon which means that Poppy needs an owner knowledgeable about dogs and their behaviour. Someone who knows how to work on the unwanted behaviours, rather than reinforce them unintentionally.

• Poppy is getting used to walks in the outside world, the noises affect her but she is gaining confidence. For the first 6 months atleast Poppy shouldnt be put in a position where she’s taken to somwhere where she might be overwhelmed by loud noises, strangers or people trying to touch her. This is when she can become fearful and reactive.

Note: The "type" of owner picked for Poppy will be crucial in determining her future progress. It is essential Poppy is paired with the right adopter. We need to ensure Poppy continues to build her confidence by finding an owner who has dog knowlege and won't reinforce her insecurities (see more above) Poppy wouldn’t be suitable for first-time dog owners, or those purely looking for a companion for an existing dog. Poppy is a diamond in the rough - requiring someone to put effort into shining her, in exchange for years of love and loyalty.

Health: 

Poppy had her initial vet check and assessment on 30.10.2024. She was brought up to date with vaccinations, and we’ve addressed the itchiness and stomach sensitivity she came into care with.

When Poppy first arrived, she was underweight and treated for stomach ulcers. While she’s recovered well and not prone to any specific gastro issues, feeding the wrong food can quickly lead to vomiting and discomfort. So consistency with her diet is essential. Poppy has a sensitive tummy— and does best on a chicken-based treat + "Hill's Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Dry Dog food (the kibble version specifically - click HERE to view it). We initially trialled the canned version— but she struggled to maintain weight on it. No issues with her eating this either – she loves it!

Poppy has clear eyes, a healthy heart, and excellent teeth. One knee has low-grade patella luxation (the other is normal), which is common in small breeds and not currently causing her any issues. Poppy was desexed on 14.11.2024 and is now ready to find her forever home.

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 pereferable. 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.

• Poppy needs a home with secure fencing in the backyard area for toileting. Due to her anxiety, if she were to escape your property - it would be a disaster to re-capture her and incredibly unsafe.

• Daytime companionship: Poppy simply wouldn't be suitable for a full-time (out of home) worker or anyone out of the home for several hours each weekday. Note: Poppy would be great for someone retired yet active, someone who is working from home, or works from a quiet office/workplace. But Poppy shouldnt be put in a position where she’s taken to a workplace and overwhelmed by loud noises, strangers or people trying to touch her. This is when she can become fearful and reactive. It is crucial to understand that while Poppy may eventually enjoy going to work with you, it is unfair to expect this of her right away. Poppy already has to adjust to new people in your household, a new routine, new home environment AND then you are adding a new work environment and strangers on top of the others. This is a lot of overwhelming change and stimulus for any dog.

• Children: aged 7+ years or older would be fine, provided they are experienced with having a dog and aware of respecting Poppy's space. We don't think she would enjoy a busy loud enviroment with young children. The noise would be likely to overhwelm and scare her.

•  Other dogs: Poppy would benefit with at least one other Chihuahua in the home who is similar in energy level and personality. But the dog must be able to respect her personal space and not reactive to resource guarding behaviours. 

• If adopted as a solo dog, care must be taken to ensure Poppy does not develop separation anxiety. While it’s tempting to take her everywhere to make sure she isn’t anxious when left at home - long term this only increases her fear and creates a larger issue.  It is important for Poppy to learn that she can feel safe and secure even when she’s not constantly with a human.Poppy needs gentle, consistent opportunities to learn that she’s safe and secure even when not constantly by your side. It’s important to support her in developing independence. While it can be tempting to take her everywhere, this can actually increase separation anxiety in the long run. 

• Cats: Poppy has not been tested with cats prior. Any cat anticipated to be paired with her would need to be very confident and have lived with dogs prior. This would be tested at a meet/greet.

• An adopter able to meet the additional cost of the specialist kibble Poppy requires to remain healthy. It is a vet specialist diet ("Hill's Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome Dry Dog food") and around $112.00 for 3.6kg (but this lasts her months!) 

Note: 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 

Note: 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.