Update 7-25-24: We’ve received several promising applications for this pup so aren’t taking more for now. Thank you!
Clara is an approximately one year old, Ruby female with a very thin faint blaze, petite frame, and a very soft and short coat. Clara is very sweet with a happy nature, and she is smart and learns quickly. She is a very bonded, velcro Cavalier with her foster mom (and will bond quickly with her new family), but she is also able to play independently and is social with other small dogs. Clara is gaining confidence every day in her new life.
Clara is very timid when first meeting new people. With encouragement, she will follow humans and obviously desires petting and affection. It helps for people to get on the floor on her level for first meeting. If picked up and petted, she will settle on a lap and soak up the love and attention.
Clara immediately bonded with her foster mom and two foster siblings. She will quickly and easily give her heart again given the same affection and attention. Clara dearly loves toys and playing with them. She plays chase and gentle tug of war games with her foster Cavalier brother and sister. If foster mom is busy with chores, Clara will entertain herself with toys quite readily for long periods of time or will curl up and nap with the other Cavaliers.
Clara is well on her way to becoming reliably house trained. She quickly followed the other dogs in eliminating outside, and she is taken out first thing in the morning and last time before bed, after meals and waking up from naps, and every few hours in between. There have been a few mistakes but she understands the concept and should quickly be well trained. She is beginning leash training, and foster mom lets her wander on leash (with mom following) as a start before directing her path. She understands verbal corrections such as “Hey” and “No” and then follows direction to a better alternate behavior. She is starting to learn “sit” and basic commands. Treats are good motivation, and she wants to please.
Clara is crate trained in her foster home, sometimes sharing a large crate or in a crate alone next to the other crated dogs when mom leaves for an errand. She eagerly goes into her crate for a treat. Maximum time without a human has been about five hours. When mom works in her home office, Clara will often nap in her crate with open door. She sometimes barks/cries when foster mom leaves or is out of sight, but that is improving as she learns that mom will return. An apartment or condo with shared walls is not ideal.
Clara’s foster mom is retired and lives alone, so Clara has a leisurely, quiet lifestyle. She has a very large, securely fenced yard, and she is very active and spends hours running in the yard and playing. She also takes frequent long naps and plays inside with her greatly loved toys for hours. At the start, Clara would hide under the sofa or go to her crate when guests visited but she now stays in the same room with family and visitors either in a chair with foster mom or a chair with another dog. This people shyness will improve with time as Clara very much wants to be social and part of the fun. Her two foster siblings are both very social, and she is building her confidence and following their lead.
Clara eats 1/3 cup dry dog food with a heaping tablespoon of wet dog food twice a day. She loves her meals and cleans her bowl quickly. She eats in the kitchen with the other two dogs with mom making sure everyone is polite and behaves well. She gets small treats frequently for going into the kennel, pottying outside, etc.
Clara has a soft (barely grade I) left-sided heart murmur that was confirmed by two different veterinarians which will need to be monitored. She has been spayed, had a hernia repair and is current on all of her vaccinations. She was treated for parasites. Clara has a grade I luxated patella in her right leg that should never cause issues, and her left knee is tight.
A perfect home for Clara will be one with someone home much of the time and a securely fenced yard with another small gentle canine companion or two. Owners who love and desire a velcro dog will be the best fit. Older, respectful children will be fine, although will require a greater adjustment time.
If you are interested in adopting Clara please complete our online application if you haven’t already and then send an email to Beth Wilson, GA Coordinator at kinneywilson@bellsouth.net.
Online Application
