Fern - 8 months & 11lbs (as of 3/20), Chi Mix, Neutered Mostly full grown - shouldn't gain more than more than pound at most This puppy is eligible to join our foster-to-adopt program. Please email fostertoadopt@socialteesnyc.org with the animal's name in the subject line if you are interested! Want to straight up adopt? Submit an adoption application at socialteesnyc.org Thier Foster Parent Says: "Fern is a sweet, snuggly little girl who believes life is best lived as close to her humans as physically possible. With her low-to-medium energy, she's happy to play during the day, but her true talent is expert-level cuddling, preferably right on top of you. She's a social butterfly who will literally stop on walks to wait for strangers to say hello, sometimes popping up gently on two feet to greet her new admirers. Though she can be a bit shy with sudden movements and was once suspicious of stairs, she's grown so brave and now conquers them like a pro. She's doing great with potty training, settles quickly when left alone, and continues building confidence in the city each day. Fern will choose her person wholeheartedly, and once she does, you'll have a loyal best friend for life." Level of dog ownership experience required: INTERMEDIATE – As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day. The adopter must have relevant primary care experience with a similar breed, temperament, and/or energy level. (Primary care experience includes ownership, fostering, or dog sitting as an adult, not a dog you grew up with.) Relevant puppy care experience is a huge plus, but bare minimum the adopter must have TONS of time and patience. Raising a puppy can be a lot of fun, but it's also tremendous work. Puppies' personalities and exercise/stimulation requirements change dramatically between now and when they're a year old as their bodies and brains develop, so an active lifestyle and the ability to adapt to a pup's evolving needs are a must. We strongly urge professional dog training with a rewards based trainer from the get go. Adults only or kids ages 8 and up – all puppies go through a mouthy, rambunctious phase and often accidentally hurt children when playing. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN BREED RESEARCH to make sure you have a better understanding of the kind of temperament and exercise requirements this dog may have as an adult. Energy level: MEDIUM – Very young puppies sleep and nap a lot, but their energy level skyrockets when they become teens (4 months to around a year). As an adult, this dog will need significant structure and plenty of daily exercise, training, and mental stimulation – 90 consecutive minutes of movement in the morning plus potty break walks and brain games throughout the day at a minimum. (This is regardless of dog size – many small breeds were designed for lots of activity and will exhibit unwanted behavior when they're understimulated.) Tolerance to City: She adjusting to the city. At the beginning she was pretty timid and scared walking outside, but we made a lot of progress alone and while she walks with Alistair. Potty Training: Working on this! For the most part she is great and waits for her walks. When she's inside and can't go out, I would say she hits the pee pad 95% of the time. Comfort Level with Strangers: This girl is a social butterfly and wants to say hi to every human. There are times she will stop and sit on the street while walking waiting for someone specific to say hi to her. I have even had to ask a few people if she can say hi. When working at the cafe, she has left me to go snuggle up next to a stranger (who is now trying to convince her parents to let her adopt Fern). Behavior with Children: We don't have kids in our household, nor have we really been around any children so it's hard to answer this. I will say she does get scared with sudden movements at times and backs away, almost makes me think she was abused, so I think it would depend on the child. She would need someone more kind and gentle rather than a kid who has a lot of energy. Social Behavior with Other Dogs: She is generally good with other dogs, wants to say hi on walks, but at times she barks at passing dogs. I think this is more of excitements and wanting to say hello most times. It took her a moment to warm up to Alistair, but now they play. She has started to kind of guard me and wants all of the attention. So, we're working on that right now. Respectful Behavior with Other Animals: Unsure. Only have Alistair in our household. Mouthy Behavior: She has been known to chew on a few of the toys. I did come home to a pair of my boots that had been chewed up, but unsure if that was Fern or Alastair. She doesn't try to chew on my hands while playing. Separation Anxiety: She's adjusting. She cries/whines for a minute or two when I leave and stays by the door, but then she's quiet while I'm gone. Leash Manners: Working on this... she zig zags. It's a bit better when alone than with another dog, but it's difficult. Cuddle Bug Level: HIGH. Wants to be on top of you. Craves the attention and there is no personal space with this girl. Jumping on People to Say Hello: She's gentle with it, but definitely goes on two feet to greet a friendly human when allowed. Crate Training: Not at all - don't have one. I did use a gated area for her the first few days she was here, but that was more for her benefit so she had a safe alone space, away from Alistair. She can jump over the fence, so it doesn't do much good if trying to keep her in. Medical status: Healthy as far as we know. Up to date on their DHPP and Bordetella vaccines, spayed/neutered; microchipped; treated with dewormer upon intake. (For dogs under 4 months old, adopters will need to finish the DHPP vaccine series and administer the Rabies vaccine at 16 weeks of age.) How did this dog end up with Social Tees? Most of our dogs come via partner groups who help us save them from shelters where they are at risk of euthanasia in Tennessee, Los Angeles, and Puerto Rico. There are very few spay/neuter resources there and many more animals in those areas than there are people to adopt them. Rescue groups like ours bring them to the northeast where the desire for pets like these allows us to save their lives. PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee any breed mix, exact age, or full grown size (if the dog is under a year old). We do our best with very educated guesses. This animal is not at the Social Tees office, all are in foster homes. LEARN MORE ABOUT US: socialteesnyc.org and Instagram @socialteesnyc