Meet Grapefruit !! This sweet girl is trying so hard to embrace her new life!! She’s been through a lot but still wants to love. She is one of the now 23 dogs we have taken in from a horrible hoarding situation. She survived being in a feces covered home during freezing temps with no heat, no water, and no electricity for a very long time. These poor dogs didn’t even know what a ceiling fan or TV were. She’s made a lot of progress so far and is overcoming her fears. Grapefruit is approx. 4 years old. She is a Chihuahua mix best guess. She weighs 12 Pounds and is full grown. She will be spayed, up to date on vaccines and microchipped as part of her adoption. She is heartworm negative and on monthly preventions. She takes some time to trust you but then she is a clingy Velcro dog. She gets upset when you leave her and thinks she should get to hang out with you 24/7. She is learning to give people space but if you want a dog that is glued to you then she is the one. Grapefruit becomes comfortable with women faster than men. She will bark and run from men for a while and then she accepts them. It’s a slow process of building trust with a dog that’s been neglected like this. Things like noises outside and the TV can scare her still. She has done well with other dogs after she sees they are safe. She is not fostered with cats so we do not know how she will do but we suspect she would do fine. She’s seen indoor bunnies at her foster home and doesn’t seem to have a high prey drive at all. She is not fostered with kids but we think she would do well with calmer older kids. She will need kids and adults in the home to be willing to give her space and time to adjust to them and feel safe. As with any dog she would need any children in the house to be respectful and not treat her like a toy. Grapefruit had clearly never been on a leash before and was terrified of it at first. She has gotten so much better about it. She walks very well without pulling. She still gets scared of things at times that can make her try to run away so a secure harness or collar is needed. She has done very well on car rides and does not get sick. She hates being away from her people and really struggled with crate training at first. With consistency and firm verbal corrections she has really started to accept it now. She will sometimes bark when put in but then will stop within a few mins and go to sleep. She came from a place where they were trapped inside and had no options for going potty anywhere else. It is taking time to correct that learned behavior but she is starting to figure it out. She does best at going potty outside when there are not as many scary sounds. Things like lawnmowers, trucks etc. can startle her and she won’t go potty. Early morning and late evening when it’s quiet she is doing so well at going outside. The more she builds her confidence outside the more we see her potty out there. She is slowly figuring things out but her new owner will just need to be patient and understanding given her history. Grapefruit had to fight for limited food in her last home and due to this she is allowed to eat separately here. Dogs coming from horrific situations like this may have lasting issues sharing food with other dogs. She is fine with people around her food. She may end up able to eat around other dogs but she may not. It is easy enough to feed her in her crate to allow her to feel safe and secure after what she has been through. She takes treats very gently from people and has not shown us she will be aggressive over food but she does eat very fast. She has a low energy level so far. We do expect when she is more comfortable that her energy level will increase. She seems like she will turn out to be a very fun dog once all the fear is gone. Grapefruit has a lot of potential and we expect her to turn in to an excellent companion. If you are willing to help her learn the rest of her training and give her some time to trust you then you will end up with a great addition to your family. ***Do not apply to adopt one of these hoarding case dogs if you’re not serious about giving them time to adjust. It’s absolutely unfair to expect them to adjust in a day or two. We’ve had 3 adopted and returned within 24 hours of adoption for not being immediately settled and perfect in a completely new place. All returned for things we explained upfront about them. It’s completely unreasonable and unrealistic to expect that from dogs that have been through what they have. The last thing they need is to be shuffled around due to adopters not listening or being serious about their needs*** Vet and home checks required. Located in Hampton VA. (She will need to be adopted within a 1 hour drive radius) ‼️Please message VillageDogResource@gmail.com directly with questions or to get an application. For more pics and faster response visit our Facebook page