Ugh ... this sweet boy has the saddest story :/ For all his life, 12lb Fluffy lived outdoors. Chained to a doghouse. The first family who had him used to beat him with a walking stick. If a walking stick was not available, they would kick him. They moved out and left him behind. The new tenant moved in. By this time, Fluffy has become untrusting of people and learned to defend and protect himself by growling and biting. When the new tenant approached him, Fluffy growled, so he got kicked. Fluffy responded by biting him and that is how Fluffy ended up at Buckeyes. Due to living outdoors all his life, Fluffy has developed heartworm disease. He is currently undergoing treatment. Fluffy has since learned to love and trust people. He even seeks attention now. He wants to be petted and cuddled. He follows his foster mom around the house. It's cute. He loves his walks. Is content to chill in the yard and watch the world go by. Fluffy is finally living and I dare say he is loving it! That said, we still take a gentle approach with Fluffy. We don't want to overwhelm him with too many new experiences too soon. Fluffy still has good days and bad days. Some days he comes up for pets and cuddles and when he has had enough, he gets grouchy. We respect his boundaries and leave him alone. Undergoing heartworm treatment itself is hard enough, let alone adjusting to new experiences. Fluffy is about 8 years old, 12lb Shih Tzu mix. He is looking for a family who can provide him with a quiet home environment where he can continue his heartworm treatment and continue to learn new experiences, understanding that he will have good days and bad days until he unlearns his poor earlier experiences and fully replaces them with everything good - love, trust and more love. An adult only, or a home with older children is preferred.