This cutie a Shih Tzu Mix

DOB 05-01-17

Hey everybody! Check me out!

Hi everyone. If you’re looking for a good dog, that’ll be me.

I don’t shed either but I will need regular grooming every 6-8 weeks!   I know sit and down. I’m pretty good at coming when I’m called but I’m a terrier, so you know there’s that lol. I’m fit healthy, strong and a youthful eight years old, I like to stay busy. I know how to speak and shake a paw and if you drop something on the floor, I’ll even pick it up and give it to you. I’ve been in foster care waiting for my happily ever after since the end of February and I look forward to meeting you. I hope we’re a good match!

Oh and one more thing.    I absolutely do need a fenced yard. I love to hang out in the sun. 

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Read more if interested:

I’m a happy dog. I’ve just been all vetted up, I had some lumps removed and even got a little cleaning done on my teeth.

I know all the important stuff, sit, down, come, although I gotta tell you I’m not very good at come. I’m a terrier mix and I have my own mind when it comes to stuff like that. My foster mom will tell you how to make me come to you if I don’t listen the first time. I also know how to shake a paw, and how to speak.   And I never have accidents in the house, that stuff’s for rookies. I love playing fetch, that game is my jam. I’m perfect at getting bathed and I am a dream at the groomers. All dogs should behave the way I do at the groomers.

Well, now that you’ve fallen completely in love with me let me tell you what I’m looking for in a family… Because I absolutely love chasing things my foster mom says I probably shouldn’t live with cats. And because I can’t live with cats, she says small kids would probably be a problem as well. 

So I guess my perfect family would have teenagers or a young(ish) couple would be good too, or a single person. 

I like to stay busy so if you do some hiking, that would be awesome for me. Oh, that reminds me I’m supposed to tell you that I suck at walking on a leash. My foster mom teaches me every day and every day I forget so I gotta be upfront and honest with you about that. Maybe you’ll have better luck than she did?

But you know what? I get along really well with other dogs, so there’s that. Now, please remember that I am a terrier mix and I do like to chase things. If you let me off my leash and if I see something that might need chasing, I’m gone. So you gotta keep me on my leash when I’m in an area that’s not fenced. I’m a wild man! Oh! And barking, I love barking when I get excited, it’s so much fun. But I do calm down and stay quiet when I’m encouraged to. My foster mom says that if you adopt me, she’ll show you how to do that. I don’t know how she does it. All I know is that I’ll be yelling at something and then she calms me down and I’m not yelling anymore. I have no idea how that happens.

Oh, you know what else? I just lost a bunch of weight. When I came into care, I was a little bit chunky, some might even say I was fat. I weighed in at 32 1/2 pounds and apparently I was missing something that you people call a waist? Well, my foster mom made sure that I only got a set amount of food each day and now I’m down to 24 1/2 pounds and I am looking fine. And, I have a waist now. I feel a whole lot better and chasing my ball is sure a lot easier. Now, if you’re interested in having me around, you should probably send your application in very quickly because I’m telling you…great dogs like me don’t stick around forever. Oh, and my name is Duke. Have a great day

PS: my foster mom says I have to tell you that I have been a little over the top grumpy with her. She was being bossy, I didn’t wanna be bossed, and I tried to scare her off by growling and showing my teeth at her.
She stared me right in my eyeballs, and I was staring back at her eyeballs and then I swear I felt a shiver down my spine. She didn’t back down, so I felt that I had to be the bigger person and I walked away.
Bottom line, I didn’t get my way and now she says that she’s gonna make sure I go to a family that’s gonna be firm but fair with me.
Oh, and also, she said that I really need to have a fully fenced yard. I love lounging around outside but if I see a cat, I’d sure like easy access to it. I don’t know what I’d ever do with a cat if I caught one, but I’d sure have fun chasing one.
Ok, so go online, go to Broken Promises Rescue and fill out an application to be my family. I’m really good looking, I’d look great in all your family photos and I’ll help with the housework too!

Update from Foster mom:

Duke: A beautiful boy…he’s not a terrier but because of his coat condition and to keep him cooler we chose this clip for him. He’s quite overweight, so pants and gets hot quickly. He’s a Shitzu mix, currently 32 pounds. 

Because he’s overweight he’s been spending a lot of his time playing fetch to burn some calories off. 

He is also not the best at meeting guests in his house. Too much barking and jumping up, it’s a work in progress lol. 

Duke is a quick learner. The first day he was here he was trying to jump on the table to get at my budgies. Today, he ignores them. 

He is getting lots of praise for proper behaviour and I redirect him to something else  

IMPORTANT: He will not respond if you’re just telling him no, stop it etc. You need to redirect him, call him to you and give him something to do that distracts him. 

This week we are working on window manners. He would be quite happy to bark his fool head off when people, cats etc go past the window if you let him. 

So, I sit with him and we look out the window together. I talk to him quietly and calmly telling him he’s a good boy, good quiet, while petting him. If he sees something I keep talking to him and if he starts getting vocal (whining, growling, barking) I tell him “Uh uh”, “calm”, “quiet” Good quiet” and again lots of praise and pets for appropriate behaviour. 

This dog loves to work for you. It’s better to use petting and verbal praise than food rewards with him; he’s overweight and needs to watch his food intake. 

Duke has a pretty high prey drive. I wouldn’t recommend a home with cats or children under 12.

He pulls quite a bit on a leash, we’re working on appropriate leash manners. He was really good on the grooming table too.