Tazzie is a 5 year old, 45 lb. spayed female Shepherd mix in Arlington, VA
After 5 loving years with our super mutt Tasmania (Tazzie), our cattle dog mix, we have made the heart-breaking decision to help find her a more suitable home. Here's a little video to show some of her big personality. https://vimeo.com/800695113?share=copy#t=0s.
She's 5 years old, 45 pounds, vocal, loves to exercise but also to nap all day and currently based out of a townhouse in Arlington, Virginia. She loves frisbee, chasing squirrels, pup cups from Starbucks, picking up (but not destroying) your shoes when you come home because she's so excited, going on runs, and snuggling. She's been through two rounds of reactive dog classes, obedience, and we've had a trainer come to the house for individual sessions. She's fixed, fully vaxxed, house trained, and absolutely the sweetest dog once you're in her circle. I think she would love a fenced in yard, better space to roam, or a job which we just can't offer her in our suburban townhome.
She's incredibly sweet and funny, but also reactive, which has made our life with a toddler pretty stressful. Her biggest flaw is unpredictability with snapping (never biting) at our daughter and welcoming new people into our home, which is becoming more difficult as our daughter gets older and a baby on the way in May.
Tazzie has snapped at our daughter an unmanageable amount of times now. She has never bitten her, but barks and snaps in her face as a warning after being approached. Our daughter loves her, so she often tries to pet or hug her even against our warning and Taz is "mothering" but it's scary and with another baby on the way in May we think it's more responsible to find her a home without children than to live with the threat of "what if next time." She is a reactive dog (to people and dogs) who has had two levels of reactive training with a behaviorist and a trainer come to our house. When people come over we have her stay in the basement for 10 minutes and then when we let her up she has simmered and is sweet, but it took a lot of trial and error for us to find a good "introduction ceremony." She loved our older dog who died in December of 2023, but has had mixed results in close confines with other dogs, yet boards fine at Old Town Pet Resort with lots of other dogs in day care. If it were just my husband and I we would continue to love her and manage her quirks, but with two littles around it feels irresponsible even though it breaks our hearts.
We know there's someone out there who can show her as much love as we have and give her a better home situation. Our hearts are breaking, but we know it's the right thing for both her and our daughters. We will accept a donation to a rescue group upon her placement and might be able to help transport her to a new home if it's within the DMV.
Email brittfaulkner@gmail.com