Meet Khione! Khione was found as a stray with her puppy, Eros. They were picked up exiting the 51 by a good Samaritan who kept them in her yard for a while before transferring them into our care. They seemed to prefer being outside at their finder’s home, so we believe that they have lived outdoors for most of their lives. However, that didn’t stop Khione from calmly and easily settling into her new foster home.

Khione’s fosters describe her as having low to medium energy. After a few small scuffles with one young dog early on, she gets along well with the other dogs in the home. She has not been particularly playful because she seems to be more concerned about guarding her puppy, who will try to join in when the other dogs are playing. However, once she is separated from her pup, she is able to let her guard down and relax. Despite her concern for her puppy, she is very intuitive and kind. She takes care of her older foster sibling, a 16-year-old cocker spaniel, and shows great motherly instincts towards the younger dogs. She has interacted well with large and small dogs in other private spaces and is even able to coexist peacefully with the cat in the home!

Though she may not always be interested in other dogs, Khione absolutely loves people. She’s a big sweetheart who will immediately roll over for belly rubs when people approach her. She loves cuddling and anything that keeps her close to her humans. She is good with the kids in the home, as well. Her love for people does mean that she struggles with being in a crate and will experience separation anxiety, including howling and digging, when left completely alone. This is mitigated by having the other dogs around.

Despite being an outdoor dog and not being potty-trained early on, Khione is already making good progress letting people know when she needs to go outside. Other than some typical counter-surfing and jumping on people, she has not shown any behavioral issues. She responds well to redirection and is very responsive to verbal correction, stopping the unwanted behavior as soon as you scold her. She will need some continued training to learn how to walk on a leash, but from what we’ve seen so far, we think she will learn quickly.

All Khione needs now is a family to call her own. She would make a wonderful addition to any family that is ready to give her the love and attention she wants and deserves. Due to her separation anxiety, it is important that there is at least one other dog in the home to keep her company. Without her puppy around, we have no concerns about her getting along with dogs of any age or size. If you’re interested in opening your heart and home to this super sweet girl, please fill out an application.