The status of Frosty was
last posted on 01/18/25 by
Live. Love. Bark.
Male Dog, Maltese
Maltese / Mixed (Long Coat)
Description:
Frosty is a 7-year-old, male, Maltese weighing around 7.5 lbs. He is in search of an owner/family that will be patient, loving, and understanding of his personality and needs. We are looking for an owner that can commit to providing a quiet and calm home where he can let his guard down and feel safe and one in which the family is willing to make the changes necessary for Frosty to thrive with a long-term commitment. When he is relaxed and his environment is calm and quiet, he is a very sweet boy that loves a warm lap and lots of pets. He loves treats and takes them very nicely. His favorite thing in the world is sitting on his foster mom's lap and getting pets. As soon as she sits down, he is in her lap without hesitation. He loves to sleep in bed with her at night as well. He enjoys going for walks and gets very excited to go. Frosty is house trained but he does mark in the house at his foster home due to their being other dogs in the home. He wears a belly band (a male diaper) when he is inside and does well with having it put on and taken off to go outside. When in foster care previously and with his previous adopter, there was no report of marking behavior so his marking may be associated with other dogs living in his foster home. Frosty originally came to Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa in 2024 when his owner became ill and had to move to an assisted living facility. He was in our care for about a month before being adopted in April 2024. Frosty was returned to Hope after 5 months with his adopter due to behavior issues that the adopter was not willing to address. He has been in his current foster home since September 20, 2024. During these past several months, his foster mom and dad have worked on figuring out what causes Frosty stress, what triggers his undesirable behaviors, and how to put Frosty at ease enough that he can adhere to the expectations of his behavior in a positive way. Frosty does have a bite history in his previous adoptive home and in his current foster home. These bites did not break the skin and came when he perceived he was in harm's way. They did not come "out of the blue". It has been determined that he does have fear based aggression that stems from what we believe is a lack of socialization and a having a strong leader when he was a puppy and young dog. These behaviors will not be "trained" out of him, but they are manageable through understanding, routine, and forming a bond with his owner. Frosty is not truly aggressive and is capable of bonding with his owners and being very sweet, but he is fearful in new situations and with new people. His "fight or flight" response is easily activated. Frosty ideal home will be one with a fenced yard that he can roam around in and enjoy the sunshine, has no other pets so he can be the focus of his family, no kids so the environment is calm and quiet, and a with a family that can love him for who he is and is willing to allow him time to let his guard down and trust. If you are interested in meeting Frosty, please complete an online application at https://hopeanimalrescueofiowa.duplie.com/forms/196/dog-application Adoption fee is $250 which includes spay/neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
