Lexi (Foster-to-Adopt)
Lexi’s Story
Lexi is available for Foster to Adopt!!
***Please apply at https://www.fetchandreleash.ca/adoption-info#adoption-form***
As a foster-to-adopt family, you will have two weeks to get to know your new furry house guest before committing to adoption. At the end of two weeks, if you choose not to move forward with adoption, we simply ask that you continue to provide a safe and loving home until their new forever family can be found.
During your foster-to-adopt trial, you’ll receive the support of a Fetch + Releash mentor to help you through the transition and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Foster-to-adopt families will be required to pay a $200 deposit on the adoption fee and sign our foster-to-adopt waiver in advance. If you choose not to adopt, your $200 will be refunded to you within 30 days of your dog being adopted into a new family provided you see your pup through to adoption. If you choose not to see your dog through to adoption, you will forfeit your deposit.
Foster-to-adopt families will be expected to provide their own supplies. Visit https://www.fetchandreleash.ca/adoption-info for more info on mandatory supplies.
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Lexi / Female / 2years / 40lbs / Mixed Breed / Good With Dogs / Not Tested with Cats / Not Tested with Kids / Very Shy Girl / From Tennessee / Fostered in Toronto
** Follow Lexi’s journey on Instagram: @badgaltheli **
Meet Lexi! Everyone who has had a hand in Lexi’s rescue story agrees this is one special lady. She is incredibly tender, loving, and sweet. She is also curious and loves her little toys and getting cuddles from her humans. Lexi is much smaller than her photos make her look and is very calm.
Lexi is still figuring out her new surroundings and is still fearful of the big wide world. She uses her crate as a safe space and will watch the goings-on from there with curiosity. She is starting to come out of her shell and has the cutest little personality. She clearly loves humans and is very appreciative of their patience while she develops her confidence.
Lexi is still learning to venture out of her crate but when she’s feeling brave she loves fetch, tug, chewing on Kongs, treats, toys, and cuddles with her trusted people. Lexi has recently discovered the joys of fetch and she loves it! She needs very patient people who are willing to help her continue to build her confidence and realize that she is safe in the world. She is shy with new people and will "alert bark" to let you know she's noticed someone new. She settles quickly when comforted and if the new person respects her boundaries she will eventually accept treats and cuddles. Once Lexi meets someone about 10 times, she will bark less when they arrive and settle even quicker. Although she barks upon each entry, Lexi is ultimately quite tolerant of having people in the house. She has been present with a small party of 12 people, where she hung out in her crate enjoying her space.
Lexi is still working on her confidence to go out in the world. She currently spends a lot of her days lounging in her crate, but more and more she has started exploring the wider house, playing with her foster sibling, and wandering over to say hello when her foster works from home or for end-of-day cuddles on the couch. She is confident in a space she is familiar with, and that area is getting bigger each day. When she gets excited she does a little toe tap dance and even has some zooms. She has lots of activities that she enjoys including toys, Kongs, and chews.
Lexi is fearful of new things but she is improving with each day and it is wonderful to see her personality coming out. Lexi is very polite in the home. She can be left alone and is not destructive, she just stays settled in her crate which sometimes takes about 15 minutes for her to calm down. She sleeps through the night without issue.
Lexi is potty trained but is hesitant to go outside on walks. With the guide of her trusted people, she is beginning to go on more walks each day! She is consistent with her potty training at home, but adopters will need to be prepared for accidents as she transitions into a new home as well as, continuing to build her confidence and trust before they expect her to go on walks. She has been attending a dog training facility which seems to be helping her gain confidence. She is now starting to follow her foster sister out into a fully fenced porch and is learning that outside is where she is to go potty. She enjoys going to the washroom without a leash. She is showing more success each day. As Lexi's confidence grows, outdoor potty training should be intuitive for her, but will take some time. Lexi needs an adopter who is dedicated to rehabilitating a fearful dog. Her adopter will need to be committed to going at her speed but with patience and understanding we are already seeing great progress with Lexi.
Lexi currently lives with another dog and they love playing together! She has also met another balanced dog and was very interested in him. Lexi shows more confidence when she has another dog around. Based off of this, we feel she would do well with another resident dog who can show her the ropes but she'd also be successful as a solo dog with trusted humans. Lexi has not met any cats but would likely be fine with one in the home as she seems pretty passive about other creatures. She briefly met a small child and was very calm and watched the child from her crate. Additionally, Lexi was dog-sat by a family with an 11-year-old and 14-year-old. She was very fearful in the new environment but slowly warmed up to these girls because they respected her space. However, rambunctious children would not be good for Lexi. She could live with older, respectful kids who understand her boundaries.
Lexi loves to do training in the house with her trusted person. She has learned sit, down, bow, stand, foot target, go to mat, and she even goes through a small tunnel. Since Lexi prefers to be in the house than outside, training is a great way to support her enrichment. Lexi is currently signed up for an obedience class. She likes her trusted people and is eager to please so will likely be very trainable. Her primary goal is to overcome her fear and gain confidence and she is working with a professional behaviourist trainer on this and will require multiple meet and greets with potential applicants.
Lexi needs a forever family who is very patient and will give her lots of time and space to become comfortable enough to open up and reveal her lovely personality. Her forever family will need to continue to work on her confidence using positive training methods and likely the support of a behaviourist trainer. Lexi is an amazing dog who is working very hard to become her best self. Her journey will be incredibly rewarding for the right family. Lexi would do best in a quiet house, in a rural or quiet area. She would also benefit from having a fenced in yard.
Lexi is currently on medications to help with her anxiety including zylkene and clomicalm. Some combination of anti-anxiety medications is likely to be needed for the foreseeable future. The approximate cost of these medications is currently just under $300 per month. She has also shown severe stomach intolerance to a few different proteins in her diet so this is something adopters should be aware of. Lexi's fosters will provide a list of safe foods and treats to the adoptive family to assist with a smooth transition.
Lexi is a flight risk and our top priority in her furever home is safety. Her forever family must take precautions to keep her safe and secure, including the purchase of a GPS tracker which will be required for adoption..
If you’re interested in foster with the intention of adopting Lexi, please apply at https://www.fetchandreleash.ca/adoption-info#adoption-form
Lexi’s adoption fee is $500. To learn more about our adoption fees and the adoption process, please visit our FAQs at https://www.fetchandreleash.ca/about-us#about-faqs.