Name of Whippet, Location: Available for Adoption: Miku, 5-years-old, female, Colorado
Location Category: Colorado
Name of foster volunteer: Meghan Poinsett
Email: meg.poinsett@gmail.com Phone: 6094207655
Address: Golden/Denver, Colorado
Miku is a five-year-old (birthday: August 9, 2020) female Whippet.
“Miku” loosely translates to ‘beautiful second/beautiful future’ & this little lady absolutely deserves a beautiful future!
Miku is a sweet girl who has had a rough start. She was part of a hoarding/neglect case in Texas.
Due to limited exposure to people, environments and house life, Miku is extremely fearful.
When she first arrived at her foster home, she was very ‘shut down’ and spent the first few days cowering the corner of her kennel. She has been with her foster family for 3 months and still cowers/shakes when approached, when noises happen and when there is movement. She is hesitant to take food from the human hand and is fearful of being touched/pet by strangers. She does seek attention [she enjoys neck & back scratches & will boop her foster humans with her nose for attention!] from her foster humans, but remains nervous of them at times. She is more comfortable around her female foster human & can be a bit defensive when her male foster human moves about.
In the house, Miku paces often – she takes many laps around the coffee table in the living room. She eats and sleeps in an exercise pen and does not attempt to get out of it. She is also well behaved in a kennel. After two months in her foster home, she discovered the comforts of the couch and bed and does enjoy laying in those spaces.
Miku is a creature of habit and thrives on routine. If her ‘spot’ is taken on the couch, she will pace around [sometimes for +30 minutes] until she decides that a different spot is acceptable.
Miku walks nicely on a leash, however, she does startle easily. She bumps into the person walking her or panic bolts to the end of the leash when startled. Miku does not bark at people or dogs walking by, but will cower and shake in fear if they get in close proximity & panic bolts if they reach towards her. Initially Miku is nervous when in new environments but seems to be the most confident when outside and walking. She has been to lots of new parks, has gone on many walks around the neighborhood and a few quiet hiking trails. Because of the startle response, Miku wears a slip leash when walking to prevent her from escaping.
Miku is neutral/appropriate with strange dogs. She enjoys being around her foster ‘siblings’ [a 3-year-old intact female Whippet, an 8-year-old male mixed breed & a 7-year-old female GSD] and will participate in the occasional play session – her favorite game to play is chase. She is the most confident with her foster humans when they are petting the resident dogs & will come in close for pets. Miku does not have the best body awareness and does frequently step on or jumps on the resident dogs, so her new siblings will need to be tolerant & patient with her.
For the most part, out in the yard, Miku does her own thing. She paces or does large laps around the yard. She has picked up a toy to run around with and seems to enjoy fluffy toys the most. She has not yet played with toys with her foster humans or the resident dogs. In fact, she will cower if a toy is thrown for her to chase. She watches when the resident dogs are playing with toys and will sometimes run in their direction, but it is more ‘parallel’ play than actual play ‘with’ the other dogs.
Miku is a significant flight risk – due to her speed, fear and bolting/panic response. Additional management and tools (slip leash, GPS collar, additional safety leashes, baby gates, exercise pens) are used for her around doorways, loading and unloading from cars and when out in public.
Every day, though, Miku is coming a bit more out of her shell. She enjoys wearing sweaters in colder temperatures, does sweater ‘stomps’ & tries to rub herself against her foster humans and dog siblings. When she does choose to run around the yard, she has a look of pure joy.
She travels well in the car & is quiet, although she is scared and nervous. She currently rides in a car kennel.
What Miku needs:
A QUIET home life with very patient humans. She may do best with a single female who does not have a lot of guests coming and going. She would also do best in a home with other dogs (another Whippet or two is preferred) – they will need to be patient & tolerant as she learns how to navigate this new life.
Her new family will need to be well versed in Sighthounds & nervous/fearful dogs and they will need to be extremely careful with safety protocols when taking Miku out of the home and around doorways. She is currently a significant flight risk.
Miku is currently not suitable in a home with children or lots of activity. She is NOT a sport or lure coursing prospect & will need to remain on leash at all times or in a fully enclosed fenced in area when out in public.
An adoption application is REQUIRED to be submitted before you contact a WRAP foster volunteer about this rescue or others currently available for adoption. Please submit an application. WRAP volunteers may respond to applicants and will make final decisions on adoptions. We will keep your application on file for six months.
WRAP does not ship dogs and prefers to place Whippets in homes within a reasonable driving distance from the foster home. If the WRAP volunteer fostering a dog does not live in your state you may contact them at the email address shown above to inquire after you have submitted an adoption application.