Iris

Iris was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Texas along with her siblings, and she's the last of her litter still waiting for her forever home! At 3.5 years old, our vet believes she's a Shepherd / Black Mouth Cur mix. Iris is a compact girl at just 47 pounds. She's fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed, and ready to find a family to call her own.

Iris is goofy, playful, affectionate, and genuinely sweet, but she's a bit selective about who gets to see that side of her. She needs a little time to warm up, but once she trusts you, she is ALL in! She'd be a dream for someone working from home, but deep down, we think she belongs somewhere quieter, away from the chaos of city streets. She loves fetch with tennis balls more than almost anything and is a tender, silly girl who's just trying her best. She deserves someone who understands that a slow burn leads to something truly special.

Ideal Home

Iris would be a dream for someone working from home and would thrive in a quieter environment, perhaps with access to trails or open spaces, away from the bustle of city streets. An adult-only home is best for Iris, as she hasn't been around young children and her fear reactivity and need for boundaries to be respected mean that unpredictable energy isn't ideal for her. She needs an environment where she can trust and decompress, and that requires adults who can read her cues and give her space. An outdoorsy lifestyle would be a huge bonus for Iris, with long trail walks, river dips, and beach days suiting her perfectly. She'd do beautifully away from the density and noise of city life.

Ongoing Health

Iris is fully vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed.

Training & Support

Iris is dog selective and does best with slow, intentional introductions. While she currently plays with dogs in her foster home, wrestling, chasing, and trading kisses, play works best when food and toys are kept out of the mix. She exhibits some food and resource guarding behaviors towards other dogs, so if there are other dogs in the home, Iris should be fed separately. With continued consistency and training, this is very workable. Iris is fully potty trained and crate trained; her crate is her sanctuary. She knows "sit," "down," and "wait," and is an absolute belly rub enthusiast.

Iris's reactivity is rooted in fear. New people and new dogs require slow, supervised introductions. She's not a dog who will run up to strangers or play nicely with every dog at the park. She walks well on leash until she's reached her limit, and can be reactive when dogs get too close on the same side of the street, so she does best with an owner who knows how to create distance and set her up for success. She doesn't have specific triggers like men, hats, or loud voices; her reactivity is more generalized. With slow, low-pressure introductions, she builds trust and confidence over time. She just needs people willing to let her set the pace. The best thing that could happen to Iris is landing with someone who loves dogs and loves the process of working with them, providing the time, knowledge, and consistency needed for continued confidence-building.

Application Details:

• Applications start by contacting us through Wags.

Transportation

Iris is currently in a foster home in Houston, TX and is eligible for transport to an adopter as soon as one is lined up. Her foster mom is willing to bring her to any serious potential adopter and ensure that Iris settles in and is able to acclimate in her new environment appropriately.