Iris

Iris was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Texas along with her siblings, and she's the last one still waiting for her forever home. This 3.5-year-old Shepherd/Black Mouth Cur mix is fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed, and ready to find a family to call her own! Iris is a compact 47 pounds of goofy, playful, affectionate, and genuinely sweet personality. She loves fetch with tennis balls more than almost anything and is described as silly, tender, and trying her best. Her loyalty is core, she gives kisses freely once she trusts you, and she's an absolute belly rub enthusiast. Iris is obedient, gentle, playful, and the kind of dog that makes you feel genuinely chosen once she lets you in. She sleeps beautifully in her kennel, walks well until she's reached her limit, and isn't destructive.

Ideal Home

Iris would be a dream for someone working from home, but she truly belongs somewhere quieter, perhaps with access to trails or open space, away from the chaos of city streets. An adult-only home is a must, as she hasn't been around young children and her fear reactivity and need for boundaries to be respected mean unpredictable energy isn't ideal for her. A home where her pace can be set and her cues are read is essential.

Ongoing Health

Iris is fully vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed. She does exhibit some food and resource guarding behaviors towards other dogs, so if there are other dogs in the home, she should be fed separately.

Training & Support

Iris is dog-selective and does best with slow, intentional introductions. While she has learned to build genuine friendships with dogs in her foster home, play works best when food and toys are kept out of the mix. She can be reactive on leash when dogs get too close, so an owner who knows how to create distance and set her up for success is key. Iris is fully potty trained and crate trained, viewing her crate as a sanctuary. She has no issue going in and is reliable when free-roaming, either in a home office or the whole house (if she's the only dog). With continued consistency and training, her food and resource guarding behaviors are very workable. The most important thing to understand about Iris is her reactivity, which stems from fear. New people and dogs require slow, supervised introductions.

Application Details:

• Applications start by contacting us through Wags.

Transporation

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.