Iris

Iris was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Texas along with her siblings. She is the last of her littermates still waiting for her forever home. Iris is a 3 and a half-year-old Shepherd / Black Mouth Cur mix. She is fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed, and ready to find a family to call her own! Iris is compact at just 47 pounds.

Iris is goofy, playful, affectionate, and genuinely sweet. Once she trusts you, she is all in! She'd be a dream for someone working from home, but deep down, I think she belongs somewhere quieter, away from the chaos of city streets. She loves fetch with tennis balls more than almost anything. She's silly and tender and trying her best. She just needs someone who gets that. Iris is loyal to her core. She gives kisses freely (once she trusts you), does a full tap dance coming out of her kennel, knows sit, down, and wait, and is an absolute belly rub enthusiast. She's gentle, she's playful, she's obedient, and she's the kind of dog that makes you feel genuinely chosen once she lets you in.

Ideal Home

Iris is best suited for an adult-only home. She has fear reactivity and needs boundaries respected, so unpredictable energy from children 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 when she needs it. She would thrive in a quieter setting, possibly with access to trails and open space, away from the chaos of city streets.

Ongoing Health

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

Training & Support

Iris is dog selective and does best with slow, intentional introductions. With patience, she's been able to build genuine friendships. Play works best when food and toys are kept out of the mix. On leash, Iris can be reactive when dogs get too close, so she does best with an owner who knows how to create distance and set her up for success. Iris is fully potty trained and crate trained. Her crate is her sanctuary. If she's the only dog, she can free roam the whole house with no accidents and no destructive behavior. The most important thing to understand about Iris is her reactivity. She's a fearful dog who has built protective behaviors to keep herself safe. New people and new dogs require slow, supervised introductions. With slow, low-pressure introductions, she builds trust and confidence over time. She just needs people willing to let her set the pace.

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. 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.