Aza

“My name is Calabaza, but my family calls me Aza. I turn 13 years old in May. I weigh 25 pounds. No one is sure of my breed mix but many people have told my owner how much I still look like a puppy! I was found many years ago when I was a youngster on the streets of Chile. My lady rescued me and brought me to the U.S. where I’ve lived a very good life. I was very happy until my people started having babies. Now I am not a happy girl; I want a home without children. My lady is sad about this but she knows it’s for the best-for both me and the young children. Please don’t judge. You just don’t know what it’s like until you have kids and an old dog living together. So often we old dogs will tolerate a lot until it just becomes too much for us. My hearing and vision is no longer as sharp as it once was. My reaction times are slower; it makes me defensive. Babies and toddlers don’t understand this. They see my soft fur and want to touch me. I give warnings but it is lost on them. I don’t want to hurt them but I don’t want them to hurt me, unintentionally, of course. It is not fair to have to separate an old dog from their family for everyone’s safety and peace of mind. That is not what is happening to me but I hear some dogs live like that for years. That is not how I want to live!

“I am good with cats and yard chickens, I have lived peacefully with them. I WILL keep your yard free of squirrels! I do not like other dogs. I need a home without another dog. I will guard my food from other dogs. This is probably from my street upbringing. I truly want a no child home; not even one where young kids come to visit. Kids stress me out!

“Daily walks and fetching balls are terrific. The only time I bark is when I play fetch! It’s SO much fun! I behave well while on leash and I can walk quite far for my age.  I can be left alone in the house but I am not keen at spending too many hours alone. I can manage about 4-5 hours during the day before I need a potty break. I can still manage stairs.

“While I can be active, I like my down time too. I especially love lap and cuddle time with my person. My lady will tell you I am “emotionally attuned”. I don’t know what that means but I can tell when someone is sad, I will try my best to calmly comfort them. I make a great friend and I hope to find a great friend that I can spend the rest of my days with. A quiet, adult home with an experienced dog person is what I need at this stage of my life.”

Aza is located in Port Townsend, WA. For contact information email: referrals@olddoghaven.org

This is not an ODH dog: we urge prospective adopters to do their own evaluation.