Mama ::ADOPTED::
In September of 2020, on the island of Jeju in South Korea, a group of foreign teachers stepped up to help with a tragic situation where 3 mama Jindos were dumped at a local blueberry farm with their puppies. Mama was the first of the three dogs to be abandoned alongside her two pups. Our rescuer friend, Emily, spearheaded this project and took Mama in with her puppies while they were nursing and got Mama spayed & vaccinated. The puppies found homes easily once weaned but adult Jindos in South Korea are a dime a dozen and no one wanted sweet Mama.
As they were raising money for the other mama dogs at the farm to receive vet care, one of the dogs (Clementine) got pregnant again & gave birth to seven puppies on the farm.Discouraged and overwhelmed, the volunteers continued with their plan to save the dogs. Mama was brought back to the blueberry farm for the winter so the same efforts could be made for Clem and her new puppies. It was heartbreaking to bring Mama back there but it was the safest place for her at the time.
In February, once all of the dogs were cared for, Mama joined Emily again along with two of Clementine’s puppies to be fostered until their flights. Mama was so happy to care for and play with Clem’s puppies!
In June of this year, Emily ended up being both Mama and Clementine’s flight volunteer and got to see them off here in the states. It’s so rare and special to have a rescuer involved in every stage of the process! We are beyond grateful for the volunteers and their dedication to the pups who were abandoned on the blueberry farm. This group rescue was so impactful to the island community that local volunteers on Jeju started their own dog rescue!
While Mama is still hesitant around new people and hands/items above her head, she has truly come out of her shell since her arrival here at Wildhearts. We are so excited for this next chapter of her life. She deserves the best!
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE Mama THINGS FROM HER FOSTER FAMILY…
Mama is so loving and adorable. She came to our house timid with her tail under her legs, and slowly acclimated to our environment and family. Initially, her tail went under her legs when she was petted from above, but she's gotten to the point where she flops her belly. She enjoys being with humans, but at the same time can peacefully rest on her own in a separate space (i.e. carpeted room in our house). It took some time, but she's been slowly showing interest or comfort in zooming around with our own dog, and often adapts his behaviors. Mama definitely loves feeling appreciated by those she values, as she doesn't shy away from pets and belly rubs from us, especially when our dog wants attention. It almost feels like a competition to see who can get more pets from us (ha!). Mama is a huge licker, and she'll lick your hand, face, and legs after you build a relationship with her.
Mama is our first foster dog that coexists well with our timid cat. They often walk past each other in narrow spaces, or lie down a foot away from each other without either one displaying any concern.
While she avoided interacting with strangers at first, through slow exposure and creating space for her to have the first interaction, she's gotten more comfortable engaging in different spaces with new people.
When walking outside, with very soft but firm commands and actions, Mama walks well side by side with another human being. Birds and any outdoor animals fascinate her and she can dig her nose into a bush forever if allowed. She's come a long way and opened up with us immensely, but I know that she will continue to bloom more in her forever home.
A FEW THINGS Mama IS WORKING ON FROM HER FOSTER FAMILY…
It's been over a month since Mama has been with us, and she is now slowly coming out of her shell and opening up more. She is quick in recognizing patterns and structure, so once she opens up, she'll be able to learn basic commands quickly.
She is still working on positive associations with the crate. She's progressed a lot from needing to be leashed to enter the crate to voluntarily entering the crate with some patience and firmness from us. She's now at the point where she can enter the crate at night without command and lies down (yay!). We've left her in the crate alone during the day daily, and she's shown significant growth. Continuous positive reinforcement and patience will allow her to continue building more comfort with the crate and succeed. Earlier, we've allowed her to sit on the sofa, but reverted back to floor only when we realized she struggled so much with the crate. If there are concerns or struggles with this, Wildhearts provides great tutorials for successful crate relationship.
With food, Mama initially took forever to eat it, or only ate it when no one was nearby, but now she's gotten adjusted to devouring it within 10 minutes.
There has been one incident with the front door left open where Mama casually walked outside and went down the block on their normal walking path. She came back when called to return home. This is something her future family will need to be extra mindful of as she may have not returned home as willingly with new people.
Currently, Mama knows the commands/cues 'place', 'sit', 'wait', 'okay', 'no(uh-uh)', but we noticed she does not follow these commands from people outside of her family. She completely relies on her trusted family members for guidance.
An ideal environment for Mama would be with a family that is patient and provides continuous structure for her to continue to build confidence and trust. She can coexist with cats (but hide the litter box) and dogs alike.
THE IDEAL FAMILY FOR Mama WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
A friendly, calm dog companion for Mama to learn from or regular access to playful dogs for playdates/companionship.
A fenced backyard.
Two adults in the home, with one who works from home part/full time or has a dog friendly office.
Patience, time to train, consistency, and lots of love!
Mama’s Details:
Breed: Jindo/Chow Mix
Age: 4 years old
Sex: Female
Size: 39lbs
Color: White/Beige
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Microchipped: Yes
Vaccinated: Yes
Medical notes: N/A
Housetrained: Yes
Site: Wildhearts Rescue
Location: Foster home in Portland
Intake Date: 06/13/2021
Good with cats: Yes, polite and neutral
Good with dogs: Yes
Good with children: Possibly with dog savvy children and a slow introduction
Good with adults: Yes, with a slow introduction