by Lee Juslin

Picked up as a stray by a shelter, it was thought the little white dog was part Cairn, so the shelter people called Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue.

The Col. Potter volunteers had their doubts about the background of the little dog they named Carousel, so they had her DNA tested. It turns out that little Carousel is fifty percent Chinese Crested and equal parts Chihuahua and Shih Tzu. Knowing how difficult it would be to place a non Cairn in a forever home, Col. Potter was nevertheless, determined to keep her safe until they could find just the right home for her.

Carousel

Carousel is about two years old and has no health issues. She weighs fourteen pounds and has the longer legs, finer features, delicate bone structure, and coat of a Chinese Crested. Lori, her foster mom, says, although she is smart, she can be stubborn, which is apparently a characteristic of the Chinese Crested.

Because she is smart and very food oriented, Carousel, despite her stubborn streak, was easy to train to basic commands. “I taught her to sit one day, and she got it right away. Then a couple of days later, I tried the command again, and she knew exactly what to do,” said Lori.

Although Carousel was lacking in self confidence and afraid to go out when she first came to rescue, Lori has been working with her and sees a lot of improvement. She loves other dogs—Lori has four of her own—and wants to play. She even tries to entice Lori’s blind and deaf Cairn to play. Lori took her to a doggy daycare, and Carousel had a great time play bowing, running, and chasing with the other dogs.

Carousel does not have the typical Terrier personality. She is a gentle dog that loves to give kisses and roll over for belly rubs. She is submissive, not an alpha, will be very devoted to her person once adopted, and wants to please.

Carousel not only loves other dogs and makes friends easily, she also remembers her friends. “Once we were at the vet clinic and a Bichon Frise that Carousel had met and played with at doggy daycare came in. Carousel recognized her and greeted her right away. The Bichon owner was surprised, but I wasn’t.”

Lori thinks Carousel would be a good candidate for pet therapy or agility. “She just loves meeting people so much, I can see her bringing a lot of joy to handicapped people or nursing home residents. Or, with an active owner, she would do well in agility because she’s a good jumper and learns commands quickly.”

A good home for Carousel would be one where someone is home most of the day since Carousel wants to hang out with her person. Leaving her to run errands or take short trips is fine, as she is crate trained, but longer than that is difficult for her as she gets lonely. However, she would be happy with another dog to keep her company.

A family with older children would be fine, but younger children might be a problem since Carousel is so food oriented and might snatch food from young children. Someone who is willing to work with this smart pup and develop her abilities in pet therapy or agility would be ideal.

Carousel is not afraid of a leash and walks well, but if something frightens her or makes her nervous, like thunder, she stops and wants to go back. She would enjoy a fenced in yard, but the fence should be solid and at least six feet high as Carousel is an accomplished jumper and would eagerly jump over a shorter fence to greet a dog in a neighboring yard.

Although placing a non Cairn is difficult for Col. Potter, they are hoping that this happy, eager to please pup will find a forever home that will appreciate her smart and loving nature.

If you would like to apply to adopt Carousel or one of the other Cairns or Cairn mixes available through Col. Potter or volunteer to foster, visit them on FB: Col. Potter or on their website: Cairn Rescue.

Check out more animal rescue & therapy animal stories in our Pets section.

Want to know how to see your ad like this at the end of an article? Email KRL at life@kingsriverlife[dot]com by replacing the [dot] for more info. 10% of all ad sales goes to animal rescue.

Lee Juslin is a free lance copywriter living in North Carolina with her husband, Scott, and her band of misfits: Tarquin, a Wheaten Scottish Terrier, and three handicapped cats. They can be seen on their website: Hampshire Hooligans. She owns I B Dog Gone, a small embroidery business and is the author of the Nurse Frosty books for children and Frosty’s Story: Tales of a Therapy Dog. She supports a number of national and regional terrier rescue organizations.