NORA (COURTESY POST)

Nora is 4yo, weighs 25lbs, is spayed, is up to date on her vaccines and is microchipped. Nora is very much loved and her guardians add:

"Nora is very smart and a quick study. She knows sit, stay, and down. She also knows "dance" - holding a treat high over her head will make her stand up on her back two legs and hold it. Nora dislikes/fears strangers entering her home; people entering her space while she's eating; being crowded or cornered. Thunder and fireworks bother her but not to an extreme degree; she'll usually take herself to a corner. During the day, Nora is kept in the home which is open to her; usually she stays in the living room or the primary bedroom; she sleeps in the living room or the primary bedroom. During car rides she does well, though if her crate is not on a stable surface, she may get carsick. We put her crate in the trunk of our hatchback and she does great. She eats Dr. Marty's raw; pills are given rolled in margarine.


She was rescued from a 'Friday Market' in Kuwait, and later she suffered brain damage when her spay surgery was botched in January 2021 (she has since been properly spayed). We have worked with several experts to improve her behavior and quality of life, and while she has made huge progress, it's become clear that our house cannot be a happy, safe for space for her.


Here are some things her future home should know about her:

* She has a tendency to "alarm bark" if she perceives an intruder. She can get used to new people in her space, but it takes steady exposure and persistence.

* She can be territorial of her food.

* On walks, we're careful to dodge other dogs, as she is reactive to them when on leash. The reactivity disappears in an open area (such as a dog park or a big yard) or with dogs she knows.

* If her boundaries are too consistently pressured, or if she feels threatened, she may have panic attack-like symptoms, up to and including lashing out at caregivers. She has never bitten a stranger, but she's capable of redirecting her anxiety at caregivers in ways up to and including a bite. If her boundaries are respected, she will calm down and it will be as if nothing has happened.

* When inside, it's very important that she never feel trapped or cornered. She always needs a way out of wherever she is.



We've seen in the past that a calmer, less densely populated environment leads to better behavior across the board for her, and we think that should be her norm. Best of all would be a home in the country or a suburban home with a big fenced yard."

Bite incident: On 8 August 2024, in Jersey City, NJ, Nora bit one of her guardian's arms; the bite didn't break the skin and animal control was not involved. Nora's guardians explain:

"We were walking Nora in our neighborhood, turned a corner and found there were other dogs on three sides. Because other dogs on leashes can be a trigger for Nora, we picked her up (our usual way of managing her in these situations, when we can't reroute or distract her with a treat). As the other dogs passed, Nora got overstimulated and panicked, resulting in a bite on one of our arms. It did not break the skin."

Nora's guardians explain why they have made the difficult decision to rehome her:

"We love our dog Nora very much, but after four years, it's become clear she cannot be happy living in a city. She is an extremely loving dog, but emotionally quite complicated."

Nora's guardians offer a brief a medical history:

"No current injuries.

Daily medications: 30mg paroxetene (2x per day), 25mg amantadine (2x per day). 5mg melatonin with breakfast, 10mg melatonin with dinner. Paroxetene and melatonin help her cope with overstimulation and anxiety. Amantadine helps her deal with chronic pain.

Nora was spayed in January of 2021, but the procedure went badly. She had Ovarian Remnant Syndrome and had to get the spay a second time, which was successful. The latter surgery happened in Oct 2022."

Nora's guardians state the following regarding children: Although Nora lives with a 2yo child, her guardians recommend her living only with children of 10 years of age and older, stating:

"Nora loves kids. Our only caution about children is that Nora needs her boundaries respected, so any kids in her home need to be aware of her signals and able to respect them."

Nora's guardians state the following regarding dogs: Although Nora doesn't live with a dog, her guardians recommend her living with another dog, stating:

"
Outside and in an open area, Nora loves to play and engage other dogs. Inside, she needs to find her own corner and be able to stay alone there. She usually finds this place under a coffee table or desk. When on a leash, she needs some distance from other dogs, or she will bark at them."

Nora's guardians state the following regarding cats: Although Nora doesn't live with a cat, her guardians recommend her living with a cat, stating:

"Nora might do fine with cats. We don't have much information here. Her only regular exposure is to the cat that lives with her sitter, whom she gets along fine with."

Nora's guardians describe her as:

Barks alot

Playful

Affectionate

Independent

Nervous

House-Trained

Likes men

Likes women

Nora's guardians describe her ideal future home:

"
Nora needs a place where she can be outside for much of the day. She needs space to run. She needs a quiet area, most likely in a suburb or the country. We think she would be happiest with another dog/ dogs in the home, though in that case she would still need her own corner indoors."

Rehoming Fee: None

Location: Jersey City, NJ (Nora's guardians are committed to transporting Nora for a meet and greet and subsequent delivery of Nora to her new home/family.)