Oscar - male Shih Tzu

Twelve year old Oscar is a golden oldie who has a real cheeky sweet personality. He is very independent and does not enjoy being fussed and cuddled, however he is more than happy to sit by you and spend time with you. As Oscar is uncomfortable with people around his food he will need to be left alone to eat and have his own space. Oscar has bitten over his food before now and his handlers have worked very hard to reduce his resource guarding, but this will need careful management in his new home. His handlers have also put in an awful lot of work to enable Oscar to tolerate some basic grooming, and have devised a specific plan for his new family to follow, potentially collaborating with a groomer. The centre's training team will be by the adopter's side throughout the whole process and beyond, once Oscar has gone home. Oscar enjoys walking with calm dogs who won’t jump on him or push him and he is looking for a home as the only dog. He likes a gentle stroll these days and losing an eye to an ulcer some time ago hasn't held him back in any way. Oscar is worried by strangers attempting to touch him and he takes a long time to trust you, so he is looking for a family that are happy to separate him in the home from irregular visitors and gradually introduce him to a few regular visitors as well as give him all the time he needs to build a good, strong relationship with adopters.

Oscar needs a home with a family who are committed to meeting him multiple times at the centre before taking him home. He MUST be the only pet in the home, with NO children resident or visiting. Oscar is house trained and can be left alone for a few hours. He is not a lap dog and will require a secure, private garden. Oscar is not suitable for someone who has communal spaces as part of their residence. He has a lump on his elbow that is not treatable and we do not know how much more time Oscar will have.