Name: Ingrid 
Age: 8 years
Gender: Female
Breed: Boxer
Weight: 42 pounds
Dog friendly: Yes
Cat friendly: Yes
Kid friendly:  Yes, but would prefer a home with older, quieter kids (teens and up)
House trained: Yes, on a schedule
Crate trained: Yes
Energy level: Moderate/low
History: From NC
Adoption Fee: $300

From the Foster:

If you lead a low-key lifestyle and are looking for an older, quiet, low-energy companion, then you are looking for Ingrid. She is one of the best and easiest dogs I’ve ever fostered. She spends about 95% of her day napping. The couch is her favorite spot to curl up and dream away, tongue hanging out, snoring louder than any dog I’ve heard. She is house trained on a schedule, meaning (so far) she doesn’t signal when she needs to go out and relies on you to take her out regularly. If you forget or wait too long, she will probably have an accident. She is very, very good at going potty right away when you take her outside. She does fine in her crate but has shown she doesn’t need to be in one as long as she does all her business right before you leave. She has been left out during the day for up to 6 hours so far. I’m convinced she just sleeps. Sometimes I get home and she’s still so deeply asleep she doesn’t even notice. She is not crated at night and sleeps very soundly then too. She is not destructive out of her crate either. I’ve only seen her try to counter surf once early on, and only occasionally will she move your shoes around. She does like to suck on blankets from time to time for whatever reason, but she hasn’t eaten any.

She gets more animated around other dogs than she does people, so would likely enjoy a mellow dog friend. She loves my senior dog and ignores my cat for the most part. When I had a female foster puppy as well, they were a little snarky towards each other at times, typicallysurrounding the dog bed (could be because they were both not yet spayed at that time and the puppy was a sass pants). I’ve had her over 2 months now, and she has not shown any issues at all towards my resident animals. She also does great meeting new dogs outside of the home, and is not at all leash reactive. She was a momma dog for so many years, I think she just got used to putting up with crazy, obnoxious dogs bouncing around in her face - doesn’t seem to phase her.

She is definitely shy towards new people whether out and about or at home. She usually backs away or runs to a different room if they try to approach, and she is easily startled by fast/sudden/loud/etc movements. Given her space, she remains curious and hangs in the doorway of the room, taking it all in. Any new friends will need to just be patient with her and let her approach them on her own time. Chicken and cheese treats help with that! Because of her timid nature, I feel she would do best in a home with adults only or older, considerate, quiet kids (probably teenagers and up). A lot of commotion and unpredictability is hard for her to be comfortable around. Once she knows you, she is so very sweet, likes to be close to you for comfort, cuddles, head scratches and ear rubs, and is loyal to her person/people. She lays completely on top of me sometimes, totally content and unaware of my inability to breathe. Unless she’s fast asleep, she often follows me from room to room, or will just check in occasionally as she likes to know where I am. She has not shown any separation anxiety though - totally cool with me leaving the house, doesn’t go into a panic if she can’t see me etc. As she gets more and more comfortable in her surroundings, you will see a goofier side come out - rolling around on her back and snorting, and doing a few crazy Boxer zoomies before tiring quickly. It has been fun to watch her come out of her shell more and more. She hasn’t shown any interest in toys, but likes to chew on dental treats, etc. She seems to enjoy walks, but she doesn’t like the cold and isn’t a big fan of the snow either. She does spook easily at sudden, loud noises outside, and she can be very hesitant to walk when someone else is approaching from the other direction.

Ingrid was originally part of the hospice program at SHH, as the sending shelter thought she had cancer that had already taken over her body. Fortunately, she is now looking for her retirement home instead as most of her tumors (mammary) were benign. She had one mast cell tumor on her chest but it was able to be completely removed. As a Boxer, these types of tumors can be common, so it will be important that her future family be committed to monitoring her for suspicious lumps and getting them checked out and removed if necessary. She has come so far and has been finally receiving the care she needs and deserves thanks to SHH. She is more than worth it.

I was recently treated for heartworms, and I am feeling much better now! Please let SHH know if you have any questions! 

All dogs are in individual foster homes throughout the Twin Cities.

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