Ellie is a very special little girl. She’s a sweet pup who LOVES other dogs and ignores cats but is still getting comfortable with people. You see, she was born on a property that had 40+ other dogs and, until she came to the shelter in February, she had very little interaction with people.

With this background, it’s not surprising that Ellie generally hangs back and watches people, and only darts forward to give kisses if she thinks you’re not looking. She clearly craves human contact, though–when we go for a walk she stays close behind me, often with her nose against my calf, and if I’m petting another dog she will sneak over and lick my hand. As long as she has a canine friend, she has impeccable house manners–she has not chewed anything inappropriate in her foster home despite not being crated during the day and sleeps nicely in a crate at night. Moreover, she prefers to go to the bathroom outside so as long as she has access to a yard when needed, she does not have accidents inside.

Ellie gets along with a variety of other dog. She is respectful of older dogs and entices the more playful ones into games of chase or wrestling even though they are 2-3 times her size, and when they signal they’re done, she stops.

As might be expected, Ellie has the usual concerns for a dog from a hoarding situation: doorways are scary, leashes are new, and people are something of which to be wary. She’s young enough though to overcome this and is working hard to do so. She needs a patient foster home or an adopter with a canine friend from which she can learn how to be a beloved family member. We know she will flourish with time; in fact, one of her current foster sisters and her evolution is featured here.

• Temperament

  Back of the Pack

• Energy Level

  Medium

• Spayed

  Yes

• Good with Dogs

  Yes

• Good with Cats

  Yes

• Good with Kids

  Yes

• House Broken

  Yes

• Crate Trained

  Yes

• Animal Healthy

  Yes

Ellie was tested positive for heartworms and is undergoing treatments.