Part Vizsla, Part Kangaroo, Part Couch Potato?
I'm fostering a beautiful ~2y.o. pup named Charley who was found in an apartment abused, emaciated, and absolutely traumatized along with 11 other dogs in cruelty case back in March in DC (last pic was her shelter intake photo 🥹). All of the pack's dogs look related, but still different enough to suspect they don't all have the exact same parents/breeds (included pics of 2 of them in the feed).
She's been with me almost 2 months, and I've been able to get her to a healthy 42 lbs, ribs no longer showing! 👏🏽
We think the main breed is Vizsla, but I think there's some Greyhound/Whippet due to her slender shape, deep belly tuck and protruding hip bones, and APBT as well from certain angles due to her white markings and head shape. Some other guesses have included Weimaraner and Beagle. Her fur was longer when she came to me in April, but after a couple baths and daily brushing, she lost her winter coat and now has a short coat with some longer hair still on her neck. Her ears are super silky and V-shaped, but she changes their position all the time from side 'roses' to flapped forward to slicked back. 🤔
She was super timid at the shelter and the first week i brought her home, cowering and hiding in the crate, afraid of walking and everything outside, trembling 24/7. She's since come out of her shell, cuddling close or on top of me to sleep and following me around, but she's still wary of strangers and loud noises, including moving vehicles (buses especially).🚍
Where her personality truly shines is when she gets to run and jump and play; she runs fast and does this kangaroo hop/pounce, and also crazy circle zoomies that look like the Tasmanian devil! 🌪 She loves other dogs and wants to play with them as soon as they meet on walks, but doesn't know her own strength and leaps on/body slams them 🤦🏽♀️SMH. She then spends the rest of her day as a couch potato, sleeping with her belly up and snoring. She has some separation anxiety and has become a velcro dog, whimpering/whining when I get up even to go to the bathroom. Thankfully she doesn't damage anything in the house, just tries to eat everything from pen caps to paper towels. I give her lots of toys and puzzles with treats for additional stimulation.
She's a super detective-level sniffer on our walks, needs to smell absolutely everything. I've even spotted her doing the "pointer" lifted paw at times, showcasing her likely hound background. She doesn't bark and just started wagging her tail a bit, but I think that's because she wasn't allowed to in her abusive home. 💔
All in all, she's a great dog who got a rough start at life, so even though she's about 2y.o., she is still very puppy-like, running and playing like a lanky awkward baby deer lol. She has learned commands quickly with me, and is incredibly sweet and cuddly, but it's clear she needs a home with another dog to be her full self, I'm way too boring for her 🥱
While you're helping me identify Charley's breed, also consider adopting her or spreading the word that she's available! We're based in the DC area 🐶 thank you!!