About Pancho:
My husband and I adopted Pancho back in 2019, he was my first baby and holds a very special place in my heart. When we adopted him, they guessed that he was about 4-5 years old at the time, meaning that we believe he is about 8-9 years old now.
Pancho is a mixed breed for sure, but we/his vets guess that he is mostly long haired terrier & Portuguese podengo or Parsons russell terrier. He is about 16lbs and could stand to lose a few pounds, as that is a little heavy for his size (food is his love language, and mine 😬).
The wonderful parts about Pancho…
Pancho is a true snuggler, and it is his life passion to burrow under the covers and curl up next to you all day everyday. He would love to go on a walk with you everyday, but also doesn’t mind if you skip a day here and there, he is very easy going when it comes to activity level and doesn’t need tons of exercise. As long as you come home to him everyday with lots of petting and time to cuddle- he is happy as can be. He is also used to a working family, so he spent work days (6-8hours) home alone each day, during that time he was in our living room with access to the patio via a doggie door.
He has lived a spoiled life with us, getting to sleep in bed with my husband and I, and being allowed up on the couch with his humans, so he will expect and want this in his next home for sure.
Pancho is potty trained and dog door trained. We live in a condo with a small patio, and he takes himself in and out throughout the day to use the bathroom. He will however avoid going outside in the rain, so laying some puppy pads out by the dog door is helpful on rainy days.
Pancho is leash trained, and is a wonderful walking companion for a leisurely stroll (he wants to stop and sniff all the things- so cardio workouts are not happening while walking him), he does really great on leash.
Pancho knows a few helpful commands already, “Sit”, “Wait”, and “Ok”.
Pancho is not a big barker, unless he hears something outside. He’s a wonderful security system and protector! He will not bark all day when left home alone, in fact he is very quiet and will sleep almost all day long. But, he does bark quite a bit when someone knocks on the door. His barking has never been a problem with a sleeping baby at home, so barking wasn’t ever an issue for us.
He will be extremely loyal and connected to his person as soon as he gains trust. He is also very handsome, takes a great photo, and looks wonderful in a bandana.
The challenging parts about Pancho…
Because Pancho was let down by humans for so many years before we found him, he has a hard time feeling at ease with people and life around him sometimes. He does not do well with children/babies, and it took him some time (a couple of weeks) to warm up to my husband. He also gets nervous when other men are over at our house and approach him, so we believe men to be a source of past trauma for him. However, he does not randomly attack any men that come into our home, he just doesn’t enjoy being approached, pet, or picked up by them until he gets to know them.
He is in great health other than that he has an inflamed/partially slipped disc in his back that doesn’t affect his daily life other than maybe once a year when he has a flare up which a few days of crate rest and an anti inflammatory takes care of quickly- but, if he is picked up abruptly or in a wrong “twisted” way, he can react due to pain. He also has some allergies, we have found that chicken seems to be what causes his allergies to flare up, so keeping him on a food without chicken has done wonders for that. Pancho is neutered and microchipped as well.
Pancho can also be a bit reactive to other dogs, typically larger dogs. He would not do well in a home with another dog that is larger than him, or a high energy, jumping, puppy like dog. We brought a puppy home in 2020, Frida, and while it took Pancho a few weeks to adjust to her, he is the best companion to her ever now (separating them is another source of heartbreak for me). They are playful together and get along without issue now, but this was due to a lot of work put in by my husband and I in acclimating them- I wouldn’t recommend introducing him to another dog in the home, but especially a larger, active, male. He would do well with another older, lazy, mind their own business kind of dog though. Dog parks are not Pancho’s happy place, he prefers solo outdoor time and should remain on a leash at all times to avoid any reactivity with other dogs.
Pancho has a hard time with groomers/grooming. He had a traumatic incident at a groomer about 9 months ago and now has a very hard time with haircuts and nail trimming. I have found the best way to take care of him in that way is to bring him to a very trusted groomer with some sedatives to help relax him and get the job done, or he will also allow his person (me, or the next person he trusts) to cut his nails and trim his hair, but very slowly with lots of pets, treats, and reassurance in between cuts and clips. He handles being bathed at home in our bath tub or at a self serve dog wash place just fine, the tools used for cutting nails and trimming hair seem to be what make him nervous.
All that said…
I am hopeful that you may know someone who is the perfect person to share their home and their love with Pancho. While it was hard for me to write out all of his challenges, it is a super important part of who he is, and setting him and his next human up best for success. It is absolutely killing me to have to be here now, but I am optimistic about a new home that will make him feel more supported and at ease as well. He truly is such a loving and wonderful dog, but our home is no longer best for him.
Please reach out to me if you or someone you know would make the perfect next home for our sweet boy.
