We are enjoying our newest foster, Fontina, who is skittish at unexpected noises but social and very snuggly when the environment is predictable. We are sure she will gain self confidence as she gets more accustomed to her new foster home. Stay tuned for updates! For questions about her, please EMAIL ME. To inquire about adoption, please visit the New Rattitude website.
9/12/26Showing 1-24 of 241710 visitsAlbum by TerryPhotos by Terry
1 Miss Fontina is a 3-year old gal who is believed to be a Rat Terrier-Boston terrier mix.
2 She weighs 20 lbs.
3 She is very comfortable around people, even ones she has just met. When we have guests over, she will be a little shy at first, just observing, but she doesn't hesitate to approach if someone speaks to her and encourages her to come over for some pats.
4 She also does great meeting new dogs. She is calmly interested in them and doesn't get alarmed if they are a little pushy in their eagerness to check her out.
5 In new situations and environments, she is usually quite reserved. She has a general unease at the unknown, especially unexpected noises, which often startle her. She prefers to observe from a distance for a bit. Verbal encouragement from her trusted people helps, as does being able to be physically near them.
6 She often likes to find a cozy hidey-hole and hang out there where she feels secure.
7 One of her favorite spots is under the credenza that serves as my stand-up desk, so that she is literally inches away from my feet for hours per day. She likes it when her foster brother Stilton comes to visit, but he doesn't see her attraction to this uncomfortable spot.
0:278 Sharing bed and toys with her foster brother. She is patient and gentle with him, even when he is a bit pesty.
9 Fontina is quite comfortable being handled by people, even ones she has just met. If you sit on the couch and give her the slightest bit of encouragement, she will jump right up and immediately snuggle with you...
10 ... usually turning belly-side-up and wriggling in delight.
11 Yes! Yes! Yes! belly rubs!!
12 Such a cuddly girl!
13 Fontina is extremely quiet. In fact, she does not bark and in the days she has been here, we have not heard her make a peep, not even when someone accidentally stepped on her foot. At the vet, she got vaccinations and her microchip inserted without even flinching!
14 She obviously had had pups before being turned in to the shelter, but she has now been spayed.
0:2115 Checking out the yard and her new foster parents. (This video was taken the morning after she arrived here.)
16 Fontina is housetrained and does "go" very promptly when taken out. In her first couple of days here, before she got comfortable with us and learned the routine, she did have some indoor accidents. But now when we say "Do you want to go outside?" she will go right to the back door and wait for us to open it. If she is given ample outside opportunity on a schedule she can anticipate, her house training is great.
17 Fontina is comfortable walking on leash.
18 She generally walks with a fairly slack lead and at a good pace. She does tend to cross back and forth behind you or in front of you, but she is quickly getting better at maintaining a straight line.
19 She will stop to sniff interesting scents here and there but isn't excessive about it and will resume the pace when you are ready to go on.
20 Alert and attentive
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23 If you are seeking a mild-mannered, gentle, quiet, and friendly girl...
