CANNOLI.

Holy Cannoli! It’s time for this sweet girl to find her family! Cannoli is a two-year-old golden retriever x poodle who came to MUTTS as a mill discard, along with her sister Crumpet (who recently found her furever home!). Cannoli had a given name, but the mill owner only knew her by her kennel number. She lived in a barn, on wood shavings, without exposure to grass or sunlight. Thankfully she was never bred -- the demand for Kijiji puppies has dropped – so she was released to MUTTS. Cannoli is still adjusting to life outside of the mill but she’s ready to find the family to continue on this journey with her!

When Cannoli arrived in our care, she was under weight and covered in mats so badly that she needed to be completely shaved. Now that she’s sporting her new summer ‘do and enjoying regular, healthy meals, Cannoli is slowly starting to come out of her shell, though it’s clear that she still carries trauma from her mill days. She doesn’t eat her meals in front of others and prefers to eat on her own time when it’s quiet. She’s developed an obsession with her favourite pillow and loves to be anywhere that her pillow is (don’t worry, her pillow will be included in her adoption!). The good news is that she has not shown any signs of separation anxiety or destructive behaviour and actually prefers her independence … so long as she has her pillow, of course! She likes what’s familiar to her and shuts down into herself when she doesn’t understand what’s going on. Often, she will go back to her pillow or a small space where she can watch but not be part of the action. Cannoli is currently a low energy lady who loves short walks and binging Netflix on the couch. She goes on multiple walks per day and has free access to the backyard, but she needs to be encouraged to go outside. That said, her low energy is likely a residual effect from her mill days, and we are confident this will change as she adjusts to family life. She recently went to the beach and played happily for an hour (take note, summer cottagers!)! On the leash, she’s an old pro and hasn’t shown any desire to chase other creatures. She’s shown some curiosity and will sniff at things, but she doesn’t seek new experiences and prefers the familiar.

Cannoli is currently being fostered with two other dogs and a cat and has been fine in the company of all three! She ignores the cat, though she is curious, and prefers quiet dogs (she has developed a fondness for the older of her canine foster siblings!). The only time she’s become vocal is when she growled at her foster sibling for playing too aggressively for her liking. She isn’t big into playing as she doesn’t seem to know how. She’s been calm when meeting other dogs on-leash, albeit a bit nervous, and she tends to hang back a lot (you will get the occasional tail wag!). Meeting new humans is no problem, though she’s still learning to enjoy the attention from her fosters, so slow introductions to anyone new (dog or human) will be an essential part of her transition to her adoptive home! Cannoli has spent time with children (ages 12+) and was fine until they became noisy, which made her anxious. We believe a family with children could be a good fit for Cannoli, as long as everyone is respectful of her boundaries and patient as she becomes familiar with her new home. Cannoli is a very sweet and gentle girl with lots of potential to become comfortable with both giving and receiving affection. She’s starting to show signs of wanting affection but isn’t totally sure how to ask for it – she will sniff her foster’s hand if it’s close to her and has realized that head rubs are really quite nice!

Cannoli is microchipped, up to date with her vaccines, and spayed. She has not had any accidents in the house – her foster is impressed with how long she can hold it! – and is fine either inside or outside of a crate when left alone (she will go wherever her pillow is).

Though she didn’t have the best start to her life, Cannoli is thankful to have a second chance. She’s looking for a family who will show her how wonderful it is to be loved!

SOCIABILITY: Dogs, cats, humans, kids (12-18yo)
ENERGY: Currently low but could follow an active family
QUIRKS: She is obsessed with her pillow and prefers to be with it 100% of the time!
TRAINING NEEDS: Continued basic obedience, continual rehabilitation from life at the mill
MEDICAL NEEDS: None
FOSTER LOCATION: Toronto