16/08/2025
UPDATE: We've found a dreamy home for Nino! He moves in tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be given as much time and space as he needs to feel safe. We'll keep you posted on how it's going!
URGENT, AGAIN 😞
Just a few days ago we posted about Nino — a four‑year‑old malti‑poo with a happy smile on his adorable teddy‑bear face — and the offers to adopt came flooding in. The other night I updated the post to announce that he’s been adopted. If you saw that update, you might be surprised to see his face here again so soon. The truth is, even the best match can come apart at the seams, and in Nino’s case, it happened fast.
To best understand Nino, it's important to go back to the beginning. He was born in November 2020, a so-called Covid puppy, his upbringing unmarked by the ordinary pageant of visitors, neighbors, the endless parade of strangers that shapes a young dog’s sense of the world. In his first household there was love, plentiful and uncomplicated — a woman and her two teenaged daughters who adored him, who let him grow in the quiet cloister of pandemic days. But there were no dinner guests, no children dropping in from next door, no parties or playdates. His scope of world was very limited, narrowed to only those 3 members of his family, and in that narrowness he felt safe and secure.
This past May, when that family suddenly had to move and couldn’t take him along, he was rehomed to a new household: mom, dad, two young kids, and a grandma. Surprisingly, he settled in immediately and beautifully, shadowing the dad wherever he went, playing sweetly with the kids, showing off how smart he is and happily taking his place as the littlest member of his new family. The catch was company; the family quickly discovered Nino seemed to have had zero socialization with strangers. Visitors to the home were seen as a deadly threat, and in the 2 months they had him, they were unable to convince him he's safe with a stranger in the home. He greeted visitors with bared teeth and low growls, which escalated to a bite when one houseguest ignored his "back off!" warning and tried to pet him anyway. Being a very social bunch with many friends and extended family, Nino's new people made the painful decision to surrender him to us to find him a more suitable home.
The couple who adopted him yesterday understood all of that. They'd been thoroughly briefed on Nino's habits, preferences, and triggers, and were ready to give him as much time and space as he needs to feel safe, to let trust arrive on its own schedule. What none of us predicted was how Nino would react to having a new yorkie sister. Knowing how enthusiastic he's been about meeting other little dogs, we thought it would be ideal for him to join a new household with a well-balanced, friendly canine sister to show him that new people aren't scary. We were thrilled that he loved her from the first minute, but we didn't expect him to become so utterly obsessed with her that she's all he cares about. He has decided she's his to guard and protect. He's been with his new people for about 24 hours now, and whenever they pick up their little yorkie, or try to show her any attention or affection, he charges at them. He doesn’t know these people yet, they're still strangers to him, so he sees them as a threat to his new crush and wants to attack them to protect her. Now the little yorkie is uneasy, the humans are on edge, and the air in the house feels thick with anxiety and fear. This isn’t safe for anyone. We have to change course — quickly, and carefully — because bouncing him again without precision will only deepen the grooves we’re trying to soften.
Here’s the truth, clean and clear: Nino is darling, devoted, clever, and fun — and he is also a management dog who will bite when he perceives a threat. It isn’t malice. It’s fear‑based defensiveness that can surface as resource guarding, especially around houseguests or, as we now know, over another dog. The good news is that his triggers are consistent and avoidable. The even better news is that he blossoms when life is quiet, steady, and utterly predictable.
So here we are again, searching for the right home — the final home — for this sweet, complicated boy. Nino is affectionate, clever, funny, and fun, but he also has sharp edges. What he needs is a family consisting of only one or two calm, dog‑savvy adults; no other pets; almost no visitors. He loves a boring life, thrives on routine, and finds comfort in the predictable: the same breakfast in the same bowl, the same familiar footpath for walks, the same quiet corner for afternoon naps. Routine isn’t a compromise for him; it’s at the core of what he needs to be calm and comfortable. Predictability is where his mind unclenches and his body gets soft; knowing what he can expect to happen next is the key to Nino's happiness and cooperation. On the rare occasion a guest does come over, he should simply be crated so everyone can relax; he can return to his calm, predictable rhythm when the house is his again.
And here is the shape of the person who will love him best: steady, observant, unflappable. Someone who reads the room and the dog — who notices the freeze before the flash, the hard stare before the growl, the first subtle signs of stress that say “give me space” -- and responds early, kindly, consistently. Someone who doesn’t need a social calendar to feel fulfilled, who’s happy to pour their affection into one small dog and enjoy the sweet, simple rituals of ordinary days.
Because when he has that — calm, consistency, clear boundaries — Nino shines. He’s bright and playful, eager to learn, and delightfully devoted once you’re in his circle. He’ll trot after you like a cheerful shadow, lean his little body against yours while you watch tv, greet mornings with quiet delight, and make you feel, in a dozen small ways, like the best part of his world, because you will be. He doesn’t want the whole neighborhood, he just wants to be with his person in his own peaceful little orbit.
None of this is plug‑and‑play. Nino has fine print. He will bite in the wrong circumstances. But his triggers are consistent, his needs are clear, and in the right setup he’s more than manageable — he’s marvelous! He’s like a fine instrument: learn how to hold him, respect the limits, and he’ll give you something honest and bright and deeply rewarding. We’ll back you with a tailored management plan, referrals to a trusted force‑free trainer, and steady support while everyone settles. If you see yourself in this description — calm, careful, consistent — and if the idea of a slower, simpler, steadier life with one very loving dog sounds like exactly enough, then Nino may be exactly yours. Please reach out right away and let's talk!
He is currently living in Kingston. We can't overstate the need to move him as soon as possible, for his sake as well as that of the other members of his current household.
