Athena & Zeus

 

Meet the Puppy

Athena and Zeus are NOT siblings, but were purchased as puppies at the same time by a single parent with young kids. Unfortunately, the parent was overwhelmed as they hit their teenage years, and surrendered them to the Humane Society. The Humane Society reached out to foster-based rescues to limit their time in the kennel. They have been thriving in our care ever since. These two are NOT bonded, in fact they are thriving while separated in two separate foster homes (and a bickering nuance when together).

Details

Nicknames: Athena & Zeus
Age: 1.5 years (DOB: Unknown)
Weight: 12lbs - Athena & 17lbs - Zeus
Approx Full-Grown Weight: 12 & 17
Gender: Female & Male
Breed: West Highlander Terrier
Shedding: Low Shedder *These are hair mixes and these dogs are low shedders shed. They will need monthly grooming! They did great at their first grooming appointment in our care!

Kid Tested: Kids 3+ *They both love the kids of the house.
Cat Tested: Yes
Dog Tested: Yes

Temperament

Athena and Zeus are typical terriers! They are adventurous, they love to play, they love humans, and they are both divas with a ‘tude. Anyone who has owned a westie, knows the west-itude quite well!

They were raised without boundaries, so they do have a tendency to be barky. An adopter should be prepared to work with a trainer on continuing to set boundaries. Sometimes it’s okay to bark and they need some freedom to do it, but otherwise it’s annoying and not acceptable.

Both of these pups are crate trained, using the crate at night, anytime humans are not home, and a couple of naps during the day.

Athena (Left Photo)

Athena is a petit westie at only 12lbs. She is your typical attention-loving, terrier diva personality. She loves attention, loves to play with other dogs, is curious about cats. When she’s excited for attention, she wants to crawl as close as possible to your face, breaking all rules of personal space. So if you want a dog that nuzzles up to your neck for love, Athena is it!

Athena does have two things she needs to work on, who doesn’t?! She is a bit food possessive over her own bowl. We suspect it comes from living with Zeus who is a food hog. He used to push her over and steal her meal. We are working on making her feel safe and secure by feeding her food in her crate. We still hear her grumble if a resident dog walks by her crate, and give the crate a light tap to stop the grumble and remind her she is safe in her crate.

Athena will also need patience potty training, as she struggles with transitions to a new home. Utilizing a puppy schedule as she gets adjusted to a new home will make the transition easier, and she’ll quickly understand the cues to the door.

ZEUS (RIGHT Photo)

Zeus is still small, but larger than Athena at 17lbs. He has a lot to say, and has mastered the stink eye when he disagrees with your choices. He has a voice, and doesn’t mind using it, so an adopter should be ready to work on teaching him boundaries with his bark.

Zeus did bully Athena quite a bit, but hasn’t shown any of those tendencies with the resident dogs. He does get a little food possessive over high value chews, so best to keep high value treats for crate time.

NeedS

  • Athena and Zeus would do best in a terrier-experienced home that sets the right boundaries to ultimately earn freedom!

  • Westies are not lap or yard dogs, they are adventurous explorers who do best in an active household.They need time to sniff, chase, dig, and go on trail walks to be great balanced dogs. Westies make great hiking companions, as they love to explore and have impressive skills bouncing around rocks.

  • These two want to be part of your every day! They’ll walk, ride in the car, play in the park, walk on the trails.

  • These two are crate trained, and sleeps well in the crate overnight. Because of terriers have a tendency to suffer from separation anxiety, daily crate time is a must! To limit the FOMO barking (fear of missing out), crate time when you leave the house is the best approach for these two. They settle right after a few objecting cries and snuggle up for a rest, instead of running around the house barking at everything that moves until you return home.

  • Adopters should be ready to start PROFESSIONAL training with one of her current trainer to continue proper dog socialization, work on nice leash manners using leash pressure, and heel-side walking, structured walking, place command, and prepare for off-leash fun.

  • As an organization, we prefer balanced training, and not “purely positive training.” Balanced training strikes a happy balance between a TON of positive rewards, but also rules, structure, and specific tools to set tone and boundaries for our dogs. We are firm believers that the more rules you have for your dog when they are young, the more freedom they earn as they get older. So set down expectations and boundaries for your dog now with a trainer and the right tools, so they can be part of all the family fun! Those with balanced training experience, and experience with slip lead/training collar as communication tools are preferred but not required!

Those who don’t believe in rules, routine, and structure for your dog, need not apply.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, we will only consider applicants where one adult has a more flexible schedule, as puppies are a lot of work, and will require potty breaks, exercise, training and continued human and dog socialization as they grow up.

Vetting

All dogs rescued by FAVOR are:

  • Spayed/Neutered

  • Microchipped

  • Vaccinated for Rabies, Bortedella (kennel cough), DA2PL (distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis and parvovirus)

  • Up-to-Date on Flea/Tick Topical Preventative

  • Up-to-Date on Heartworm Preventative

  • Dewormed

  • *Rabies must be administered after 12 weeks of age. If puppies travel before 12 weeks, Operation Favor will refund adopters $15 towards the cost of their rabies shot.

Adopters immediate responsibility will include:

  • Required: Puppies WILL require DA2PL 3rd booster shots when age appropriate (between 14-18 weeks of age) at the expense of the adopter

  • Optional: LYME-LEPTO combination vaccine at the expense of the adopter

Cost

$650 Adoption Fee PER DOG

NEW ENGLAND Arrival Date

JULY - We offer foster-to-adopt, so please read our FAQs for more information!

Crate/Potty Training

All puppies and dogs rescued by FAVOR are crate trained, sleeping in the crate from 8pm-6am (with a potty break around 11pm), and accustomed to some day crate time as well. Puppies also understand the basic concept of peeing outside, but there is ALWAYS a transition period where crate cries and potty accidents WILL HAPPEN in a new home, as the dog transitions to new rules and ways to communicate.

We always recommend keeping dogs crated during nap times, bed time, and when they are alone to protect them from danger such as chewing on cords, socks, and other objects. Foreign objects can get stuck in their stomachs which can result in a very expensive surgery. We also encourage using the crate like a bedroom for your dogs as they get older, where they can take naps, take a break from human interaction, and have a time out. More importantly, the crate provides them a safe place to go to when things get overwhelming, like a lot of people, loud noises, extreme weather. Think of the crate as their “den,” and a place for them to unwind. We all need a break sometimes!

Still have questions?

Please read our FAQs if you have any questions on our organization. Many common questions can be answered here.

 
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