TIFFY'S BIO
BREED : BICHON / POODLE X - MALE - 3 YEARS OLD
Disclaimer:
Tiffy is not suitable for first-time dog owners or homes with young kids and other pets. Multiple meets may be needed to ensure the applicants can handle the needs of Tiffy. Tiffy needs dog owners or handlers with experiences working with fear aggressive or resource guarding dogs.
Suitable housing (house, townhome, apartment):
Any type of home; however, Tiffy can be vocal while adjusting to new or noisy environments. A calmer setting—ideally a house with a backyard—would help him settle more easily, as he enjoys being outside and burning off energy with zoomies. While he currently lives in an apartment, apartment living or poorly soundproofed attached housing is not recommended for his long-term success.
Good with other dogs:
Tiffy has shown curiosity and tolerance with some dogs outside the home but does not currently live with other dogs. Due to possessive tendencies, he would do best as an only dog in his forever home.
Good with cats:
Unknown. A solo-pet home is recommended.
Good with kids:
Untested, 16+ age requirement may be more appropriate given his resource guarding history and need for consistent boundary awareness.
House-trained:
Yes.
Crate-trained:
No, but not needed. Tiffy is non-destructive and can be left loose in the home. He seems to be terrified to go into a crate. Pen or give him a smaller room or space to decompress when he first settling in would be more appropriate.
Special needs:
Tiffy will require ongoing guidance and training around food-related resource guarding. Tiffy needs an experienced dog handler or applicant that has worked with fear aggressive dogs or dogs with possession issue. He will also benefit from slow, structured, and positive reintroduction to dogs outside of his home.
Aggression (toys, food, or people):
Tiffy has a history of food-related resource guarding involving very high-value items, including one documented bite when a treat was forcibly removed directly from his mouth in a prior foster home. He was also overly tested in new situations (hands placed in his food but he doesn’t know the person well enough yet), which increased his anxiety and fear around food and human interaction with resources around.
He will require targeted, force-free training focused on building trust, reading body language, and safe “trade-up” techniques rather than food removal. An experienced owner is essential to recognize early signs of discomfort and support continued trust-building.
No aggression toward people has been observed in normal handling or daily care in his current foster home, where interactions are slow, respectful, and guided by his comfort level.
Playful:
Very.
Likes to snuggle:
All the time.
Basic commands:
Knows sit, stay, and paw.
Special tricks:
Not yet.
Enjoys walks:
Yes—he loves walks, though he can be reactive to certain dogs and may pull and vocalize.
Fears:
Related to past stressful experiences, including forced food removal and unstructured dog interaction. He requires slow, positive, and predictable experiences to rebuild confidence and trust.
Unique traits:
Tiffy absolutely loves people. He thrives on staying close to his humans that he trusts and feels most secure with routine, companionship, and predictability.
Three words that describe Tiffy:
Sweet • Funny • Clever
Brief overview:
Tiffy is a sweet, funny, and clever little dog who forms strong bonds with the people he trusts. He is playful, affectionate, and loves being close to his humans, whether that’s going for walks, enjoying outdoor time, or snuggling on the couch. While he has a history of food-related resource guarding due to past negative experiences, Tiffy shows no aggression in day-to-day handling when his boundaries are respected. He thrives with calm, predictable routines and force-free, trust-based interactions. Tiffy needs an experienced, adult-oriented home where he can feel safe, supported, and understood, allowing his loving and people-focused personality to truly shine.
