Description:
Hi, my name is Joy!
I got that name because I am a joy to be around! I've had a rough life so far, but I haven't let that get me down. I'm only around a year or so old, and have already had a litter of puppies. I had just got done weaning them, then I got lost. I ended up at the local pound, and my owners never came to get me. I finally had some good luck, and got to move to a foster home. But now I have to find a new forever home...

I'm getting back in to shape now, after having fed all those puppies. I'm so young, I bounced right back. I just got spayed, and if you see the pictures of me sleeping below, my foster brother was taking care of me after my spay surgery. He's so nice!

Do I sound like your kind of girl? Can I come and be part of your family? I'd love you forever! I hope to see you soon!

Love, Joy

UPDATE FROM JOY'S FOSTER: We've been calling her Lexi, instead of Joy. Here is the latest update on our little peanut Lexi. In the photo with her pink bandana...she is dressed in her sports parafinalia for our superbowl party. we had close to 20 people over that she'd never met, and she did absolutely wonderfully! The one pic of her sitting by a person's legs is her sitting in the kitchen by me when I cook. She does that often, and it is not to beg, but to be close to someone. She does the same thing in the morning when I'm getting ready.

She has been doing extremely well with leash training....rarely pulls and is learning to listen to the rhythm of our footsteps to know when to slow down. She also responds to "snaps" when she is doing things she shouldn't. She has almost mastered hand signals for "sit." Even off leash, she is pretty good about walking next to us and sitting every time we stop walking. We are still working on that one a bit, but she is doing so well. She loves car rides....she sits and stares out the backseat windows. She does not beg much. We have been training her that she cannot be on the couch when we are eating, and she is pretty good about just laying down by our feet. She LOVES getting baths, and she even sometimes pokes her head into the shower to make sure she can see us....and to lick the water! She lets us pick her up, throw her over our shoulder, hold her like a baby, and she could care less....as long as someone is touching her :) She comes running for the couch to snuggle up whenever Brian or I sit down. She used to bark when we walked by people or other dogs, but very rarely does that anymore....I can't remember the last time I heard her bark! She still nibbles on people's hands when she gets excited because she wants to be pet, but we continue to redirect her when she does this. It doesn't hurt at all but could be scary to some people. She has been around babies and has done well. She is interested in the noises they make, but has made no attempts to jump on them or bark. She has filled out nicely and has a beautiful coat! I believe at her last weigh in she was 48 lbs! Brian has been cutting her toenails, and for the most part she does really well. She gets a bit nervous at times, but if one of us rubs her tummy while the other snips...she is completely fine. She just seems to need some reassurance with the back paws. She is really funny...and bendy! However we pick her up or put her on the couch...she stays! Maleable would be a great word for her! She is great at kenneling up. We just say "kennel," and she goes. She is used to being kennelled whenever we are not home, and does well. If she actually sees one of us leave, she sits by the door and whines for a bit...she is just so cute!

Please feel free to fill out an Adoption application on our main website, www.midwestanimalrescue.org, by clicking on the Form/Applications link under Website Features.

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