Chickpea

Description

 * This dog will be at the Palo Alto Pet Food Express on Saturday, August 8th from 12–3 PM (unless adopted prior to the event). All DPS Rescue dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, flea/tick treated, and microchipped prior to adoption.   Adoption Fee: $800   Meet Chickpea: Your Tiny, Fluffy Emotional Support Supervisor   Some dogs want a family. Chickpea would like a family, a best friend, a personal assistant, a designated belly-rubber, and preferably someone who understands that going to the bathroom alone is an unnecessary boundary.   Chickpea is a 10–12 month old, 17-pound Cockapoo with a nonshedding coat, an enormous heart, and a firm belief that wherever her person is, Chickpea should probably be there too. Cooking breakfast? Chickpea will supervise. Working from home? Chickpea will rest her head on your lap. Watching TV? Excellent. She'll take the spot next to you. Taking a shower? Okay, but why? And how long is this going to take? She's not needy. She's just extremely committed to the relationship.   The Chickpea Transformation   When Chickpea first arrived in her foster home, she wasn't immediately convinced these new humans deserved access to her inner circle. For the first couple of days, she quietly observed everyone from her crate or a comfortable corner. She watched. She studied. She gathered data. Essentially, Chickpea conducted background checks.   Her foster family didn't push her. They gave her space, showed her kindness, and let Chickpea decide when she was ready. By Day Three, the investigation was complete: APPROVED. Suddenly the shy little dog keeping everyone at a distance had transformed into a cuddling, snuggling, belly-rub-requesting Velcro baby who would prefer that her humans remain within eyesight at all times.   And once Chickpea loves you, she LOVES you. If you move to another room, she's coming. If she can't see you because you're sitting behind a counter, she'll reposition herself. If you've been in the bathroom suspiciously long, you may hear a tiny whine from the other side. Ma'am? Are you alive in there? We had plans.   Chickpea's Daily Agenda   One of Chickpea's finest qualities is her flexibility. Early riser? She's ready. Sleeping in on Saturday? Chickpea supports this decision wholeheartedly. She follows her humans' schedule and starts her morning with a trip outside to explore and potty, followed by breakfast and a good drink of water. Then it's time for her most important daily responsibility: following you around.   While her foster works, Chickpea happily hangs out nearby, often resting her head on a lap. Around 5:00, she's ready for her neighborhood walk. She walks beautifully on leash without pulling or trying to chase everything that moves. In fact, if Chickpea gets a little ahead, she'll turn around to make sure you're still coming. Because obviously this is a group excursion. Afterward, she's perfectly happy to eat, relax and transform from energetic young Cockapoo into Professional Couch Potato.   She has another potty break around 9 or 10 p.m. and then settles beautifully into her crate for the night. And yes, Chickpea is both crate trained AND housetrained. We would like everyone to take a moment to appreciate this.   Party Girl Meets Couch Potato   Chickpea has two speeds: WHEEEEEEEEE! and I shall now become one with the sofa. She gets the zoomies, bounces around, and has discovered that standing on her back legs is an excellent way to attract attention. When particularly excited, she'll even hop around on two legs like an extremely small circus performer who has not technically been hired by a circus.   Her foster was once relaxing peacefully on the couch when Chickpea launched herself through the air and landed directly on top of her. Perfect aim. Chickpea was delighted with herself. Her foster was...awake.   But here's what's especially nice about her: Chickpea understands when it's time to settle. If her people are relaxing and watching TV, she's happy to curl up and relax too. She's fun without requiring you to operate a 24-hour amusement park.   The Quietest Member of the Household   Her foster family has yet to hear Chickpea bark. Not once. Visitors don't trigger a barking extravaganza. When someone new arrives, Chickpea usually finds a comfortable spot or retreats to her crate and observes. Remember: background checks. Once she decides you're safe, the sweet girl underneath starts appearing.   She's also been peaceful around her foster family's outdoor cat and has done well with her foster's teenage brother. She can initially be a little intimidated by unfamiliar people, dogs or situations. On walks, instead of barking or lunging when she's uncertain, she'll simply move closer to her person for reassurance. There's something incredibly endearing about a little dog whose response to feeling unsure is basically, Could I stand next to you for a minute?   Smart Little Chickpea   Don't underestimate the fluff. This girl is SMART. During her first days in foster care, Chickpea carefully inspected the backyard fence and discovered a potentially weak spot. Interesting. She poked her head through. Her foster said no and reinforced the area. Chickpea apparently reviewed the updated security system and abandoned the project.   She learns routines quickly, recognizes patterns, knows how to tell her foster when she needs to potty, and responds well to correction. She's also been good when left home alone in her crate. She may whine initially because her favorite people have apparently abandoned her to go acquire groceries and earn money, but she settles down and naps. Then you return, and Chickpea reacts as though you've just returned from a five-year expedition across the Atlantic.   Chickpea May Actually Be an Empath   Her foster describes Chickpea as an empath, and we think that's a pretty special description. She's incredibly observant. She studies people, learns their routines, and seems to understand when someone wants affection and when they need space.   This isn't the dog who walks into your house and immediately declares herself President. Chickpea builds a relationship with you. Give her a little patience at the beginning, and you get to experience the wonderful moment when she decides: You're my person. And then good luck going anywhere without your Chickpea.   The Fine Print on the Fluff   Chickpea has a beautiful nonshedding coat, but nonshedding does NOT mean maintenance-free. Her forever family will need to commit to regular brushing and professional grooming throughout her life. In exchange, your black pants may finally have a fighting chance.   Chickpea's Dream Home   Chickpea doesn't need anything particularly complicated. She needs kindness and patience at the beginning while she gets comfortable. After that? She'd love people who enjoy walks and adventures but also appreciate a good couch session. She needs a family with plenty of affection to give because Chickpea has an enormous supply to return.   She may enjoy gentle, dog-savvy children who appreciate cuddles and belly rubs. Another friendly dog could be a possibility, but she could also be perfectly happy making her humans the center of her universe. What matters most is finding people who understand that this sweet girl forms deep attachments.   Chickpea isn't looking for a place to live. She's looking for her people. Give her a couple of days to quietly figure you out, and before you know it, you'll have a 17-pound fluffy shadow resting her head on your lap, following you into the kitchen, celebrating your return from the mailbox and occasionally launching herself directly onto your stomach because she just loves you THAT MUCH.   Somewhere underneath all that Cockapoo fluff is an enormous heart, and Chickpea is ready to give the whole thing to somebody.