sugar

Sugar (ACCT-A-122549) came to ACCT Philly in September 2022 after being found abandoned on a property. She was adopted and spent about a year in a home before being returned in early 2024 due to her high energy and need for leash training. Since then, Sugar has been living in a committed foster home, where she’s made incredible progress and shown her affectionate, goofy personality.

In her foster home, Sugar has blossomed into a loving, loyal companion. She adores cuddling on the couch, giving endless kisses, and spending quiet time with her people. She’s crate-trained, housebroken, and knows several commands including sit, down, stay, and leave it. She can be strong on leash but has improved greatly with the right harness. Sugar enjoys walks and occasional jogs, but she’s just as happy to curl up in her crate or under a blanket at the end of the day.

Sugar’s ideal family will be one that understands her need for patience, structure, and continued training. She’s best suited to a home without small animals or small children and would thrive as the only pet or with a compatible male dog. While she can be nervous or reactive to new people or visitors, she warms up beautifully once she feels safe. Inside her home, she’s a total sweetheart—a snuggly, kiss-giving “low-rider” who just wants to be loved.

Behavioral Notes

Per foster 10/9- When I picked up Sugar my intention was to find her a home. Over the last 20 months that we've had her in our home we've discovered that Sugar will not be the easiest to place. She would need to have someone either VERY committed to training/working with her or someone with no other pets who's strong. She is a big puller on the leash and is very strong. She has gotten used to all of our pets but its taken this long and she still now has moments of 'wanting to chase and bark' at some of our cats that are outside. She's a big barker at guests, walkers, noises outside, and delivery people. She comes off like she wants to take someone out or bite them but in our home she is a big lover and couch potato. She also gives kisses.... A LOT of them! Lol. Unfortunately, outside the home or with strangers she does not come off this way.

12/26/2024
The foster said it was a mess it was generally started with her personal senior dog she sometimes does the if someone gets close to her she growls and the foster just took sugar bone away and they were both out but guess her dog got too close to sugars crate and sugar ran up and her dog snapped at sugar. The fosters personal dog ear got cut and sugar knew she did bad as she put herself in the crate. so far they have been fine and she has them separate and keeping high value away. but even with passing during outside time they have been good. this happened on Monday night. She does great with her male dogs. it all steamed from her dog starting it. Shes never guard against the foster.

12/13/2024
Foster notes that Sugar struggles with visitors, anyone at the door, people walking by the house, and even the horse-drawn buggies that pass daily. She would not do well in a city home with a lot of noise or distractions. Sugar barks nonstop when she hears these things, and it takes her some time to calm down. She can be difficult to manage, and while Foster has been working on redirection, Sugar is very challenging to redirect. At times, she needs to be physically removed from the situation to stop fixating on it. Foster has tried high-value treats, toys, and calling her name, but it doesn’t break the fixation. Additionally, Sugar does not do well with strange dogs, based on the few encounters they’ve had on walks. She is also a strong puller, so her handler needs to be able to manage that as well. Foster has had Sugar in foster care since February of this year. They worked with "Good Pup" on training tips during the first four weeks after they got her and continue to work with her as much as they can at home. However, Sugar is in need of more training. Foster noted, "She is very inconsistent with things, which makes her very unpredictable." Foster notes indicate that Sugar does well with one-on-one training and seems to be getting it, but as soon as there's a distraction, she doesn’t listen and can't be redirected. When Foster's (adult) daughter visits, Sugar continues barking until the daughter is out of sight. The minute the daughter walks away, Sugar lunges and nips but has never broken skin. She has exhibited this behavior with strangers and is people-selective. While inside the home, she is selective with her interactions. When outside, she barks and pulls heavily towards strangers.

04/01/2024 Per foster- Sugar is a cuddle bug that loves to give kisses, get treats, and go for walks or an occasional jog. She needs a family that will give her time to settle in and then continue working with her on her commands. She take a little longer to warm up. Her decompress time was about 3 weeks when she came here. She is very fearful of new people when they come in the house. Covering her crate helps with this until she calms down. Sugar needs a home that has no small animals or small children. She has warmed up to 2 of my cats over the last 2 months but I would never leave her off a leash around them. My other cats she still barks aggressively, and jumps at her crate at them. She does very well with our dogs, and they love to play and wrestle. She is a dominant female so she'd do great with a male dog or a non dominant female as her new family. She has shown no aggression towards food, toys, or dogs however due to us having to jeep her in her crate most of the time there really is not much exposure to this.... She is crate trained, and she also has completed 4 weeks with a trainer. She knows the commands sit, down, stay, and leave it. She is a strong, low-rider girl and can pull, but clipping her on the front of her harness has reduced her pulling . She has been improving every week as we've been working with her. She does get very easily distracted, so a family willing to continue to work with her will definitely help her and treats help, too.

01/28/2024
Sweet and energetic lady! Loved exploring the play yard. She sniffed all around and under the obstacles. She was very easy to leash and walk. Outside she was pretty energetic and not overly interested in me but accepted handling. When I took treats out she got super excited and jumped up for them but got down when I said off. Sweet lady!

01/05/2024
Took out with a volunteer - she presented socially in kennel and was easy to leash and take out. She walked with her tail between her legs and ear back. Once in the yard, she surveyed the area and her tail remained tucked. She lifted her paw 2-3 times while she was exploring. She sniffed a dog through the fence with a loose body and then had a good shake and her body language loosened slightly. She did not actively solicit attention, but did lean on her handlers and allow gentle petting. She was easy to return to kennel.

01/04/2024
Playgroup 1/4- Rocki was initially a bit barrier reactive at the fenceline with Trigga but was steerable and loose with the other dogs. Once in the yard she was nervous for the first few minutes with pinned ears, some lip licking, and low tail. She investigated and slowly greeted other dogs. After a couple minutes in the yard she shook off being more playful and would engage in play with Jade and Danny. She took Jade's corrections well.

01/03/2024
Eval 1/3. Adult-only home preferred due to nervousness with handling at first, can go to foster behaviorally.

01/02/2024
On owner surrender form, the owner wrote that Rocki will "attack" people and animals. When I asked what she meant she said Rocki jumps all over people when excited. She also indicated on OS form that Rocki "wants to attack and react" towards other dogs and cats. However, Rocki has lived with a mom cat and kittens for the past year and has never bitten or harmed them. She has never bitten/scratched another animal.

Medical Notes

12/14/2024
EMAIL FROM FOSTER: Sugar tried anxiety meds but she said "they just seemed to make her tired" when I asked if they were effective since they ran out on 12/2. We're gonna get her set up with training, but if there's other medication you suggest her trying based off her behaviors let us know JN: Prescribed a different medication, can decrease dose if needed.

09/08/2022
This dog is bonded to cooper.

ACCT Philly is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave in Philadelphia. We are open for adoptions 7 days a week, from 10am to 6pm, and no appointments are needed! Please visit www.acctphilly.org/adopt
for details.

If you are a rescue interested in pulling this animal, please email our lifesaving team, or visit here if you are not currently a rescue partner: https://acctphilly.org/acct-philly-love-local-partnership-program/

All animals at ACCT Philly are from Philadelphia, as the only open intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, we are not able to accept animals from outside of Philadelphia. ACCT Philly’s Pennsylvania kennel license number is 08313.