15/01/2026
Sweet Nora is still looking for a new adult-only (12+) home. She is currently in Spokane.
Nora is a pretty, medium-sized female hound mix, between 5 and 6 years old. She is spayed and weighs about 44 lb (20 kg).
She was rescued by Helping Paws Okanagan in September 2021 and adopted by a young couple. There are now toddlers in the family, which are making Nora very nervous. For this reason, her family made the difficult decision to find Nora the calm, quiet home she needs.
Please, no derogatory comments or ‘helpful’ advice. We at Helping Paws Okanagan agree this is best for Nora.
More photos and videos are in the comments (change Most Relevant to All Comments).
Behavior: Nora is shy but very sweet. Her big brown eyes just beg for pets. She is somewhat fearful of strangers but warms up quickly with soft words and reassuring. She is quite playful and affectionate. Nora always wants to be included and needs gentle guidance, lots of love and calm consistency to know that she is safe in her home. She doesn’t like yelling, can be easily startled but is food motivated and very trainable.
Nora does not counter surf. She is not destructive towards furniture, clothing or shoes but loves destroying her squeaky duck toys!
Nora infrequently digs, usually because she is trying to catch a rodent. She likes to chase birds, squirrels, chipmucks and cats. She is naturally curious and wants to learn. She would take herself for an exploration if she found an open door or gate. Nora is a fairly vocal dog and likes to talk to us. Her Texas roots show up on sunny days - she loves sunning herself when it’s warm out!
Energy Level: Medium – loves walks twice a day. Would probably enjoy daily jogs or hikes but enjoys a nap for the remainder of the day. Loves to use her nose!
Other dogs: Nora seems to need a pack-leader dog who tells her what to do (common with insecure dogs). She is unsure of new dogs and doesn’t like little dogs.
Nora went weekly to a dog day-training facility where she apparently did fine around other dogs. They worked on correcting her play behaviour and her confidence around other dogs grew a lot. It seems that Nora did not have many or any dog friends at an early age (before rescue) so is unsure of other dogs.
Don’t know if she exhibits possessiveness around other dogs – it’s always prudent to feed dogs separately anyway.
Cats: Not fully known but unlikely. Has prey drive with neighborhood cats. She is a hound after all!
Children: Nora is not happy with young children around, which is usually the case with nervous, shy dogs. She prefers calm adults. An older child (12+) who is calm and respectful to dogs would probably be fine.
Housetrained: Yes, great about waiting by the door. She could be trained to ring a bell.
Training: Nora loves treats and is very treat motivated. She is very smart. She knows “bed”, “sit”, “down” (lay down), “climb” (jump up or jump down) and “leave it” consistently. Still learning “come” ;) Understands “potty”, “food”, “car ride”, “walk”, and probably some I’m forgetting.
She knows how to walk properly on a leash. “With me” has her walking right next to you. “Go be a dog” is her walking ahead of you and sniffing, doing more of whatever she wants and can pull on her leash during this. When in “with me” she knows to sit when you stop walking.
Crate training: Nora doesn’t like confined spaces, but does acclimate to a crate. Because this is a necessary skill for vet visits, emergencies etc. she should have more gentle, consistent crate training so that if an emergency occurs, she is already used to being crated. Having another dog nearby in another crate helps her be a lot more comfortable with crates. Her trainer had no issues with her crating, but her owners have difficulty.
Good in car: 100% YES. LOVES car rides, especially front seat where she can see what is happening. Buckled in of course 😊
Behaviors that need work: Nora is well-trained in obedience. She needs help with behaviours stemming from lack of confidence, fear of abandonment and of strangers. She currently is anxious and can be reactive to people she doesn’t know. These behaviours reduce as a dog builds confidence and comes to trust that their family will keep them safe. It is very important that her new adopter is a ‘pack leader’ type so that Nora doesn’t feel she has to be the protector (which makes an insecure dog anxious).
Dogs like Nora do very well with dog sports that build their confidence while keeping a distance from other people and dogs. Being a hound mix, Nora would probably enjoy Tracking, Barn Hunt, and other scent sports.
Ideal home: Nora needs a quiet home and ‘pack leaders’ to make her feel safe. Adults only, or older (12+) calm children who are respectful to dogs. Her new people should have experience with under-confident dogs. An older, bigger well-adjusted confident (but not alpha) dog who she can learn from and feel safe with. Some property for her to explore, sniff and be a hound would be ideal.
Rescue Story: This shy, very sweet girl was dumped in a local neighborhood in Jasper, TX in August 2021. She was brought to the pound by a homeowner. She appeared to have had a litter recently but her babies were not with her. ☹ Helping Paws Okanagan pulled her from the pound and boarded her until she was adopted.
“We adopted Nora from Helping Paws Okanagan in Nov. 2021. It was a bit of a whirlwind and I don’t think we were prepared but we fell totally in love with Nora. She took a while to really show her true self and start talking to us. We have loved watching her grow and explore and hope that someone can help her in this next phase of her life, to continue this growth we have worked so hard to achieve. “
Medical: Nora is up to date on vaccines and had a dental in Oct/25. She is spayed and microchipped. Full medical records since her rescue are available. Nora is currently on anti-anxiety meds, which should no longer be needed in a calm home.
Nora has allergies to poultry and dairy. She is currently eating Hills SD Z/D. And grass, Nora likes to eat grass 😉
Adoption: There will be a reduced adoption fee for Nora. Nora is currently in Spokane, but her owners are willing to drive her within a few hours distance, and can cross the border into Canada.
To apply: 1) email us for an Adoption Application form and
2) email photos of your yard showing entire fence line, where the dog would sleep, and where it would spend most of its time, to [email protected]
If you live in an apartment, photos of where you would walk your dog.
** Applications without photos emailed will not be processed. If the name in your email differs from on the application, please tell us
