# I Have Lost My Mind!



## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Joe and I went to Petsmart to see the rescue pups - DON'T do it!! We saw a pitiful small miniature poodle named Puffy, and asked about him, b/c he looks a lot like our sweet Potsie we lost last year, due to a blown disc that rendered him paralyzed. Geesh.....we found out the poor baby had been a puppy mill stud dog, kept outside for 6 years with no human contact, except to be taken out to breed. Are you KIDDING me???? :Cry::Cry::Cry: He's a fear biter and a runner (wouldn't you be, given the circumstances?). The rescue has had him for a year with little improvement, so they finally put him on Prozac, and he's much calmer, but has a long way to go. No one would even foster him due to his issues, so he's been in the rescue's kennel for the past year, with some, but not enough attention given to him. Potsie was also an extremely abused poodle, so Puffy tugged on our heartstrings.

Long story short... Yeah, you guessed it... We're going to foster the little guy, and since he's probably unadoptable, it's probably going to be a long term deal. Heaven help us! We're hopefully going to get him on Saturday. This will be his first home situation in 7 years - wow, just wow... Check out the fear in the little guy's eyes.

He's going to have to be crated in a plastic airline crate when alone (he's smart enough to know he can pee outside the edge of a wire crate, the little stinker), and he'll have to wear a belly band when out in the house, because he'll undoubably mark after 6 years of being a stud dog. He'll also have to go outside only on a leash or into an x-pen for awhile, because once loose, he's almost impossible to catch. Can you say high value treats? 

I can't wait to see him blossom, albeit ever so slowly. Please say a prayer for me! ray:


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

thanks for fostering and good luck!!!


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

Thats great, I am sure you will help him once he learns to trust & feel love. Puppy mills make me sick, among other things.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I will just say a prayer of thanks to you and your husband for being so willing to take on such a abused, sad little dog. You guys are angels. 
You never know, once he starts getting some exercise, maybe the urge to run will diminish somewhat. Thank you for doing this.


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## LProf (Nov 12, 2013)

Wow! That is so great of you guys. True dog people. Folks like you give me some hope yet for our species.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Awww. you know I"m a big fan of poodles  

You are on the right track with keeping him on leash in the house. Jack, at about 9 months old, decided he was going to mark in the house. I don't want to deal with belly bands for a long time (like I did with my minpin for 14 years!) so I kept him on leash in the house where I could keep both eyes on him at all times and he couldn't wander and mark. He's now very reliable and still intact (no not planning on breeding him, just want all his pieces n parts to grow properly before he's neutered). 

These fearful dogs can take a while to reach. Lots of high value treats (just tidbits, they don't have to be big pieces). Mine love string cheese and frozen Bil-Jac they practically turn inside out for. Don't rush anything with Puffy and he will come to realize life is good. 

And you must keep sharing pictures


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

just, WOW.

good luck in changing this boy's life around.


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## Sgrecco (Jan 29, 2014)

Awesome! Bless your soul.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Puffy sounds like he's going to the right home. Keep us posted!


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

thats not crazy. its the beauty of kindness. good job.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Good for you! That's awesome. It's good of you to do that.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Prayer in progress. Good luck, what a wonderful thing you are doing.


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## Dr Dolittle (Aug 2, 2013)

God bless you all!


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks for all the encouragement. We're going to definitely need it! The rescue lady was so thankful, she started crying last Sunday, so I know we've got our work cut out for us. I'm not a dog whisperer, by any means, so I'm praying for an extra dose of patience. We pick him up Saturday. Trying to decide which would be better: a martingale collar or a harness to avoid him slipping his collar. We absolutely CAN'T let him loose for awhile.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I've seen people put both on a dog like that. and a leash with a snap on each end. 
With my own, I prefer the martingale but you might just have to see how he does once you get him home. 

I look forward to updates


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

That's a tough one. Maybe just being around a loving family with other dogs will help! Let's hope at least!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

You'll probably become expert at reading body language if he's a fear biter too. I have one of those, except now I know his triggers so I've been nailed got a lot less lately. There will be times when you seriously question your sanity for adopting him in the first place. I know I do sometimes, but the good times far, far outweigh the bad and I'd do the exact same thing again if I had the chance. 
And I think I'd probably do both collar and harness at least to start off with too. Unless it's super tight, I've seen small dogs easily slip out of harnesses when they've put their mind to it.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I appreciate the advice. I think I will do both a collar and a harness. The rescue said he likes to dine on harnesses, so I'll have to take it off when he's crated - lol! We're picking Puffy up tomorrow around lunch time - let the adventure begin!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Do let us know how it goes. I'm anxious to see the progress in the little dog. Slow as it may be. I'm seriously thrilled for him, the start of the rest of his life.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Can't wait to hear how he does


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Can't wait to hear! Hope all goes well!


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

We brought Puffy home yesterday, and he's a nervous, trembling mess, poor guy. We have an x-pen set up in the living room with his crate in it so he can see us from the safety of his crate. He came out, which surprised us, and he's curious about everything! The t.v. fascinates him - he watched it several times, flinching at loud sounds and scene changes, but he kept looking at it. He won't eat (not surprising), and he won't move if I put him down in the yard to potty. I put a swivel stake and light cable out there and left him attached to it for a couple of minutes (watching out the window, of course), and he finally pottied. He's frozen to one spot if humans are around, but he watches us intently. We let our dogs greet him through the x-pen until last night. I then picked him up and had him sit with me on the couch. Both of my other dogs were very quiet around him, as if they know he's fragile. We just sat there for a couple of hours, and Puffy finally stopped tembling (as long as I sat still). Joe snapped a few photos.




























Puffy did better when I held him very tightly - I guess, sort of like a Thundershirt. He slept in a crate in our room last night - not a peep out of him. He's definitely overwhelmed with all the new sights and sounds of a normal home. It'll take him awhile to get used to all of us, poor guy! He did much better than I though he would, though. He didn't bite either of us (yet), so that's a plus. He didn't eat again this morning, but we could tell he's hungry (sniffing at bowl). He's still too scared to eat. I closed him in his crate with his food, but he still won't eat. By the time he does eat, he's going to be good and hungry!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Thats awesome! It takes a special person to foster such an abused dog! Best of luck to you!


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Keep up the good work! Poodles are fuss budgets about food and nerves and such. I bet he will come around eventually. 
He's the same size as my guy  

Loe the pictures!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I love the pictures too. Thanks. Yeah, just time. He'll come around once he feels more confident. He is a cutie huh? I can see why you love him so much. Your other dogs are real sweeties too, they will be such a huge positive influence on him, given time.


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