Thanks for the support, guys! I'm going today after 1pm to see him in person before I take any family members to meet him. I want to get a good feel for his personality on my own and see if he'd be a good match for us (and Teddy). I know he probably won't show his true colors for a while since he's probably pretty traumatized from being in a shelter environment, but it'd be nice to know if he has any issues with dog or human aggression, extreme shyness, house training issues, etc. I also can't really tell from the pictures how big he is! I've been so curious!
I have a friend in town who fosters and transports dachshunds. I helped her once with a mini-doxie who had a bad case of extreme shyness and fear aggression. She wouldn't full-on bite, but she'd leap at your arms and snap at you if you got anywhere near her. Otherwise she'd run into a corner or under furniture and hide while growling viciously. It was horrible to watch because I knew this dog must be really terrified.
My friend called me over because she knew that I have some experience with fear-aggressive dogs (my Jack Russel). We ended up sitting with the dog in her carrier in the bathroom, and I tossed little bits of sausage to her while we talked quietly. After a while I unscrewed the top of the carrier, and kept throwing treats to her, letting my hand get gradually closer and stay there longer until she let me hand-feed and pet her. I told my friend that, for the next week, keep her baby-gated in the bathroom with the door open and go in every 30 minutes (at the very least) to give treats, even if all she had time for was to toss one treat in as she walked by. A few days after I left, my friend told me that the dog was finally coming up to her for attention and cuddling in her lap. It was such a great feeling to know that I had helped make the dog that much more comfortable!
I love rescuing! It's so awesome to see them transform like that.
Considering Fostering a Chi
There's a cute little guy who just showed up a few weeks ago at my local humane society. Teddy could really use a buddy, and my grandparents haven't had a dog of their own since their beloved bulldog passed several years ago. I'm crossing my fingers that a goodwill foster could turn into a new pet for them and a buddy for Teddy, but even if that doesn't happen, it'd be nice to bring a dog home for the holidays so he's not stuck in a shelter during Christmas. Here are some pics and information:
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