Well...I was almost successfully down to 0 foster dogs. As you know, I took in Pudge (Minaki's pup) a few months ago. And now I've done it again...Pachino has joined my household.
Pachino is a teeny, tiny Yorkie who is cute as a button. He came to me because his previous foster mom said he wasn't getting along with her other dogs. So I admit that I was a bit nervous about how he'd be with Minaki and Pudge. I'm proud to say that after 2 weeks we have had 0 issues. And the girls have definitely done everything they can rile him up! Pachino is able to hold his own with them. He likes to run around the yard with them, and he occasionally instigates some play in the house. He apparently had some food aggression issues in his previous foster home, but I haven't witnessed that at all so far. He and the girls eat breakfast together every morning - the 3 of them share 2 bowls of food - and I haven't heard a peep out of any of them. And speaking of making noise...in 2 weeks, the only noise I've heard from this cutie is when he snores. :-)
Pachino is a shy guy. The day I brought him home I set him down in the house and he immediately found a dog bed and has basically been posted there ever since. He is starting to come out of his shell, however. I noticed almost right away that he is much more outgoing when we are outside. So I would sit down outside and he would come right over to me. In just the last couple of days, he's starting to become more comfortable inside as well. When I sit on the couch, if I call to him he'll now jump up next to me. And just yesterday, when I was getting breakfast ready, I called to him in the kitchen and he came out to see what I was doing. He is still a little wary when I'm up walking around. But I've been noticing lately that he doesn't always immediately run back to his safe dog bed...sometimes he'll just stay a safe distance away and keep an eye on me.
I have been letting (aka forcing) Pachino sleep in my bed at night. At first he would go to the farthest corner from me. But now he's sleeping next to my pillow, and a couple nights ago he actually cuddled up right next to me. I think he'd be perfectly happy sleeping in a dog bed, next to his humans or in another room. I haven't tried crating him, but I can't imagine he'd put up a struggle with how submissive he is.
Pachino is housebroken. As I've said many times, I have bells on my back door (easiest way to house train, in my opinion), and the second I tap one he comes running to go outside. Fortunately the weather has been nice since I picked him up, so in the evenings I'm able to just leave the door open and he can come and go as he pleases. So I haven't been able to learn his 'need to go potty now' signs. He does struggle during the day...I'm gone nearly 11 hours...so that's understandable when you have a bladder the size of a pea. But I've been setting out pee pads for him, and he is using them like a champ.
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| Slightly blurry - but what can you expect with a ball of energy? |
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