Joe and I went to Petsmart to see the rescue pups - DON'T do it!! We saw a pitiful small miniature poodle, Puffy, and asked about him, b/c he looks a lot like our sweet Potsie we lost last year. 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???? :M:M:M 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. 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...

It is so sad that animals are treated that way. Hopefully you can show him enough love that he will respond. Sounds like you are in it for the long haul.

Very good of you to take in the dog- hope you can succeed in tempering his problems. I'm interested in how "fostering" works in a situation like this so hope you don't mind a question: When one fosters a dog that's resisted rehabilitation and may be unadoptable, does the sponsoring Rescue Organization retain legal liability/responsibility for the animal?

Bless you for caring...that poor little fellow...I follow a lady who has 2 gray hounds that are miller dogs..their feet had never touched the ground or they had not had any human contact..touch to them was foreign and scary..but with love and loads of patience she has slowly wiped 9 and 12 years of neglect away...one has responded quicker than the other....it breaks my heart that in 2014 we still have so much animal abuse/neglect .

xteacher - Wishing you all the best as you foster this poor little dog.

I really applaud you for taking this little guy in. He has so many issues from his abuse, some your love and attention will help him immensely but the fear biting will probably be the real challenge. Not easy to reform this.I wish you all the best, I have the same love of Poodles and will probably again adopt a little one eventually, just not ready yet.Best of luck! Pictures, pictures!Sher

I'm A Nutcase, I Swear! | Good Sam Community

87 Replies

sher9570
Explorer
Apr 08, 2014
xteacher wrote:
A photo of Sunny (aka Puffy) enjoying my SIL's back deck, sporting his new harness.

He looks so happy!

Sher
Uppercrust
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
He is looking good nice smile.
CA_POPPY
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Oh, yes, he looks much more like a "Sunny" and he seems to have a new, more confident attitude! New duds, too! I'll bet the rescue he came from is thrilled. :B
sher9570
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Still that's progress for the little guy. Your doing a wonderful job with him and it really makes me happy to hear these updates.
In the long run he'll be a nice pet for someone.

Sher
AZPops
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
Sunny's face says it all! ...

Pops
Sue_Bee
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
He is smiling! He does look somewhat more relaxed than the previous photo. And he's pretty fly with that harness!
xteacher
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
A photo of Sunny (aka Puffy) enjoying my SIL's back deck, sporting his new harness.
Code2High
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
xteacher wrote:
We decided to take Puffy (whom we've renamed Sunny, for sunny times ahead - lol!) on our Spring Break with us, rather than send him back to the rescue for boarding. We didn't want to risk regression for such a fragile boy. He did better than we expected! He's still very fearful, but he's coming along. We bought him his own cute harness, and I took him for a very short walk up and down the street at my SIL's house. He was scared, but did very well, considering. I let him take his time and stop and look at everything, so we didn't go very far. That's okay. I didn't want to freak him out too badly.

Awesome! Often the challenging activities like this will help them move forward in other ways as well.
xteacher
Explorer
Apr 07, 2014
We decided to take Puffy (whom we've renamed Sunny, for sunny times ahead - lol!) on our Spring Break with us, rather than send him back to the rescue for boarding. We didn't want to risk regression for such a fragile boy. He did better than we expected! He's still very fearful, but he's coming along. We bought him his own cute harness, and I took him for a very short walk up and down the street at my SIL's house. He was scared, but did very well, considering. I let him take his time and stop and look at everything, so we didn't go very far. That's okay. I didn't want to freak him out too badly.
bt6845
Explorer
Apr 05, 2014
xteacher is doing a lot right now. Being a foster is heartbreakingI know...when they leave I cry, I get updates on them I am happy and cry....it is a tough life...we have fallen in love with many and they get happy homes. Very rough to let go of...they make their impression in your heart. Take pics of each one as they come and go. Good memories, good doggies. There are fosters that never leave your home. I keep saying I am full, six doggies and one foster working his way into our pack. But then there is always another foster needing a temp home...can't turn them away when they need love and attention they so much deserve.