I adopted my Sammie from the Humane Society about 14 months ago. He was one of 400 dogs rescued from a Puppy Mill during a bust in January 2009. Since Sammie has become apart of the family, (my husband, myself and two silly cats) he has made, what I think is, a lot of improvement. He's pretty well potty trained (accidents are VERY few and far between), he's become more true to his Terrier nature (being curious, sniffing about outside on walks, exploring a little bit), he's a lot less afraid of my husband (initally Sammie would RUN from my husband, as though his life depended on it), and has become more and more bonded & trusting of me. However, there's one area of his behavior that simply baffles me: Sammie has become EXTREMELY bonded to my families dog, Bernie (a Cardigan Welsh Corgi). When Sammie and Bernie are together, Sammie is a completely different dog than when he's at home. When he's with Bernie, he plays, his tail wags, he wants his ears and bum scratched, he runs around like a little fuzzy rocket. He seems so happy. Then, when I put the leash on him to go home, he drops his weight and stares at me with the saddest eyes. There are times where if I don't pick him up, I'm dragging him out the door. I'm at a loss for what to do. He doesn't play like that at home without Bernie, it seems, no matter what I try (toys, treats, etc.). He's not food motivated either which I think makes this an even more difficult situation. Any advice anyone can give me would be so appreciated. I just want to be the best mommy I can be for Sammie.
