[butchpoodle]

Everybody disagreed about Cassidy's age. The shelter said 12, my vet said 10, and the ophthalmologist said more like 7. She had been at a puppy mill somewhere cranking out babies and living in filth.

Watching her come back to life was a precious gift, and went on for months as she learned the ways of our life, as opposed to wherever she came from. She became pretty trusting of me, 'though I don't know that she ever really believed I wasn't going to dump her someday.

Our poodles are all rescues, and Kirby was in the pound a month. Before that he lived with 6 children and was confined to the bathroom or outside because they never trained him. He's a great guy - but to this day (he's 10 and we got him at 1-1/2 years) he tenses up if you pick him up. Even though we have never dropped him, clearly someone else did before us.

I think six months will give you an idea of how he will be for the rest of his life. Encourage what you like, discourage what you don't - like with anyone else ... you've done a great and good thing!!