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DBlain · 01-16-2012, 09:18 PM

KJC, what a lovely story and thank you so much for taking the time to tell it. I can appreciate the issues you went through with your rescue dog because who knows what he went through before he hit the jackpot and landed in your lap. You brought the love back to a dog who others gave up on time and time again, how inspiring. With my Kirby it was different I got him while he was still a pup, he came from a well know breeder that bred show dogs in her home, while she was a hard headed know it all type she was good to her dogs so I don't think there was any abuse. I don't have any kids, I work at home and my husband is gone long hours so I know there was no one mistreating him. I tried holding him day in and day out, lots of pats, treats, kisses, praise, and walks. About the only thing he cared about was a long stuffed snake on a stick that was a cat toy, that we played a tug of war game with it. He did not even like treats that much. One of the things I think that made him unhappy is he wanted to be outside a lot, we can't have a fence and with a 4lb dog I don't think an invisible fence is the way to go. Since he would take off in a nano second he could never be off leash. I do think that frustrated him, but we did take a lot of walks and I used a long tie up when we were outside, but because of his behavior when encountering other dogs I started to have a hard time doing that. When we would come across other dogs he would go crazy, he would pull to the point of almost breaking his harness. He would be barking, lunging,biting the air and at me. I would often pick him up to try to calm him but his neck and head would be moving so violently I though it might snap off. I would try to hug him close and he would try to bite me. He would also react the same way when anyone would come over, I would pick him up and he would turn into 50 lbs of struggling anger,biting me out of frustration because I would not let him attack the person at the door, it did not get much better if they came in. I have had dogs that bark at other dogs or at the door so I know what that is like, this was way over the top behavior. He also went ballistic when cars and trucks would drive by the house, I swear he spent 50% of the day barking. He also was a spiteful wetter. He was litter trained and used the box a lot, but if something did not go his way like I went out to get the mail, or I did not carry him upstairs when I ran up to get the laundry he would wet at the spot I left him at, like the front door or at the foot of the stairs. He could have gone in his litter box just before I went outside to get the mail but when i came back in, there by the door was some pee. If he would have allowed me to just pick him up I would have carried him outside more, but everytime I would try to pick him up he would jump back and back and back, I could never just get him, and often I did not have the time to coax him into my arms for a 30 sec. walk upstairs or to the mail box. I tried talking to the breeder a few days after I got him, he was not exhibiting all the behavior i outlined but I could tell something was just a bit off, she said she saw none of that, which is probably true. I also made the mistake of trimming his hair the first week I got him, in the contract there were rules against that, so I know I could not have returned him for a refund. He was a very good looking yorkie and for five years slept with his head on the pillow between my husband and I, we loved him in spite of all this, but it was not easy. I was surprised that after getting Lola, the polar opposite of Kirby, how many friends have said, "you deserve a good one after Kirby." It sort of validates what I have said but none the less I told my husband that it hurts that so many people did not seem to like Kirby.

01-16-2012, 09:18 PM	#10
DBlain Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Oakland County MI Posts: 6,190	KJC, what a lovely story and thank you so much for taking the time to tell it. I can appreciate the issues you went through with your rescue dog because who knows what he went through before he hit the jackpot and landed in your lap. You brought the love back to a dog who others gave up on time and time again, how inspiring. With my Kirby it was different I got him while he was still a pup, he came from a well know breeder that bred show dogs in her home, while she was a hard headed know it all type she was good to her dogs so I don't think there was any abuse. I don't have any kids, I work at home and my husband is gone long hours so I know there was no one mistreating him. I tried holding him day in and day out, lots of pats, treats, kisses, praise, and walks. About the only thing he cared about was a long stuffed snake on a stick that was a cat toy, that we played a tug of war game with it. He did not even like treats that much. One of the things I think that made him unhappy is he wanted to be outside a lot, we can't have a fence and with a 4lb dog I don't think an invisible fence is the way to go. Since he would take off in a nano second he could never be off leash. I do think that frustrated him, but we did take a lot of walks and I used a long tie up when we were outside, but because of his behavior when encountering other dogs I started to have a hard time doing that. When we would come across other dogs he would go crazy, he would pull to the point of almost breaking his harness. He would be barking, lunging,biting the air and at me. I would often pick him up to try to calm him but his neck and head would be moving so violently I though it might snap off. I would try to hug him close and he would try to bite me. He would also react the same way when anyone would come over, I would pick him up and he would turn into 50 lbs of struggling anger,biting me out of frustration because I would not let him attack the person at the door, it did not get much better if they came in. I have had dogs that bark at other dogs or at the door so I know what that is like, this was way over the top behavior. He also went ballistic when cars and trucks would drive by the house, I swear he spent 50% of the day barking. He also was a spiteful wetter. He was litter trained and used the box a lot, but if something did not go his way like I went out to get the mail, or I did not carry him upstairs when I ran up to get the laundry he would wet at the spot I left him at, like the front door or at the foot of the stairs. He could have gone in his litter box just before I went outside to get the mail but when i came back in, there by the door was some pee. If he would have allowed me to just pick him up I would have carried him outside more, but everytime I would try to pick him up he would jump back and back and back, I could never just get him, and often I did not have the time to coax him into my arms for a 30 sec. walk upstairs or to the mail box. I tried talking to the breeder a few days after I got him, he was not exhibiting all the behavior i outlined but I could tell something was just a bit off, she said she saw none of that, which is probably true. I also made the mistake of trimming his hair the first week I got him, in the contract there were rules against that, so I know I could not have returned him for a refund. He was a very good looking yorkie and for five years slept with his head on the pillow between my husband and I, we loved him in spite of all this, but it was not easy. I was surprised that after getting Lola, the polar opposite of Kirby, how many friends have said, "you deserve a good one after Kirby." It sort of validates what I have said but none the less I told my husband that it hurts that so many people did not seem to like Kirby.