Wow, many thanks to all of you who have lent so much feedback and support; I definitely feel reassured...and look forward to trying the chicken approach!
Sir Theodore is a special little guy.
That being said, since posting, I took some time to look over his papers (something that I feel silly for not doing sooner, but I was just too wrapped up in Theo..). After Livingdustmops' post, concerning the possibility that his earlier homes may have been rough, I looked up the address of the man who sold Theo to the lady who sold him to me, a man she called her "good friend" a "wonderful respected breeder"--and sure enough, the address (very messily scrawled, especially compared to the other things she had written) led to one of those massive Amish puppymills
. It turns out that Theodore is from a particularly awful one, too--one with tons of citations, many dog deaths, and a farm fertilized by unsold/dead-dog compost (this last fact came out of the puppymiller's own mouth during a court hearing that I found the "minutes" to, online). After investigating further, I even managed to find a picture of the abominable living conditions that poor Theodore undeniably grew up in...
Now, while I'm thrilled to have an adorable and quiet yorkie, it breaks my heart to know that his "puppyhood" may have been robbed from him for the sake of his pricey hide. And while I never intended for this to be a thread about the commonly-begrudged puppymill problem, I would just like to remind us all, once again, how far-reaching the affects of animal abuse truly are...
I mean, the affects of abuse and greed are curled up quietly in my lap, right now. They're in my house. Theodore doesn't know how to be loved..
Anyway, I apologize for the lengthly speech--I'm pretty sad right now. I mean, just look at Sir Theodore's picture... those eyes.
Before today, puppymills only made me feel *uncomfortable*, but now I'm proud to say that I'm feeling something a little bit closer to enraged.
Though I probably would have bought Theo even if I had known about his past (sometimes a puppy is just right for you), I still took the clever words of a breeder that I didn't know, and still feel duped... Thank God he is, at least, healthy.
If this new news, as to his upbringing, changes any of your advice--or if you have any more suggestions in light of these new developments--please let me know.
I'm proud to be the one to love the abuse out of Theodore..
And, again, I apologize for the length.
Theo's Mom