Hi Pat and congratulations on getting Tinker! We rescued a puppy mill dog on Sept. 10th. Our little Lugosi was so sad. When we got her the vet also said she was about 2. She couldn't walk right (because of being in cage) and didn't even know how to eat out of a bowl. We hand fed her until she got the idea. She would go to the bathroom right where she stood. She too had no idea what a toy was. We decided that we would just incorporate her into our family and give her full access to the house. Our Dachshund Bela stays in our laundry room when we are away. I put Lugosi in there and she panicked and crawled up the gate and out. So we bit the bullet and let her have the run of the downstairs.
It has now been 4 months and what a difference! She is the love of our lives. She doesn't potty in the house anymore, she goes out with her sister like a big girl. She is healthy and happy. She still doesn't play with toys but she has started to run and wrestle. She used to not look us in the eye when we 1st got her but now that has all changed. We just showered her with attention and worked really hard with her on pottying. Boy we sure cleaned up lots of messes!
These dogs have been so abused that we promised her on the 1st day we had her that it would be nothing but love from here on out and she has responded to that promise. Good luck with Tinker and enjoy this wonderful experience. You will be amazed to see the changes in Tinker as the time goes by. This is one of the most rewarding things we could have done. Enjoy this time and welcome to YT!
Kristie |