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Pip Day 1 Picked Pip up from south Wales,
she was very thin and bony, extremely dirty and stinking of excreta. The usual puppy farm stench,
the result of sitting in her own waste for all of her 3 yrs of life. This is a
smell that needs to be experienced
to be understood. It is something that would not be in your worst nightmares. She had been spayed by the
rescue centre and it was obvious by her pendulous teats that she had had many
puppies. She sat on the passenger
seat in a nice warm blanket and she was absolutely terrified. She curled into a
ball when touched, like a little hedgehog. She was very
fearful and appeared to have no experience of cuddles. She played dead
for most of the journey, responding to my gentle hand with terror. Her coat had been chopped
away at her rear in the most thoughtless way and the hair on her head had grown
over her eyes covering her nose and mouth. Careful inspection
uncovered a pair of mistrusting beady eyes behind her curtain of smelly growth.
she was stinking, part of the stink was that her ears were infected, both oozing
a black discharge and the right one dripping with puss. We popped in to see the vet
before arriving home and she was checked over and weighed, everyone was amazed
at how tiny she was and they couldn't believe that she was a mother many times
over. On arrival home she met the
other canines in the family and appeared to unafraid and
trusting of them. She had to have a bath, the
stink was just too much. She was not very pleased about that, but loved sitting
in her soft bed in the late afternoon sunshine. She rolled about to dry herself
in the soft doughnut bedding. Several attempts to tie her hair in a topknot
failed so I trimmed her and gave her a nice fringe. She cried when her ears were
treated, they were obviously so very sore and she screamed when at the receiving
end of any bodily attention. At tea time she would not eat from a dish
preferring to eat from the floor. She ate only a tiny amount of chicken with
vegetables and ate like a little mouse. She would not take from the hand and
was very fearful. She settled well for the
evening and adopted a bed and watched everything going on from there. When I
left the room she would follow, but when I turned round she would bolt back to
the safety of her bed. She has no idea at all
regarding appropriate toileting, so when she did it in the house I pick her up
and put her outside, but she really did not have a clue.
Fearful Pip Day 2 No problems overnight, she
settled down with the others. Toilet on the floor, so it was cleared up without
a fuss and she was guided outside. She accepted being groomed but cried out when
the brush snagged or when mats had to be cut off. I tried to attach a lead to
her but she was terrified, she freaked out completely and cried out. She loved sitting in the
garden in her bed and enjoyed the companionship of the others sharing beds
although not actually cuddling up with them. She did not appear to
appreciate cuddles, or body rubs, just
freezes like she is waiting to be hurt. She was still very strange
about her food, she is just skin and bone but does not appear hungry, she seems
too afraid to eat, even if it is chopped into tiny pieces she does not seem to
know what to do with it. She managed a few paces on
the lead while being lured with cheese. Day 3 She greeted me this morning
by jumping out of her bed and running about with the others and barking. Still
will not do toilet outside. She enjoyed her breakfast of gourmet dog food and
then stole some carrots and chicken from one of the others. She seems to be
discovering what her teeth are for. Much more lively and waggie today and
follows me about the house, but runs back to her bed when I turn round and move
towards her. She still panics and cowers on the floor when being picked up.
Did well on the lead , walked round the garden with plenty of cheese rewards. Day 4 She had another bath today
as she was still smelling badly. She had
a little walk round the block with my two oldies and seemed to enjoy herself,
although at times stops and panics if the lead gets tight. She was a little
more bold today and stayed in the kitchen while I was preparing her
supper and she barked at me because I wasn't doing it quickly enough. Is eating
really well now and enjoying her food. She has discovered chewy treats and is
really using her teeth. She was close to one of the others doing toilet in the
garden and she copied them, she panicked though when I praised her and thought
that she had done the wrong thing. Day 5 Jumping around and barking
with excitement this morning. No toilet mistakes overnight. She had another
little walk round the block , quite enjoyed herself although she darts about
quite a bit. She is fine with passing cars, other dogs and people. Started basic
obedience training and was frightened by the clicker so I used it in my pocket.
she mastered the 'sit' and 'down'
in one session and seems very bright and willing. Day 6 She had a little walk to the
vets today, had her spay stitches removed, and her second vaccination, she was
well behaved she was also weighed and had gained eight ounces, making a grand weight of 2.5 pounds. She now
cuddles up to the others and with 8 different sleeping partners she is never
short of a cuddle. She is completely at ease with all of them and walks over or
under them to get where she needs to be. Day 7 What a difference a week has
made, our little frightened scrap of fear is now a busy, bossy little madam. she
runs rings round the others, steals their food, toys etc and they just let her
get on with it, she appears to be leading a charmed life. She has met the cats
and has no problems with them, they are more wary of her as she moves much too quickly for them.
She went to the park for her walk and saw the ducks, she was mesmerized by them,
floating about, waddling and quacking. Week 4 Pip has continued to make
great progress, toilet and lead training are sorted out now and she is making
great strides with obedience training. She still drops down when approached too
quickly but only time will attend to that, she has now left to be with her new
mom and dad in her forever home and our house is so very much quieter, we will
all miss her.
Pip With The Trafalgar's |
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