Paddy has been adopted!
Sponsored in memory of Oliver
Paddy is a 9 lb., 5-year-old female Chihuahua mix coming to us from a Tennessee shelter. She is chocolate brown with a tan and brown brindle face. She is micro chipped, has had her teeth cleaned and received her rabies in March of 2020. There are no known health issues.
This wee girl has had a very tough 5 years making her an exceptionally fearful dog. Paddy lived in a hoarding situation her entire life until rescued earlier in 2020. She was placed in a foster home in Tennessee until she could come to us, which she did July 31.
She is extremely fearful of new people and will curl into a ball facing the wall. She has a hard time meeting other dogs, keeping them away with aggressive growls. I believe this is caused from her poor start where she had to fight for food with the other dogs in her situation. to escape being close to them. In new situations, she is prone to defense biting when cornered and pursued, which intensifies her already extremely high level of fear.
When she first came to me in July, she was in a restricted living area, usually curled up into a tight ball facing the back of the carrier, not making eye contact and snarling if one of the house dogs got too close to the pen. She especially did not like the cats getting close, she will lunge and snarl at them. She did come out and eat and take treats left for her only if no people or dogs were in the room.
Today she has full reign of the house. She has bonded with the dogs, running and wrestling with them, playing fetch and sleeping with them on the couch, where she doesn’t mind the cats sleeping beside her. She is definitely food motivated, loving her meals and treat times. She lines up with the pack at the kitchen door when I am in the kitchen, hoping something drops which she can scoop.
When I come in, she is with the pack at the door greeting me with a wriggling body and wagging tail! In the house she has become my shadow. She will take treats from my hand, gives me lots of little kisses – on my feet or ankles. She has just started to let me tickle her chin, only a couple of flicks and she backs away. This is the first contact she has allowed.
Paddy has made great strides and will continue to do so if allowed the time and security to do so in her own time. She is in no way over her fear and lack of trust of people and new animals, but she has started on this journey of acceptance. One can see it in her face and behavior.
She needs a home where her people have the patience and understanding to allow her to continue developing her trust of people and animals. She should go to a mature and quiet home. Definitely no children. A fenced yard is a must as she is a flight risk. It would benefit Paddy to have a calm canine sibling, so she can learn the appropriate behaviors.
Her forever people need to understand that she is definitely a work in progress and that she might never be a cuddly girl but with their help she will be a loving girl.
Paddy was lovingly fostered by Jackie
