# Good News, Bad News, Good News



## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Just an update - I applied for a beautiful dog who I saw on the HRI website. I didn't want to mention any names in case it didn't work out.

Good news: This dog has found the perfect home!

Bad news: It is not with me. 

Good news: We've found a little guy locally, and adopted him on Saturday! He's currently at the vet getting neutered, but will post pics after he comes home tomorrow.

He's kind of a mess..... His previous family bought him from a pet shop / puppy mill here in our area. They had no experience with small dogs, and were completely unprepared to provide the care that he needs. They have two small children (under the age of 7) and were just overwhelmed. Plus the husband lost his job a couple of months ago, so they are unable to provide for him financially, as well.

He has had NO rules or boundaries established at all. He was basically allowed free run of everything. He is 8 months old, not housebroken, in fact he'll hold it for a LONNNGGGG time because he thinks he is "supposed" to go on the bathroom rug, so we'll definitely have to work with him on that. 

He is in desparate need of a good grooming, so we'll take him in next week.

He was completely infested with fleas. Treated him (and all of the dogs) first thing, as soon as we brought him home.

Not neutered, but that's taken care of as of this morning. The vet called around lunch and said the procedure went very well, no complications and nothing unexpected.

While he was under, they also pulled his baby teeth, as they were showing no signs of loosening and his permanant teeth had already grown in.

In addition, he had been scratching his ears a LOT, so I asked the vet to take a look while he was at their office. He had a TON of hair in his ears, so they pulled that while he was under anesthetic. Underneath all of the hair they found an infection, so he'll be coming home with medication for that, as well.

Poor little guy!!!!

Good news is that we brought him home and introduced him to the other dogs without a hitch - everyone seems to be getting along quite well. Tango hasn't quite latched onto him yet, but I'm sure she is still missing Soleil, and will warm up to him soon enough.

So..... it's been an exciting weekend at our house!


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Congrats to you and your family! :tea:

Things always have a way of working out for the best and I'm thrilled that he found you! I can't wait to see pictures!:clap2:


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## Amy R. (Jul 1, 2007)

Congratulations!! This little fellow is so lucky to have found you~~he sounds so neglected. ;-( Bravo to you & cannot wait for pix!!


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## HavaBaloo (Mar 24, 2009)

Wow sounds exciting, congrats! Sounds like you have quite an adventure ahead of you, but with patience, lots of love and attention you can do it! Poor little guy, sounds like he has had a hard time, he is very lucky to have found you.

Take care and enjoy getting to know each other.... oh and don't forget the pics


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Omg, what a lucky guy to have found his way to you! I'm so happy for you. Sounds like his previous family didn't have a clue how to raise a puppy. They don't actually raise themselves! You'll likely have your work cut out for you, but he's young and you sound very excited about your new addition, so I'm not too worried.  Pls. do send us pics when you can, o.k.?


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

What a happy ending for you all!!! Sounds like this little guy is exactly where he needs to be, in a home where the people have time to love and care for him properly. Can't wait to "meet" him when you post pics.

From our experience with Gracie, he will bloom with lots of love, some boundaries, TREATS, grooming, and even more love! Seeing her turn into a carefree and happy puppy has been one of the happiest experiences of my life.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Yay-he definitely needed you!!!
Can't wait to see the photos. His name ??


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Yay! It sounds like he is just the one you were meant to hav! You've only had him a day or two and already he is getting better care just by you getting him in to the vet. :hug: You are his angel. I can't wait to see him!


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Congratulations on your new furry family addition, sounds like he was meant to be yours.  I can't wait to see his pictures.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Wonderful news for the new fellow, and you, too! You are great to take him in, sounds like a lot of work, but also sounds like you are ready for the challenge. Can't wait to see pictures of "him!"


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## BeverlyA (Oct 29, 2006)

Hooray! :tea:

Just like it was meant to be! The dog that really needed you, will be with you! You will gain as much from him as he will from you too I'm sure. 
You're an angel to take on such a project, thank you!:angel:

We'll all be wanting pictures tomorrow you know!

Beverly


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

What a happy ending for you and him! You are his angel. Look forward to seeing his pictures.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

This post and no pictures!!! Okay sounds like you need to get settled in and then we fully expect pics  Congrats on the new addition!

Amanda


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## marltonmommy (Aug 28, 2009)

Thank God for you! He's a very lucky little pup! Good Luck and Congratulations!


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone!!! I'm (we're) so excited! :whoo::cheer2:

I know we will have some issues to work through with him, but I'm fully prepared to deal with those. Being only 9 months old, he fortunately hasn't had too much time to fully develop bad patterns, so I'm hopeful that within a year we can have him completely housetrained and following the house rules.

Vet called yesterday afternoon and set everything went smoothly. Neuter went perfectly with no issues. They pulled his ear hair while he was under and give him the first treatment for his ear infection. Pulled three baby teeth!!! Said he looked like a shark with double rows of teeth, ha! Plus he got 4 shots. So the poor little guy is pretty sore all over! But they gave him pain medication and said he's doing very well. 

So far he is ignoring his stitches, which means we may not have to put the cone of shame on him. The real trick will be keeping him calm once home, and getting the other dogs to leave him be for a couple of days!

I will pick him up at lunch and he'll have the afternoon to settle in, as the other dogs are at day care today (they all go once a week). I figure if we bring everyone home tired, there is a better chance of calm and peace tonight.... we'll see. :wink:

I will post pictures soon. He still needs a bath and haircut in a desparate way, but we need to let him heal from his surgery first!


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

Isn't it funny how things end up working out??
So glad you rescued this little guy.
He will have a good home now that someone is there to take care of him and give him what he needs.
As everyone else has said, we can't WAIT to see pics!
What color is he?
His name??
Will be on the edge of me seat for updates on this little guy!


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Congratulations on your new furbaby. It is wonderful for you to take him in and work with him on his issues. Poor little guy. I hope he recovers quickly from his neuter, and I can't wait to see his pics.
Gina


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Congratulations. He's lucky to have you. With patience and love he'll learn so much from you.


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

Havvy endings are always good to hear! :angel:


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

Congrats! I am looking forward to seeing pictures soon!


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## michi715 (Apr 8, 2008)

Congrats! You are an angel for saving that poor puppy! Can't wait to see pics!


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Congratulations, this little guy needed you the most. Things have a way of turning out for the best. We are looking forward to pictures.

You might put an old bath mat outside so he gets the hint, if he only goes in one spot that is a good thing.

Keep us posted.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

You all are so awesome!! Thank you for sharing my joy!!!

No pictures yet - I took some this morning, but haven't had a chance to upload them yet. I'll try to work on that tonight. SORRY!!! hoto:

We still need a name. His previous name was Buttercup - the kids named him. They have been calling him "Pup", which he actually recognizes and answers to. So I'm a little reluctant to rename him, since he is used to being called that. Any thoughts on giving him a new name? Is that OK or will it just confuse him? All of my other dogs (all rescues) I've renamed when I brought them home. My concern with Pup is that we've actually been calling him Pup since we brought him home on Saturday. So did we miss out on the chance to name him ourselves?

He's doing incredibly well. Doesn't seem to be phased AT ALL by his surgery, doesn't even seem to notice that his baby teeth are gone.....was all kinds of happy to see me when I picked him up yesterday.

He's totally getting the hang of going potty outside. My goal is to get him reliable enough to leave in the kitchen (with the doggy door) by a week from Monday (when I go back to work after Thanksgiving). Right now he's crated during the day - both because of housebreaking and also to let him recover from his surgery (so he doesn't try to play with the other dogs while we're not supervising). Fortunately between my schedule and DH's schedule, he's only crated about 4 hours in the morning, then a 2 hour break, then about 3 hours in the afternoon. Not ideal, but not too bad - especially if it's only going to be for 4 more days (tomorrow, plus Mon-Wed next week).

He's such a FUN little guy! He has SOOO much personality! I don't think he's a full Hav, I think he's probably mixed with something. But I'll show you pictures soon and see what everyone else thinks. He's just so much fun, though! DH (Mr. It's-Not-A-Dog-Unless-Retriever-Is-In-Its-Lines) is completely wrapped around his little paw. You should have seen Pup jump into bed and lick DH's ears and nose this morning. I've never actually seen him GIGGLE like that!!! It was SOOO cute!! :clap2: 

Tango is ALL Hav, but she's still pretty timid because of her past. She trusts me and will go up to just about anyone for a scratch behind the ears, but she's never really been playful like that, and definitely only snuggles with me. Poor DH really has tried with her, she's just very wary. So it was really awesome to see DH warming up to Pup so quickly.

His ears are already getting better, and he's not nearly so sensitive about me putting medication in them. He's also scratching a lot less (both his ears and in general), so I think the flea treatment is kicking in, as well.

Anyway, that's the update for today. Will try to post pictures tonight!


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

kudo2u said:


> DH (Mr. It's-Not-A-Dog-Unless-Retriever-Is-In-Its-Lines) is completely wrapped around his little paw. You should have seen Pup jump into bed and lick DH's ears and nose this morning. I've never actually seen him GIGGLE like that!!! It was SOOO cute!! :clap2:


That is TOO funny!! Sounds like he's a perfect match for your family so far.
I wouldn't hesitate renaming him...he'll catch on fast. 
Can't wait to see pics!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I'm sure you can re-name him. It might even be easier now since he's accepted "Pup" from "Buttercup". Just add "Pup" to whatever you want to use like "Scooter-Pup" or "Boogie-Pup", then later when he's used to it, drop the "Pup"! 

I changed Marley's name when he was 6 months old! He was originally "Shamouti" and we had slowly started calling him "Mouti" and "Mouti-Bug" and then decided to fully change it to "Marley". He comes to "Marley" or "Bug" or "Ozzy-Bird" (my parrot lol) or "Who wants a treat?" Hahahaha!


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

The name will come and he doesn't have to be all "Hav" to be welcome here and a total joy to own. Good luck and thank you for rescueing him.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

*"He comes to "Marley" or "Bug" or "Ozzy-Bird" (my parrot lol) or "Who wants a treat?" Hahahaha!"*

LOL!! How true!

Great to hear how well the little guy is adjusting. I had to grin when I read about him making your hubby giggle. That must have been so sweet!


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## Beanie (Aug 30, 2009)

*Congratulations!*

What a good deed to rescue this little guy! I loved reading about all the fixes you gave him; I'm sure he'll be the perfect little Havi  Have fun!


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone!

He's doing SOOO well. We've had a few potty accidents in the house, but he'll get the hang of it. The biggest problem I have now is trying to convince him that he's not 60 lbs and he shouldn't try to wrestle with my two terriers!

I'll get both of them calmed down and ready to leave him alone, then he'll run over and jump on one of them and bite an ear!!!

Sigh.

I'm sure he'll grow out of that, too..... I guess right now he just wants to make SURE I know not to leave them all together unsupervised! Ha.

Still no name, but I'll keep you posted on that.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

kudo2u said:


> Thanks everyone!
> 
> He's doing SOOO well. We've had a few potty accidents in the house, but he'll get the hang of it. The biggest problem I have now is trying to convince him that he's not 60 lbs and he shouldn't try to wrestle with my two terriers!


It's good to hear he's doing well! What kind of terriers do you have that weigh 60 pounds? Do they like him?


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

My terriers - both are rescues. One is completely deaf. They're roughly 2 years old, both female. The deaf girl is Laila, she's white with one blue eye, and appears to be crossed with a dalmation. The other girl Lily, was a stray who we believe was dumped behind our house (there is a creek behind our house and some open space). She is brindle and white, and looks (and acts) as though she might be pure bred.

Laila is about 50 lbs, Lily is right at 60. The are Staffordshire Terriers. They do both get along well with Tango and with Pup. They're VERY high-energy, though, being 2 year old terriers, so we have to keep an eye on things just to make sure they don't get carried away!

That's the big reason we take all of the dogs to daycare once a week - to make sure they stay socialized. With any terrier, but specifically with a powerful breed like Staffies, it's VERY important to us that any potential problem behaviors get nipped in the bud. Our daycare is actually where we rescued Laila - the facility is awesome. It's a day care with a rescue organization, but it's also a training facility. We took all of our dogs there for basic obedience (and will be taking Pup there in the spring). The day care is run by professional trainers, and they are very selective about how many dogs they accept at any given time, and they are also selective about which dogs they allow to come in and play. The dogs all have to pass a personality test to make sure they won't cause problems in the pack!

I really like that the trainers are there all day, every day, and keep close tabs on things. They let me know each week when I pick up the dogs, what happened during the day, which other dogs everyone got to play with, how things went, and what (if any) issues had to be addressed.

So basically we work with them 6 days a week - we have 1 day of monitored day care, we have 3 days of walks (we work with them on the walks), plus the two weekend days where we have lots of structured play time that is also training time.

It's a lot of work to keep up with all of them, but it's so rewarding!


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Here are some pics of Lily and Laila. The picture of them in bed - if you look closely, you can see Tango and Soleil (my pom who we just lost) in the background. This is a nightly ritual - DH goes to bed before I do, and he takes all of the dogs with him. So when I'm ready for bed, I have to move everybody off my side, put them in their own beds, tuck them all in (yes, I really do that) and make sure they're settled before I can go to bed.

Lily has a bed on the floor next to DH, Laila has a bed on the floor next to me. Tango sleeps curled up against me, and Soleil used to have a spot on my pillow.

Pup will eventually get to sleep in bed with us, but for now (until we have the housebreaking under control), he sleeps in his crate next to Laila, so I can reach in and pet him if he wakes up.


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## marltonmommy (Aug 28, 2009)

Wow! You have an adorable crew there! What a blessing you are to all these wonderful dogs! Thank you for sharing!!


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## murphymoesmamma (Apr 1, 2009)

I love the picture of Lily belly up! How cute is that? I can't wait to see pics of Pup pup!
I think Pup would be a darling name if you decide to keep that.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I love that belly up picture as well. It looks like, "officer, I surrender." Cute! Great crew.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

oh Staffies! My head was thinking Westies and such...you know little terriers lol! Your girls are lovely! They can sure fill up a bed can't they?  I won't laugh that you tuck them all in because I do the same thing here getting everyone off to bed and two of mine wear jammies too!


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

Oooooo, what beautiful babies your two staffies are....Lily is just stunning.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone! We've definitely been amazingly blessed with lots of love in our house! Along with lots of fur..... ound: Seems like the vacuum is always running around here!

Yes, Lily is beautiful, isn't she? We had no intention at all of keeping her. She was dumped (we're pretty sure) so we brought her in, cleaned her up, got her current on shots and ready to rehome. We were trying to find her true owners (just in case....) and were going to give it 2 weeks before we started searching for a new forever home for her. On the last night, DH was on the sofa and she was laying upside down over his lap (quite the lap dog....) and he was rubbing her belly. He looked up and his eyes were as soulful as hers could ever be, and he asked if we could keep her. How can I say no to that? So then, of course she was lonely and needed a friend... 

They really are awesome - the whole crew. I can't really imagine life without any one of them!

DH has been away all weekend with the camera (crazy guy - I get a puppy and he takes the camera - what was he thinking!). He came home tonight, so hopefully I'll get to snap some more photos in the coming days.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

pjewel said:


> I love that belly up picture as well. It looks like, "officer, I surrender." Cute! Great crew.


That's hilarious! Mostly because that's actually a very fitting quote for that shot. Lily does that after she and Laila are done romping. They go completely crazy, chasing each other around the house and the yard, then they play tug until they're both completely exhausted. The Laila collapses on the kitchen tile, and Lily goes belly up like that, either on the sofa or on our bed.

That's SOO funny!!!


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## highreach (Sep 7, 2009)

Hi - I just found this thread and wanted to respond. You sound like you have a great crew (or pack rather) there! This little guy, "Pup" is very fortunate to have landed with you and your DH. What a great story and it seems that it is getting better all the time! Wondering if you decided on a name? If you keep "Pup" that's pretty cute.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

We finally agreed on a name!!!!

Pup is now officially known as Bandit.

Because he's a theif. He steals EVERYTHING - socks, underwear, tshirts, toys from the other dogs, sticks from the back yard (sneaks them in the house), sheets off the bed (he's very determined). So we thought the name was fitting.


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## highreach (Sep 7, 2009)

That is a great name! He sounds full of personality! Happy Thanksgiving!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Whooooooooo! I've always loved the name Bandit! Very good choice. :becky:


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Love it! And we need some pictures of his stealing things, ha!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

The name made me smile. In my last group of four, I had a girl named Bandit. We called her Bandie much of the time. She is sorely missed.


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks everyone! He's already starting to recognize the name, and I think it's going to be a great fit.

We'll definitely get pictures of him stealing things.

You can add dryer sheets to the list.... :suspicious:


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## Beanie (Aug 30, 2009)

Little Bandito...he's a cutie! Perfect name! Hav some fun with him!


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