Traumatized Chihuahua Rescued From Hoarding Needs Home

Hull MA

Description

CASUALTY OF HURRICANE MARIA? Based on his age, behavior and him having been rescued from a hoarding situation of over 100 dogs in Puerto Rico with a mentally ill elderly woman, I believe he was caught in Hurricane Maria and was severely traumatized by the experience. NOODLE NEEDS A HOME where there is an established, well-balanced dog in residence to take cues from and guide him to happy Doghood. He is a white and tan 6lb., 6-ish year old, microchipped, fully vetted, physically healthy, neutered male Chihuahua. He will require a lot of patience and calm - he is a very traumatized little guy. Noodle is working on his housetraining, but it will take more time. He won't venture outside if it is anything other than sunny and dry. When he does, he will usually eliminate outside. Inside, he will sometimes go on cloth wee-wee pads (he shreds the paper ones), but as often as not, he misses the pads. Noodle does not chew inappropriately otherwise as long as he is provided with dog chews. He is not a good eater. Oddly, he prefers to be fed by hand, but this limits the choices of what can be fed to him without eventually giving him Pancreatitis. And he is very fussy about what he will eat - even which treats. He's been doing better with eating dog food from a plate on the floor, which I augment with chicken, string cheese, liverwurst, and treats from hand. He alarm, but primarily when no one is home - he is otherwise quiet. He sleeps through the night without issue (the video shows the one time this was not the case). He cannot be touched at this point - at all. He becomes terrified with any verbal corrections and will retreat for hours and stop eating. Noodle sometimes eats feces. He is a little afraid of my cat, Mimi, who likes to stretch out on the floor and block him from food or going outside/inside. Noodle will chase Mimi occasionally - just a little. One hiss and Noodle backs off. He cringes at eye contact most of the time, but has gotten better lately. When I get home (I only leave him alone for a maximum of 4 hours) he greets me happily, tail wagging, sniffing my feet, excited. Noodle has made progress in the 2 months I have been fostering him, but very slowly and it is inconsistent. At times, any noise terrifies him, and other times he can tolerate it. Today, for the first time, he came outside in cloudy weather and did all of his business outside. I genuinely believe Noodle could transform if given the chance and in the right home. I know that it will take a ton of patience, and house-breaking is a chore under the best of circumstances. Noodle deserves to be happy and well-adjusted dog, and someone out there can help him to be that. Adoption is through a rescue organization - an application including vet reference, 3 personal references, permission from landlord if you rent, and an adoption fee required. Reply to this ad (written by foster) if interested.