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IzzyTurning to the web in our search for a small young dog, we stumbled upon a photo of an older mini poodle mix named Sweetie. He was older, but was being fostered a half hour away. She could bring him to meet us the next day. He charmed us, we got him and renamed him Izzy - much more masculine and fun for punsters. His past was a mystery before he was found stray in Springfield and taken to the pound, where he contracted kennel cough. All Pets Rescue cleared that up and had him neutered before delivering him to us. We continued Izzy's "rehab" with shots and a checkup from our vet, followed the next week by dental work (6 rotten teeth and worse doggie breath all gone) and the week after that, a visit to the groomer, who promised to keep the trauma to a minimum. He bit her, but came out of it looking great and smelling like a rose! By this time we'd tinkered with his diet and he'd settled in enough to get past diarhea. Happily ever after? Not yet. Izzy was snapping at us and the kids were scared of him. A trainer agreed with Izzy's foster mom that there must have been some abuse and advised positive reinforcement only. What else?! Well, the "No Free Lunch" program helped us gain some respect. And we never tried removing ticks from his face with tweezers again - DUH! Problem solved. Now everybody says he looks and acts like a whole new dog and we think he's perfect for us. He and I walk each other twice a day. We have met most of the canines in our neighborhood and made many human friends as well. When our younger daughter hops on the school bus in the morning, four boys wave goodbye to Izzy and wish they had a dog, too. In the evening he checks on our elderly next door neighbor after supper and often goes to visit a young dog who hadn't been socialized much before coming to his new home. Our girls used to complain that Izzy was boring because he didn't play fetch, but they've found that he sings and dances, and have taught him to shake and give a high five. He doesn't shed and, best of all, he keeps us laughing!
sent in by Mainers with Marvelous Mini Mutt
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