I found my little guy on Craigslist offered up for free. I'd been looking for a dachshund after falling in love with my daughter's. Couldn't believe anyone would offer one up for free but I was excited. Drove about 50 miles to see him &, although when starting out I wasn't sure I was going to take him, when I asked about what his routine was I was horrified & knew right away he was mine. His former owner lived in a tiny studio & kept him crated around 20 hrs per day. When I asked him about being house trained he said "no, he just goes in his crate", which was tiny BTW. I asked if he used potty pads in the crate & he said "no, he just chews them up". Really!?! So he sits in his crate for 20 hrs per day with his poop & pee? Um, yeah. I'm taking him. What's his name? "Ciroque" Sounds cute, right? No, it's actually a brand of flavored vodka put out by rapper Snoop Dog, which I found out from my daughter. OK, his name is now Rocky.
When we got home I laid down on the couch with him & he snuggled into my body as if he'd never been able to before. Pretty soon I felt a warmth seeping into my side & realized he had peed in his sleep. Because of his former situation he didn't even know when he had to go! I live in a redwood forest with a fair amount of wildlife around so he never goes outside alone. The first few times I took him out he was terrified by the squawking of blue jays & crows, but eventually adjusted. It took some keen observation to learn his cues & a ton of patience, but we managed to get through potty training. At first, I put his crate in the living room with pads in it & the doors open as sort of a doggie litter box & it helped with the transition to "going" outside. Oh, he still has "accidents," & is not at all fond of going out when the temps drop into the 20's/30's, but for the most part he's gotten quite good at it.
Now Rocky is the light of my life. I love him dearly & cannot imagine life without him. When I come home from being out, he rushes to me jumping & yipping until I can pick him up to snuggle & get kisses. He is definitely a "one person dog," & even though he's not vicious towards anyone, he really only wants to be held & loved on by his "mom".
I am extremely lucky to have found him. We've all heard horror stories of dogs being offered for free on Craigslist ending up as "bait dogs" & worse, so I shudder to think what his fate could have been had I not seen that ad.
My life has been infinitely better with Rocky in it. I wish everyone who has the means, time & love to give would adopt a "rescue" animal. Dog, cat, rabbit, even a pig, they all can make wonderful companions & they all deserve loving homes.
BOULDER CREEK, CA
