he is an adolescent and thinks he can outsmart us! We are looking forward to continuing to watch sweet Cody grow and develop into a beautiful, sweet, and loving companion who would have become an angel at only four months of age without the deci- sion of his first owner to surrender and the loving care and sacrifice of his foster mother, Corrine. This is truly what rescue is all about! 2 ND RUNNER UP: LEO-LOUIE by Jane Fero adopted by Donna Pfiester Leo needed a new home because of the arrival of a new baby. The new mother could not provide her lively, but nearly blind, six year old Yorkie with the attention needed. Her new baby took priority, so Leo was sent to her mother. No longer housebro- ken, they kept him in belly bands. Finally, mother and daughter agreed it was best to surrender himtoYTNR. In January 2018, I met them out of town in a parking lot and got Leo. Leo was an energetic silver-blonde Yorkie with white eyes, who needed a bath and a trim. It took him a few days to find himself around in my home. He could play for hours with his ball, de- spitenear blindness.He loved to chase his jingle-ball and bring it back— again and again and again. When it rolled under furniture, he barked and “dug” for it until I retrieved it for him with a broom. Leo did not answer to Leo, so I tried other “L” names. He responded to “Louie Louie” and that was what I called him. He could findme by sound and leap for me. To improve his land- ing chances, Louie jumped extra high at his target and landed “com- ing down”—in your arms, your lap, or your bed. Housebreaking was a priority to help place him. It was the dead of win- ter, but he needed to learn to use the pet door and potty outside. I taped open the dog door flap for him. The cold blew into my kitchen, making it pretty frosty. So I made a tunnel with chairs and rugs, to give him a pas- sageway and keep the cold air from
wanted to play non-stop. In talking to Corrine one day about this dilemma and the need to adopt another dog, Corrine suggested we think about Cody. I was honored that she would trust us with “her baby” and after dis- cussing it with my family, we became the proud parents of little Cody and Ruby got her new best friend! Ruby and Cody bonded the first day and have been “connected at the hip” since then. It has been delight- ful watching them chase one another down the hall, through the kitchen and then into the yard once weather permitted. Where you see Ruby you now see Cody. They enjoy walking together, playing tug of war with their toys, and sleeping together. Cody has learned to follow Ruby’s lead since she is the bossy “older sister”. It has been exciting to watch Cody’s continuing development into his own little “person”. He is playful, super smart, and very loving and cuddly. Whenever I sit down you can expect Cody to be on my lap. At least once a day he smothers me with kisses and greets me every morning with a big kiss as if to say, “Here I am, I love life, so let’s get up and live it”. Cody has been involved in ‘Nose Work’ at our local dog training facility and is show- ing great progress. He is involved in an obedience class as well now that
blowing in. Outside, I used my patio table for a roof to keep the snow out. Training began. I laid full length on the kitchen floor with my head and arms in the “tunnel” and pushed him gently through. He made a U-turn and came back. We did this over and over, me freezing on the floor, pushing his rear, and him U-turning. He got a treat for success. Soon he got the idea. Several times each night, I left my warm bed to lie on the cold kitchen floor and nudge him out. He became very speedy at taking care of business so he could come back inside. Louie was a quick learner. He adjusted amazingly fast to his new environment, despite his vision prob- lems. He needed a safe home to find his way around, a secure yard, and someone to snuggle with and retrieve his ball when he lost it. He trained me to take care of his needs. I pad- ded the furniture bases with pillows and I searched pet stores for toys with bells inside so he could find them. I held doors open for him because he bonked into any white door, miss- ing the opening. I was a slow learner. I learned to extend my arms, call his name, and he would jump to me. Next we began walking on a leash with guidance. To keep him close, I sang. Passing cars terrified him, so I patted my thigh for him to stand and T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2019 • 67
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