A Dog In Pain

"Elvis is an 10 lb silver schnoodle. We estimate he is about 4-5 yrs old. This poor boy was held for police evidence for 2 years and has just been released for adoption. He was matted so badly for so long that his ligiments shortened. After grooming he feels a lot better, but he limps slightly. He is completely housetrained and knows some simple commands. He is slowly gaining his confidence and has starting wagging his tail just recently. He has excellent house manners, but does not trust people. He plays by himself and sometimes tries to get you to throw the ball for him to fetch. However, if he is approached suddenly or with suspicion, he may defend himself and could bite. Due to his suspicious nature, he does not trust anyone other than his current foster mom to groom him. We request his potential adopter live in the Tucson area or is willing to transport him to Tucson, so his present foster mom can groom him for the adopter. We are seeking an adopter who has the patience to leave him alone and let him seek you out when he wants affection. We feel that children would be NOT a good element in his life This little boy is a treasure in disguise and he deserves a chance. We also think that he has been de-barked, as he has a quiet-hoarse bark. Elvis is currently being fostered in the Tucson area."

The above was the postng on Petfinder about Elvis prior to by my being called on Nov 2nd when I was asked to help him overcome some of his issues. When I met Elvis, he wouldn't let anyone near him, not even his foster mom except when he wanted to cuddle. Even then, he would attack you if you dared to touch him in certain spots. It became obvious to me that Elvis was in pain and that everything hurt. It was not actual physical pain but remembered pain from everything that had been done to him. He no longer had physical injuries but the emotional scars remained. Elvis had been defending his painful body for so long that he couldn't stop and would lash out and bite any hand or any other object that touched him. He is doing much better now. Although not completely sure of himself or others yet - he can be touched.

Here is what his foster mom says about him now.

11/03/09 - "Elvis and I went for a walk this morning.  He didn't pay any attention to the furry tail, but liked the treats.  He let me pet him and we played fetch."
(NOTE: The furry tail was the tail of a cat halloween costume that we stuffed with a long handled brush. We used it to touch Elvis in different places to desensitize him to being touched.)
11/04/09 - "He let me pick him up this morning.  This afternoon he got groomed.  We needed to use a muzzle, but I am happy that we did not have to anestize him to do so.  It is not perfect, but he can see now."
11/16/09 - "He crawled into my lap today.  We go for walks every morning and he has discovered he likes to run, now that he is feeling better.  He is doing wonderful."