Les Paul~Adopted

When my daughter goes with me to get a dog, she has some input in giving the dog a new name.  This time, my son Ryan went with us to the Vet to pick up this little pup, and he insisted that we name him Les Paul.  So, there’s my reason for that!

Hope Master contacted me a few days ago, and asked me if I remembered a dog named Jake.  Unfortunately, I didn’t.  It appears that a month ago, on March 3rd, a rescuer pulled Jake from Floyd County Animal Control in Rome, Georgia.  The dog was transported to Aloma Jancy Animal Hospital on March 12th, waiting for his rescuers to pick him up.  It never happened.  Jake stayed at the vet for an entire month!

Hope called me, and asked me if I’d take him.  I don’t have a foster for the pup, and money is tight but what’s a girl to do?  I can’t let him stay there… it’s just wrong.  We picked him up last night, and he is terrified.  When I say terrified, I mean TERRIFIED!

With help, we got him in the car, but he’s afraid of everything.  We managed to get him into a private room here at my house, and he is sleeping.  This little guy is exhausted.  The sound of dogs screaming at the vet has taken its toll on this little guy.  Ironically, Ryan’s Dad came over for a visit last night, and the dog responded very well to him.  Yet, the dog is not sure of me yet!  We don’t want to push him, so he can decompress for a few days and we’ll slowly introduce him to new things.

I think that all Les needs is time, food, and sleep!  He does have some hair loss, due to stress and that’s not something I’m concerned about.  Again, it’s all about nutrition and environment.

I will provide updates on his progress, but in the meantime, Les if very quiet, shy, and unsure.  He is about 7 months old.  

When he met my Lady Di through the fence yesterday, I saw him wag his tail…. this is a great sign!

You can see many more photos of him on Facebook.

 

 

04/16/13 Update:Yesterday, I posted on Facebook that I got my first tail wag from Les. It was awesome. Here’s what I know:

When I let him loose in the yard, I’m not sure if he’ll try to jump my fence or not, so I’m very cautious. He runs to the corner, and hides under some bushes. He loves to dive into his crate, as soon as possible, but he will not leave it. I have to pull on his leash to get him to leave the safety of his crate.

Yesterday, I left the porch door wide open, and asked BoBo and Lady Di to come out with me. I opened Les’ crate, and he came out on his own! He made a little pee pee and ran back inside, and dove into his crate. UGH!

I do believe, however, that the in the next few days, I will get to witness a lot of improvements! Why? Because in his crate yesterday, I left six toys in a dog dish. After I returned to check on him, every toy was scattered in his crate, and he was chewing on a dog bone! Woo Hoo! He also enjoyed a bowl of ice to crunch on. But that’s not all!

Last night I was watching The Voice, and I heard a soft woof. I stopped, and wondered… could it be? Then, I heard it again. I walked out to him, and he wagged his tail. Les was standing up doing the “I have to pee” dance, so I let him out, and he did his business. How wonderful it was that he communicated with me! He also enjoyed some tender attention from my daughter Sarah, but what he wanted more than anything was to get back into his crate!

At first, I really thought that Les’ progress was going to be slow, and that he would require a lot, but last Saturday, I received an email from Bill. Bill is from Fort Lauderdale, and his email was inquiring about Serena. We all know that Serena was adopted last month, but instead of sending Bill on his way, I shared what I knew about Les Paul with him. After Bill and I talked over the phone, he shared with me how scared and shy his female was… his female that he unfortunately lost to renal failure last Wednesday. Ironically, I picked Les up from the vet last Wednesday.

Is Bill going to adopt Les? I don’t know, but I sure hope so. We have a meet scheduled for this Sunday. He has a secure fence, and most of all, experience with shy fearful dogs. I’m off to take Les to the vet this morning. It’s not going to be an easy task, but I’ll take my time and help him get through it.

Newman Veterinary Centers Update:  We discussed the hair loss around Les’ eyes, but to be honest, he had it in both eyes when I first got him, now it’s just his right eye.  I believe that diet and a stress-free environment will make this puppy mange go away on its own.  For now, I don’t want to add any more stress by adding meds or treatments.  Dr. Kim believes that Les might be around 18 months of age, but I’m still wondering if he’s barely 12 months.  Does it matter?  Les is going to be neutered soon, he will receive any shots that he has not received yet, and he will be micro chipped.

The good news is…. Les Paul is Heartworm Negative!  Woo Hoo!  I’m doing the happy dance!

He did very well on leash walking into the Vet’s office.  After a few minutes of getting used to the sounds, and the people walking by, he did relax.  Ray, the Veterinary Technician, feels that Les has been abused, or at the least, neglected.  Les is very submissive, still afraid, and shy, yet when strangers approach him, he allows them to have contact, and once he is petted he feels much more comfortable!

I used a crate in a car, knowing he is cared being loose in the car, but comfortable in a crate.  He did pee pee a bit in his crate, I guess the turns I had to take to get there made him nervous.

04/21/13 Update:  Les Paul was adopted by Bill today.  Bill drove all the way from the Fort Lauderdale area to meet Les.  Bill’s experience with Shy Fearful dogs is incredible, and he is up to the challenge of rehabilitating this little pup.  I learned a lot about Les while he’s been with me.

I learned that the reason he is afraid of leaving the crate is being he has been pulled out of it, and has repeatedly gotten his feet stuck in-between the poles.  Ironically, Bill had bought him a plastic crate which will alleviate those fears for good!

Bill experienced the same types of issues with his dog, Lettie.  She passed away on April 10th, the same day I picked up Les Paul from the Vet.  Bill also has an incredible knowledge of Renal Failure.  Something that he shared with me, and his devotion to his dear dog friend Lettie, allowed her to live longer than expected.

I talked to Bill once he arrived back home, and he reports that Les, renamed Rack, is doing great.  He is curious about his new neighborhood, “my neighbor couldn’t believe how beautiful Rack is.”

It took me several days to get Les to eat at my house, yet he ate fine last night with Bill.  Les would not sleep out in the open, always looking for the safety of his crate at my house, yet at Bill’s…. well, the photo says it all!

Like China, I wonder if Les had been abused by a woman.  It wouldn’t surprise me one bit.  Regardless, we will be getting updates on Les, now named Rack!  I’m waiting for reports that Bill got that “first lick” from Rack, or the first time he rolls over to expose his belly!  That will be a grand and glorious day.

Special Note:  I want to thank Anna from Aloma Jancy who went above and beyond to help TDL get this pup.  She has been following his progress, and so proud (relieved really) that he has a home now.  We love you Anna!