Life with Shelbee!

 


I have had a request to share photos of my fir-babies.  Today I will feature Miss Shelbee.  I wnet looking for a dog when my beloved Tito got killed by a German Shepard. I needed something to help me through the empty nesting time.  Shelbee came to our family from a shelter in Ogden, UT.  The shelter owners did not have a history on her.  She was about 3 years old when we got her.  She was extremely thin and seemed to be malnourished, although the shelter said that she ate well and was very active.  She was aggressive and was not potty trained.

Why did I take her home?  It was obvious to me that this girl had never been loved.  She shied away from human contact.  She would, in fact, try to bite you if you touched her.  Someone had not been very nice to her in her previous life, I was certain.  She deserved to be loved, so she came home with me.

Upon her arrival in Wyoming, she went directly to the vet.  She was diagnosed with Hyper Thyroid and has been on medication for 2 years.  She weighed 4.5 pounds when we got her.  She now weighs 7 pounds.  Though still thin, she is so much more active and healthy.

She also has a malformed back.  Her back hunches more than a normal Chihuahua and she carries her back leg when she walks.  We are watching her for any signs of degeneration and will do everything we can to make her comfortable as she ages.

Shelbee has chosen me as her "Person".  How lucky I am.  She is  lover dog....lots of kisses and cuddles.  She is very protective of me.  I have to watch her around children and men.  She is still pretty aggressive with strangers.

Potty training has been a long and difficult process.  We still aren't there.  She does well if she is let out every two hours.  I can tell that she was left indoors for long periods of time....maybe  a pet store dog or a kennel dog.  She will go on potty pads, which is helpful. 

I wish the photos did justice to the comparison of how she looked when we got her and how she looks today.  Suffice it to say that she is very loved and very well taken care of.  It is the highlight of my day when I come home to her happy face!