Teddy

Description

NO SENIORS, NO TODDLERS Teddy — 4 Pounds of Puppy, Velcro Energy & a Whole Lot of Catching Up to Do Meet Teddy, an approximately 8–9-month-old Yorkshire Terrier who weighs a whopping 4.3–4.4 pounds. Yes. Four pounds. He is basically a very small dog with a very large need for somebody to actually have time for him. Teddy came to Yorkie Rescue Houston after his owner moved to the city and experienced changes in work and lifestyle. She recognized that Teddy was spending most of his days confined to a kennel and, in her own words, wasn't getting the attention and love he deserved. So Teddy's story isn't about a “bad dog.” It's about a puppy whose circumstances stopped working. And now he gets a reset. Teddy is still VERY much a puppy Teddy's surrender paperwork lists him at nine months old; his veterinary records place him at just over eight months. Either way, this is a baby dog, not a finished product. His former owner reported that he is not housebroken, so his adopter needs to be prepared to do the actual work of raising a puppy: structure, supervision, consistency, potty training and patience. He has been sleeping in a kennel, and unfortunately he was also spending much of his time there because of his former owner's schedule. That matters because Teddy's surrender form specifically identifies separation anxiety. Translation: Teddy probably isn't looking for a new home where he gets upgraded from one kennel with nobody around to a different kennel with nobody around. He needs companionship, routine and someone willing to help him learn that being alone for reasonable periods is safe — without making isolation his entire lifestyle. Cats get a Teddy-approved checkmark His former owner reported that Teddy is cat friendly. Beyond that, his surrender paperwork doesn't give us enough information to responsibly declare him good with every dog, child, man, woman or farm animal on Earth. Those matches should be evaluated individually rather than invented for a cute adoption bio. Rescue found a few things his puppy body needed addressed Teddy arrived appearing bright, alert and active. His veterinary exam documented clear eyes and ears, normal heart and lung findings, a comfortable abdomen, healthy skin and coat, and an ideal body condition at only 4.3 pounds. But there were a few surprises. First, Teddy had multiple retained baby teeth. At an age when those deciduous teeth should have packed their bags and left, Teddy's apparently missed the eviction notice. His veterinarian recommended dental treatment, and Rescue took care of it. Teddy subsequently had 11 dental extractions. Eleven. For a four-pound dog. Apparently Teddy arrived with enough teeth for a dog twice his size. There was also a missing testicle plot twist Teddy came to us intact, and his intake exam found that only one testicle could be palpated, indicating a retained testicle. His surgical record subsequently documents a cryptorchid neuter, which has now been completed. So that item has officially been removed from Teddy's future to-do list. And then there's the knee His veterinarian also documented a left luxating patella. At the time of his examination, Teddy was ambulatory and comfortable, with no generalized pain or lameness otherwise noted, but this is something his adopter and veterinarian should continue to monitor as he grows. For a dog this tiny, keeping him at a healthy weight will matter. Fortunately, Teddy is starting from a very good place: his veterinary body-condition score was 5/9 — ideal. Preventive care? Rescue handled that too. Teddy tested negative for heartworms, and his fecal test was negative. He also received DHPP and Bordetella vaccinations and ProHeart 12 heartworm prevention while in our care. So Teddy has been busy. New rescue. Veterinary exam. Vaccines. Testing. Dental work. Eleven teeth out. Cryptorchid neuter. Not bad for somebody who still weighs less than some people's carry-on luggage. Teddy's ideal home Teddy needs somebody who understands the difference between adopting a puppy and simply owning a tiny dog. He isn't housebroken yet. He has separation anxiety. He's still learning how the world works. And because he's been spending too much of his young life in a kennel, we'd especially like to see him with someone who has the time and desire to actually make Teddy part of daily life. That doesn't mean Teddy can never be left alone. It means his new family needs to teach him independence appropriately rather than parking him in a crate for most of the day. He's tiny. He's young. He's cat friendly. He's medically getting squared away. And he has an entire lifetime ahead of him. Teddy's former owner did one very important thing right: she recognized that he deserved more than the life she was currently able to give him. Now we're looking for the person who can give him that “more.” Preferably with potty pads, patience and a very secure appreciation for just how ridiculously small 4.4 pounds of Yorkie puppy actually is.