Icey wasn't always a good pet, he was a terrible pet. Actually, for the first 5 years we had him, we couldn't even touch him, without cornering him or trapping him. We had rescued he and his brother, Flava Flav, from a Puppy Mill when they were both approximately 5 years old. They had lived in a cramped, filthy cage for their entire lives. They were very attached to each other, so we adopted them both. They were beautiful, sweet dogs. But, they were afraid of everything. Nothing seemed to help. No matter how gentle and good to them we were, they were still skittish and shy. There was no house training as they would get nervous and pee if you tried to catch them. So, we installed a "Doggie Door" and I taught them to use it. They spent a lot of time in their crate, with the door open. I guess they had been so accustomed to being caged, they felt safer in there. We couldn't take them anywhere, they were afraid of everything, including grass! It was sad to think that they had spent their entire lives in such horrible conditions that it made them that way. We continued to love them and care for them and never gave up trying to get closer. Sometimes, we could hold them for a little while, but they preferred not to be held.
A couple months ago, Flav fell ill and stopped walking and eating. We took him to the vet and he said he couldn't find anything wrong. He refused his normal food so I finally convinced him to eat canned dog food. He would only eat a little and I had to hand feed it to him. He stopped walking altogether, I carried him out and had to hold him up so he could relieve himself and carry him back in. It was very sad and we could tell he was only getting worse. It finally got to the point, a month ago, we had to let him go. We were very sad. Flav and I had actually started bonding more through his illness. I guess he felt he had no choice then, and I was doing everything for him. I like to think that maybe he felt something besides fear. We miss him but he is no longer in pain.
A remarkable thing happened. A couple days after Flav died, Icey started changing. He came up to me and let me pet him, he followed me everywhere, to the point of tripping me. haha He learned to jump up on the couch to sit with me, resting his head on my legs. If I sit at my desk, he lays under it. He decided he liked me! He turned into my little 8 pound shadow. In the month since we lost Flav, Icey has turned into an excellent, loving, playful, awesome pet. He loves to go walking on his leash, through crowded Seattle or just around the neighborhood. He loves riding in the car! They were both terrified of the car before. He loves going to Garage Sales! And everyone who sees him, loves him. He is so pretty. I bathe him regularly and give him a nice blow dry and a good brushing. I clip his fluffy Pomeranian hair into a cut that looks like a Lion. He loves bath and haircut time. He just lays there and lets me do as I please. Rick says he has replaced Flav with me! I guess I agree. I am always home and available so I would be the logical choice, I guess. He is still a bit nervous around Rick and Sammye, but not quite as much as before. He is definitely Momma's Dawg! I make sure to sit him with them so they can try to bond more too. We sure love him!
This is Icey and Flav after we first got them. Flav is on the left. They were inseparable!
A girl and her dawg, looking at the Space Needle, in Kerry Park. 9/16/12
I love this dog! I am so glad he finally loves me back!
A girl, her son and her dawg!
Sammye, Icey and Stef.
My other Dawg, Rick!
This is Icey today. He is one happy, spoiled dog! I really love him. He has gained a lot of grey hair. It adds character to his sweet face!
I know the rest of Icey's time with us will be happy times for him. He is so playful, I bought him a Sock Monkey with a squeaker in it. He LOVES his Sock Monkey, to the point that it is almost in need of a replacement, after a very short time. I'm making him some new ones, I just need to find some squeakers to add. He loves to play in the floor with me, wrestling,. Ok, he wrestles my hand, he is pretty small. haha He is just like an old aged puppy! He never got a chance to actually be a puppy, with the life he had in the puppy mill. He has that chance now and he is taking full advantage of it.
-September 18, 2012
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