The Story (So Far) Of Our Dog Nicky

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We like to have two dogs, though sometimes there can be a months-long gap between the passing of one dog and when we feel ready for another one as well. That was the case when we got down to just having our mellow Rottweiler Lola. My husband Kelly was happy enough with only her, and for a while I was too.

But eventually I started poking around on a site where many dogs in shelters are shown, Petfinder. When I spotted a very cute small dog, even Kelly was intrigued. The young dog was in a rescue place for Shelties and Collies, and he was himself believed to be half Sheltie and half Papillion. He was about four years old and was housebroken and otherwise somewhat trained. I always take reports of how trained a dog is with a grain of salt, but with him it did turn out to be true.

It was a drive of two or three hours across Colorado from where we lived at the time, so we made arrangements to go meet the dog and to take our Rottie Lola along so she too could check out Nicky. That is what is going on in the header photo. They seemed okay with each other... at least nobody attacked. We liked him too. So we agreed to give him a try.

On the drive home, I held him in my lap in the passenger's seat and I could feel that his little body was shaking. I talked softly to him, but he was very anxious about what was going on.

It wasn't surprising, given what we knew of his life so far. He had been born in a puppy mill and sold to a pet store in the Denver area. The person who purchased him as a puppy knew nothing about dogs and soon sold him on Craigslist. The family who bought him had rambuctious children, and when Nicky nipped one of them, that was it. They listed him again on Craigslist. Fortunately the rescue group I mentioned saw the listing and they acquired him. They observed him and felt that the nipping simply meant the kids had been too much for him.

They had him listed for an adults-only home. We were both over 60 so we qualified in that way. We also needed to be vetted by another dog owner who had acquired a dog from them. We didn't know it at the time but some friends of ours in the small town we lived near did have one or two Collies from there so we passed that too.

Nicky and Lola soon became good friends, playing together indoors and out.

Nicky became very attached to me, and we had been told that he preferred women. But my husband is a gentle guy and NIcky accepted him too. It helped that we took turns feeding him. He worked for his dry food in a ball which we are still using.

When we moved to New Mexico, of course both dogs came with us, along with our cat Misty. Eventually Lola died of old age. She was ten, which is pretty old for a Rottweiler. She is buried in our back yard with a large red rose bush over her grave.

A few months later, I went to the local animal shelter. Most dogs were barking and jumping up and down, but I did noticeLilly, who seemed calmer. The next day, Kelly and I took Nicky there. They had a small fenced area where you could see how your dog would get along with one you were considering. We had them both on leash and it worked out.

So Lilly -- Basset Hound and Blue Heeler -- came home, and the two are usually very good friends.

I say "usually" because Lilly is larger, younger, and very athletic. Sometimes she is a bit much for Nicky, and then he either goes into his crate in the bedroom where he sleeps at night or under the dining room table. Our small cat Misty is another story. She doesn't take anything from a dog, and they have both learned that the hard way.

Our yard is fenced, and they spend a lot of time there. Nicky does yap when people or dogs walk by.

As I write this, Nicky is at my feet under my desk, another of his go-to places. But if I get up, he will follow me wherever I go.

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Recent Comments

22

Rosana, it takes a special person to adopt an animal with that level of trauma. Our husky that passed away a few years ago suffered from anxiety, depression, and severe allergies. She was the only animal we had ever had that got car sick and we think that was purely psychological because she was returned to the shelter a couple of times before finding us. We think that she connected riding in a car with going back to the shelter. Not enough studies, in my opinion, has been done on psychological trauma in animals.

The good thing is he has a good life now.

--Sandi

That's a cool story Rosana

Awwwwwww they're both adorable!!! This warmed my heart

You're doing a great job rescuing animals. We have 4 cats and 1 dog we rescued. Fran, who just replied is a good friend and she is the "cat lady." Has a lot of good cat information on her website.
Joe

Cool! I love animal stories. Sounds to me like you are very good doggie parents, and both your dogs are lucky to be with you. Enjoy them.

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