Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn. Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my 5 humorous canine, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.
This is Fred.
Fred is a bit of bit damaged…or so we regularly say!
Fred joined our busy family in 2023, when he was nearly 4 months previous, from a litter associated to Ned – they’re cousins! From day 1, this lovable duo began doing all the pieces collectively – consuming, sleeping, stepping into mischief… But it was clear that, regardless of his tiny dimension, Ned was the chief, and Fred was pleased to comply with. So a lot in order that when all consideration focuses on Fred, he appears to enter a state of gentle panic, virtually turning himself inside-out, seemingly uncertain of what to do beneath the stress of scrutiny.
In different methods, he’s additionally the braver of the 2, fearlessly launching himself onto and off of chairs, tables, and backyard beds, the place Ned will solely enterprise with the help of a footstool or step. And regardless of being the stockier of the pair, he’s much less possessive of meals, and when singled out to be supplied a deal with, he reverts to his awkward self, making his humorous little squeaky sounds and avoiding eye contact.
Seconds later, he’s bounding round, tail wagging and enjoying. One second he loves the eye, however when it’s simply on him, he turns into painfully shy.
His Cheeky Grin and Expressive Ears
I nearly forgot the very best half! Fred is a smiler!
Have you seen such a smiling canine? I’m not speaking in regards to the huge grin of a panting canine, I’m speaking in regards to the pleased, anxious, lip curled, enamel bared grimace that may usually be mistaken for a snarl. It’s one thing that many canine, together with Fred, will do after they’re feeling a mix of happiness, pleasure, uncertainty, and nervousness.
He additionally has essentially the most cell, expressive ears. If Fred is awake, his ears are twice as awake, continuously shifting up and down, aspect to aspect, seeming to shift from excessive alert, to content material, to excited, to frightened, and again to alert, all within the area of about 30 seconds. And that is nearly fixed. No marvel he sleeps a lot!
His Hoarding
Another of Fred’s eccentricities is his toy-hoarding habits. His absolute favourite toy is his little stuffed donut, which I’ve wanted to restore on quite a lot of events. Although we have now picked up a couple of extra of those little donuts, the OG is outwardly the very best.
He can be an enormous fan of the varied flavor-infused chew toys we have now accrued, and I’ve seen him handle to leap up onto our couch with two clamped tightly between his tiny little jaws! He’s like a magpie or bowerbird, accumulating all these shiny toys and storing them in his mattress. If poor Kodah, our German Malinois, dares contact one, he will get a correct telling off, and if Ned decides he’d wish to chew on a tasty bone, Fred sits there crying piteously. Never thoughts that there are 5 others he may have; apparently he wants all of them!
His Cuddle Paralysis
When Fred isn’t delivering awkward somersaults, we’re often greeted with enthusiasm, wagging tail, and excited yelps, as he reaches to be picked up. Once cradled within the security of our arms, nevertheless, he enters paralyzed mode. For some inexplicable motive, choosing Fred up turns him right into a flaccid lump, unable to make eye contact, transfer, or eat. When returned to the bottom or couch, he’s miraculously reanimated into his unusual, pleased little self.
His Guilt
Like many Chihuahuas, Fred has been quite difficult to toilet train. This is a brand new downside for me, as I’ve by no means had any issue getting different canine to rest room outdoors. The downside, I imagine, is that with bigger canine, you invariably see them attempt to poop or pee indoors, and might cease them and take them outdoors right away. When your canine is smaller than a loaf of bread, you usually don’t understand there’s a ‘scenario’ till effectively after the very fact, at which level, it’s too late to deal with it. The result’s a canine that gets lots of positive reinforcement for going outdoors, and a impartial response to toileting inside – outdoors is sweet, inside is okay.
Over time, Fred has began to choose up on our frustration once we discover poop behind the lounge, beneath our mattress, or beside my desk (which, in his protection, is the place the cat litter packing containers are, so…). Although we don’t shout at him, he has began to make the hyperlink between us discovering a poop and never being overly pleased with him, so at any time when he sees us uncover an ill-placed nugget, the ears return, eyes go huge, and he skulks off wanting very sorry for himself. Unfortunately, being that ‘guilt’ is a human construct, it doesn’t imply that Fred understands that our annoyance might be prevented by his improved rest room etiquette, it simply appears that manner.
Fortunately, he’s beginning to reply higher to our cheers and reward when he goes outdoors (though I’m fairly certain our neighbors assume we’re weirdos), and his valuable little unhappy face is one that you may by no means be mad at for very lengthy!
His Tantrums
A little bit of an extension of his plaintive crying when Ned has considered one of his toys, when Fred doesn’t get his manner, out comes his simplest weapon: the tantrum. Digging, crying, yelping, squeaking, rolling, and begging. It is lovable. So clearly, it often will get him what he desires, usually a bite of my food, which in flip reinforces his dramatic efficiency. And what? I don’t thoughts one bit!
Broken, But Perfect
Fred is certainly the strangest little canine I’ve ever recognized. His social awkwardness, anxious smile, hoarding tendencies, cuddle paralysis, and responsible little face mix to create the weirdest, cutest, and excellent, damaged little canine, and we’d not change him for the world.
And simply after I thought I used to be completed…he begins licking the walls. Oh expensive!
