It is official, Princess Fiona is now an official member of our home, and we could not be luckier! From the moment I picked up this little girl from transport and looked into her little eyes, I knew that she was special :) She continues to amaze us with how smart she is and how quickly she learns. Fiona spent most of her Summer at "her" Cottage on "her" boat, which she absolutely loves! There is nothing she loves more, okay more than mealtimes or snuggles ;) to have the breeze in on her fur when riding in the boat.

She also runs around in circles in excitement when we return home from an outing. It is so wonderful that she can now run, after having problems even walking or standing when she came to us. We have never met another dog whose tail wags as much as our little Princesses. Fiona loves her fur and skin siblings as much as they love her :) I have said this before, but it totally amazes me how a little girl who has gone through so much can be so forgiving and have so much love to give. We have hit the jackpot with this Angel and plan on spoiling her with lots of love and attention, which she so deserves!!

Fiona is such the sweet little princess that her name so rightfully applies. Our boys named her after Princess Fiona from Shrek. Like the character in the movie, she has transformed from a scared, frightened little girl, to a beautiful princess so full of life, energy and fun! It amazes me how forgiving she is, after spending half of her life in a puppy mill. She gets so excited when she sees us, her tail a wagging and her whole body bending back and forth. She loves to give kisses and the cutest little nibbles. She is a great eater and sits with a perfect posture waiting for her meal.

Fiona is a puppy mill survivor; therefore any medical issues are unknown. When she first came to us, she was having a lot of difficulty with her back legs. There does not appear to be any known cause, other than years of probably being kept in a cage and not receiving any exercise. She is much better now, runs and walks freely. She is bull legged and if she is lying down for an extended period may struggle a bit to get up.

She had just had a litter before coming to us. She was labeled as being a 6-7 year old pug, but our vet feels she is closer to 7-8 years. This could also be the appearance of aging, from living all of those years, in a puppy mill. She looks mostly Pug, but there has probably been some mix in there along the line.

It is obvious that Fiona endured some sort of trauma in her life. She is very submissive and when she first came to us and we reached down to pet her, she fell on her back, with her little legs in the air. She now lets us pet her, without dropping, and the more pets and love the better! If we call her and then approach her, she will still become submissive and drop to the ground, letting us pick her up or coax her back up on her feet. Fiona is still unsure of strangers and large crowds. She is much better when we are present in the room. This has gotten much better though over the couple of months she has been with us. A couple of times, we left her in our house with her foster brother and sister with a sitter. She just lay on her bed and let out a little gurgle if they approached her. In each case though, she warmed up by the end. Trust is huge for Fiona and she really needs someone who will give her the time and trust until she feels comfortable. She really is such a precious little girl though.

The best home for Fiona would be a single family dwelling, no apartments, as she needs easy access to outside, especially during the transition period. It would be best if there was someone home most of the day. A fenced backyard is very important, as Fiona likes to wander and sniff until she finds that perfect place to do her business. Fiona has free reign of the house when we go out and has not had an accident for a long time. When we were working on her training, she would sleep in our bathroom overnight with puppy pads and a baby gate in the door, so she could see us. She has been going through the whole night for a while now without accident. She loves to sleep on her big pillow beside our bed and has the cutest little habit of coming over to us and nuzzling us when our alarm goes off in the morning. Fiona gets petrified if you try to put her in a crate, so this is not an option for her. I imagine this is from years and years of being kept in a crate.

Fiona did not or would not go on the grass or outside; this took several months of training. She now goes outside, but needs reinforcement when in a new or different environment.

Fiona also really does not like being on a leash, she immediately falls on her back and wiggles and wiggles trying to get it off. This does not mean this will ever change, but it she still needs a lot of work in this area. Perhaps she still associates with being on a leash with an unpleasant experience in the past.

Fiona eats really well and drinks a lot. She knows when it is mealtime and becomes very excited. She has been eating a grain free kibble, mixed with home cooked, in her foster home. She does not seem to be picky with food.

Fiona loves her foster fur siblings, especially Willy. She can be still nervous around some dogs, especially bigger, so will keep her distance or peep out from behind my leg. She would enjoy a "fur-sibling" to keep her company, but an older or middle aged companion would be best, that does not have too much energy or bother her too much. She seems to attract puppies and try's her best to "get away" from them.

She is wonderful with our little two boys (4 and 6). She is a very nervous though around any sudden movement, so has to be approached gently. It also takes her some time to learn to trust.

Fiona loves to play, being cuddled, petted and given lots of attention. In the evening she is quite content to toddle off to the bedroom and put herself to sleep. She will only bark, if someone comes to the door and our resident pugs bark first. She has some favourite little toys that she likes to throw up in the air and catch. She also has a funny habit of grabbing articles of clothes of ours and brings them to her bed and cuddles with them. She will chew on the kids small toys, so has to be watched around these.

This beautiful little girl, is so full of love would make a great addition to the right family, who has had experience with dogs. Fiona has had a really rough start in life and deserves a family who will never give up on her, and will be patient, and keep to her routine.

Princess Fiona has made huge milestones in the last couple of weeks and she is now doing all of her business outside on the grass, hooray Fiona! She will let you put a collar on but still is very unsure about going for a walk on a leash. We are working on it.

She also remains very unsure and fearful around strangers, is better when we are present.

Fiona had a wonderful weekend at the Cottage, sunning on the dock and swimming for the first time, she is a real natural :)

Fiona is now all up to date on all her shots and will be ready for her search for her furever home soon.

Fiona was spayed last week and all went well and she has re-covered nicely! It took her a few days, but she is now good as new. When she first got home, she was mad at me and literally turned her head and body away from me, refusing to look at me, not even a kiss. We are friends again though now :) She also had her teeth cleaned, nails cut and was microchipped, such a pretty girl.

Her potty trainning is progressing, but still going slow. She still will not go on the grass, even though we are in and out for periods of time throughout the day. She needs a lot of patience and consistency. She tells us when she has to go out in the morning, by waking us up with a little yip, but during the day, we have to keep an eye on her and follow her routine. When she does goes outside, it is on the deck or a puppy pad.

We have to remember she faced 6-7, maybe even more years in a puppy mill, so she has to unlearn all of her past behaviours, while at the same time being trained as a puppy would be again. She is really comfortable and safe with us know, our children and puggies. She is still really fearful around new people and will stay close to our side.

She is such a loveable little girl though, loves to play and is always so excited to see us.

Princess Fiona is an absolute gem! She continues to amaze me how smart she is and how much she has already learned and adjusted in such a short time. Friends and Family who saw her when we first got her and now are blown away, by how much she has changed in her spirit, comfortability and even her looks. She is such a pretty little girl. She is just so loving. She greets you with her whole body and tail a wagging.

She is now completely using her puppy pads outside and if she really has to go inside, if we are out. She goes through the whole night now without accident and wakes me with a little squeak when she is ready to go out and do her business. I am so proud of her!

She is constantly kissing us and has a cute little habit where she will grab a toy of the kids or one of our articles of clothing and carries it over to her bed. She does not chew on it, simply lies on it. I think it is a comfort thing. The other day we were getting the boys ready for hockey, and we could not find one of their hockey shirts, Fiona had carried it over to her bed. She also helped me with laundry the other day too, and carried some items out of the basket for me. She is really showing a playful puppy side, something she has never had the opportunity to do up until now.

She still is not thrilled with a harness and a leash, it will take time. In a few weeks, she will go into get spayed and her teeth cleaned. She is just such a pure pleasure.

A nameless puppy mill survivor joined our foster home last Saturday, March 10th. Our little boys named her Princess Fiona from the movie Shrek and also in honour of upcoming St. Patrick's Day. She continues to adapt really well. She has now left the comfort of the kitchen to explore other areas of the house where we are. She is already responding to her name and comes when she is called. Her cowering has decreased when we go to pet her and when she sees us, she wags her tail frantically, her whole little bum awaddling :) She is still very submissive and is getting her bearing on her legs. When she gets up suddenly or goes to run, she often slips on the ceramics. She most likely spent her years in a cage, so her walking legs will eventually catch up with the rest of her body.

Her potty training has been a bit of a challenge, not surprising given her circumstances. She has begun to use the puppy pads and we are continuing to work on her going outside. She is starting, just today, to go to the bathroom more frequently. For the first couple of days, she would hold it until late at night.

Princess Fiona has the sweetest disposition and just wants to please and be loved. I have not heard a peep out of her yet. She is eating and drinking well. She has learned how to take a treat from us, but still needs our permission before she eats :( She is great with my two kids and my two puggies too. However she has taken over pug Willy's bed, so he is not too pleased at the moment.

She had her first big vet appointment today and did not even flinch or budge when they took blood from her. The vet estimates she is 7 or 8 years old and confirmed she very recently had a litter and is still lactating. She got her rabies shot and is scheduled to be spayed, microchipped and have some dental work done in mid-April. Although she has a slight laceration on one eye from an old injury, her eyes are good. And while her legs are quite bowed from being confined to a cage and carrying several litters, the vet is not concerned about them.

From the smile, it looks like Princess Fiona knows she has just gone from rags to riches.