360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
Well...what can I say? The old lady has weaseled her way into my heart. Her sass and spice and sauce drew me in.....I have a weakness for feisty old lady pugs. So we are officially welcoming Annabelle to the family. She's filled a gap that our Hazel (a previous Pugalug pug) left in my heart. She is her own unique blend of Saturday Night Live's Church Lady and Downton Abbey's Violet, Dowager Countess. And she keeps me in line.
Here is one final update: The old gal is now 15 years old and shows no signs of slowing down. She is unlike many pugs in that she LOVES to be outdoors no matter what the weather. She has an incredibly thick coat....which she is currently blowing so there are tufts of hair sticking out everywhere making her look a tad moth eaten....and she leaves a cloud of fur wherever she goes.
She continues to go to physiotherapy at Canine Wellness Centre and her therapist is quite impressed with her willingness to work (as long as the treats keep coming). We've started doing some low jumps (currently being called Kitchen Agility) to help her learn to lift her back legs a bit and she enjoys it immensely. I'm hoping to start some Scent Detection classes with her, as I think she'd enjoy it as much as my youngest pug does....and she's a very sniffy dog so should do well.
Annabelle had an enjoyable Christmas with much nosey snooping in all the activities like gift wrapping and unwrapping. She continues to be a joy to have around. She still goes to canine Physiotherapy which has kept her mobility intact and she has impressed her physiotherapist with her can-do attitude...as long as the food rewards keep coming.
She and her foster sister have a lovely relationship that is partly playful and partly snuggling. Annabelle continues to prefer to give and receive affection on her own terms, but does enjoy a good ear scratch and bum rub.
The only obvious sign of her aging (besides her pre-existing deafness and limited vision) has been the beginnings of fecal incontinence. She tries to be clean in the house, but her back end awareness just doesn't always allow for it.
Given that she will be turning 15 in January, we are not going to consider any adoption applications for her and she will remain a permanent foster dog with us.
Annabelle continues to delight and charm us with her spritely approach to life. We had a week long period of illness that scared us all as she was really having some gastric distress and had decided that eating was not on her agenda, but she is now back in the pink and making up for lost meal times.
She and our resident pug have developed a friendship and Annabelle, on occasion, even lowers herself to play with my Japanese Chin. She still finds the cat to be a bit baffling, but is happy to have him share a dog bed with her if he doesn't take undue liberties.
Annabelle continues to be a character and brings much laughter to this house. She is improving in her general mobility with the physiotherapy that she gets at home and at Canine Wellness Centre. Plus, she is a busy bee, following her foster family around, up and down stairs and running in the yard. Her house training has hit a bit of a bump in the road and we aren't sure if it is just a blip or if she may be losing some hind end feeling. Whatever the case, it bothers her not at all.
She has finally made peace with the resident cat. It's not a love for the ages, but she has decided that Sonny isn't evil or dangerous and she occasionally graciously shares a dog bed with him. She has discovered the delight of many different sorts of chewies, but is particularly fond of dehydrated sweet potato chews. Her only complaint is that she feels that her foster mother has unreasonable rules about quantities.
Due to her deafness, her foster mother uses hand signals to communicate with Annabelle....and Annabelle has discovered that a saucy head toss and a walk away are her answers to requests with which she doesn't agree....this is particularly useful when requested to stop barking. Annabelle believes that if she doesn't have to see the cue, then it never happened.
Not surprisingly, she has acquired a number of nicknames: Annabellini, Annabear, Ms. HuffyPants and Annabeast. They're all suiting, don't you think?
Annabelle continues to do well and shows us more of her personality every day. We've discovered that "tail standing up straight" is her sign of arousal--whether in displeasure or excitement. She has become quite attached to her foster mom and often greets her with high pitched squeaks when she comes back home.
She gets along well with her foster siblings, canine and feline, and has started to show a bit of interest in playing with toys. She is affectionate in her own way and on her own terms....and like the lady of dignity that she is, she does not indulge in any unseemly displays, but appreciates an ear scratch or a bum rub.
She's been going to the Canine Wellness Centre for some physiotherapy to keep her fit and strong. She's been a very lovely client with them, showing some willingness to balance on the wobbleboard, do some work on the submerged treadmill and generally being a lovely girl.
Annabelle came to a new foster home in early July for assessment on her potential for dog reactivity while her original foster family were traveling.
Annabelle has shown that she is not seriously dog reactive, but does need slow introductions and does not like dogs that rush into her face or crowd her. She has done very well with my dogs and cat, although we've had the odd moment where she got snarky. Mostly, she puts her tail straight up and charges while barking. She hasn't actually DONE anything except this and we have nicknamed this behaviour "The Warthog". She happily shares a dog bed with my dogs, although she is not a pug that likes to be crammed into a small bed (unlike most pugs). She doesn't hear or see terribly well and I believe much of the warthog behaviour is triggered by being startled.
She can walk nicely on leash, but again finds cars, bikes, etc rushing her to be startling and scary and this is when we are most likely to see her be reactive. She has been delightful to have here and is a very funny girl. As an elderly lady, she has high standards of deportment and is a stickler for good manners in all things. She reminds us a great deal of Violet, the Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey. She likes to be with her people, but doesn't have to be ON them. She's a lady, after all.
Due to her age, health, sensory limitations and need for some management around her startle response, we consider her to be a "special needs" dog.
Annabelle has been getting assessed for potential dog aggression during the last couple of weeks. During that time, it has also become clear that she has a number of issues medically and behaviourally that make general adoption not the best option for her.
Medically, she is deaf, has somewhat limited vision, is hypothyroid, somewhat arthritic and has a risk for a recurrence of her MCT on her back leg. Should the MCT recur, it cannot be removed surgically again due to its location. The likelihood of recurrence is hard to predict in her case. Further medical interventions, given her age, would pose a significant risk to her. She also appears to have some ongoing dental issues.
Behaviourally, Annabelle has done well living with other animals, but does require some management. Due to her deafness, she has a dramatic startle response when anything comes up to her that she hasn't seen or had time to register -- this applies to animals, humans and other objects (cars driving past her).
Pugalug felt that given her age and the various special needs, it would be best to let Annabelle remain in our care.
Annabelle has been with us for almost 3 months and and her true personality has continued to develop. When she wants attention, she will paw at your leg and get into position to have her ears and bum scratched. She will also rub up against your legs to let you know she is near and then will settle down close by. When sleeping in her bed, which is 60 percent of the time, she will get up to check that you are still around. She does not like to be left alone. When left alone, Annabelle will bark softly and cry, but eventually will settle down. It makes her feel safe when she is in a small area when left alone otherwise she wanders throughout the house crying which creates a lot of anxiety and it takes her longer to calm down.
As mentioned in her adoption requirements, Annabelle has hypothyroidism and requires daily medication. She has been on her medication approximately 7 weeks now and her activity level has increased along with her appetite. Though the change is only slight, it has made a difference. She is feeling better and enjoys interacting with us more.
Since changing over to grain free food, we have noticed that her fur is much softer, not as coarse, and her eyes are brighter. The change is amazing.
This silver senior loves to walk and we take her out 4-6 times a day, weather permitting. When the weather is warm, she enjoys being outside with us. When walking, Annabelle sometimes wants to chase after cars so it is necessary to have a firm grip on the leash. Also, should she see another dog she becomes aggressive, barking and pulling on the leash, and it is necessary to remove her from the situation. She calms down when she can no longer see the other dog. These concerns are going to be addressed. Due to her advanced age, this type of behaviour is not good for her well-being.
Annabelle does not play with toys, but she enjoys getting her treats from objects that challenge her. She has a ball that she has to roll so the treats fall out and she has a Treater Totter which she has to use her paw and/or mouth to move up and down in order to get her treats. It's a joy to watch her.
Annabelle travels well. She is not a fan of the crate and would prefer to sit and/or lay down in the back seat. We have found that the ride is more enjoyable for all when she is in a safety harness in the back seat and she can do her thing.
This old girl requires a quiet furever home, without young children, where she can get all the love and attention she deserves. It will take a short time for her to warm up to you, but when she does it will be the best gift you will ever receive.
Annabelle has adjusted well to her foster home. She has been with us approximately 3 weeks and is slowly interacting with us more and more. She can be quite funny at times.
The transition to grain-free food went quite well and she looks forward to her breakfast and dinner. She is a light eater and only consumes 1/2 a can of wet food with some kibble mixed in each day. Annabelle loves her treats though! She has a Treater Totter that dispenses her treats, but she has to move the toy up and down to get them.
Annabelle travels well in a crate, but has a lot of anxiety when taken to strange places or around strange people. She is happy just being at home. Her favourite passtimes are sleeping and going for walks. She walks very well on a leash and is actually quite spry for her age. She prances at a good rate and her ears flop. So cute!
Annabelle has hypothyroidism, which means her thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone. She has just started her medication and will be monitored by the vet until she stabilizes. She will return to the vet for blood work in 4-6 weeks to ensure that the medication is working.
Annabelle has been showing aggression towards other dogs, although we aren't entirely sure why. Given the number of factors that could be causing this behaviour, we are keeping her away from other dogs until she can be assessed by a behaviourist. At her age, she does not require any additional stress. It is important to note that she is friendly towards people and we have not seen any of this aggression directed toward us. It may be that she'll need to be in a dog-free home with limited or no exposure to other dogs.
In the short time that she has been with us, Annabelle has adjusted quite well. She is deaf and her eyesight is quite poor, but as long as she sees you coming, she won't startle. Overall, It doesn't seem to bother her that much. The only other issue that we have noticed is that she is eating very little, about a 1/4 of a can of dog food once a day, around 5PM. However, she is used to eating only one full meal a day and grazing the rest of time. I have also noticed that when we sit down to dinner, she stands by the table and stares. Assuming that she's looking for food, this behaviour suggests that she may have been previously fed from the table. We'd like to transition her onto a meal feeding schedule of two meals a day with no grazing or table feeding. This schedule will make it easier for us and her future family to watch her weight and notice any changes in her eating habits. It will also be especially beneficial if she is adopted into a multiple dog household. Transitioning her to grain free food may be a challenge as well, given that she is currently eating so little, but we will work on that gradually. Hopefully as she adjusts to her new environment, she'll begin eating more normally.
Annabelle was house-trained in her previous home and hasn't had any accidents since arriving to her foster home. She will let you know when she has to go out by pestering you until you understand what she wants and/or by hanging around the door. This old girl's favourite pastime is going for a walk, which has likely helped in the "accident" department. We take her out four times a day for about 20-30 minutes. She can hardly contain her excitement when we are getting her ready and rushes for the door as soon as she's harnessed and leashed.
Annabelle travels well in the car. Although she isn't a fan of being crated when in the car, she settles down very quickly. Annabelle is a pretty independent pug. She does not like to be held or cuddled, preferring soft pets instead - on her terms of course. When she wants attention, she will come to you, but usually enjoys being left to stroll, sleep or play by herself. However, she does not like to be left alone and makes sure that someone is always within sight while she is doing her independent things around the house.
Annabelle's only dog encounter since entering foster care was with a 6 month old pup. She tolerated her briefly, but when the pup tried to jump up at her, she growled, backed away and started barking. It may be that young, excited dogs are too much for her to handle or she might just need time to adjust.
For a 14 year old girl, Annabelle does quite well for herself. However, she does have trouble sitting and it seems to be an uncomfortable position for her. She either stands or lies down. She goes to bed between 8-9PM and sleeps all night, snoring softly. In the morning, it takes a minute or two, for Annabelle to get going as her old bones are a bit stiff, but then she's up and ready to go for her many walks or investigate her new home!
This quiet old soul is a treasure to foster. Her forever home will be incredibly lucky to have her as a member of their family.
