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Booker (MD)
Booker (MD)

Rat Terrier / Mixed (short coat) :: Male :: Adult

Status:Adopted!
Pet ID #:2195
Size:Small
Location:Poolesville, MD

Additional Info:
  • House trained
  • Up-to-date with vaccines

  • Organization Contact Info:
    New Rattitude, Inc.
    Atlanta, ga 30341
    Inquiry@NewRattitude.org
    www.newrattitude.org

    Do you believe in second chances? Booker does! This 9-lb. 3-year-old Rattie mix wore out his welcome in his first foster home because of his unpredictable, often nasty temperament. Facing an uncertain future, Booker received a reprieve in a second foster home, but he would need an evaluation from a veterinary behaviorist. He would also need treatment for a pesky sore, which he'd had under his chin before his rescue from the shelter in the fall of 2018 and which hadn't healed despite veterinary attention. In his new foster home, Booker continued to display hypersensitive behavior, barking and lunging at strangers and having to be moderately sedated and muzzled to visit the vet. However, the evaluation from the behaviorist was optimistic. Booker needed the right adopter—someone experienced (or ready to learn about) working with a reactive dog. The behaviorist prescribed a daily dose of inexpensive Fluoxetine to reduce his anxiety. Moreover, she felt that Booker's chin sore could be affecting his behavior, but he wouldn't allow anyone to examine his mouth to find the cause. Cultures of the sore indicated which antibiotics should work, but after each round of meds, the sore would eventually return. Over the summer and fall, Booker settled in with his foster family, playing with the younger resident dogs and coexisting with the older ones. He became his foster mom's devoted shadow and primary source of live entertainment as he zoomed between rooms, carrying his stuffed toys. The sinister sore, however, persisted until Booker's vet decided to fully sedate him, x-ray his jaw, and insert a probe to locate the infection's source. The procedure showed that the sore was the outlet for a draining tract from an abscessed root of a tooth! Mystery solved! Appropriate treatment was administered, and the nasty wound has now disappeared! Booker is a new dog! Oh, he still puts on his nasty act when visitors call and is best left in his own space with a chew toy. Also, his continuing hypersensitivity precludes his being around young children for now. But he has learned to behave politely in others' homes. And best of all, he's showing a comically affectionate side, leaping onto his foster mom's lap, placing front paws on her shoulders, and delivering lots of kisses right onto (and sometimes into) her mouth! The more she laughs, the more he kisses! Grateful for his second chance, he'd now like a chance at a forever home with someone who can help him continue his journey towards calm confidence. You will need to live close enough to his foster home to make multiple visits to ease his transition to your home. Booker is house-trained and crate trained. Take a chance and view his online album at https://imageevent.com/newrattitude/booker .

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