Age: 13.5
Adoption Fees: HOSPICE PUG
Adoption Status: Not Ready for Adoption

January 8, 2024 – Nugget’s had a great couple of weeks. She’s settling into her new routine. She loves her walks, but is a little bit more reluctant when it’s cold. She’s happy to put on winter gear when needed. When we go for long walks or hikes, she is happy to get cozied up in our pet carrier backpack.  I think her favourite thing is cuddling up with someone – She doesn’t care where it is! She works hard for her treats. She’s starting to play with us. Sometimes she wants wet food other she wants dry. We just roll with it.  Nugget has a vet appt on January 12, they’re going to update the rest of her vaccines and recheck her eyes and ears. We have decided not to have dental work done on Nugget as she gets extremely stressed at the vet and turns blue, we don’t want to have to put a complete anesthesia for fear that she won’t make it thru.

It was lovely having Nugget a part of our Christmas this year. She got to meet lots of loving people and dogs. I have nothing bad to say about this dear little soul. She’s adding to our lives in a way we didn’t expect. Feeling fortunate.

December 7, 2023 – Nugget is very gentle and has a kind soul. Her priority each day is cuddling up with someone she loves. She is an absolute delight to spend time with. Nugget gets lots of kisses on the head, and lots of ears / body scratches throughout the day. As long as she knows her people are there, she’s always excited for those little moments of connection.

She’s settling in very quickly. She’s such a strong, resilient little dear. Over this past week, our priority has been to get in tune with her needs. Trying to make her feel loved and safe in her new surroundings. Fortunately, there is always someone home with her.  Her and the resident pug (9 yrs old) are bonding well. There’s a bit of an age gap, so it has been a bit of a transition for both of them, but overall, they are respecting each other and enjoying each other’s company. There have been no issues with conflict or aggression with Nugget, she’s very easy going. This sweet little girl just needs love, security and comfort. She has a lot of love and comfort to give back in return. It doesn’t take long to fall in love with her.

Nugget has her first full assessment at the vet on Dec. 8/23. When we took her there last Friday, she was too anxious to have much done. She is going to get some sedation before the visit tomorrow so hopefully, we can get some bloodwork and vaccines done that day. They are hoping to be able to get a better look at her eyes, nose folds, and ears that day as well.

Nugget skin is pretty good at the moment (she has history of dermatitis). She has received a Cytopoint injection as she started getting itchy, which resolved her symptoms within a couple of hours. We are not sure what Nugget is allergic to, so to be safe, we only give her hypoallergenic food.The vet gave me the OK to try some fruits and veggies as treats for her like blueberries and green beans.

Her eyes get quite dry, especially after she wakes up from asleep – They visibly look dry, and she gets some white eye discharge, especially in the left eye. I’m gently trying to introduce her to eye lubricant drops because I find the eye discharge can further impair her vision, making her more uneasy with her surroundings (i.e. in walks and in the house).

Nugget doesn’t like when you touch her paws, ears, nose, eyes, or wrinkles.
We are working on gradually getting her comfortable with us doing this, so that we can properly care for these areas on a regular basis.  If her breathing rate increases / becomes more laboured during these activities, I just stop right away, and try again later. Nugget can easily develops significant breathing difficulties when anxious. The vet agrees that it is not worth stressing her out like that, especially at her age.

We’ve started giving Nugget salmon oil for her skin health and Tri Acta for bone/joint health (she has a history of osteoarthritis). I add a little bit of water to it and mix it up well.  Nugget had two restless nights since her arrival, otherwise, she passes out right away in her bed around 9-10pm. Last night, she fell asleep in a laundry basket, full of warm towels from the dryer.  Sometimes when she’s restless, we put her in our main bed for a few minutes until she’s sleepy and then I put her back in her bed, which usually does the trick.

Nugget is completely housetrained. We take her out once every 4 hours, which seems to work well for her. Sometimes when she shakes (she does this often, especially outside), a little piece of stool slips out. This often happens right before she gets outside for her walk. It’s very important to be in tune with her cues.

We’re fairly confident that Nugget has minimal to no vision or hearing. It seems like she can see shadows though – She looks in the direction of larger movements, and seems to pick up on dark-light contrasts better (ie. I wear black boots in the snow, and I see her using them as a reference on our walks). She has very good sense of smell – She is prompted a lot by smell (i.e. food, people, outside air, etc.).

Nugget does need help on and off of furniture. I think this is more to do with her vision than her mobility but likely both. To accommodate her, I’ve purchased a carpeted furniture ramp, and in the meantime, we are using a couch cushion as a step up for her to jump up and down off the couch as she please.

Nugget can manage two stairs at a time, in a well lit area, with some guidance. We don’t force her to do anything, but we do our best to coax and support her to actively participate in her daily activities (versus me carrying her everywhere). Carpeted stairs are definitely ideal for her. She has a bit of a phobia with people touching her paws, so her nails are longer than usual, which causes her to slide on hard flooring sometimes.

The length of her walks depends on how cold it is, and also maybe her arthritis – She occasionally limps for a couple of minutes on walks or when she first gets up after lying down for a while. She’ll let you know if she’s done with the walk by abruptly stopping during a walk or straight up turning in a different direction and bee-lining it in another direction lol. Miss Nugget knows what she wants / needs, and she is very confident in communicating that when she has to!

December 4, 2023 – Nugget went to the vet on Friday December 1 –  they weren’t able to do much due to nugget’s anxiety – she went cyanotic pretty quick (lips, gums, tongue purple). She was totally fine seconds later. The vet wants to focus more on quality of care for her due at her age, versus a more “aggressive” approach. They were really great with her. The resident pug was right by her side, helping to calm her down. We spent most of time chatting and giving nugget lots of love and pets, just to get her used to the new setting. They gave me some sedation for her next visit next Friday, trazodone, and gabapentin. They’d like me to try having her nails done during her bath next week with my groomer, and try using sedation before that, just so I can get a feel for what dose she’ll

November 29, 2023 – Nugget’s first night went surprisingly, really well! Her vision and hearing must be bad because she seems to have to track each floor of the home to get used to it, so she did that for a while before she settled. But then she slept the entire night.  Nugget does rubs her face a lot, so I’m not sure if that’s her skin or her eyes.  Nugget is going to the vet this Friday for a complete check and blood work.  She will need to get her teeth cleaned as it has never been done before in her life but we want to make sure she’s strong enough to handle anesthesia.

November 28, 2023 – Nugget was surrendered due to no fault of her own.
This sweet girl is 13.5  years old.  She is spayed.
Stay tuned for more on Nugget as we get to know her more.

Age: 10
Adoption Fees: $400
Adoption Status: Not Ready for Adoption

December 1, 2023 – Dallas had one eye removed as she was completely blind from that eye and it was causing her real discomfort.  She is healing very well.  She has bonded very well with the resident dog Fritz.

October 3, 2023 – Dallas is such a lovely dog. She has settled into our routine well and this has greatly reduced her separation anxiety.

September 27, 2023 – Dallas is a sweet and spunky lady. She is so happy and joyful despite a few medical issues that will be sorted out with the vet. She settled in here quite quickly!  She seems food motivated, and has been eating and drinking well since her arrival. She looks like she will need to lose a bit of weight. Housetraining seems good and she is always excited to see the leash.  Dallas has started playing with toys and with our dog. She does exhibit some respiratory difficulties when more excited. She will do a lot of reverse sneezing and gets a bit congested at times. She is quite spry for her age though!  She demonstrates some mild separation anxiety. She likes to follow me everywhere around the house and will whine/bark for a short time when we leave the house or if separated from us in another room. Typical velcro pug that just wants love. Dallas enjoys hanging on the couch together in the evenings.  In terms of health issues, she came in with eye and ear infections which are being treated. She has an ocular dermoid that will be assessed and will need dental. Her nails have been trimmed, but the quicks are fairly long.

September 25, 2023 – Dallas came in a few days ago. She was sent to us from the Ottawa Humane Society.  Dallas is spayed and she is 10 years old.  She will be going to the vet tomorrow for a complete check up.

Age: 10 1/2 years old (as of Nov 2023)
Adoption Fees: Hospice Pug
Adoption Status: Not Ready for Adoption

February 21, 2024 – Casper has recovered well after his surgery; the scar has healed up beautifully and he is absolutely loving being able to eat a raw diet. He was whoever still leaking quit a bit while he was sleeping and or resting on my lap or anywhere. He really does still like to mark so I have had to get him the adult male wraps for him to wear when I am busy around the house and cannot watch him or sit with him. The vet prescribed Propalin which I have been giving him for about 3 weeks now. The vet would like to keep him on it for 3 months so we are almost through one month of the Propalin and I have started to see a change in the amount of urine that he leaves behind after he has slept; a much smaller spot on the bed where as before it was a huge wet spot the size of a salad plate and if he moved then he would leak again. We are on the right track so I am hoping to still see even more progress over this next month.

Casper’s eyes are beautiful, he is still getting the drop twice a day, I will have to get more soon. After the surgery and all his hardship after the surgery, he is more and more beautiful, his coat is just thriving as is he on the raw diet. I would like to take him back to chiro to get his tight back muscles loosened up again as his humped back is really showing again which I am not surprised after everything he has endured over the last 5 months.

January 31, 2024 – Casper has recovered very well from the surgery he had in December 2023.  The mass appeared to be malignant so we will keep a close eye on this sweet boy.  Casper has started taking Propalin as he is still leaking a bit, we will reassess him in a few months to see how things are.

December 13 2023 – Casper had a mass removed from his bladder on December 6.  He had to spend a few night at Capital City Specialty & Emergency Clinic.  He went back to his foster home and has started eating by himself.  Dr. Julius Liptak did also remove a portion of the bladder to try to prevent the mass to grow back.  Results of the biopsy should be in soon.

June 29, 2023 – We have been working really hard over the last month and a half to get Casper’s allergy issue under control. We started with 5 days of Safeguard to cover for a parasite that can luve in the urinary tract and worsen symptoms. In the meantime, we were weaning him off of prednisone before starting him on Apoquel. Once started the Apoquel, it was a bit of a waiting game to see if he could tolorate this medication since he can be very sensitive to some. He seems to be tolorating it fine as far as his tummy goes but I do however still see some blood in his urine. this could be an allergy flare up or he might have gotten into something so time will tell but for now he seems to be ok. When we go for our walks, his urine seems fine until the last legs of the walk when bright blood appears. We are upping the dose of Apoquel to 2 tablets a day for 2 weeks to see if that calms down the flare up. After this we will give him a half tablet 2 times a day and see where we end up. The object is to mange his syptoms and keep his bladder calm and happy instead of trying to shrink his little lump in his bladder. He does still leak a bit while he is sleeping and he does still mark in the house but not as often as when Dexter first cam into the house and was full of hormones. He is very happy and healthy otherwise and full of energy and love, he is the best!

May 2, 2023 – King Casper is doing quite well this week. After a bit of scare when his cyst, that was located on his side around his right back leg, burst, I walked him into the vet and they gave us an appointment that day. They took him to the back and dug out the cyst so it looked pretty brutal all red and gooey, open to the air but he was not to bothered by it at all. I stayed home the next day and every hour of so put a warm compress on it and massaged the area to work out what was remaining inside. This was a good plan because the King is a very quick healer so by the second day it was all closed up, I feel really good about spending the day with him while we could do the most.

The vet also checked his ears and his very stubborn ear infection had left him, finally!! We also dropped off an updated urine sample and it seems while there is no visible blood in his urine (to the naked eye) he still has blood but due to his condition not because he has a urinary infection. She has decided that obviously him being on the prednisone is not stopping this from happening and the side effects he shows from the prednisone far out way keeping him on it so we are finally going to get the man off this so he can be on something that will still keep his allergy at bay but without all the side effects and much better for him long term. This is all good news and if you didn’t know, you would never think anything was wrong with him as he is very beautiful, soft and fluffy and just a gorgeous pug.

August 5, 2022 – Oh the wee Casper, he is so good and loveable and such a wonderful boy. He is so smart! I have a screened in porch and it was not long before he learned to much open the door to let himself back inside. Once that was accomplished he wanted to learn to pull the door open himself so I put a small handle at the bottom of the screen door for him. He barked at it for a day then after about the 3rd day he figured out how to pull the door open, self sufficient little man. While I am home the back door is always open as long as it is not 100 degrees outside so he can come and go as he pleases, he really enjoys that. He still has an accident during the night but not all the time maybe once every 2 weeks. He can’t stand when Jaxon wants something so he takes matters into his own hands and climbs up on my lap and chest and says all kinds of things to me, he has many languages. He does not see that well so he still chases the cats as he only sees quick movements and then feels that he has to chase the intruder. The cats are very good and have grown up with pugs so they have never lifted a claw to him even when I found Casper right on top of Harley. Cats are smart so they have learned that he does not see well and now know how to creep around him, we have a routine all worked out on how to avoid Casper, it works. He decided in this heat that it was time to blow his coat and boy did he ever. When I took a brush to him it was likes hearing a sheep there was so much hair, he is much slimmer now. he is amazing and wonderful and is a very happy boy

May 14, 2022 – Casper is doing do well I would have to say his dribbling has gone down about 80% in the last couple of weeks and he has not had an accident in the house for at least 2 weeks . He is no longer wearing his belly band and really know how to get my attention when he needs to go, he jumps once and climbs up right into my face so it is time for a walk. He loves his walks and is a beautiful joy to walk. He is a very smart boy and knows a lot of commands and tricks! He gives a paw, does aspen on his hind legs, knows to go down and give a paw like a king, haha. He does still leak in the night when he sleeps but maybe one out of every 10 nights he lets a bit more out he is coming along in leaps. I would imagine is taking a normal amount of time for his body to realize that it can hold liquid in his bladder again so given it has only been 7 weeks I would say he is really really recovering fast. he went to his chiro appointment today he is now down to every 3 weeks and it seems to be holding so much better his hump in his back has got down so significantly. He sleeps through the night without any issues and has adjusted so well to his routine. we get up, he goes out, he eats then goes back to sleep. He goes out again before I leave for work at 10am then I come home at 1pm and let him out and usually bring him back to work with me for the afternoon where he gets lots of love and sometimes treats from the delivery men. Then home from work for food and a Kong afterwards before falling asleep for a few hours before the nightly walk. He is an amazing boy and brings joy to all who meet him, tone of love to give and so very sweet.

May 4, 2022 – Casper is doing really well. His incision from his exploratory bladder surgery (fortunately, the vet only found a benign mass and was able to completely remove it) has healed up beautifully with no issues at all. He left it alone the whole time never wanted to clean it so we never had to use the cone collar. So far so good on the new food and meds. For the first week while on the larger dose of meds, Casper was NUTS but the vet said it was probably nothing to do with the meds at all he was finally feeling really good for the first time in a long while. There is no way to tell how much his mass was actually bothering him but seeing how he is now after a month is quit the transformation. Casper really has a lot of energy and quit the personality, he could walk for hours. He knows what he wants and does not spare any amount of sound or energy to let you know, so funny. He really enjoys his food and walks, he never stops running. After dinner each night, he gets his Kong with a bit of peanut butter and he chews it for hours, literally. No surface in the house is out of bounds when he is feeling curious except the kitchen counter and island and, he is very very good at giving you the most innocent of looks. He still dribbles a bit especially while sleeping but in the past week, he is having some really long pees which is very encouraging.  He seems to be going through a phase that most of my rescues have gone through, the protect at all cost! He really does not take his eyes off me for one second and has to follow me everywhere and protect me on our walks. In my experience, this will pass; it seems to be one of the phases they go through in the first year of they’re new life. He really is a sweet boy and really looks forward to his visits to the store where he gets to meet all kinds of people and share in the excitement with Jaxon over the Purolator & UPS guys. These guys truly are wonderful with Jaxon and Casper they even leave a treat on any boxes delivered to my house just in case we happen to miss them, they are so spoiled!!

February 14, 2022 – Casper is doing very well. We started his new medication almost two weeks ago and no vomiting at all. He does not seem to have any discomfort from the medication and I feel it may be working. I say this because he fills his belly band way less than he was. I still change it about 4 times a day but it is a lot less full, seems we only have about one that gets really full and that is in the early evening. he is still sleeping without his belly band and I only find a little or no wet spot in the mornings. He is sleeping much much better, right through the night now which is wonderful for both of us haha. I took a stool sample in to be tested and they said it looked totally normal nothing out of the ordinary so that is also very good news. Casper will stay on the meds for the next 2-4 weeks before they do another ultrasound to see if anything has changed with the mass in his bladder. He sleeps in the bed by the front door while I am at work but of course with an extra pillow in the bed, he must have that! I come home at lunch to let him out for a pee and give him a wee meal as the vet suggested for now it may be better to give him 3-4 smaller meals through the day to help with his tummy as maybe he was eating too much too fast so we have spread them out, which he REALLY enjoys. He is a beautiful boy that has so much love to give.

January 5, 2022 – Well, our little boy Casper is sure coming into his own. He has decided that he must investigate his surroundings, all his surroundings so the only safe place in the house is the kitchen island, tall dresser and a tall cabinet by the front door. When he decides that he thinks there might be something interesting he climbs, jumps or bounces onto tables and desks. While this is clearly a curiosity thing, I do have to say he does listen quit well when told not to do something. He is peeing a lot less often but still cannot be left without his trusty belly band as he leaks a bit and sometimes has a big pee while sleeping, poor wee man. He really enjoys his cuddles and likes to be beside you draped over one of your legs almost all the time, he like his bed too but only for a short while when I am home then he must be beside me.

November 28, 2021 – Everything is going really really well with Casper. The resident puggle and him walk beautifully together so we have been doing some really nice walks. He is still peeing a lot but not drinking as much water and no signs of blood. Casper is eating well and last night I let him upstairs to sleep with the rest of us, no issues at all.  Casper is going back to the vet on December 9 for a recheck.

November 24, 2021 – Casper was surrendered to us yesterday.  He went to the vet clinic today; urine analysis showed elevated white & red blood cell count.
Xrays showed no stones in his bladder and no crystals in his urine.
There is 2 possibilities: Casper may have a bad infection or he may have a tumour.
His teeth are in terrible condition but we will deal with that once his condition has improved. Casper also has a cyst on his neck that will need to be surgically removed at some point to avoid any infection.
Casper will be spending the night at the vet and will be picked up by his new foster mom tomorrow afternoon.
He will be on Clavaseptin & Metacam for the next 14 days then we will bring him back to the vet for a urine analysis and blood work.
An ultrasound may be required at that time if his urine analysis is not normal.

Age: 13 1/2 years old (as of Nov 2023)
Adoption Fees: Hospice Pug
Adoption Status: Not Ready for Adoption

January 8, 2024 – Polo ended 2023 with a bang. On New Year’s Eve Polo had either a seizure/ heart attack or syncope/ vasal vagal episode. It was pretty scary, his foster parents took him to Capital City Specialty & Emergency Animal Hospital. Polo had blood work and x-rays. At first their was a worry of fluid on his lungs – thankfully that was ruled out. They also ruled out heart failure, and a heart attack. It was determined he does have some bronchiolitis which he was given a cough suppressant to use as needed. His foster parents will closely monitor him for any repeat episodes. Polo is doing well at home, his foster sister has been keeping close watch over him and giving him a lot of snuggles. He seems more comfortable on walks because he is coughing less. Every dollar donated to UMWPR helps so much, it keeps pugs like Polo happy and healthy. Thank you for your continued support.

December 7, 2023 – Hi friends, it’s me Polo. I wanted to check in and say hi. This week, I went to the vet to have my blood work checked because I take pain medication daily and I’m a super senior. Everything looks good and my kidneys and liver are happy. I am not happy about this winter weather, and would like to stay inside snuggled in my bed, but I still have to go out to do my business. I am excited this week a former foster pug is coming to stay with me for a week while his family goes on vacation and another foster pug is coming to visit. It’s going to be a pug party. Lastly, did you buy your UMWPR 2024 Calendar yet?? I’m Mr. November and I look pretty handsome if I do say so myself

July 25, 2023 – Hello! I have been enjoying summer (mostly in the air conditioning). I enjoy laying out in the sun before it gets too hot.

I sometimes show my age with my mobility but I get injections that are definitely helping. My foster parents think I don’t see and hear super well, but I get eye drops and they help me so much. I am slower, but I still go for short walks four times a day.

I love dinner time so much that I usually put on quite the show about an hour before dinner time. I bounce and spin, and bark and play with toys and try to get an early dinner.

I went camping again for a few days and I really enjoyed it. I am going to do some more of that this summer so I can enjoy the nice weather. I like that we still have air conditioning when camping.

Thank you to everyone who donates to keep me healthy, fed and loved. I am really enjoying my retirement with Under My Wing.

March 6, 2023 – Have you been hibernating like me this winter?  I don’t mind short walks, but I really prefer napping in my warm bed or snuggling my foster sister. I had the best time ever at the ‘Running of the Pugs’ event. I met so many nice people and pugs and I was uncharacteristically social. I was super tired afterwards. Even though I have been with the rescue for over a year now my foster family says they are still finding out new things about my personality. I have started to become quite playful, especially before dinner time and bedtime. I am looking forward to springtime and spending more time outside.

November 28, 2022 –  Hi it’s me Polo!  I have been enjoying the fall weather so much lately. I went to the country for Thanksgiving and had so much fun laying in the sunshine. I got dressed up for Halloween as Tigger and I have been enjoying nice walks in the warm sunshine with the cool breeze. My eye is healing nicely and I’m still doing moisturizing eye drops throughout the day. My foster parents upgraded my bowl to a fluff trough to make it easier for me to eat my food. I’m not as messy now and I don’t have to lean down as far to eat. My leg is doing very well, I continue to do short walks and my foster parents carry me up and down stairs like the king that I am.

September 7, 2022 – Polo has had a few recent setbacks. He has been struggling to mobilize and not wanting to walk as far. He recently fell and subsequently went to the vet and has either torn his ACL or has a pinched meniscus. Polo is not a candidate for surgery due to his advantage age and overall health. He has been placed on rest for three months and is on some additional pain medication to help. He also has significant arthritis to that limb. Polo thinks he won the lottery as he gets carried up and down stairs and gets picked up when he’s walked far enough. He has responded well to the rest and the medication and is able to do very small walks.

Additionally we have discovered a lump about the size of a golf ball in Polo’s front left armpit, it is new so we will be having that checked out at the veterinarian’s office. It doesn’t cause him discomfort, but it does affect his mobility and has grown fairly quickly.

Prior to these setbacks Polo did get to go camping again this summer. He enjoyed spending time with the two other dogs and children that joined us on this trip. This time the added fun was a comfy wagon for when Polo and his foster sister got tired and also great for naps by the fire. They were the talk of the campground enjoying their wagon rides.

Polo is still the happiest, sweetest boy who loves to snuggle and give kisses. He’s still very vocal, especially about his meals. We hope these setbacks will be minor and we can keep his health and mobility improving.

August 5, 2022 – Hi There! It’s me Polo, I haven’t checked in lately. I have been very busy enjoying this great summer weather. I went camping, or as my foster parents call it “glamping”. I went on boat rides, I rode in a golf cart, I sun bathed, I went swimming ( Well I got my legs wet), I took long naps in the air conditioned trailer. I made so many new friends too (dogs and human). My foster Mom says the whole campground fell in love with me. Even though they all laughed at me when I howled when my Foster Dad went fishing. My favorite part was in the evening falling asleep in someone’s arms by the fire. On my second camping trip I met up with two of my dog friends, they brought their humans camping too. I slept the whole way home snuggling my foster sister Lucy after our adventures. I can’t wait to go again!

PS: Thank you for all your support, I am having the most fun and relaxing retirement being a Under My Wing Hospice Pug.

May 14, 2022 – Polo has been enjoying the warm weather. He wants you to know that we should all slow down, stop and enjoy the flowers, and the sidewalk is a perfect place to stop and take a nap on a sunny warm day.

Polo has been eating well and only mildly protesting that we cut back on his food for the last month. He was weighed this week and he is 17.6lbs. He looks and feels much healthier at this weight. He is having regular bowel movements too. He continues on gabapentin capsules and they make his tummy much happier especially because it’s inside a pill pocket treat.

Polo has decided he runs his foster home (as he should). So he has changed wake up time to 6am… Sometimes his internal clock is off and he tries to ask for breakfast at 5am. He’s very cute though so we allow it. He also tries to adjust dinner time an hour earlier and dances and howls at us to get our attention.

Polo now sleeps on the floor with his foster sister Lucy. She is injured and he didn’t want to be apart from her. So they got a new bed to snuggle together on.

Polo loves baths, he had one last week and he was so happy afterwards.

Polo has made some new dog friends on our walks recently. He recently met a cat, he was very unsure what to make of this.

Polo continues his training for separation anxiety. He does pretty well most times for about two hours. Any longer than that and he starts to get anxious and bark. Luckily that’s about as long as we have ever needed to leave him. He has regressed a bit with his car behavior so we are working on that.

Polo hopes to go camping this summer. He’s not sure what it is but his foster sister Lucy tells him it’s the best time.

April 13, 2022 – Polo has become quite the little ham these days. He is obviously feeling better now that his UTI is cleared up. He has become quite playful and silly. Especially before meal times. We have to discourage the barking to keep consistency with our training, but his happy dance and circles are the cutest. Since changing Polo’s medication from a liquid to a pill form he is much happier. He no longer tries to avoid his food. He also isn’t pooping on every walk and his poops seem more substantial. I guess that means the liquid was irritating his digestion.

Since Polo’s infection has cleared up we have noticed he has put on some weight. He looks much healthier now. We also had to back off of his food now. We can no longer see all of his ribs and we are working on building muscle during our walks, including some hills for extra strength training.

Speaking of walks, Polo couldn’t be happier about Spring time! He is enjoying sniffing all the new smells on his walk. He has also developed what I would call “Pugitude”, it’s an attitude unique to pugs, especially when they become stubborn. This usually happens when they start to become comfortable in their surroundings. Polo lays down on walks when he doesn’t want the walk to end, especially if the sun is shining.

Polo continues to work on barking/ separation anxiety when we leave the home. He does really well some days, not barking for up to two hours. Other days he only lasts a few minutes. We stay consistent with him. He does best when he can snuggle his foster sister when we leave. We know that he may never be able to be fully trained out of this behaviour, but that’s okay.

Polo loves when people on the street stop and say hello, he does not understand why they wouldn’t want to stop and say hello.

March 8, 2022 – Polo completed his antibiotics today and had his urine rechecked and it is clear, no sign of crystals. He is very happy to not take the antibiotics anymore. Polo is very much looking forward to warmer weather (like all of us).

Polo is improving some of his socializing skills with other dogs. We are continuing our training regarding barking and separation anxiety antics. Overall it has improved, but he is very stubborn and has been through a lot so we do not expect perfection. We have found that he is more playful in the evening and it has been fun watching him come out of his shell a bit and show that side of him.

February 10, 2022 – Polo has been feeling better and has completed his antibiotic course. Will have his urine retested to ensure the infection is gone. He does seem to be more playful since receiving the antibiotics so we are glad to see he is feeling better. We had increased his gabapentin to see if it would impact his mobility/ improve his limp. However as the our Vet suspected it made him too drowsy and didn’t change his mobility, so we returned to the regular dosage. It may just be something he has live with. Polo has shown some improvement when it comes to barking when we leave the home. It isn’t consistent, but there is still improvement. Part of that success can be attributed to his foster sister Lucy who snuggles him when the humans leave. We continue to give Polo a lot of support and training to help him feel more secure to be on his own (even if just for short periods of time).

January 12, 2022 – We have had a lot of training success recently with Polo. Polo now has no problem with car rides. He no longer has to be in the same room as humans, and can do so without barking. We have now had a few successful outings where Polo was home and there was NO barking! It isn’t consistent yet but it is a huge deal. He is becoming a well adjusted pug and is nearly ready for adoption. We think a couple more weeks of consistent training and we will be ready for his forever home! He thrives on routine and is very treat driven so he’s doing very well with his training. He is no longer attached to the “foster dad” in the home, but is now becoming attached to the “foster mom”. So we are working on reversing that behaviour so that he is content with himself.

One thing we keep forgetting to mention is that he is the very BEST pug when it comes to cutting his nails. I know its hard to believe but he will basically let you hold him like a baby and he doesn’t squirm or make a fuss. Polo has not had any toileting accidents in a long time. We do limit/ time his water intake and that has helped a lot. He goes on 4 walks a day and he enjoys most of them. He hates the bedtime walk because he just wants to stay inside where its warm.

January 6, 2022 – Polo went to stay with some close pug friends for a weekend. It was a good test to see how he would do in a new environment with new people and dogs. His foster sister Lucy joined him. He did pretty well overall, a few toileting accidents and he definitely tried to demand more attention. He is pretty adaptable and has a real fondness for children and of course for snuggling.

Polo did show some signs of regression with his training upon returning home to his foster home. We are working diligently to correct this behaviour and it just shows we have some more work to do. We are staying consistent though and he is showing signs of improvement. Polo is doing very well riding in vehicles now.

Something new we have noticed as the cold weather is upon us, is that Polo wheezes and coughs in weather -10 degrees Celsius or more. He’s fine if the weather is warmer, and he doesn’t do it indoors at all. He wears a coat and booties in the cold and that has helped with his comfort outdoors, but ultimately we keep his walks shorter in the cold weather.

Polo was very excited for Santa to come, he had visions of treats and toys in his head. He actually started playing with a stuffed animal for the first time this week. Its fun to see more of his personality come out the more he becomes more comfortable and lets go of his anxiety.

December 16, 2021 – Polo has been working very hard on his training. We are seeing a lot of improvements. Polo is learning how to be home with no humans. Still some barking, but significantly less. He is able to be apart from us in the house and not bark for longer periods of time. Polo is definitely becoming more confident which is really great to see. It takes a lot of time and patience but we are staying consistent with his training and hope he will  He still occasionally has an accident in the house despite four regular walks a day. He’s had about one accident a week, but he also drinks quite a bit of water so that could be limited some as well. Like most pugs Polo is not a fan of winter or the cold. He does much better when wearing a coat and booties for his walks. Tonight Polo had a nice bath, he was a bit nervous at first but then he loved it. He is all ready for Christmas and his hoping Santa will find him a forever home in the New Year.

November 28, 2021 – Polo is doing extremely well with training since his 1st training session with the dog trainer. He is learning to feel safe and secure by himself. He is learning how to manage his separation anxiety. His biggest challenge is being left alone, he isn’t quite ready to be left alone yet, but his progress is showing great improvement and with consistency we are confident that he will get there. Polo is very smart and learns quickly. He is also doing much better with his anxiety in car rides. Each ride gets a little easier. Polo continues to enjoy his food and does a funny dance before each meal. He has had no accidents recently. Polo continues to enjoy his short walks, he goes on 4 short walks a day, he gets along with most dogs he meets but does not like high energy/puppy like dogs. He knows how to create distance for himself with these dogs. He walks very well on leash and is very responsive to whoever is handling him.  We are looking forward to seeing more and more great results from Polo’s training, so that he will be set up for success in his future forever home.

November 22, 2021 – Polo has shown significant improvement with riding in cars, which has been very encouraging that the work we are doing with him is improving. He doesn’t even seem to mind the vacuum anymore at all. We are still having great difficulty with leaving Polo alone, even for a couple minutes. Because of this we are going to be working with a local dog trainer to get some tips and tools to help support him feeling more comfortable with being left alone. Polo did have one accident this week with toileting, but it was very close to walk time. Overall Polo does seem very happy, especially before meal time. He now does a circle dance and happy bark right before meals and its very entertaining. Polo really enjoys the company of his foster sister, he really would do well in a home with an existing calm dog, preferably a pug. He’s so happy these days, its hard to get a photo of him while awake and still as he’s learning to play. Stay tuned for further updates on Polo’s training and progress.

October 26, 2021 – Polo is making some positive improvement with his anxiety/ behaviour. This week, Polo learned not to be scared of the vacuum. He allowed us to vacuum and we gave him positive feedback and reinforcement throughout this. He also had no accidents during this time. As he gets more comfortable, he is also getting more stubborn. He is not quite ready to trust approaching or sitting in a vehicle yet. But we are working on slowly leaving him alone. We are up to about a minute or two before he shows signs of stress. This requires a lot of patience and time for both us and Polo. We are doing small sessions each day so he doesn’t get too overwhelmed. From everything we have learned about separation anxiety, it takes a lot of time to overcome but we think we are on the right track.

Polo is taking Gabapentin as well to help with his anxiety and to help with a small limp he has, likely related to a previous Lyme infection and/or perhaps some arthritis. It mostly doesn’t bother him too much, unless he has been laying down for an extended period of time.

Polo is enjoying his meals and walks. He’s starting to walk a little further and isn’t sitting/lying down as often on the walks. He goes to the bathroom regularly on our scheduled walks and hasn’t had any accidents this week.

Polo is a snuggle machine, he loves sleeping near his foster family or curled up with his foster sister Lucy.

October 12, 2021 – It has been a big week for Mr. Polo. We are making some small positive steps with his separation anxiety. He is slowly showing signs of confidence. He is not ready to be alone for any amount of time yet, but he is learning to trust and starting to show signs of relaxing. We plan to work with him on positive reinforcement with respect to him staying alone. Eventually working on exposure training with riding in vehicles & vacuums. It will take some time for him to be ready.

Polo is eating his diet well, he loves breakfast time and does many spins before his meal. He’s adjusting well with his meal times. Polo is going to the bathroom outside regularly. His only accidents have been related to his separation anxiety. Currently he is not being left alone at any time.

Polo enjoys his walks, but tires easily and will have a sit to tell us he’s done.

Polo loves to sleep. He has discovered a very comfy dog bed in our living room that occupies much of his day, and at night he sleeps with his foster family in the big bed. Polo loves his foster sister Lucy and showers her in kisses every chance he gets. He also gets along really well with dogs he meets on his walks, both big and small dogs. He’s very sweet and gentle with kids and adults alike.

October 2, 2021 – Polo came to us today.  He was surrendered by his owner due to medical reasons (owner had a stroke).  Polo is 11 years old and he is neutered.  He will be going to the vet tomorrow for a complete check up + blood work.  Polo gets along very well with other dogs and he is a sweetheart to have around.  He does seem to have separation anxiety but a lot happened in his life lately.  Stay tuned for more on this sweet boy soon.