OPAL - YORKICHON (YORKSHIRE TERRIER/BICHON FRISE)
STATE: Lockport, NY
AGE: 7 years
DOB: 4/01/2017
WEIGHT: 15 lbs
SEX: Female
NEUT/UTD: yes/Yes
COAT COLOR: Tan
CHILDREN under 4: no (no history)
CHILDREN OVER 4: yes
SEPARATION ANXIETY: No
OTHER DOGS: Yes
CATS: Yes
CRATE TRAINED: yes
HOUSE TRAINED: Learning
OBEDIENCE TRAINED: No
LEASH TRAINED: Learning
MICROCHIPPED: yes
ADOPTION FEE: $375
REDUCED ADOPTION FEE: $375 (rest of $675 fee is sponsored by donations)10/27/24 These two girls arrived at our home today because their foster mom was going away. Let me tell if you are a little dog or Yorkie people, these girls are a delight. Super cute their pictures don’t do them justice. They had a meet and greet with my two girls in the back yard . They have been following my girls in and out ever since. Opal seems to be the most outgoing and wants to be with my dogs . Pearl is content to lay in the crate and observe. More as I get to know them. I’m expecting by the end of the week to have my own girl gang!
9/23/24-Pearl is doing great since her spay and dental! She is eating like a champ, acting like her normal self, and is feeling much better since having her teeth removed. She is on canned food and softened kibble. A friend stopped over and even remarked how great she looks! Her eyes are not as glassy as before and there is less tear discharge from those infected teeth. We are still working on potty training. She understands the concept of going potty outside. I do not feel she is fully potty trained though. No accidents when I am home watching her, but if left unattended, she has gone potty on the pee pad. Baby steps. Since coming into rescue a little over a month ago, she is really doing remarkably well. She is less fearful, but does still startle. She will come up to me and let me pet her, and she responds to her name when I call her outside. She is a lazy dog. She just wants a warm place to sleep. She will snuggle next to me if her foster sister isn’t in her way. She is the perfect pint-sized companion for someone looking for a low-key dog.
9/23/24-Opal is coming along since her spay and dental. Her medications are upsetting her tummy so her appetite isn’t what it used to be. I have been giving her some chicken and she is eating that. She wants nothing to do with rice. She also will eat her favorite homemade peanut butter treats. Once she is off her antibiotic, I am sure her appetite will resume. She will need to continue on a soft food diet. Her tummy might be out of sorts, but she looks great! A friend remarked he noticed a difference in her since her dental; she is less teary eyed and no tear stains. I’ll take that as a win! Opal is coming along with potty training. She will potty if left alone and I am out of the room. She doesn’t always hit the pee pad. She knows the concept of going potty outside, we just have to work on not going potty inside. She will get there as her confidence improves.
Opal is also making progress in the area of confidence. She comes to me when called and will allow me to reach and pet her, which is an improvement from her leaning in for a head scratch! We will resume leash-walking practice once she is healed from her spay surgery, too. She is not a fan of the leash or walking on it. She prefers to go potty and then just plop down in the grass. Opal is looking for a low-key home where she can be with her human and feel safe, secure, and comfortable. She does not have a playful side yet, and that could change, but for now, she is content just being with her human and her foster sister.
9/17/24-Opal is out of surgery. She did really well and is just waking up. She had 19 extractions so not sure how many teeth if any are left. She did have a tiny mammary lump they couldn’t remove as she was staying under anesthesia too long. These are common in breeder mommas from having so many litters & are normally nothing to worry about. Just good for new owner to note to keep an eye on it at regular checkups with their vet. Can’t wait to get her home. I’ve been worried about her all day!
9/15/24-New picture of Opal and Pearl waiting patiently for me to finish making their favorite peanut butter dog treats. Lol
9/14/24-Opal is making some progress since coming into rescue. She is exploring the backyard more when we are outside and she feels more confident coming into the house on her own. She will come to me when called and then gets nervous if I reach too quickly. She is still learning to trust and accept human touch and kindness.
Opal has found her voice and will alert me if she hears something or if she is looking for me. She does well in the crate during the day, barking and fussing a couple times during the day, but nothing out of the ordinary. Her favorite spots are her crate or the sofa. She sleeps well through the night and only fusses when it is time to get up because she wants to eat.
Potty training is still a work in progress. She knows to potty outside, but she doesn’t always hold it or she will go if she gets nervous because I have left her in the kitchen. I have left her out for an hour or so while running errands and there weren’t any accidents. I feel that her accidents happen when I am home, but not in the same room with her.
Opal is currently on a wet food and I am able to mix in a little water-soaked dry food as long as it is mixed in enough. Opal will need to be on wet food since what remaining teeth she has will have to be removed due to years of neglect.
Opal does not like walking on a leash at all. She will dig her feet in and refuse to walk. She is a little Houdini, too. She will manage to get out of her harness if I am making her walk and she does not want to. Since she does not require exercise to burn off energy, her refusal to walk on leash is not an issue at all.
Opal had her pre-spay appointment and the vet said she is in generally good health. Opal does have a cataract in her eye that is at about 50%. She gets around fine. At nighttime she is a little more hesitant outside, but since she knows the yard, it is not an issue.
Opal’s spay and dental extractions are Tuesday 9/17 and then she will be ready to go to her forever home. The ideal home for Opal is with someone who is willing to let her continue to learn at her own pace, patient, and who will continue to help Opal come out of her shell.
9/3/24-Opal, the quiet girl, likes to just hang out. Leash walking is her least favorite thing to do right now even though she lets me put the leash on her without issue. She likes exploring the yard, but is not into playing with her foster sister. She does bark when she hears something and is inquisitive when it comes to what the neighbors are doing. She is becoming more courageous and will come up to me for some pets and love. I just love her side-eye and judgey looks she gives me. LOL
8/27/24-Opal is making small gains in her own way. She has learned the routine that when I open her crate it is time to go outside to potty. She allows me to leash her and she willingly walks outside. She does do her business outside and is getting much braver at exploring the yard. She follows her foster sister, Pearl, around, but does not engage in play with her just yet. Opal is hesitant about coming back in the house on her own. She will approach the door, walk in, and then when she sees me, she runs back out. She has caught on to me hiding behind the door to close it once she gets inside, too. Little stinker! For that reason, I keep Opal on a leash while she is out in the yard. Potty training, including pee pad training, is a work in progress. Sometimes she hits the pee pad, other times not even close. Opal tends to get nervous when I am not around. Lately she has started to bark for me in the morning when I am upstairs getting ready for work. When I come down to check on her and she sees me she runs back into her crate. Oddly enough, when I leave the house, she doesn’t bark while I am gone. So, if she knows I am in the house and I am away from her too long, she calls for me. Opal loves to snuggle with her foster sister either in one of their crates or while on the sofa at night while watching tv or reading. I take this opportunity to sit next to her and pet her or rub her with my foot to get her used to human touch and interaction. She has come a long way in a short time. Opal will probably do best in a home that is on the quiet side, patient, and understanding of where she has lived prior to coming into rescue. Unfortunately, the years of commercial breeding have not been pleasant and she is just learning what her life should be like.
8/21/24-Opal made it to her foster home on August 17th after being rescued from a commercial breeder. Poor Opal has the tell-tale signs of living in a commercial breeding program and we are working on making her feel 100% better. When Opal arrived, she was terrified when outside of her crate. She shook when approached. Outside, she would dig her paws in, straighten her legs, or sometimes drop to the ground and refuse to walk when on a leash. She sometimes looked terrified, disoriented, and overwhelmed. She would take a few steps and do her business when I dropped the leash. Since then, she has made progress! She still cowers in her crate, but allows me to put her leash on and she doesn’t fight going outside as much as she did her first few days here, nor does she drop to the ground. She still shakes a little bit, but even that is lessening. I keep her on leash even though the yard is fenced in just so I can grab it should she try to run away, but she really doesn’t run away. She now stops for me to grab her leash or pick her up. Opal does great in her crate. She is catching up on 7 years of sleep. She will hang out in her crate while I am doing things in the kitchen and will often cuddle up with her foster sister in one of their crates. She has not had any accidents in her crate. She goes through the night without issue so I anticipate her being okay in her crate for a full work day. Opal has not shown any interest in engaging in play with her foster sister yet. I think she is still too overwhelmed for that, but like I said, she does enjoy a good snuggle with her. If it looks like Opal is winking at you, it’s because she only has one eye. Her paperwork states micro ophthalmia, which Google states is a congenital eye malformation that causes dogs to have underdeveloped eyes that are smaller than normal. She has it in her left eye. I will have the vet at her pre-spay appointment give me a more thorough explanation. I am still trying to figure out the food thing for Opal. I am trying various ways of feeding her. She seems to prefer soft food over kibble. This could be due to the fact that some of her teeth may be giving her problems. Opal’s pre-spay appointment is not until September 13th, so we have plenty of time for her to continue to decompress, learn her name, some basic vocabulary, and housetraining.
8/18/24-Precious gems, Pearl and Opal, are decompressing. Both girls are in need of some TLC. Still very nervous and timid. I am sure once they start feeling better they will come out of their shell. My cat, Gus, was either guarding them or making sure they stay put! LOL
08/16/24-Opal is a cute 7 year old female Yorkichon(Yorkshire Terrier/bichon frise) who arrived tonight thanks to her transport & overnight volunteers. She came from a commercial breeder as they just didn’t need her anymore. Her initial vet check noted her one eye is smaller & she has a terrible mouth that needs looked at further. She also came with medication for an ear infection. Her pre-spay appointment is on Friday 9/13 & her spay will be scheduled hopefully soon after that. Once she is spayed she will be ready to go home!