I just realized, I don't think I've ever posted a pic of my baby! Two pics attached. One shows his love of dental hygiene and shows off his "summer cut", and the other shows him in his winter "hippie style" hairdo.
Oh, and if I haven't mentioned it, Teddy Bear is a giant mutant Yorkie. 22 pounds of pure muscle. There's a Yorkie across the street that's breed standard, and Teddy is twice his size. He is a perfect example of what can happen when a breeder chooses a bigger, stronger bitch who can have more healthy litters over a bitch that meets the standard. He may never be a show dog, but he's strong, healthy and isn't as susceptible to Yorkie problems like collapsed trachea and joint problems. He also has a curl to his hair that makes me jealous. So bad breeding made one awesome dog.
The crazy woman who had him before me kept him in a cage for 11 months. My guess is she wanted a dog to show off but got a bundle of craziness that got too big too fast, and had funky hair. So she did the bare minumum - food and water - then dumped him off at a pet store (who obviously couldn't sell a random 11-month-old dog) when she got tired of doing that much. A friend of mine told me about him (I was in Florida with Mom at the time) and she went with my mom Jacksonville to pick him up while I dog-proofed the house.
They said the first time they stopped so he could pee, he was afraid to walk on the grass. When they got back, I sat on the loveseat and just let him sniff around while Mom went back out to pick up doggie supplies. Everyone, including the vet that cleared him for transfer, said that since he was used to a cage, we should get a crate for him to sleep in. So we did. That first night, I put him to bed, and as soon as I turned out the light he started crying. He's been sleeping on the floor near me ever since. He's got a dog bed big enough to hold 10 of him.
Two years later, he's still got abandonment issues, but he's okay if I'm not gone for more than 5 or 6 hours. He's still working on his social issues, but he's finally made a few friends. He even has a girlfriend.
He's an amazingly good dog, all things considered. He handled the 16-hour trip back to Nashville in Feb 2010 with no problem. He no longer tears up anything that's not his. He's also the best fed dog in East Nashville. John buys him steak and chicken, and serves him a salad with his dinner (carrots and lettuce or cabbage). He has berries for dessert, then eats a little Blue Buffalo dry dog food to help keep his teeth clean and to keep his digestive system in balance.
I love my dog.