Since it appears that Peanut has been "adopted" by all our wonderful friends here on the Stream, I thought I'd tell a little about him since there are so many prayers coming his way. Those prayers are so much appreciated and I believe are making the difference in his recovery, as I posted about earlier.
We bought Peanut last August when he was four months old from a breeder in a neighboring town. We were looking for another male, preferably small for breeding with Prissy, as well as give Buster a much needed (he would disagree) break. Junior is just too big for breeding. So I talked to this lady that said she had stopped breeding Schnauzers but still had some of them. She had kept this one puppy because of his color and stature for when she decided to start the business again. But she agreed to sell him to me if I wanted him since she is very active in rodeo and horses also. She wasn't sure if she had time to begin breeding again.
She also owns and operates a retail store, so I agreed to meet her there and take a look at him. When I got there, I found nobody out front but in the back of a truck, I heard the most awful wailing going on and went straight over to see if he was back there. There he was, scared out of his mind, so I managed get hold of him and picked him up. He was stiff as a board with fear and I had a hard time holding on to him because he wanted to bolt and run. He was shaggy and smelly, but had the softest coat I'd ever seen on a Schnauzer. He was a dark smokey gray and silver and I knew I wanted him already.
I talked to her a while and Peanut was still just terrified. I felt so sorry for him and wondered why he was so afraid until she told me nonchalantly that he had NEVER been out of the kennel. That told me that he had never been handled or socialized for four months and I was amazed that she had so little compassion for her animals. We handle our puppies as soon as we can, talk to them and cuddle them. We spend as much time with them as we possibly can to help them be used to people and not afraid. Besides, we simply want to! Who can resist such sweet little puppies for pete's sake?
Needless to say, I bought him, not only because he was a beautiful boy, but because he needed a good home. I brought him home, bathed him and groomed him and he was just beautiful, but still terrified. He was fine with the other dogs, which is apparently all he had known, but definitely didn't like us touching him.
So we have made special efforts to talk to him and give him treats and he has responded fairly well, but is still not comfortable with being held or handled. He bonded with Junior immediately and only felt secure for a long time if Junior was with him. He was slowly coming around and had come to the point that I could pet him a little without him running away. We've had little success at holding him because to hold him means catching him first and literally grabbing him, which scares him even more. So I've just been gradually touching more of him, hoping that he would slowly become more and more comfortable. He's a happy little boy as long as nobody is trying to grab him or touch him too much.
So now I wonder if this awful thing that's happened to him will serve to make him more afraid of people or more comfortable with them. Since I first picked him up after he was injured, he has not fought to get away. He let me stroke him and pet him and hold him all night Saturday night and he has since been handled by us and the Veterinarian and his staff. He didn't shy away from me this morning and licked my hand as I pet him.
I guess my prayer is that he will not only recover very well and his mangled leg will heal, but also that he will allow us to spoil him and hold him like we do with our other dogs. It's always bothered me that I can't hold him. Is that a selfish thing? Anyway, here is a picture of little Peanut doing what he loves to do........stay close to Junior.
