Mickey recently had a very severe bout with anxiety, which is one of the reasons why he's listed as unavailable on Ratbone's website. I put him on meds for a week or so, and then modified his behaviors. I now leave him confined but loose with my Sandy, and he's doing great!! He no longer needs the meds, but I keep them on hand when I know we're going to have storms, and I'll give him a tablet in the morning before I leave, so that hopefully his anxiety won't be too bad.

Mickey has really come out of his shell these past few weeks. His personality is blossoming. He's a freaking riot!!!!!!!!!!! I think his previous owners kept him medicated to deal with his anxiety and never really fully let him be the awesome dog he is. He seemed to be a big baby, timid and very sensitive. I think the prior owners facilitated that behavior by treating him with kid gloves and just keeping him sedated. I did that at first, but then started not taking his crap. I started playing with him harder and harder... like before, if I just tugged at his ears just a tiny bit, he'd scream and cry like I just cut them off. Now, I tug at them, and he takes it........ if I keep doing it, he gets all frisky and runs around and wants to play!! No more crying!!!!!!!!

The owners said he was very submissive. WRONG! Mr. Mickey is such an alpha wanna be, it's hysterical!! Luckily, all the other dogs laugh at him and he's not too pushy and when one of the other dogs corrects him, he'll get all bent out of shape but lets it go.

For example, he has been torturing my Benny. He just keeps biting at Benny's face....... trying to sit on him...... trying to boss my Benny Ben Ben around. It's a hoot! Mickey's a tiny 11 pounds - Benny's about 20 pounds!! When Ben has had enough, he let's Mickey know and although Mickey's not happy (which he vocalizes very clearly) Mickey backs off.

This morning was the best, tho. Mickey was trying to get Prince to do a rat run around the yard. Princey wasn't interested. Mickey instigated and instigated until Prince just ran under the back porch to get away from him. So Mickey decided to make his own fun by playing with the bark on the tree in my back yard!! He'd run circles around the trunk, jump up, bite bark off the tree, run back around the trunk, stop, bark at the tree, bite it, and run around. How I wish I had my video camera!! I was dying!!

Mickey certainly has blossomed into a fun-loving, happy little guy. It's great seeing him as not so scared and timid. We have just one more issue we need to attend to, and hopefully, he'll be back listed as available soon!!