A Shadow of a Dog - Rusty the Miniature Schnauzer

[Schnauzer]

Rusty is Pepper's little brother and is about 6 months younger. My grandparents kept him and let him run free on the ranch. Easy for a hound... but Schnauzers require more attention. Normally if left alone or ignored, a Schnauzer will become destructive. Rusty used to be able to run around with the hound, Dog. Dog died at about 20 years old about a year ago, leaving Rusty by himself. Now that both of my grandparents are gone, Rusty gets food from my aunt and uncle. He has about 350 acres of ranch to run on and he goes beyond that, but he's just a shadow of a dog. I loved him when he was a puppy, but he didn't turn out like Pepper who has always had all the love he could ever want. Rusty is shy and it's difficult to get him to come to you. He crouches like you're going to hit him, which means someone must have. He's very scared of people and trusts no one. He almost got shot once when he ventured to a neighboring ranch and somehow the people there thought he was a coyote... To me that's just an excuse to shoot something, so it isn't safe there. He's never been groomed, so he has mats in his hair with sore scabs in his beard, arm pits, and other random places. He gets ticks all of the time with no prevention medicine. Knowing how if you so much as put something in Pepper's face regularly he will bite, Rusty was probably hit, and if he responded with aggression (likely), hit again. That's the only way I can see him being shy, fleeting and overly submissive. What does a Doberman Pincher do if you hit it? Well, Schnauzers are pinchers too. I don't know who hit or hits him because he wanders everywhere, but it breaks my heart. Since my granny passed the morning of March 31, all of the dogs (includes a very large kennel) have gone to my uncle. He's acting bizarre and doesn't want to let my mum have anything even though through the will she owns half of the ranch too. I asked mum about poor Rusty and she said I can have him if my uncle will give him up. I don't see what my uncle could possibly want from a wild Schnauzer when he has about 100?? dogs now including a smart pit bull mix he's keeping. I'm concerned I won't get him because of his strange/mean/hoarding behavior lately. I want to show Rusty that he can trust someone and be loved. I want to help the little guy... He's just like me. Alone. Abused. Wild. Fearful. I feel like we need each other. By saving him, he'd save me. Please pray that I get him. He doesn't need to be alone anymore and neither do I. I wish I could put a picture of him here, but I just have a couple of blurry puppy pictures of him at home. I'm going to be so sad if I can't have him... I hope when I update this it isn't that my uncle wouldn't give him up, but instead how we're going to get Pepper to accept him.

UPDATE: I GOT HIM!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday mum told me she was able to ask my uncle and he agreed! Now I'm trying to find out how to get dog aggressive dog + wild dog = peace. If anyone has anything to recommend, please post it. So far Jacque and Winter have pointed me in some good directions that I'm busy searching. I'm going to the library today when it opens to look for Cesar Milan's videos and/or book. I've been having a really rough time and yesterday was particularly bad, but that news brightened my day and made me smile! Mum is coming home today by plane. In two weeks when I'm home from college we're going back to the ranch by car to get some paper work done, get the car granny left me, and Rusty!! I can't wait to go pick out a collar for him, a name tag, and leash! I wonder how he'll react to those things given that he's never even worn a collar, let alone been on a leash... I'm also wondering how to travel with him because he isn't potty trained. We'll probably have to put him in a carrier, but i sure do hope he lets us know when he has to go to the bathroom or it's going to be a smelly 12 hour drive!! But I don't care!! I'm too happy!!!!! :D

[Schnauzer]

Bragger, I GOT HIM!!!!!! :D
As of yesterday, my mum was able to ask my uncle and he agreed! Now I'm on the difficult quest of trying to find information on how to get him and Pepper to get along...

[PetBrags Pet Lovers Paradise]

awww, so sad. poor little fellow. I so hope and pray you get him, Schnauzer. Somebody has to do something, to get the little guy out of that environment, that's for sure. Keep us posted.