by Lee Juslin

When Bartlett was turned into the busy New York City shelter, the shelter workers thought he looked like a Cairn. When the shelter called Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, a rescue volunteer came to take the little dog. She knew right away the dog was not a Cairn, but with only six hours left before he would be euthanized, she couldn’t leave him.

Bartlett was thin, his hips stood out, and he was very nervous due to his life on the streets. Not an easy time for a little dog. Col. Potter had his DNA tested, and Bartlett turned out to be a mixture including Chihuahua but not Cairn. Nevertheless, the rescue proceeded to get him ready to find his forever home. They took him to the vet as he hadn’t been neutered and had skin problems. Poor Bartlett had lost a lot of his hair on his back and in other spots as well. He was very itchy. The vet diagnosed his skin issues and itching as caused by a poor quality food and an allergy to grain. He recommended a grain-free food and prescribed some medication. He estimated Bartlett to be about eight years old.

Bartlett

PK, his Col. Potter foster mom, suspected he had been abused due to his “worried attitude” as she called it. Perhaps his previous owner had gotten fed up with his itching and, instead of taking him to the vet, just swatted at him when he scratched. She also thought that he was turned into the shelter by his former owner and not a stranger. PK felt that Bartlett, as the rescue named him, was in a loving home at one time. He eagerly stands on his hind legs when she gets his sweater out. He also walks nicely on a leash.

PK has been working on Bartlett’s shyness. She tried taking him to a dog park, but it was too overwhelming for him. She walks him with her own dogs and another foster which gives her a total of seven dogs. On occasion she is stopped by passersby and asked if she is a professional dog walker. PK says they always act surprised and often give her a funny look when she says she is just walking her dogs.

Bartlett sleeps in his crate at night and sleeps through the night. However, although PK puts him in his crate when she has to go out, he wants to be out of his crate if he hears her in the house. He likes being with people and follows PK everywhere.

A city boy at heart, Bartlett will go out into the yard in the morning with the other dogs, but wants to come right back in. He enjoys sitting in a window and looking out, but he is not interested in being outside by himself. PK says he doesn’t have a strong prey drive as most terriers do, a further indication he has no Cairn in his DNA.

Bartlett is a real homebody and happily greets PK when she comes home. He’s not a barker unless he hears people or hears the other dogs barking. He seems to have little experience with toys, but he’s learning. His favorite toys are soft ones, and he gets quite possessive over them to the point where he will growl if other dogs try to take one of his favorite toys away from him. So, the others have learned to just leave him alone when he has one of his prized soft toys. He never growls at people.

While he enjoys his toys, he is not interested in chasing balls or playing with the other dogs. PK says he is a rather delicate dog, unlike her terriers. She does not encourage play with her dogs who might be too rough for him. For this reason, she crates Bartlett whenever she is not home.

PK has gotten him to relax enough so that she can cut his nails and comb him. However, although she can look in his ears, he doesn’t like them rubbed or touched. He will not let her touch his legs either. She is also able to brush his teeth, which had a lot of tartar when he first came to her. This has allowed him to avoid a veterinary dental procedure.

Rescued dogs carry baggage from their previous experiences, especially if they’ve been abused or neglected. It’s possible that in Bartlett’s case, he may have had his ears or legs grabbed in a previous home. Bartlett would like a home with no children and a person or family with dog experience. He needs a person with patience who will not push him. He does not need a yard but would prefer regular walks. A retired couple or someone who works part time where he could adjust to a routine would be a good situation for him. He might do well in an apartment, except he does bark when he hears people.

Bartlett is part of Col. Potter’s Mix-It-Up group with a reduced adoption fee.

If you would like to learn more about Bartlett or the other pups at Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, apply to become a foster parent, or make a donation to help this all volunteer organization keep on rescuing sweet pups like Bartlett, contact Col. Potter on Facebook or their website:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/268408650369513

Website: cairnrescue.com

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Lee Juslin is a free lance copywriter living in North Carolina with her husband, Scott, and her band of misfits: Tarquin, a Wheaten Scottish Terrier, and three handicapped cats. They can be seen on their website: Hampshire Hooligans. She owns I B Dog Gone, a small embroidery business and is the author of the Nurse Frosty books for children and Frosty’s Story: Tales of a Therapy Dog. She supports a number of national and regional terrier rescue organizations.

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