NOODLE

This is Noodle. He is a complete sweetheart. If you ever wanted to rescue a dog for whom you know you will be making a huge difference, this is the one. He came to us from Missouri where he had spent about six months in a shelter being very scared. When he got to his foster home in Lincoln, he quickly found a small dark space, a hallway bathroom, to hide in and did his best to stay there and avoid the humans. When we approached him, he backed as far as he could into the corner and then curled up in a ball on the floor and shook, but even though he was clearly scared to death, he has never once growled, barked, or showed any aggression toward us. He has let us put pills directly in his mouth, trim his dew claws, give him a bath, brush him, and pick him up off the floor when he was too scared to stand on his own. He has also been great with our other pets; he wants to play with the dogs and avoid the cat (he quickly figured out the cat is a bit of a jerk!). At first, Noodle was scared to be outside in the daylight. But when we put him outside after dark, we got our first glimpses of his fun-loving personality. In the dark, he was confident enough to try to engage the other dogs in play and to find toys to throw around and pounce on.

After a couple weeks with us, Noodle is showing many signs of improvement, but he still has a long way to go. He still hides in the bathroom, but does come out on his own to explore when the house is quiet or to go to the door when he needs out to relieve himself (he has never once had an accident in the house). He doesn’t let us approach him in open spaces, but he has approached one of us to sneak a sniff before ducking away when we were sitting very still. When we approach him in confined spaces, he still backs away but he often remains sitting up now and he shakes far less. He watches us with open curiosity when we conduct our daily routines around him and even though he still likes being outside after dark, he comes back to the door when we call him. He also takes great walks! He is usually a bit anxious about getting ready and getting out the door, but once we get outside, he walks right next to us with a loose leash most of the time (he is so much better at this than our own dogs and it is so nice!). He does pull a bit if something scares him, but once he decides he is safe, he’s right back next to us like a champ. He will not eat a meal in front of us or take treats from our hand, but he likes provolone cheese enough to eat it with us watching. Noodle is a quite dog; he hasn’t yet barked, even when our other dogs are excited about foxes, squirrels, or delivery people nearby.

Noodle is a great dog to have around and will be such a wonderful companion for an adopter who is willing to take it slow and help him to learn to trust and enjoy life.

We think we’ll learn more about Noodle’s likes and dislikes as he comes out of his shell, but as of now, we know he likes walks, soft toys, balls, and provolone cheese. He also likes fun loving playful canine companions. He doesn’t like aggressive dogs or startling noises or activities. Noodle’s new home must have a quiet private space for him to decompress, a yard with a six-foot fence, and quiet, calm, loving and patient people who will help him figure out what life can be like in a good home. He is fine with older kids who can slow down, be quiet, and support him, but would probably be scared of younger kids.