# My foster/rescue, what to expect?? ((loooong text!)



## Bow (Dec 1, 2012)

Hi everyone! 
I have never been too familiar with malteses - I've seen them in the show rings and admired the beautiful hair but never thought of them that much... Until yesterday! :blink:

As this is all fresh thing, due to security reasons I can't give you guys too much information about the circumstances (yet), but I will do my best to explain this. 

The dog is coming from a puppy mill/hoarder, and the person who looked after her (temporarily) in the first place couldn't keep her any longer because they have a very, as they describe it, jealous dog already. (they only had her for a couple of days). I saw the dog for the first time yesterday when I saw the person at work, and agreed to help and take her until she finds a good home with enough experience. I volunteer in rescue sanctuaries anyway and know the people, so I know they could find a good home for her.


Let me tell you now, that I have a long history with all sorts of dogs, I work, study and spend pretty much all my time with them. Because of the condition of this dog, I thought the person I got it from couldn't probably offer as much as I can at the moment to get it all healed, mentally and physically, and they actually agreed. 


Now let's get to the condition of this girl. She is (apparently) 2 years old, very skinny and weights only 3.7 lbs. Bones sticking out and belly doesn't exist in any way, I can almost get my fingers (of one hand) reach around her waist, and my hands are pretty small... She is ridiculously small sized anyway. Apparently her hair has been cut short a while ago, as at the moment it is about 1,5 - 2 inches. I've washed her yesterday and the condition of the hair is very... puppyish?  I don't know how malteses hair normally is, but her hair is like fluff and wool, very nice and soft! It's also shiny, which I can't stop wondering as usually underweight dogs do not have a good hair.

She hasn't apparently eated hardly anything since last Wednesday, only drinks normally. However, ever since I brought her home and gave her peace and quiet enviroment she actually ate very little yesterday. Today I went to book an appointment with the vet, and bought high protein, good quality food to feed her, which she tasted and then left. I keep occasionally offering her the food, and today she actually ate a good amount of cooked chicken, which proves she is able to eat and it stays is!! :aktion033: so I'm guessing it's the stress that makes her not want to eat. Tomorrow she is meeting the vet and we will find out her true condition. According the original breeder (haven't met personally and know nothing about them, trying to find out as much as I can to report them to the animal services) she has recently had puppies, but couldn't feed them as "she's too small", however I believe she is just too unnourished to produce milk. I'm hoping her lack of weight is also only because of recovering from the puppies, god knows where they are now!  Apparently the one I have has been replaced with her puppy, I hope this is not true.. Though, if I'm thinking with the brains of a puppy mill owner, this little girl is not very good for maximum amount of puppies and therefore not good for money.

Her teeth seem like they could do with a vet's cleaning, which she's going to have as soon as she's strong enough to go through it, but apart from that she is physically in ok condition, clean ears, eyes and skin, apart from the weight and mental scars...:huh:

When I saw her for the first time on Friday, she was just lost. Her eyes had this pretty empty look, like she just wouldn't care, although they were still very bright and full of character! I looked after her for a couple of hours, and this is when I personally fell in love with her. There is something about this dog that I can't explain, under all that sadness and worrying. I gave her lots of warmth and attention (she gets cold very easily) and she just.. I don't know, seemed to get a little bit of hope. Ever since I took her home with me, she is starting to show more and more interest in life, she is quite weak but follows me all the time, and wants to be close. Last night I took her to my bed to keep her warm, and she must be exhausted as she slept 8 hours without moving at all from my arms, under the covers, just sleeping without waking even once. She just slept like she'd never done before, and after going out quickly we went back to bed, and slept more. Today she has still been sleeping lot, but I believe she got tired after going to the vets too.
Everything seems to be new for her, for example her reaction to a leash it's like she'd be a puppy - she stares it and refuses to move. 

Sooooo... I'm not that worried about getting her back to healthy weight and mental state, but I need someone to help me understand the breed! 

She seems to adore me, it's like she doesn't see anyone else but me and wants to be with me constantly, and only then she can relax. I've heard that malteses tend to show their affection, but I'm worried that she'll become overly attached, that's why I try not to hold her all the time and ignore her staring/eye contact every now and then. Am I doing the right thing, or just being too careful? Most of the time she is getting all the love and cuddling in the world, as she needs it at the moment.


Are malteses bad eaters? Looking at her it occasionally seems like she just doesn't want to eat, it's like it just doesn't please her! I also find it strange that dog food was just worth sniffing, but chicken meat after that went down veeeery quickly! B)


Do your malteses get cold very easily, and what do you do to keep them warm? At the moment she is wearing a warm jumper, which she doesn't seem to mind at all. 


What other things there is, that you think I should know about the breed? Tomorrow is the vet check, I can't wait to hear what they say about her. 

I have already 3 dogs, and did not plan on having a 4th one, but this is really hard for me - we have the room, love and experience for her, it's just.. I've never been a big fan of having a dog without proper planning before getting it!


This is really hard, I like her very much and just want the best for her, and also worry that she will lose her faith in people for good if now I "abandon" her to a new home. Please people, give me your thoughts and opinions, I really need them! :mellow:


Thank you!! 
-sweetypie and the little girl


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

You certainly came to the right place to find out all about the Maltese Breed. There will be plenty of advice for you here and please avail yourself to all of the different sections here on SM. 

It sounds as though you will have your work cut out for you but it will be well worth all of the effort that you put into caring forr this little Malt. Sounds as though you have found yourself another little Dog. She apparently has attached herself to you already. And Malts are so very loving and affectionate too. You sound as though you are a very caring person and I am sure that she feels the love that you have shown to her since you have had her.

As far as a high protein dog food, I personally do not find that all to good since a high protein content can put on weight. However, since she sounds as though she is underweight, them a high quality dog food would be best for her. There are so many different foods that are high quality that you can choose from. I know that others will come along and suggest some of their favorites for their Malts. I give our two (Yorkie and Maltese) Blue Buffalo Longevity and they do very well. Some Malts can be picky eaters and I guess I can say that I have been pretty lucky with mine. Keeping her warm is important and a good thing that you have put a jumper on her. They have some really cute sweaters too that can be purchased as well.

Please keep us posted as to how she did at the Vet's tomorrow. You can be sure that more advice will be given to you here on SM.


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## mss (Mar 1, 2006)

I hope your vet will do blood tests. The skinniness might be due to a medical disorder. 

Most Maltese are so affectionate and really attach to people. If you're worried about her getting too attached to you, then maybe it would be good to have her get to know other human beings, too. :biggrin: I've fostered a few, and I've heard that when they went to their new home, they attached themselves to their new people quickly. Don't withhold whatever affection you feel she needs and that you can give at the moment. 

I hope the results of the vet exam are good, and that she just needs more good food and TLC.

Hugs to you for taking this little one and caring for her! :grouphug:


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi and welcome to SM. thank you for fostering that little one. Hopefully the vet visit will be OK, and she just needs good food and care. Their hair stays puppy like, so soft and fluffy. Some will have a silky coat and others a cottony coat. They love to be with people and love to sit on your lap. They do get cold,like after a bath, I blow dry their hair. their hair will also tangle and mat, if not brushed or combed daily. Wishing you all the best of luck with her, and pop in to update us.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Welcome to SM and to the wonderful Maltese breed 

Of course like other dogs, they are all different, but in general the Maltese are very people oriented, that is what they were bred for after all. Some more than others. My Lola won't let me out of her sight, if I shower she is waiting at the door, if I am in the loo then so is she, funnily enough she pretty much always eliminates at the same time too as her pee pad is in there. LOL. If I sit on the sofa, she is usually on or beside me. Penny isn't quite as clingy as Lola, but close  she is very kissy. If Hubby is home they are happy to take turns though. Eating wise they couldn't be more different. Lola will eat anything but Penny needs a lot of choices and encouragement. She is 5lbs lighter than Lola though. 

I hope the vet visit goes well. Maybe we will be seeing you on here as an owner. 
I am sure the rescue people on here have good suggestions for you.


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

I have a rescue Maltese also. She was very thin (but not as tiny as yours) when I got her. As for food, she didn't want to eat when I first got her either. I was worried sick because she was already so underweight. Is the food you bought dry or canned? Lucy magically started eating when I gave her high-quality canned food--you know the kind with chunks and gravy, like Merricks stew and stuff like that. As far as the affection, frankly, this is my first maltese (or maltese mix--not sure) too. I don't think I've ever met another dog who attaches quite so much and is quite so...well...just plain loving. (Lucy is trying to climb on top of my laptop in order to get on my lap as I'm typing this--lol). She, too, won't let me out of her sight. I, personally, think that this little dog you have NEEDS love and attention right now--I would give it to her as much as you possibly can. I think once she learns to love and trust YOU, she will be able to easily transfer that to a new owner. IF, and I think this may be a very big IF, you find that you are willing to let her go. I'm telling you, these little dogs just worm their way right smack into the middle of your heart and attach there. Good luck with her. Can't wait to hear about her vet report.


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## Bow (Dec 1, 2012)

Hi again... Well, today has been good and bad - I woke in the morning just to notice that one of my dogs has an eye infection or a possible cherry eye... Great, even more money for the vets! 

Well, girl's gotta do what girl's gotta do, took both of the dogs to the vet and the little maltese got microchipped, wormed, flea treated and checked - the vet listened to her lungs and heart, which were fine, and agreed with me that it is probably just her recent past, puppies and stress that made her so skinny in the first place. The plan at the moment is to feed her as much as possible, as ideally she'd double her current weight, and then have a new check in a few weeks time and if it still seems like the weight is not going up, we'll do the blood- and other tests... I'm going to get her blood tested eventually anyway, just to double check, but at the moment this is the plan and looking good.

She ate yesterday a whole little handful of dry food, which is brilliant. Her appetite is increasing all the time, and slowly she is coming out of her shell, although she is very attached to me - last night she slept in my arms again..:wub:

Well, she is definitely going to stay with us. We don't know what the future has to offer with her, but whatever it is, we are taking it. She deserves this so much, this poor little girl didn't know what is like to be loved or part of family, and I'm going to show it for her, hoping in the end she learns to trust us.. I just recently saw her tail wagging a little for the first time, and that was when I came back home after walking one of my dogs. 

This was love at the first sight, at least when it comes to me and I'm so looking forward to getting to know the breed and the dog! I'm also a dog groomer, so once her hair grows a bit longer it's time for us to buy some pretty bows to make sure those pretty eyes aren't hidden behind the hair :wub:


Well, this was today's experience. Thank you everyone for your posts, it felt good to have support in this situation! I will keep you updated how things go and probably soon start posting to other places too to learn more about my new girl, might soon share here a few photos of her too, so you can tell me what you think...


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## StevieB (Feb 2, 2012)

Aww bless you bless you! Her personality will come out and evolve gradually. And it's so wonderful. Malts are notoriously funny picky little eaters so just keep trying with the food, she'll get there. I don't know what it is but these little dogs just embed themselves into our hearts. Mark my words you'll be a crazy dog lady just like the rest of us!


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## Madison's Mom (Dec 26, 2007)

Sweetypie said:


> Hi again... Well, today has been good and bad - I woke in the morning just to notice that one of my dogs has an eye infection or a possible cherry eye... Great, even more money for the vets!
> .


I'm sorry to hear about the eye issue. My Madison got up with that yesterday. We ran to the vet and found she just had conjunctivitis. She will be on eye drops for a week. It already looks much, much better this morning.

Best wishes!


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

Sounds like things are progressing and under control. And CONGRATULATIONS on your decision to keep her, not that it came as much of a surprise!  She deserves a person like you. Good luck with her and keep us posted. And and I don't think any of us would complain if you posted some photos.


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## kaeco510 (Sep 28, 2012)

Congratulations!! Does the little lady have a name? And I second the request for pictures!


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Thanks for taking this little one in and giving her love.

My Bitsy and Rylee would eat much at first and are still skinnier than my other three fluffs.. they don't eat a lot at once so, I will put some in my hand and they'll eat a bit more... I also feed them a bit through out the day so they nibble here and there. She just needs time and lots of love, cuddles and talk to her...I did that with mine and they really perked up...

Bitsy and Rylee were under stress, unwanted and had to fight for every scrap of food so eating itself was stressful... it took several weeks for them to get a routine and feel comfortable eating with the other dogs...

One day it was like a switch turned on...it'll happen


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## SweetMalteseAngels (Oct 16, 2011)

Awwww....I am glad you are giving this precious baby a warm loving home. I look forward to hearing more stories about her and seeing some pics! Welcome to SM!


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## Bow (Dec 1, 2012)

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for your posts, it's so nice to get all of those supportive thoughts! :sLo_grouphug3:
Madison's mom: I hope she is ok now and all back to normal??


Just thought I'd give you an update about our little girl, who still doesn't have a name as we can't come up with anything sweet enough... :wub: 

She is becoming all the time more and more brave - we even get a little bit of trusting, loving and gentle looks every now and then :heart: I was happy to see her telling my other dogs to go away when they tried to play with her, that shows there is some fire inside her and she has a bit of self confidence! At the moment I keep my other dogs under control when near her, just to make sure she knows she is safe in our house.
She still seems a little bit "lost", however that is only understandable in her situation. She seeks lots of cuddles and very close skin contact pretty often, and sleeps with us in our bed at the moment, which she just loves.

Her weight has gone up a little, although she is still very skinny. She lets me clean her face and brush her gently every day, and there's nothing I'd change about her, apart from her past of course. We absolutely adore her so, so much! :blush:


Here's a few photos of our journey together so far...

I have taken photos from the first time I saw her to show how small and scruffy she is, her first bath, after first wash, her jumper to keep her warm (boy's colour was the only one in her size, and they even forgot the alarm tag in the shop! Lucky I got it removed ok), her getting ready to sleep in our bed and the last photo is from this evening when she looked at me with proper eye contact :heart:


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Oh she is so very very precious. Thank you for being there for her, she'll pay you back in endless and unconditional love!


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## StevieB (Feb 2, 2012)

Oh, she has the prettiest little face!!!! I am melting just looking at that last picture, so I know you're toast. I think that girl has found her home.


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## kaeco510 (Sep 28, 2012)

Awwwww she is just the sweetest!!!!! Do you have any name ideas floating around? 


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## Bow (Dec 1, 2012)

kaeco510 said:


> Awwwww she is just the sweetest!!!!! Do you have any name ideas floating around?



Hello  yes, after many days of thinking, I decided to call her Bow - she just looks so girly and sweet, and as I've always had big, scruffy dogs I want to make the most of my little princess-dog and buy her all that cute stuff you can get to little cute dogs :blush:

Well, we are still doing fine - Bow seems to get softer all the time, and the bones don't feel that bad anymore, although she still has to put on lots of weight! It's just a shame that yesterday she was sitting next to my husband, and started eating from his plate!! I can live with this (just this once though), however the amount of chicken he let her eat was apparently too much and now Bow has a pretty bad diarrhea :angry: which annoys me as I don't want her to lose any weight, lucky it's not the worst possible, at least not yet! I also washed and dried her again yesterday, and you can imagine how her clean white hair looks now... Not nice!! :Bad day:


She is still mentally fairly upset at times and gets these times when she just shakes like mad, but I'm not too worried about it - does anyone else's maltese do the odd, strong shaking when excited or nervous? :blink:

The other day when I was just about to leave home she suddenly wanted to play with me! It didn't last for too long, but at least she got crazy and relaxed for a bit :wub: She is also happy to see me when I've been away, but it seems like she is still holding herself back a little and doesn't want to go too crazy.. Well, I'm sure this day comes.


Are your malteses barkers? Bow never barks, apart from when I come back home, she has started to walk around the kitchen where she waits and barks like mad, and it's very loud! 

Would you call malteses a stubborn breed? Do they prefer to please the owner or themselves more? It's hard to say about Bow yet as she is in her shell, but I'm really looking forward to the day she's herself again, I love her to bits, and so does my husband who always said no to the 4th dog until she saw Bow...


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## WeeGrace (Oct 22, 2012)

Hey to you both. You have done such a wonderful thing!! These little fluffs as others have said are very loving and caring and just wan to be with you. I think the majority of us share our beds with our fluffs. I'm so glad to hear she is staying with you. I don't know if it is because she is light or not but yeah they can get cold. My daisy refuses to go out now since the weather has gotten colder!!! Just get her jumpers coats and anything that would keep her warm. As for the rest jus give her as much love as she needs and by the sounds of it she needs a lot. I jus want to say you have done a great thing by taking this fluff into your home. Wishing you both the best of luck please keep us updatedxxx


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## WeeGrace (Oct 22, 2012)

Only seeing your las post bow looks gorgeous by the way!! Such cute face. Daisy barks when the door bell goes even the one on tv and when I come home. She will whine when I leave sometimes. She will bark if she is scared of something but that is it we don't hear her bark too often. Others are more barky I think they are like humans some talk more than others!!

As regard personality they mostly like to please they are after all the original lap dog. They hate upsetting you!! Although they are determined well daisy is at times but she doesn't like it if I ignore her when she has done something bold!! They respond so well to praise. Daisy has a little walk thing she does when she is praised as much to say look at me. 

I've only had daisy since September and she is my first malt I'm sure others will come along with more advise. Enjoy having your Girly girl she looks like a Girly girl and enjoy watching her blossom. I'm sure once she knows nothing is going to change she will become more herself. It's great that she is already greeting you by barking xxx


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

Sweetypie said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for your posts, it's so nice to get all of those supportive thoughts! :sLo_grouphug3:
> Madison's mom: I hope she is ok now and all back to normal??
> ...


I somehow missed this post and responded to your post about the tear stains. Your little girl Bow is beautiful. I don't think her tear stains are bad at all. You can trim the part that hangs down the side of her mouth just a little and eventually it will grow out normal. She really is a beauty and how lucky are you both to have eachother to love. Hugs to you and Bow. :hugging:


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## Mia's Grammy (Jul 27, 2012)

Hi,
Welcome to SM, there are some wonderful people and great advice on here to help you along the way. Mia my Maltese is 6 months now I got her from a breeder at 6 weeks who kept them kenneled in a dark shed. I found out with the finicky eating situation that sometimes Mia will only eat out of her kennel because thats the only thing she new. I put a dish in her kennel and in the kitchen and low and behold we would watch her put her head in the kennel door and nibble at her food or bring a mouth full out onto the carpet. I was desperate I did not want her blood sugar to drop and her become ill. She would also eat out of my hand for awhile. Stick to it she will learn to trust you and know that you love her and will take care of her.  Post a picture for us.


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## Malt Shoppe (Jul 20, 2011)

Please be aware, these little Maltese will steal your heart. They are very loving dogs. Bow is adorable, it's no wonder she wormed her way deep into your heart so fast.
If the chicken she stole from your husband's plate was dark meat, that can cause diarrhea. They do best on white meat.
I'm pretty sure in a small amount of time, you will wonder how you ever did without her! It's a marvelous breed. I call them perpetual babies; they just always seem to be puppies; I love that.
I'm so glad this precious little one has found a great loving home; she deserves it. I can't imagine breeding such a small Maltese; it's a wonder she survived it.
She's just precious. 
Congratulations on giving your heart to a well-deserved Maltese.....she's going to love her new life.


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## Isabella's Mommy (Nov 20, 2012)

Ohhh she is so adorable. Your story and your photos made me cry. I will never understand how people can treat any animal that way. I am so glad she found her way into your life. We once rescued a 18 month old Chow Chow. Tellie was well fed and in good physical condition but he couldn't climb stairs, he was frightened of music, the TV. He had never been socialized with people or other animals so he was afraid and it came out as aggression. He lived with us for 10 years and became a wonderful member of the family. I won't say it was always easy but it was totally worth the effort. I found what made the difference was love. No matter what we made Tellie understand we loved him. Good luck. 


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

Oh I don't know how I missed these photos! She is so adorable--those eyes. I'm in love from here. I can only imagine how in love you must be. She's a lucky baby now that she's found you. It will just take her awhile to really believe she's home for good.


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## Lynzodolly (Sep 15, 2012)

Bow is just beautiful I would have took her in a heartbeat  well done you for taking her in she's just gorgeous xx


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## CorkieYorkie (Apr 10, 2012)

omg she is too cute!!! :wub: I remember reading in several breed books that Maltese love to please their owners (please tell this to mine who bark and soil my carpets!! ) !!

Mine bark when they hear something in the hallway (we live in an condo building) and one of mine barks whenever he sees something furry on TV! So I think it just depends on their individual personality 

Welcome to SM!!!!


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## ladodd (Jan 8, 2012)

Congratulations and thank you for taking this wonderful angel. Sounds like you are quickly finding out how precious this breed is and how they steal your heart.


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## sdubose (Feb 21, 2012)

OMG!!! She is the cutest thing ever. Thank you for giving this little baby a loving home. I think this is the most wonderful breed. Sometimes they are too smart for their own good, but so very rewarding. You won't reqret helping Bow. I love her name BTW.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

I cannot stop looking at her beautiful photos. There is that wee bit of fear speaking through her eyes that has stolen my heart forever I'm afraid. I have no doubt that before long you will be seeing a huge difference in her. She is going to trust you like no other. I cannot wait to hear more about her personality that will quickly start to show itself  . Bless you for rescuing!


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## Bow (Dec 1, 2012)

Mia's Grammy said:


> Hi,
> Welcome to SM, there are some wonderful people and great advice on here to help you along the way. Mia my Maltese is 6 months now I got her from a breeder at 6 weeks who kept them kenneled in a dark shed. I found out with the finicky eating situation that sometimes Mia will only eat out of her kennel because thats the only thing she new. I put a dish in her kennel and in the kitchen and low and behold we would watch her put her head in the kennel door and nibble at her food or bring a mouth full out onto the carpet. I was desperate I did not want her blood sugar to drop and her become ill. She would also eat out of my hand for awhile. Stick to it she will learn to trust you and know that you love her and will take care of her.  Post a picture for us.


Thank you for this, it's good to hear about similar situations! After reading this I actually started paying attention to Bow's eating - she also loves to be shut in to the kennel with her food bowl (I figured this out when I fed her with other dogs around, otherwise they's push their noses into her bowl). Do you know if your Mia's breeder has after that been stopped doing her nasty business? :mellow:
Bow has started to eat like mad now, she really enjoys her food and I'm soon hoping to upload a video where she is trying to get to know my mastiff, it was hilarious how she was just jumping up and down, barking at the big boy and trying to get a reaction from him! :w00t: I'm just a bit lost with uploading videos, I hardly even manage the photos...



Isabella's Mommy said:


> Ohhh she is so adorable. Your story and your photos made me cry. I will never understand how people can treat any animal that way. I am so glad she found her way into your life. We once rescued a 18 month old Chow Chow. Tellie was well fed and in good physical condition but he couldn't climb stairs, he was frightened of music, the TV. He had never been socialized with people or other animals so he was afraid and it came out as aggression. He lived with us for 10 years and became a wonderful member of the family. I won't say it was always easy but it was totally worth the effort. I found what made the difference was love. No matter what we made Tellie understand we loved him. Good luck.


Thank you and sorry to hear your Tellie isn't with you anymore, however you did a fantastic job by loving this sweetheart and showing what is to trust again! :heart: 
People who treat animals like that really make me too so very angry and sad - it feels hopeless and seems like the cruelty will never end, however luckily there are people who are ready to fight for and give love and home for some of the unlucky animals 

_Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and support_, Bow says she is very flattered and blushing as no one ever told her she is a pretty girl before..:thumbsup: I just love her so much, I miss her constantly when I'm not home and just want to keep her close to me - lucky she is getting braver and starts slowly to bond with my other dogs. This morning I saw her trying to play with my tibetan spaniel, and it really brought tears in to my eyes :Sunny Smile:

She seems to gain weight so fast at the moment, even if it's nowhere near normal weight yet, but you can tell she is definately getting better. Next month, if she is strong enough, she'll go to the doggy dentist to get her teeth cleaned, and I wouldn't be suprised if they want to remove at least one of them.. That dirty little mouth needs some work done! Such pretty girl, yet such smelly breath..:yucky:

After her diarrhea, which actually got better soon after posting about it, her bum was really dirty, so today I had to do the Bowndry (=Bow-laundry) before giving her flea- and worm treatments. I will post here a few photos of Bow having a bath and after her bath, I've never actually washed a dog in a sink before but hey, it's just so much easier and probably more comfortable for the dog than my big bath tub! :biggrin:


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Welcome to SM. Bow is just precious. I cried reading her story and looking at her pictures. Thank you for being there to save her.

Many of our SM members have Rescues. Some only have rescues and other have both. It takes time, love, good food, training, etc. for a rescue to trust again, but Maltese are such "people" dogs that they really do want to be near their "people" and they want to please.

It sounds as if she's adjusting well to her new furever life with you and your family.


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## WeeGrace (Oct 22, 2012)

Aww bow your just beautiful!! Hehe welcome to being a Maltese mum I don't think any of us like leaving them!! It's sounds like she is really settling in and beginning to enjoy family life with her adopted siblings!!! It's good to hear her confidence is building up. Her coat is lovely and shiny too!! So glad she is doing better. Small steps will see great progress and incase you don't feel that you are please know you are doing great and really are making good progress with bow!! Everytime I see her I just well up with happiness that this little one found youxx


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## gopotsgo (May 21, 2009)

Beautiful girl. Welcome to the family of rescues. My three were rescued and I wouldn't have it any other way.


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