Wrigley was born January 9, 2007.
Wrigley doesn’t like to be in a crate while home, we’ve tried several times and he doesn’t care for it. If you put him in a room with the door shut, he’s generally fine. I would cover the back of the door and under the door if carpeted so if he scratches at the door he doesn’t do any damage. Cardboard taped to the back of the door and placed underneath works fine. Wrigley likes to sunbathe but doesn’t like to be left alone outside for a long time though he prefers someone sit outside with him.
Wrigley appears to have lost some hearing. Before he started having a hearing issue, when entering a room, he’d notice, now he doesn’t hear when I walk into a room, I don’t have to yell, rather just say his name firmly to get his attention.
Recently Wrigley has had issues where his head and body shakes involuntarily, like how he reacts to storms. Wrigley generally rides fine in his pet carrier. I add a pillow that covers the floor of the carrier with a t-shirt of mine as a pillowcase. Otherwise he’ll curl up in the passenger seat, though I don’t like that in the event of a quick stop.
When Wrigley gets shots, he gets the Benedryl shot as he’s had a reaction, once. Wrigley is on a Banfield Optimum Wellness plan. Wrigley does not like fireworks nor thunderstorms.
Wrigley constantly licks his paws, it’s something to get used to, when left alone, I leave talk radio or classical music turned on, albeit now a little louder. He likes his nails to be cut to the quick, though he doesn’t like getting them cut.
Wrigley eats in the morning then again in the evening. I add water to his Taste of the Wild roasted lamb formula to ensure he drinks enough water while not eating too fast.
Wrigley likes 30 – 60 minute walks once or twice a day. It appears to help him relax. He likes other dogs, just be careful to keep him away from intact male dogs. During our time together Wrigley felt threatened once getting groomed, while cornered he fought to get away from the dog nipping the other dog’s ear. When greeting another dog I generally ask if it’s a male dog, if so, then I ask if it’s neutered, if so, I let them play, if not, I explain and we move forward. Wrigley lost his partner Cookie who was with him for over 10 years in June 2019. Since then, Wrigley likes to sleep with me, prior to Cookie’s passing, Wrigley chose to sleep on the floor.
Wrigley while walking heals nicely. If his ears go to attention, I give a warning by saying “BAH” if he doesn’t react, I snap his lead by pulling gently to make it sound like teeth at his neck, I do the same if he decides he wants to lead… now given his loss of hearing, he feels the collar tighten and reacts, though I still “Bah”. When his tail goes up and there is no concern, I pet it back down to calm him from being “on alert.” Wrigley doesn’t like to sit on concrete or hard surfaces for too long. Wrigley generally has 1 bowel movement a day(he’ll spin around a bit then have the movement) when he’s simulated by scent or walks more than once a day he may have another movement. He likes to be pet while laying on his side rubbing along his ribs to his belly and having his head between his ears scratched. Wrigley also enjoys having his inner and outer ears rubbed. He doesn’t care to have his nails touched. I generally take him to Laundromutt: 2201 Government Street Ocean Springs, MS 228-334-5500 to have him groomed. When doing so I always request they check the anal sacks, if they’re full to express them. Prior he used to go to Clip and Dip dog grooming: 12100 Highway 49 Gulfport, MS 39503 228-539-9929 until I’d have to make a grooming appointment two weeks or better in advance. Generally Laundromutt requires 24 hours advance, sometimes they can even take him on the same day. I always request the hypoallergenic shampoo. The noise or feel of the nail Dremel used to bother him, sometimes he’d allow groomers to use it, other times they’d have to use the traditional clippers, please give him a long walk before grooming. We get his Taste of the Wild with roasted lamb dry dog food either on line or at Tractor Supply Company on Rt 49 just north of Gulfport. He’s eaten that regularly for the past 4 years. He’s not big on treats, though he likes boiled chicken every now and then. If he seems to have an upset stomach, we give him white rice with a boiled chicken broken up into small pieces. I always add water to the rice and chicken, sometimes as a treat, I’ll feed him the rice and chicken with a little organic chicken broth instead of the water. If you have cats, make sure to have the litter boxes off the ground where Wrigley cannot access them, he will eat the poop along with the sand. If you have a sand box for kids in the yard, Wrigley may eat the sand, please don’t let him. We had one for the grandkids, other animals may have traveled through it, one day while Wrigley was left unattended in our fenced in yard, he ate a lot of the sand, we didn’t notice until a day or two later that he hadn’t had a bowel movement and his stomach appeared full. We ended up at the Animal Hospital I-10 exit 41 they had to open him to massage his intestines to remove the sand and removed the sandbox the next day.
Wrigley doesn’t ask for anything more than for us to spend time with him and allow him to be with us while at home. By 8 or 9 pm, he’s sleeping for the night and doesn’t even like to be taken out to use the bathroom. He doesn’t have ”potty accidents”. He will mark until he has nothing but pheramones left to mark his territory. He likes to smell where other dogs have been. I’ve been told 15 minutes of smelling works his brain as much as 1 hour of walking. I let him smell and use the bathroom. My command is Wrigley followed by “free”. I like to use “woah” for stop, particularly if he’s not paying attention to my steps while walking. I generally let the leash hang loosely from his collar while walking him at heal and correct when needed. I don’t like him leading on walks or entering/leaving the house. He can sit while I cross the threshold, then follow my Wrigley “come” command. To recall Wrigley, I go from a stand to a squatted position. For sit I point at his behind following a snap of my fingers saying sit, generally he’ll sit with just the snap and point of my finger. He really is a good boy he may feel the need to protect if he sees someone, I use the “Bah” and redirect him to avoid him from lunging at someone, it generally works. If you want Wrigley somewhere just say his name and pat where you’d like him, he’ll go there then lay down to be rubbed. He’s a proud boy and has a nice canter while he heals. My daughter feels he’s unpredictable with her boys and no longer wants him to stay with us. He bit our 3 yr old grandson in the face the grandson entered the room we were at for 2 weeks while my daughter worked, as I understand it Wrigley was sleeping while the 3 year old touched his nose, he apparently awoke startled and bit. Since not hearing so well, I always say his name if he doesn’t react when I enter the room he’s in prior to petting him. He’s NEVER showed any aggression whatsoever towards me.
Please be gentle with him, we’ve never hit him nor raised a hand to him regardless of what he’s done, even with the bite, he may have felt threatened and we didn’t scold him for being a dog, particularly because he separated himself from my grandson once he realized what happened. Obviously I didn’t caress nor praise him immediately afterward He’s been such a good boy for my wife and I. Over the past 4 years he’s had to acclimate himself to a new place, and children. When you take him to Banfield Pet Hospital everything is under my phone number (two two eight) 2four3 – 8 four six 9 Tom and Margarita, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly should you have any question. Wrigley has a lifetime contract with Bark Busters, the contract is transferable if Wrigley is temporarily or permanently rehoused. Maureen McManus (228) 697-3647 gulfcoast@barkbusters.com is the Gulf Coast Bark Busters contact. Wrigley has an Avid Microchip ID: 109560886 and is a white and brown Shih Tzu Poodle mix. In the event Wrigley gets lost, he has a profile set up at Home Again.
Bless you for all you do.
Tom and Margarita (two two eight) 2four3 – 8 four six 9
