hello from Tara Leigh and Louie

[Tara Leigh Parks]

hi, all!

our Louie is a Yorkie mix, approximately three years old. we found him at the Humane Society about 6 mos. ago. he is definitely the meekest little thing, except with socks and our hands, which he loves to chew, lick, and pounce on. but there are a few weird issues with this little angel.

he does not bark to signal a need to go out; rather, he just stands by the door looking at/toward you. if you are not in the room at the time, he goes in a certain spot. he remains absolutely quiet---he should have been a covert operative. in fact, he goes for weeks at a time without making any noise other than panting on walks or slight playful noises. he is also afraid of dog toys---doggie tennis balls terrify him, as do chew toys. but he gets on well with other dogs and he likes to play/wrestle with our cats. but at times, he seems really confused, circling the room repeatedly like he does not know where to go, even though he has a spot and we encourage him to join us. it is like he feels scared of something. fans scare him, too. and he can never ride in the car to go to the dog park---back or front seat---without getting sick. cars used to scare him and he would pull on his leash if we tried to get him to go on a ride. but now he will sit in one without freaking out, though he pukes everywhere. and finally, he has issues about eating in front of us. he cowers and runs from the bowl if we come into the room.

oh, i should not have said finally so quickly---i forgot that when he is walking around confused sometimes, he runs upstairs to the spare bedroom and hides in the same dark, cool corner. he gets hot easily.

he makes us very happy, but i wish he didn't seem so nervous sometimes. the whole family loves this little guy, we are just trying to understand our baby a little better. i know he was moved from foster home to foster home. do you think these behaviors are a sign of former abuse? i want to make him feel better. thank you and peace.