I have a nervous dog. She hates thunderstorms. She's so incredibly lovable though. My boyfriend and I have had to train her how to be out of her cage, where not to use the bathroom, and how to be comfortable with us.
Lilly snuggled up on a pillow under her blanket Rosemary Lesniak
When we got her, she was underweight due to a recent illness and dehydrated from being in her cage all the time. Her owners had a lot going on with a new family and Lilly is very excitable, so they didn't know how she would be with their kids.
It took a while before Lilly gained back all the weight she'd lost. She had really bad breath before moved in with my boyfriend and I and as she was able to have free access to her water bowl throughout the day the bad breath disappeared.
Lilly wearing a Yoda hat that I bought for her Rosemary Lesniak
Lilly hates being in her cage. She hates it so much that she has completely destroyed it getting out of it in the past. We only use her cage now as punishment when she uses the bathroom on our floors or when there's a thunderstorm that day, and neither of us will be home to comfort her.
Involving Lilly in our routine has been slightly stressful, but overall I think it's been a blessing. Currently, we've been training her how to catch her treats and how to wait until we say to go for it. Lilly is a Pitbull Terrier Mix. Pitbulls get a bad rep for causing problems with other dogs or humans, but she's a gentle puppy and has her quirks. Lilly will shuffle along the floor almost ashamedly when she's done something wrong. Sometimes she'll think she's done something wrong and she'll put herself in her cage.
Lilly trying to beg us for food Devan Kahlbaugh
She is terrified of a giant cardboard box, but won't hesitate to tear up a little one. Lilly's tennis ball is her best friend, and she loves to play fetch.
Lilly with her tennis ball Rosemary Lesniak
As lovable as Lilly is towards humans, we're still trying to get her used to other animals. We've noticed that when she comes across other animals (particularly dogs), she waits for the other dog to bark before she starts barking. I think Lilly's playful nature scares cats because she's a little unpredictable.
Lilly laying down on her chair Rosemary Lesniak
Our roommate has declared that he doesn't want to take care of her or have any responsibility for her because when she was still getting used to us all, she would go into his room when she needed to use the bathroom and would urinate or poop on his sheets. As time went on and we started watching her more, our roommate still would forget to close his bedroom door. On two separate occasions, she went into his room, and he had left dark chocolate on the floor. Dark chocolate is the worst kind of chocolate for any dogs to eat. It's poisonous for small dogs if they get a hold of large amounts of the chocolate. Lilly is a meaty dog, so she's small but solid. She ate such a small amount that it wouldn't hurt her beyond possibly gas, diarrhea, or vomiting. My boyfriend and I stayed up for half the night in order to make sure she didn't show any troubling signs of poisoning. She made it through the night, and it hasn't diminished her playfulness.
Me giving Lilly a belly rub Rosemary Lesniak
Lilly is such a playful dog and super lovable (she absolutely loves belly rubs!), but most of all she's ours.