MATILDA IN WISCONSIN 28 DECEMBER 2009
	Shannon Radosevich writes: We have had Matilda for about a week now. She is coming along slowly but surely . . . baby steps. She so wants to trust but just isn't ready yet. I have her following me everywhere I go; she loves to be with me. She will sit or lie with me on the couch and kind of snuggles, giving an occasional kiss here and there.
When I am home with her and Joe & Brian are at work is when she does best. Once there is more noise and more movement, she gets upset and wants to run. She does let Joe hold her when he can "catch" her. I would have to say she fears men as of right now, but hopefully that will change. She does come willingly and seems to want to come to me to be picked up.
Matilda has had one accident in the house in a whole week! As long as I can get her out into our fenced in area she will go . . . it may take 20 PLUS minutes with me standing in the freezing cold saying, "Go potty, go poopie, Tilda" until she finally does! And she does not mess in her crate, either.
I put the leash on her the other day and almost gave us both a heart attack . . . she freaked out on me big time and started making this horrible noise which I finally figured out was her grinding her teeth from being so scared . . . it just broke my heart! So that is going to be added to the "to do "list with her once she is feeling more trusting with me(us). She eats like a trooper, or actually like a little oink-oink, to be honest! I have her use a bowl I got for MaggyMay called a Œbrake fast bowl Œwhich keeps the dog from gulping down the food. She has to work to get it - usually a few pieces at a time only - and she does well . . . otherwise she gobbles. I am so trying to fatten this skin & bones baby up . . . hopefully she'll start gaining weight soon. As far as playing or socializing with my dogs . . . Micky tolerates her, as he is getting old & grumpy; Maggy, who is my other puppy mill dog, never learned to play but will run around in the yard with Tilda. My friend Lisa bought the "kids" toys for Christmas and got one for Tilda too . . . Lisa threw it and Tilda got it and brought it back almost to Lisa . . . so Lisa threw it again and Tilda brought it back again. So there is hope for that, too. I lightly roughhouse with her and she seems to like that, too, putting her paw up for 'more play, Mom!' Tilda sleeps well in her crate at night with no noise and sleeps through the night. If I need to go to work for a few hours, she stays in either her crate or the x-pen, playyard thing we bought for our fosters. She is very good in both. Matilda will be this great little dog someday . . . she will need lots of love & patience & someone willing to put in a lot of time & effort to probably get it back two-fold from her! She is already adorable and sweet-natured. . . who could ask for anything more?? Not me!! And btw she is a gorgeous little redhead too!!

MICKY IN WISCONSIN HERE