Tiny, Deaf, And Old: That's Little Ricky

That funny looking little thing in Alayne's arms is Ricky, an old deaf guy who came to us just recently from a woman in Lincoln, Montana.  (Lincoln is about 20 miles east of us.)  He's actually quite a bit smaller than he looks in this photo I took this evening ... he weighs in at about 10 pounds, and has a frame to match -- he's only 8 inches high.

The lady who called us about Ricky had gotten him from the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's Department.  One of the sheriff's deputies had rescued him from a ghastly situation in Lincoln.  He weighed only 5 pounds and was all bones, with a matted coat, overgrown nails, and a mouth full of rotten teeth.  There are no shelters anywhere near rural Lincoln, so the sheriff's deputy dropped the dog off with this lady, who runs a boarding kennel.

She took him in, patched him up over the past several months, got his remaining teeth removed, had him shaved, and doubled his weight.  Then her own living situation changed, and she felt she could no longer provide a safe environment for Ricky.  (I won't go into details to protect her privacy, but suffice to say she had very good reasons.)  That's when she contacted us.  We're at our limit on dogs at the moment but we also try to remain flexible and help folks in our local area, so we agreed to take him. 

At first Ricky seemed distant and remote -- yes, he always looks a bit grumpy! -- and he appeared to be in his own world.  But a few days after he arrived, I picked him up one evening to take him into the house for dinner and lo and behold, he reached over and licked me on the face.  It was very tentative, very brief, but a real sign of affection.  Well, now he's a kissing fool, this little old guy.  Whenever we pick him up, out comes that tiny tongue and -- slurp! -- here comes a little kiss.

In the small dog tradition, he's also a bossy character.  He barks when he wants his breakfast or dinner and won't stop until he's fed.  He barks to be let out, to be let in, or when he's looking for us.

We're kind of used to being bossed around by small dogs, so there's nothing new in that department!

(Click on photo for larger image.)

Comments

[Karen SA/TX]

How very cute. Great, tough little guy.

[Leilani]

Ricky really needed a place to call "home" and now he has it!
Welcome to the ranch, you little slurper! :-D

[Roz]

Welcome, little Ricky! I'm so glad there was room for you at the ranch. Kiss away.