Dexter & Bandit

Dexter and Bandit came to Old Dog Heaven on March 10, 2024. They are a 14-year-old bonded pair that was owner surrendered to the shelter. Dexter is a little one-eyed Chihuahua and Bandit could be a Podenco/German Shepherd mix. He is such a unique fella! They were deeply traumatized when I brought them home. Bandit was so terrified, he refused to get in the car to come home and tried to bite me when I attempted to lift him in. I ended up coaxing him to jump in by pulling on the leash. 

The boys have health issues. Both have pronounced heart murmurs, which will ultimately lead to congestive heart failure. Most problematic is that it turns out Bandit is very ill with advanced cancer. He has tumors on his anus and penis, and he came home to us as a skeleton, unwilling to eat with extreme diarrhea. He only has a few weeks to live. But, he has perked up greatly since coming home with us. We got him eating again, pooping regularly and putting on several pounds. It's hard to tell how long he has, but we will make it as enjoyable as possible. He is so incredibly sweet, loves to snuggle and follows me everywhere. I

It turns out Bandit is also almost completely deaf and shows clear signs that he was regularly hit. He flinches and runs away from every movement toward him. I learned quickly to come up from under his chin to pet him, instead of atop his head to get him used to the idea that he is physically safe. 

Dexter is in good health. He has been missing an eye since birth and other than maybe being a pound overweight and his heart murmur, he is seems healthy and happy. He is very affectionate and has no qualms about putting the bigger dogs in their place.   

It turns out that neither is housebroken and this is a real challenge with elderly dogs. Bandit, being so sick, has to urinate constantly so he lives in a diaper. Dexter is starting to get the hang of the routine and going outside, but for now, he is in a diaper to ensure he doesn't pee all over my expensive theology books! 

After a few days in their new home, these boys really started to blossom. Bandit has really come alive, smiling and jumping for joy.  They adjusted well, sleeping through the night and enjoying being with Rocky. They both absolutely love to go for walks and sit out on the porch and bark at the world going by.  They are so happy to be here, and we are happy to have them. Welcome to Old Dog Heaven, boys! 
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It's been nine months and both boys are doing amazing! Dexter is in great shape, and Bandit seems to have totally recovered. He put on 10 pounds and is eating and pooping regularly, and is thrilled to be in a home where he is safe. He was clearly hit very often and I think it was because his previous people did not understand that he is deaf, so they hit him when he could not understand what they wanted him to do. It took him nine long months to finally come all the way out of his shell and he is so happy to be alive! He loooooves to walk and run, and cannot get enough of being outside in action. It's a pleasure to watch him enjoy life!