A day in the life of a dog...: How about another successful rescue story?

This story is near and dear to me. This boy is my nephew Paulie...

My sister lost her sweet boy Diego in 2013. It was a hard loss, (as we all know, losing a pet is). She had decided that she could not go through that pain again and wasn't going to have another dog. (I think something we all have said in the midst of the hurting)

2016 rolls around and the feelings for wanting another dog start to stir. Looking online at different rescues and there wasn't that calling. Until Dec of that year and she came across The Barking Lot's website and found this little dog named Alessio. He was the cutest little brown dog. There was that calling that she was looking for! She reached out to the shelter and was told that he was adopted a few days before. UGH! She didn't give up and still made an appointment to go into the rescue and look at a few other dogs. The want is real now! :) I go with her and when we get there, she was talking at the front desk and mentioned how she was initially interested in Alessio but saw that he was adopted. Well... he was returned the day before. Alessio was a little spicy and had snapped at the wife and they didn't want that kind of dog because they had little kids. (Enter patience here)

We did look at other dogs while we were there, but knowing Alessio was in the back, it was hard to see past that. (granted my sister is like me and if we could, we would take them all home) They brought Alessio out and we took him for a walk. The perfect gentlemen. Next thing we know he is riding in the back seat.

We get home and out comes the spice. I am sitting on the steps and having him smell me, get comfortable and he wants a piece of my ear. (Insert patience here) We have been around dogs all our lives and a little snap isn't going to scare us!

Alessio was roughly 10 months old and from what we know he spent all of his 10 months in a shelter, rescued and returned how many times. I am looking at the paperwork that was given when she adopted him and the previous owner that brought him home for a few days said that the dog barks and peed in the house because he didn't know how to communicate that he had to go out. (insert patience and maybe some intelligence here) He is 10 months old and never had a home or proper training! Just saying....

Fast forward to 2025. Alessio who is now known as Paulie Alessio is an amazing little dog. He did need patience, training and understanding and my sister was the one to do that for him. Initially he had separation anxiety and tore up the house on occasion. Tried crate training and that made it worse for him. Trying to come up with what would help this little dog..... Day care! He's around other people, getting his socialization skills in and having a great time while mom is at work. It took a little while and a little at a time, more time & trust was given to him and he was able to stay home comfortably. Now there are times, when he wants mom to go out so he can have himself some Paulie time. Patience!!

Paulie is now 9 years old. He's one spoiled little dog who is smart as a whip, happy & healthy who rules the house (in a good way). We wouldn't want it any other way.