Atasi is a sweet, lovable, small Doberman pup, approx 10 months old and currently 28 pounds, still a bit underweight. She is gaining weight, her coat and skin are getting much better, and overall is so much healthier than when we got her. Atasi’s full-grown weight is a tad hard to guess as she was so mistreated and undernourished as a baby, we don’t know if she now has stunted growth and will stay a smaller girl or if she will have a growth spurt now that she is healthy. She has all her pearly white newly formed adult teeth so is about 10 months but acts like a baby puppy still and is very small for a Doberman. Atasi was found in deplorable conditions. She was left in a fenced yard with several other Dobermans, we are assuming some sort of backyard breeding operation. Animal control went in and confiscated the animals on grounds of animal cruelty. She had no fur when she came to us just scabs and blue eyes. She was in her kennel just shaking in a fetal position and if you talked to her or went to touch her, she would pee and cry out. We were determined to take this girl to the chi ranch. We named her Atasi after a blue flower and her blue eyes, but we call her Tasi. Tasi now trusts humans and loves meeting new people but is still very submissive. She loves being doted upon and baby-talked. She is scared of walking on a leash and harness and will often just lay down and cower when she gets spooked by a loud noise or unfamiliar place so someone strong enough to pick her up and carry her is needed from her foster or adopter.
She has really blossomed a lot in a short period of time so her future will just get brighter and better. She is such a soulful girl who just needs a chance. We’re assuming she was the runt and probably picked on by all the large dogs on the property not letting her eat or have anything. She is very submissive and will back away from her food or toys if another dog approaches. Atasi was absolutely terrified of dogs when we first got her, so we eased her into meeting new dogs by putting her in our senior cottage, which made us all giggle on a daily basis. She loved the little senior chihuahuas we even had one that was only 5 pounds. She would lie down and loved being around them. They would cuddle her and kiss her face to make her feel more comfortable. We then graduated Atasi to puppies so she can learn to puppy, so currently Tasi is with puppies ranging 7 to 15 pounds, she is still scared of large dogs but getting a little better. I have a 55-pound bulldog and I try to let her out to play with Tasi but Tasi does not want to play with her. Atasi just lays down in a submissive position and gets very nervous. This reaction is better than when she first came in. When she first came in if I let the big dogs out, she would curl up and start screaming/peeing. Now she just gets a little nervous. I do believe it is important to get her used to larger dogs even just in small doses to let her realize that dogs can be very nice and friendly, even if they are big. If you are a chi lover who would love to have a large dog, this is a great opportunity. But if you are someone who also has large dogs, I do promise Atasi will get used to them. It’s just going to take some time and positive encouragement.
