Another Holiday Ruined: By Little Otto

Yep. I did it again. And we were having such a nice Christmas day. There were lots of presents and Ticker and I were very interested in everything – all the wrapping paper, bows and wondering what was inside the packages. Most of the stuff was for Dad, but he and our cousin Hugo got us a bunch of toys and treats. We were playing nice and I was so happy and so excited – running around, kissing Dad, getting petted, playing fetch, tossing around ribbons and toys, getting treats and wagging my little butt off. Then it happened...

After the festivities, Dad wanted us to go outside and go to the bathroom – and I did not want to go. He could see a battle in the making so he got his leather gloves. (The "Otto Gloves" as they're called.) Good thing for him he did because I went into attack mode, latched onto his index finger and would not let go. (It got pretty ugly.) I'm sorry Dad. What ever are you going to do with me?

– Little Otto, who lives just north of Whoville

HANG IN THERE, SNAPPY-GIRL!

Nightmare on Chi Street: Starring Otto

For Halloween I bit dad on the thumb and gave him 5 puncture wounds. I had a piece of lint on my chin (it was my Halloween costume – I was a lint brush) and he tried to brush it away. I didn't want my piece of lint gone – so I chomped him good and hard. Well, we had a loooong talk and now I'm thinking about what I did. I am one sorry little Chihuahua.

– Otto, with my tail between my legs.

Hey Ticker:

Ticker has a girlfriend. Ticker has a girlfriend. Ticker has a girlfriend. Ticker has a girlfriend.

– Otto

Today's Crappy Thing:

Today, while dad was at work, I pressed my rear up against the door of my kennel cab and pooped on the latch so it got all stuck in the grid and the thing he has to press to open my door to let me out. That was what I did today for fun. Hope you all had a fun day too!

– Otto

I'm Sorry I Bite:

I would like to officially apologize to everyone I have ever bitten. I know it is not nice to bite but I have some problems and I can't help myself. I don't mean to do it and I am really-really, very-very sorry. I will try to do better but I'm not sure I can change. But I will try.

– Otto

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew:

Hello! My name is Otto.

I ended up in rescue at the tender age of 6-months. I was a stray that was turned in to the Ottawa, KS animal shelter – which is how I got the name Otto. By this point I was already a nervous wreck. Being so small and so young, I hadn’t eaten much while living on the streets and I was extremely skinny. Also, my hair was falling out, my skin was flaking, I couldn’t stop shaking and I had a nasty disposition. (Still do.) It seems I am the product of inbreeding. In the breeder’s attempt to get the perfect looking little Chihuahua (which I am), my brain got messed up in the process. I am overly sensitive, suffer from separation anxiety, am manic depressive and have an unpredictable aggressive disorder that causes me to bite without warning. However, in my defense, I can also be the most charming, engaging little dog you ever met – it just depends on the day, the moment, my mood. And it’s something I can’t control.

Inbetween being on the streets to being in the home I have now, I stayed with several different people. And yes, I bit them all. I guess most people don’t like little dogs that bite cause they kept passing me along to someone else. I finally ended up with my foster dad and, yes, I bite him too. But he tricked me. He started wearing these thick leather gloves whenever he would handle me. That silly goose even wore them to bed at night so I couldn’t get him in his sleep. (Smart!)

He’s tried all kinds of things to help me quit biting. He talked to vets and dog behavior specialists. He read books and watched all the episodes of “The Dog Whisperer.” He put me on medicine and even took me to obedience training where I learned a lot. So, now I can do all sorts of tricks – including biting! (Snicker, snicker.)

Early on, I got adopted out twice. The first time I lasted eight hours before they made the phone call saying, “We’re scared of this dog, come and get him.” (Even though I’m only six-pounds, I can really pack a punch.) The next time I lasted a little bit longer but I bit the nice couple so many times that I came back to live with my foster dad.

So... I think I’ll just stay put. I really like it here and I know he will be nice to me regardless of how bad I act or how hard I bite. I wish I didn’t bite. But I do.

– Otto