Paxton

Paxton had a rough start in life. I met him when I dropped off some donations at a local shelter. And I couldn�t get him out of my mind when I got home. He was the only dog who was quiet. The only one who tried to hide in the rear of his kennel. I went back a few days later with my dog Tucker, a Labrador retriever. Paxton perked right up when they met. He followed Tucker around like a shadow. And he did whatever Tucker did. Towards the end of the week the shelter called. They had taken in 80 dogs from a hoarding situation. They needed space to house them and it was time for Paxton to find his forever home. I picked him up that afternoon. When I first visited the shelter with toys and treats to donate, I hadn�t planned to adopt another dog. But, Paxton needed a home. And a big brother to show him the ropes. He didn�t know how to play. He wasn�t sure what to do with his toys. And I don�t think he ever had the chance to romp around with another dog. It was clear that he had been abused. And confined to a small room or crate for long periods of time. He was afraid of men, or at least most men. (My husband and I are gay. And while he took to us quickly, he�s still afraid of many other guys.) But the biggest problem was mealtime. Paxton has an underbite and he was a poor eater. He�s scared of most everything and any noise during mealtime would send him scurrying. My husband and I would need to sit with him for 30 mins or more while he ate. (And he wouldn�t eat unless I was there with him. He liked having my husband around during mealtime, but he needed both of us to feel safe.) It took a lot of time and effort to get him to eat most of his meal. He never ate it all and we�d consider it a success if he ate more than half. Months after we adopted him, he wasn�t feeling well one day. He was vomiting and lethargic. The vet couldn�t find anything wrong and suggested we feed him boiled chicken and white rice for a few days. He did really well with it. He was interested in mealtime and he licked his bowl clean. Thinking he might dislike the texture of kibble, we transitioned him to The Honest Kitchen dehydrated grain-free turkey meal. Wow! He devoured it! He ate more and ate faster than ever before. He loved it!! We now feed Paxton The Honest Kit dehydrated meals exclusively. He devours them. Nothing stops him. I don�t need to sit with him at mealtime. An unexpected noise doesn�t distract him. I don�t know if he doesn�t like kibble, or if he has trouble with given his underbite, but it doesn�t matter. I�ve found something that�s good for him and that he�s excited to eat. (His brother Tucker likes it too, but Tucker isn�t a picky eater. He likes most things.) Most everything Paxton does is a huge success for him. I�m very proud of him everyday. He�s become more confident, which allows him to explore his world. He has learned how to play � by himself, with his brother, and with his dog friends. And now he�s eating better!! He�s made enormous progress since he came to live with us. I�m very glad we found each other. And I�m glad I found The Honest Kitchen. It�s made a real difference!