Mann Alive: Tiko

I would like to take just a moment to give a shout out to my dog, Tiko Mann. I've had a few asking questions so he's the whole story on how this little joy came into our lives.

Tiko was adopted from the Frankfort Animal Shelter. From what we were told his mom was brought in pregnant and gave birth to a litter of 5. Almost as soon as they could be separated from their mother 4 of the pups were adopted. Tiko, polka dot then, although not the runt of the litter remained. Day after day no one came to claim the last puppy. The shelter fell in love with the little guy so much he quickly became the shelter's favorite and soon was free to roam about as he pleased; becoming their mascot. The oldest dog in the shelter was grumpy and hated to be around any of the others; however, she would allow Tiko to visit her. The shelter found this anomaly to be strange but over the weeks they were able to socialize the older dog and in the end that socialization helped to get her adopted!

We spent 2 weeks searching online and going to local Louisville animal shelters looking for a puppy to adopt. While in Winchester one weekend we stumbled across Tiko's picture and made plans to take a day to go visit. When we got there he was much older than his picture, 3 months older, but for me it was love at first sight! I knew in my heart there was no way we were leaving with out him. We took him for a walk, played with him the the fenced in area, and decided to fill out the paper work. Despite Brandon's hesitance, he wanted a younger dog, I convinced him Tiko was the one. We filled out the paperwork and watched as the shelter gave him a tearful goodbye.

We were shocked to discover that Tiko did NOT like riding in the car; we thought all dogs like riding in cars. Being so young he had not quite figured out how to balance himself and often was tossed around. He was small enough to fit in my lap and so he remained there the whole way home. It took us over a month to get him to climb in the car on his own. He does enjoy sticking his head out the window; however, you can sense that there are times where he is still uneasy in the car. Although he was scared to death when we took him from the shelter he was eager to explore and soon found his nitch at our tiny little apartment.

When we first got Tiko we called him the million dollar dog. We spent more time at the vet than we did at home; Tiko had kennel cough and mange. He looked so pathetic with bald spots and red swelling everywhere. For a while he was on a every other day bath regime. He did NOT like it and to this day you can ask him if he wants a bath and he will run!

Tiko is a very lovable and a very social dog; he loves to be around people and other dogs.

Every now and again we used to take him to Pets Marts doggie day camp. While there he coaxed a dog who had been attending for over two years to play with him. Supposedly, this dog was super shy and for two years would not play with ANYONE; she would sit in a corner and entertain herself. The day Tiko came to town she was running and playing with all the other dogs and socializing in a way her owner had NEVER seen before. The owner actually waited for us to pick Tiko up so she could meet us and say thank you!

He is often very in tune to people's emotions. On more than one occasion he has shown that he understands the emotional situation that he is in or around. He hates it when Brandon and I are frustrated with one another and will often find a corner to go curl up in a ball while we argue. When I cry he acts almost desperate to get up next to me; trying to lick my face or just snuggle up close. When I am experiencing something medical like a dizzy spell or low blood sugar, again, he wants to be right with me the entire time. Walking with me, laying with me, or simply laying on the floor next to me on the couch. He is very protective of Brandon and I; but especially me. I've learned to pay attention to his reactions and act accordingly when he gives me a warning.

I love how he sets his mood and energy level to ours. If we are ready for a walk he is bouncing off the walls to get going; if we want to lounge around the house he calms down and finds a bone to chew on or gives us that puppy dog look that gets him to snuggle on the couch or in the chair with mom or dad.

He KNOWS when he's done something wrong because when you come into the room after he's done it he looks like a guilty 3 year who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Despite his previous chewing habits that include the destruction of a couch, a computer mouse, a pair of shoes, a wallet, a candle, a pair of headphones, and a cell phone... we still love him very much! He has learned not to chew and is fairly well behaved; when at home obeys commands with astounding speed and learns very quickly. We've even got him trained to walk with out the leash; something he loves to do and he puffs up a little when we take the leash off. :)

I could talk about my dog for days and share a 100 stories of how great he is or how crazy he's been. Although I may be biased I find him to be the best dog and companion there is.

So here's to my awesome and lovable dog Tiko!