A definite leap of faith (Callie -- NOT my leap!)

    • Gold Top Dog

    A definite leap of faith (Callie -- NOT my leap!)

    I'm posting this for a friend -- and I know very little about him yet.  I've spoken before about my friend Rita in Austin -- she's the one that helped us get Tinkerbell. 

    Long, sad story -- she and another gal have started "Austin Toy Dog Rescue" and are just getting under way.  They just took in this baby -- he was born in November.  Rita has fallen in love with him already ... but oh my ... what a leap of faith he is.  (Stop it Callie, this is exactly WHY you do not do rescue in a big way ANY MORE!)

    don't even ask, folks -- no, I can't.  I truly can NOT be what this dog needs.  He needs someone who can do a TON of floor work with him -- to get him to walk upright (I doubt that other front leg can bear weight) or else fit him with a cart.  And I can NOT do that.  I would love to -- it has been a dream of mine to have a handicapped dog to help live its fullest productive life.

     But oh -- isn't he precious -- just look at that face. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Awwww, will you LOOK at those ears?? *thud*  I wish I could take him in.....

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    • Gold Top Dog

    I don't want to assume, but where did this poor thing come from?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Oh he is adorable!  He looks like a mini Finn.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Poor, little guy! He is soooo adorable. Does he get around, at all, on his own?

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    miranadobe

    I don't want to assume, but where did this poor thing come from?

    You guys know as much as I do right now -- but she's near Ft. Bragg and the horrible "by the side of the road" BYBs are hand-over-fist there.  Here in Florida (and most of the US) small dogs are rare -- down there they are overwhelmed with them. 

    I'm not going to say 'poor thing' any more than I would a child with a prosthesis, and now Angel's got Rita on his side, and that's HUGE.

    You have to remember, I spent most of my life training to deal with handicapped kids -- because I was one myself.  So  I don't look at him and see "poor" - I look at him and see challenge, yes -- but simply "hmm how would we do this?"

    • Gold Top Dog

    If Rita has a collection to help fund a front end cart for this little guy, count me in.

    • Gold Top Dog

     A cart is definitely the way to go- he's young enough to adapt well and it's MUCh better for their spines than walking upright.

     I'd post some links but all the cart links I have are breed specific lists and stuff. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    calliecritturs
    I would love to -- it has been a dream of mine to have a handicapped dog to help live its fullest productive life.

    Sounds all decided to me, Callie!!!!! LOL, ducking the shoe that's flyin' at me right now! 

    I'm sure between yourself and Rita that the right person/family will come along for him.  It's on his side that he's small and young too. 

     

     

     

    • Gold Top Dog

     I agree. Is there somewhere we can all send a few dollars to help buy him a nice cart?

    • Gold Top Dog

    I've got a phone call in to Rita right now about donations.

     PWCA I agree with you -- on one hand walking up right DOES give them more independance.  But .. unfortunately it can also be .... attention-seeking. 

    However -- even to train a dog like this to a cart, AND housetrain, etc. -- that's a lot of floor work. 

    Someday I want to do something very similiar with a dog -- but now isn't the right time for me (nor for Rita -- she's got more on HER plate right now than she can handle).  But I completely agree that a cart is likely the better way to go simply from longevity's standpoint.  A cart alone is hard on their spine -- but at least you are supporting the weight of the shoulders and head.  Even tripod dogs put a huge strain on the sole leg in front/back -- dogs were designed to walk on all 4's and if you vary from that you have to compensate or pay a HUGE price in mobility eventually.

    As soon as I can pry more info out of Rita I'll post it. 

    But I also wanted to put this out there **just in case** someone was really interested in doing something like this -- I don't want to see this dog just occupy the corner of someone's sofa being carried around as it suits them.  Angel deserves his own life -- and I don't think he's survived thus far just to lay around.

    I know I'm not the only crazy person out there who would see this as an incredible and wonderful challenge -- to give a dog like this a shot at a normal life.   But I'd love to see him connect with absolutely the right person. 

    • Gold Top Dog

     He really does need *just* the right place. As soon as you get some more info, I'll gladly post him far and wide. There's somebody out there that would really *enjoy* teaching him to use a cart, and doing all the "puppy" stuff that he's going to need. He's just SOOOO cute! I hope he finds that home, fast.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I could see this cutie being a therapy dog for childrens' hospitals? Couldn't you?  Kids' books could be written about him. 
    Wonder if there is anyone out there looking for jus such a dog?

    • Gold Top Dog

    I know the woman who has raised "Faith" has done good things with her -- but from hard experience I can tell you that not every handicapped dog does well as a pet therapy dog.

    David and I adopted a dog who had been abused 5 years ago.  Her abuser broke her back and she didn't walk.  We actually got her on her feet (major huge deal -- we did pet massage, acupuncture, and a ton of therapy) but because she grew SO fast just getting a decent 3 small meals a day (I was ADAMANT she wasn't going to gain weight too fast but she was SO malnourished) that the growth spurt re-opened the break in her spine.  A blood clot loosened from the injury site (they think) and she had a stroke and died after only 3 months with us.

    I loved her beyond belief -- all that wanting a child SO bad my whole adult life I poured on this little girl -- because I carried her everywhere next to my heart.  We had begun the initial stages of pet therapy training.

    HAD SHE LIVED ... she would ***NOT*** have made a good therapy dog. 

    It completely depends on personality.  Which ... in a pup can be a great unknown.  You can try to train them ... you can work your tush off to train and socialize them....

    BUT

    If they are **at all** guardy about the site of injury ... or if they feel at all lacking in confidence because they are vulnerable in a spot ... you may train them and you may come a long long way -- but if there are any "hurts" that are just plain really deep (and those can happen in ONE instant when very very young) it may simply make them not *enjoy* pet therapy.

    In my heart of hearts I know Polly would never have made a good therapy dog -- simply because the trauma *she* sustained was so horrible and so scarey that altho we may have gone a LONG way in healing all her hurts, I'm not sure she would ever have been able to fully just LOVE all aspects of pet therapy.

    I'm fully convinced you can train most any dog to do pet therapy.  But it takes a very special owner to do it on the right level and it takes a lot of trust and bonding with the dog to keep it all balanced. 

    But we have developed a really romantic idea of any handicapped dog should be GREAT at pet therapy.  And unfortunately it doesn't work.  After we lost Polly we searched for many, many months to find another dog who would be GREAT at pet therapy.  And most of the ones we tried HARD to find and adopt were handicapped. 

    One was over in the Tampa area -- I corresponded with this woman for ages -- and she was convinced this little dog with a cart would make a phenomenal pet therapy dog.

    We went over to meet her -- in a very well-planned meet on neutral ground, etc.  The dog was a total sweetheart -- she was adorable and really superb with the other dogs, with both of us.  We were literally almost ready to get in the car wiith her and the woman said "Don't you want to cuddle with her???" And I said sure.  I was sitting on a bench ... and the woman picked her up out of the cart and put her in my arms.

    Yep -- she was a total cuddle bunny -- she laid her head on my shoulder, snuggled in ... and while we were all talking, the dog suddenly heard the woman behind me and just to respond to the woman the dog turned slightly in my arms.... I heart her cry.  She hurt her own injury site JUST by twisting to respond to a positive sound ... and then ...

    CUJO ALMOST RIPPED MY FREAKING FACE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    She turned in that INSTANT into a total demon.  I'm tough and not fearful and she didn't bite hard ... BUT she bit my face. 

    It wasn't ME who moved.  It was nothing I did -- the dog **herself** turned ... and in turning she hurt her own back at the injury site (she squealed as she moved) and THAT provoked the bite response.

    She didn't mean to -- I wasn't angry at all.  But in that instant it was clear -- this dog was NOT pet therapy material.  The humans **wanted** her to be ... but as long as there is pain ... as long as there is any potential for pain and/or fear, you have a dog that can't really be stable enough for pet therapy. 

    With that dog it was pain ... with Pollyanna it was vulnerability ... *some* handicapped dogs may make excellent pet therapy prospects. Some just don't.

    With all our dogs who do pet therapy it has to be all about the dog.  Does the dog **enjoy** it?  Does the dog feel fulfilled doing it?  Does the dog LONG to go???  Can't WAIT to go?

    It can't be about the human owners ... and the good we may want to do ...

    Sorry -- I didn't mean this to be any sort of a rant -- but neither did I want this to be a plea to try to make this dog into something it may not be well suited for.  But I sure as heck would LOVE to see him get into an environment where he could be nurtured and exposed to whatever might make him thrive.

    • Gold Top Dog

    What a sweet face! Somebody out there is meant to be Angel's angle. Good luck Callie; if anyone can find that person, I know YOU would be the one to do so!