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Getting another Sheltie Sat.

4K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  Sheltiemama 
#1 ·
We're getting another Sheltie on Saturday. She's a rescue and we'll be fostering her. It may be a permanent foster.

She has Cushings Disease and is almost completely blind. She can see movement and we think maybe some shapes or light/dark. Because of the Cushings we're hoping she'll make it another 2 years. It's all so iffy.

Tigger is about 8 years old we think. 15" tall and 24 lbs. She came into our Sheltie Rescue with a shaved coat. But her coat has now grown out and she's just gorgeous.

We went up to help out at one of the Rescue events this past Sat. and Tigger was there with her current foster mom. We of course had to love on her as we did all of the Shelties there. But my husband seemed quite taken with Tigger. He said he thought she needed us. :) Her current foster mom does a fabulous job with her. Methinks maybe my hubby needs Tigger. :)

The only thing he said to me was....you know it won't be for very long. I said yes, I know. I'll cry just like I did with the last animal we had to put down. Cried all the way to the vet and all the way home. But I knew that one had the best possible care.

By taking Tigger as a foster, that frees up her current foster mom to take another one. Almost all the rescues around here are full!!

And I'm not a real good foster mom. I'm more of a keeper mom. So if we end up keeping Tigger as I expect us to, that's ok. :eek:
 
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#5 ·
We're going to bathe her with the shampoo we used on Scotty and Rascal last Sat in hopes that they'll recognize her "smell" as ok and accept her. I don't want to have to give her back!

Scotty just had a major fit when we had that beagle for 5 days. But she never got a bath so I'm hoping it's the smell issue.

And I think Scotty will know that Tigger isn't normal right away. I'm hoping that his "therapy dog" will kick in and he will help her.
 
#6 ·
Aww very cute!! :) You'll have to keep us posted on your keeping-erm...fostering ;)

Here's the pic for you
 
#7 ·
Thanks!!! I'm photo challenged when it comes to this site!

Hubby is having 2nd thoughts. Can we handle a blind dog? With me selling on the internet, I am constantly getting boxes of inventory. They eventually get put away but not until I take pictures and list them online. I'm not real fast. So that means boxes tend to sit around for awhile. That will have to change. We can't have her walking into boxes because Mama left one out!

Hubby is wondering if we can handle 3 dogs. Now pretty much that means can I. :) HE loves them, holds them, pets them, talks to them, etc. I do most all the feeding and all the meds and all the trips to the vet.

We're going to try and see how we get along with her and if the boys will accept her.

Wish us luck. :)
 
#10 ·
Once. Boy does THAT sound familiar! LOL

Thank you for the suggestion! I was trying to figure out how to acclimate her. That sounds perfect!

She does see movement and light we think. I know she sees movement anyway. So am hoping she'll do ok. If not, we'll come up with a plan.

Boxes tend to stay in the same place when they come in so she may just learn to go around that whole area.

We have a great room that is something like 30 x 30 with living room, dining room, kitchen and tv room all rolled into one. It'll take her awhile to get that figured out I expect.

Maybe I should keep her on a leash for awhile so she's close to me and not wandering off?
 
#9 ·
I hope you don't mind a suggestion, my friend rescued a dog that was born with no eyes, no joke...she said when they got her home they walked with her around the house. They did this everyday for a week or two then she finally got it on her own, this was an aussie (very smart much like shelties!)

They kept the water in the same spot, food, bedding, etc etc. The dog learned where things were so she did not bump into them and could find her belongings with no problem. If you can push the boxes up against the wall I don't see it being a problem, plus I am sure she will pick up the scent of boxes and know where they are. They accomodate very well it seems.
 
#11 ·
And here's Tigger. Feel free to make this a picture. I never can. :(

I took Tigger on ONE pass through the house and the 2nd time around, SHE tooke ME! lol

I saw the most amazing thing I have ever seen today. Really.

My sheltie, Scotty, is the one I was worrying about as to whether or not he would accept her and if he would know she wasn't normal.

When we first introduced them, Scotty sniffed her from stem to stern....and here's the amazing part....he stuck his nose so close to each one of her eyes that she closed them. He SNIFFED her eyes. Almost like he could SNIFF her blindness! His tail wagged and she was ok with him.

Rascal, my sheltie/pom mix, was a little too rambunctious for her this evening. It was a big day for her today, being outside in the booth all day with people coming and going. And then riding an hour to a new home with new people and new critters. Am hoping tomorrow will be better for those 2.
 
#20 ·
Aw, bless you and your husband for your hearts!!

I totally hear you about being a keeper mom. I've gotten lots of horses that I've taken in and bought to train and sell... Only one made it out. The rest are all still with me. And always will be, forever. :D

She looks like a lovely girl!

And the code, for photo's is

[*IMG]picture address[*/IMG]

You just take out the asterick (*'s). :)
 
#21 ·
Thank you! Now if I can just remember it because I'll probably never find it again. lol

Yesterday, Tigger and I played fetch! Her first foster mom told me Tigger liked a white sheep (that one of the other dogs tore up) and she liked to play fetch. So I bought her a white bear. No sheep available. She sniffed it the other day and ignored it.

Yesterday out of the blue, she brought it to me and I tossed it maybe 4 feet and she ran to it and brought it back. OMG! I was SO thrilled.

My other 2 don't have the foggiest clue how to play. But Tigger is working on them now. She was trying to get Scotty (who is COMPLETELY clueless) to bark and jump around and maybe do a little chase. He did act like maybe he was thinking about it. lol

Rascal likes to play chase with her but we're working on calming him down around her. He's doing better and not running into her when he charges and barks to play chase.
 
#23 ·
Was hoping for another game of fetch yesterday but she wasn't interested.

Instead, Mama and Tigger played chase. We ran back and forth in the great room barking and jumping. Ok, I wasn't jumping.

She makes the funniest sound when she wants something. It's a ooooof ooooof sound. No w. Almost a grunt. That's what we do for the first couple trips back and forth, then she starts barking. She's just a hoot!
 
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