Possibly Blind Husky Puppy? HELP & ADVICE NEEDED IF POSSIBLE...

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

My friend (mid 40's) has had lots of dogs, one of which being a Malamute & he's bred dogs before but not for the last 10-15years. His Malamute has just passed away (spent the last 2 years of its life blind) and he's now got no dog in his life so he is thinking he could give her the 101% attention, affection & training she needs, and have her as his next dog, and possibly get another Pup to be a companion. Its nothing to do with money, I think he just mentioned it to reassure me that he is interested.

Nice to know plenty on here are willing to help! what a lovely forum/community!

I will be back shortly, hopefully with a Pup

And I will be in touch with any1 if anything is to drop through with my mate!

Thanks again!

Mark & Bowe.

well that sounds promising.

We all are on here for one thing, our love of the breed.

[SA DA KA]

I am almost certain someone would take her on, even temporaily.

I would, Im not sure where he lives. But I would have her till I was sure she could be rehomed.

If he can get her to me, then I would,

That is such a generous offer and you would be another "Rescue Angel"

[Stranger]

My friend (mid 40's) has had lots of dogs, one of which being a Malamute & he's bred dogs before but not for the last 10-15years. His Malamute has just passed away (spent the last 2 years of its life blind) and he's now got no dog in his life so he is thinking he could give her the 101% attention, affection & training she needs, and have her as his next dog, and possibly get another Pup to be a companion. Its nothing to do with money, I think he just mentioned it to reassure me that he is interested.

Nice to know plenty on here are willing to help! what a lovely forum/community!

I will be back shortly, hopefully with a Pup

And I will be in touch with any1 if anything is to drop through with my mate!

Thanks again!

Mark & Bowe.

if you friend doesnt join this forum...keep us updated with photos she is rather cute, and with how she is getting on with her eye sight x

[Rosemary]

I am so sorry to read your very sad story. There is nothing I can add, but it you do decide to keep this very special husky, I would recommend you read the following book.

Rivers: Diary of a blind sled dog

A chance encounter on a chilly, rainy day started a heartwarming adventure for a blind dog and a human. This is Rivers’ diary of that adventure; becoming pain free and dealing with his disappointments while learning to interact with humans. Rivers tells of a blind dog’s efforts to overcome his challenges and achieve his destiny. Rivers is a tale of the bond between a dog and a man, of courage, friendship, loyalty and adventure. It is full of positive messages for both young and old. Rivers takes place in that mystical land called Alaska, where sled dog racing is the state sport, dogs are considered athletes, and mushers are their coaches.

Amazon.com: Rivers: Diary of a Blind Alaska Racing Sled Dog (9781888125894): Mike Dillingham: Books

Good luck with your decision - there are a lot of amazing people on this forum who will be there for you whatever you decide.

[SA DA KA]

I am so sorry to read your very sad story. There is nothing I can add, but it you do decide to keep this very special husky, I would recommend you read the following book.

Rivers: Diary of a blind sled dog

A chance encounter on a chilly, rainy day started a heartwarming adventure for a blind dog and a human. This is Rivers’ diary of that adventure; becoming pain free and dealing with his disappointments while learning to interact with humans. Rivers tells of a blind dog’s efforts to overcome his challenges and achieve his destiny. Rivers is a tale of the bond between a dog and a man, of courage, friendship, loyalty and adventure. It is full of positive messages for both young and old. Rivers takes place in that mystical land called Alaska, where sled dog racing is the state sport, dogs are considered athletes, and mushers are their coaches.

Amazon.com: Rivers: Diary of a Blind Alaska Racing Sled Dog (9781888125894): Mike Dillingham: Books

Good luck with your decision - there are a lot of amazing people on this forum who will be there for you whatever you decide.

Thank you so much [MENTION=1262]Rosemary[/MENTION] , we are going to order this book.

[Removed #5]

[MENTION=8214]s200rey[/MENTION] - like the others have said it looks like you've made up your mind and it also looks like you're concerned enough about Bowe to make sure that things work out well for her as well as you.

However - bet you saw that coming, eh - while kids will be kids, I wouldn't be more than normally concerned about how they interact with Bowe ( or any other dog ). While Bowe hasn't had the opportunity to learn "family socialization" ( meaning her dog family ) I would still be shocked if her correction to your youngest for pulling ears, for example, was any more than a quick corrective nip ( no skin broken, just a message that says "Don't do that!" ) Your older child should learn quickly that a dog isn't a push-pull toy but a "person" with rights of their own. As others have said, a spoken word as you approach her should be more than enough warning so she isn't startled. << laughing >> since she'll be depending more on her ears, you'll probably find it hard to startle her anyway!

While she may come around as she becomes more confident, she's also one dog who will probably feel safest with all four on he ground. When you pick her up, it's going to be natural for her to be nervous since she now has no idea how far off the ground she is and when her options are fight or flight - she can't "fly" ( no pun intended ) and I seriously doubt that she'd try to fight since she will have grown to trust you some, even at this early stage of her life with you.

On the one hand, I'd like to see you keep her, you questions and comments make me comfortable that you're the type of person for whom she would bloom; on the other hand, I can appreciate your concerns and since your friend has some experience with a related breed and a blind one at that he is quite probably a good alternative. I especially like his comment about getting another ( I think you said that? ) as a seeing companion for her - that'd give her a great world.

My thanks to you for not taking the "obvious" route of returning a defective "product" she deserves better then to become a breed bitch especially since she's blind and will pass that gene on to her offspring. My thanks also to those of you who have offered to help out, even in the short run, just goes to prove how fantastic a group of friends we have here.

[LittleLuka]

she's such a sweet little girl. bless her heart.

[jmscott]

here are some good resources for choosing both a pup and breeder

Choosing a dog

Breeder/Breeding Information

breed history

Breed History pt 1

breed personality

The Husky Personality

[Austinville]

[MENTION=8214]s200rey[/MENTION]

I'd hoped you'd keep her and give her the opportunity to blossom in your family. Personally, I don't believe that you will find her to be overly active with your children. Because of her vision deficit, she would likely not have that tendency, IMO.

I respect your decision and your dedication to finding her a different home rather than returning her to the 'breeder' <<<<for lack of a better word.

[s200rey]

Hi all,

Thought i'd update you all to let you know whats going on...

After much thought and consideration.......

WERE GOING TO KEEP BOWE!

All we can do is try, we all love her to bits and at 5weeks old (possibly a little more, possibly a little less - who knows) ...we think its waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early to judge her yet, so were going to start enjoying her for the puppy she is and see how we all get along...

As for her sight, we are beginning to think she isn't 'entirely' blind!! (more on that later) and even if she is, were going to work with her, all we can do is our best!

Hope you guys are happy with our choice! we are, and i'm pretty sure Bowe is too!!...in fact I KNOW SHE IS!

Edited July 14, 2012 by s200rey

[SA DA KA]

Hi all,

Thought i'd update you all to let you know whats going on...

After much thought and consideration.......

WERE GOING TO KEEP BOWE!

All we can do is try, we all love her to bits and at 5weeks old (possibly a little more, possibly a little less - who knows) ...we think its waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early to judge her yet, so were going to start enjoying her for the puppy she is and see how we all get along...

As for her sight, we are beginning to think she isn't 'entirely' blind!! (more on that later) and even if she is, were going to work with her, all we can do is our best!

Hope you guys are happy with our choice! we are, and i'm pretty sure Bowe is too!!...in fact I KNOW SHE IS!

First off, Thank you so much for posting this magnificent news. We are wishing you all the best with Bowe and it sounds as if she has pulled your hearts string. You would have never had known had you not given her a chance and we bet she will amaze you and give all she has to give, unconditionally, for this is what our K-9's do. Congratulations to Bowe and her new family. Looking forward to seeing photos of her growing and maturing.

[s200rey]

Chillin' like a villain after a good hour of puppin' around lol, bed time!...at least it is for me anyway!

...and her, lol!

Best put her to bed, night all!

Mark & Bowe.

[Sarah]

Awww that's great news!!!! Please keep us updated with her progress * and pics! *

[Removed #5]

Hey Mark, Bowe ( et al! )

Thanks, mate, that's excellent news! As I said earlier, you strike me as the type of person ( and family ) who will find you have yourself one fantastic - if a bit unusual - friend in fur!

You say that she might not be completely blind - and mentioned earlier that she seemed to be able to track your LED flash. What, if I may ask, prompts that comment? Do I think she'll ever have normal vision, I doubt it since she should have it now but even a little vision can provide her with good clues as she goes about her 'stuff'.

Thanks for following up, and now that you've made up your mind, don't be a stranger ...

<< Laughing >> daddy's foot makes a good pillow ???

[sutsibe]

Good luck with Bowe! She looks to me to be 4-5 weeks old, based on what I've seen with my puppies in the past. I would expect that a very young puppy's vision wouldn't be normal in the way that an adult's vision is normal, but they should still react to changes in light (your LED light) and to movement, although with the latter, perhaps not well coordinated. When you take her in for her vaccinations, it might be worth it to have your vet look in her eyes with a 'scope, and see if s/he can see any abnormalities. To the best of my knowledge, most of the genetic eye diseases in the breed tend to show up later - I want to say between around 4 months to a year (or a little more) of age. One option would be nutritional cataracts, and here's some info on them:

Nutritional Cataracts

Diseases of the Lens and Cataract Surgery, by Dr. M. P. Nasisse - Alaskan Malamute Health (scroll down to see the info on juvenile/nutritional cataracts)

Nutritional Lens Opacities in Two Litters of Newfoundland Dogs

[SA DA KA]

[MENTION=1869]sutsibe[/MENTION]

Great information and we book marked it under our Dog Knowledge Folder.

[mydiamond]

Hi all,

Thought i'd update you all to let you know whats going on...

After much thought and consideration.......

WERE GOING TO KEEP BOWE!

All we can do is try, we all love her to bits and at 5weeks old (possibly a little more, possibly a little less - who knows) ...we think its waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early to judge her yet, so were going to start enjoying her for the puppy she is and see how we all get along...

As for her sight, we are beginning to think she isn't 'entirely' blind!! (more on that later) and even if she is, were going to work with her, all we can do is our best!

Hope you guys are happy with our choice! we are, and i'm pretty sure Bowe is too!!...in fact I KNOW SHE IS!

OH YAAAAAAYY!!!!! remember: whenever you have questions just ask away we are all here to help you

[Rosemary]

This must be the best news I have heard in days

[Michelle Sopi]

Great news that you're keeping her and don't forget - you're never alone we will all be here for you

[s200rey]

Thanks for all the positive and friendly vibes!!

[SA DA KA]

@<a href="http://www.husky-owners.com/forum/member.php?u=8214" target="_blank">s200rey</a>

Thought we would share this story with you to show the resilience of this blind dog.

A loyal Arkansas dog left behind by her owner has been recovered after spending eight years alone in a nearby forest, and her rescuers say she was still trying to protect the property where she was deserted. To see Willa perched on a chair taking treats in the comfort of a home, one would never guess that she had spent the last eight years alone in the woods. Suffering from an inherited eye condition, she wandered blindly for nearly three thousand days before she was recovered, and those who know her say she was just trying to stay at her post as a guard dog – even though her owner and the business she guarded have been gone for nearly ten years.

Willa was deserted many years ago at an area body shop. She was living in a patch of trees near the shop, but when a church moved into the building shortly thereafter, the trees were bulldozed. Willa found her way to a nearby forest, and churchgoers said she would return from time to time in order to guard her post.

“She can’t get very far being blind. I did get my hands around her once when she got tangled up in some briars, but I haven’t ever been able to catch her,” said Willa Everts. The dog was named after her by the Humane Society of Faulkner County.

Everts said she and another area resident have spent the last eight years trying to catch the disabled dog. They fed her regularly but could never catch her.

“Paulette Rice and I coordinated to feed the dog for about eight years. She would feed her in the morning and I would feed her in the evenings and bring her ice water. She would come running at the sound of my car and got to where she’d eat out of my hands but I never could get my hands around her to catch her,” Everts said in an interview with the Log Cabin Democrat.

Everts said several residents in the Southern Hills and Deer Field neighborhoods had made attempts to locate and capture Willa, but she managed to elude all of them – until now.

Humane Society employee Judy Standridge said Willa and her tale of woe were too heartbreaking to bear, so she made a resolution to find and rescue her.

“I thought again about the dog and so I went into the woods by myself and started trailing her with a catch pole. The woods are so dense in that area that I figured she would get tangled up and I’d be able to get her and she did,” she said. “She was bumping into everything,” Standridge added. After eight years of failed attempts, Standridge managed to capture the frightened canine.

Willa Everts accompanied Standridge and the dog to Companions Spay and Neuter Clinic for evaluation.

“We sedated her and examined her and unfortunately that’s when we found out that she has heart worms and a tick disease,” Standridge said. “I want people to know that so many dogs enter our program with heart worms because of mosquitoes, and that they need to use a preventative.”

Aside from being heart worm positive and carrying a tick disease, Willa was in overall good health, Standridge said.

“She’s going to be just fine, she just can’t see,” she said. “Willa is about ready to be adopted.” Standridge said Willa will require a home with a strict routine because of her inability to navigate unfamiliar territory. Willa gets along with other dogs and cats, and has never shown any signs of aggression.

She says the lucky dog owes her life to the two local women who spent eight years feeding her and trying to bring her home. “Willa and Paulette’s commitment to taking care of this dog – if they hadn’t done this – I don’t know what would have happened to her,” Standridge, now Willa’s foster mom, said.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1660631134?bctid=1734019251001

[s200rey]

Would you believe it...I have another update!!

Got a call Sunday afternoon, off the so called 'breeder' offering me the option to swap the pup for another, or give me some money in return for taking / looking after the blind dog. Obviously I took the latter option and arranged to call and see him today (Monday) anyway, to make a loooong story a bit shorter, I give him a call as requested and he started sidewinding again on the phone..."I don't believe the dog is blind!" - "Show me the Vets bills" - "Just bring her back here, swap her for one of the brothers and i'll check to see if she really is, if so i'll drown her in the bath" ...this is when he went from been a REAL WEIRD'un into a TOTAL MORON in my books. I still had his address in my sat nav, and decide to go and confront him...this is when he went from TOTAL MORON to TOTAL PSHYCO!

I got to his house, and after 4 or 5 knocks on the door he shouted who's that, to which I replied, Mark - I've come to talk about the dog you sold me & to sort out what your going to do about it. He said, go away I don't trust you, I don't trust a word your saying! this is when I started to loose my temper with him, specially with him wanting to have a conversation through a door! So in a raised/angry voice I said: Look, u've sold me a blind dog, then told me its a 'thing they go through, she will grow out of it' - which is total bollocks, then asked me to come through and sort it out so I did and you weren't in and wouldn't answer your phone, now you ring Sunday and arrange for me to come today but call you first, now i've called you, your side winding on the money and thinking of every reason/excuse not to pay any compensation (this is when I lost it) IF YOU DONT BELIEVE SHE'S BLIND RING MY VET - HERES THE NUMBER, HER NAMES CHARLOTTE.........ARE YOU RINGING? ARE YOU PUTTING IT IN YOUR PHONE, THOUGHT NOT! YOU HAVE SOLD ME A BLIND DOG, WHICH ISN'T 5 WEEKS OLD, LET ALONE 8! POOR THING HASN'T BEEN WORMED OR FLEAD AND NOW YOUR MESSING ME AROUND! CALLING ME A LIAR, AND SAYING YOU NEVER TOOK ANY MONEY OFF ME!!! at this point (rough neighbourhood) next doors outside, people over the road are curtain twitching and some have opened there front doors to listen and see what happens, so obviously, seen as I had spectators, I repeated myself aaaaall over again for him even louder! 'You call your self a breeder, nothing but a puppy farmer' etc. etc. You could tell the WHOLE street agreed with me and that I probably wasn't the first they'd seen doing a similar thing...

Little did I know, it was all about to kick RIGHT OFF!...he started shouting abuse out the window to the next door neighbour and me, the neighbour didn't seem too happy and offered him to come outside, for a good hiding. Anyway he disappeared from the window...so I decided to go knock the hell out of his door again as you do! and got no reply.

As I was walking away, the front door flung open, and out he came.......swinging AN AXE! :eek: no bullshit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I've seen plenty of wild shit go down, but this was taking the biscuit! lol...he was shouting and screaming "i'll get rid of ya! i'll ****in chop you up!" and started approaching me, Axe in hand. I started backing up, taunting him, telling him I could only imagine what he used his Axe for etc. etc. lol this made him even madder! luckily the next door neighbour (who luckily i'd befriended the night I came through and he wasn't it) told him to get back in the house and put the Axe away, there's kids watching, he then told him he would chop him up too, and asked if he wanted some (I started to hear sirens) the neighbour took up his offer, ran in his house and grabbed a baseball bat! next thing these two are squaring up, the looney dog breeder Axe raised telling him 'dont make me do it!' and the neighbour bat raised saying 'go on I dare ya, go on!' next thing, HE SWINGS THE AXE! misses, and gets hit round the legs, TWICE with the bat and goes down like a sack of dog poo (excuse the pun) the neighbour backs off and told him he had it coming and ran back into his house to hide the bat, the looney breeder returned to his feet and started hobbling off back down his drive to his door, Axe still in hand, as he's doing that - THE POLICE screech round the corner and pull straight up on the front! approach him, he dropped the Axe and was swiftly face planted, cuffed & arrested! and took of to the cop car. The neighbour and I, quickly explained the situation to The Police (minus the baseball bat) they took a few witness statements from the others watching and asked me to follow them to the station to make a proper statement, as it was me he originally tried to attack.

Almost 3 hours on from when I pulled up on his front & I was out the cop shop after giving a statement, sure to charge this loonatic breeder with attempted GBH & affray!!

Whilst inside, the coppers told me a thing or two about 'Peter' the so called 'Breeder' a few things that made my blood boil, not only about him but the lack of common sense the RSPCA have as well! Peter had a court order against him, he's not allowed to keep dogs! (RSPCA over looked THAT1!) ...he apparently left 7 puppies to die in his coal house after he found out they had 'Parvo' not even sure what that is? and was done for animal cruelty and something else, back in 2010! beggars belief! anyway felt good justice had finally - sort of - been served!

NOT HAPPY with the RSPCA, going to put a call into them tomorrow and tell them about the whole ordeal, his threats to drown Bowe if she was blind and his court order etc!? See what they have to say about him been a 'responsible dog breeder!' because he's FAR FROM IT, he's not even a responsible adult, lol.

Dropped a few cans round for the next door neighbour, went back to work (YES, I went to his house on my dinner, boss was more than sympathetic, even though it cost me 3-4 hours out of work) and returned home to my Family & Bowe to tell them all what had happened, apart from my two little girls of course! they don't need to know.

WHAT A DAY!

Me, Bowe & My Witness Statement (for proof) as this story is probably BEYOND BELIEF to some of you! some of you maybe's not?!?...

...AGAIN, WHAT A DAY!

Mark & Bowe.

[SA DA KA]

Well, we would like to start out by saying that we are glad to see a photo of you and that you are still with us. So sorry to hear the bullshit you had to go through. The one good thing out of all of this, you saved Bowe's life because who knows what will happen to the rest of the litter, and maybe he finally will "pay the piper". Job well done and very brave of you, and his neighbor. What an ordeal you went through. We know you love your little pup because you fought for her. Our hats are off to you, mate. Not to many people would have had that kind of confrontation or the courage to confront an asshole like him. Excuse our language, but that is what he is...Kudos.

[SA DA KA]

[MENTION=8214]s200rey[/MENTION]

Here is some info on Parvo. You might as well get to know all the different dog diseases, also look up Distemper, kennel cough, bordella, heartworm. Here are just a few that are important in being a puppy owner to dog...Canine parvovirus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[NicTurtle]

Wow, I go out of town for the weekend and come back to quite a story here! First off, I applaud you for keeping her. I had a dog when I was a teen that was shot at about 4 months old. The pellets blinded her. We had her for 12 years and she did wonderfully. She played in all the ways a dog would play and was so sweet and gentle.

Also I had a pup in our litter last year that we thought might be blind. But by 6 weeks he was perfectly fine - so I'll hold out hope that she gets some vision.

And now you have a very dramatic story to tell about your little beauty Bowe. Best of luck!