Entered: 07/29/2006
Status: Adopted
Age: 4
Color: Liver/White
Weight:
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Wilmington, DE
Health: UTD, HW-, Lyme+ and undergoing treatment, living well with blindness, overweight
Temperament: Good with people as young as 8 years, good with dogs, cats unknown
Updated 8/13/06: Baxter continues to thrive in his foster home. He has made himself at home and navigates without any problems, unless you move the furniture. He loves to play with toys and chew bones. Baxter likes to drag around a dog bed, then lay on top of it, and suck on the cover. He also has a favorite throw pillow which he uses to play tug of war and to shake vigorously. His foster family has found some websites targeted at blind dogs and is looking for some noise-making toys since Baxter obviously wants to play.
From the beginning Baxter has gotten along great with the resident 8-year-old boy. He would probably love to have kids around as long as they’re old enough to understand that he can’t see and that they have to look out for him and not the other way around.
Baxter does great with the two young resident, male dogs but would not be a suitable companion for an older, infirm male dog. You see, Baxter has started to pick on the resident 14-year-old, half-blind English Cocker male. It seems that Baxter doesn’t want to be the lowest member of the pack. Nothing bad is happening. It’s just that Baxter tries to lay his head across the Cocker’s back and the Cocker won’t have it. They exchange words and nothing more, but the foster parents do intervene due to the age and size discrepancy between the two dogs. Besides being so much younger, Baxter is twice the size of the Cocker.
When he thinks no one can see him, Baxter sneaks up on the furniture. He has not been crated and has been completely reliable in every other way. He has started to greet his foster mother with barking when she gets home. He will also whine and bark if she leaves the dog-proof part of the house and he has to stay behind, even with company. Baxter loves to go on walks. He is being walked using a prong collar and a short leash to keep tension, so he can be guided. It appears that Baxter hasn’t been schooled in the basics, so there is ongoing work with commands, starting with “sit”, “down”, and “stay.”
When his treatment for Lyme disease is complete, Baxter will be ready for a very special forever family, one who will enjoy his greeting when they arrive home, playing with him, having a companion to walk with, and when needed, being his protector. Actually, his needs are not unlike those of most dogs. And the little extra it takes to accommodate his disability can be a pittance compared to the reward of giving him the love and life he deserves.
Original: Baxter has probably been blind since birth but reportedly does very well with his disability. He was relinquished to MAESSR by his second owner who had him for about 6 months. He was simply not getting enough attention in that home.
He is just getting acquainted with his foster family, but Baxter has made a favorable impression already. He is clearly a sweetheart and very intelligent. He has already mastered the doggy door and is housetrained. He doesn’t garbage dive or counter surf. He only jumps up when he’s really excited and he rarely barks. Baxter is getting along great with his 4 footed foster brothers, ages 15 months to 14 years, as well as the resident 8-year-old boy.
They’ll know more as Baxter settles in and goes for his check-up with the vet. Updates coming.