Susan Myers In memory of Bob/Roy 07-615
The LeTourneau Fur-Kids - In Memory of Our Fur-Angels
Mozart 09-225
Profile
Sponsored by: Ellen Sanchez
Mozart joined our family on Sunday June 7th after a long weekend ride from Tennessee. Although he is vision and hearing impaired he is just a wonderful dog and is setting in quickly.
Here are some things I know about Mozart so far:
We are CRAZY about him!
He has some hearing and he already knows my voice...when I start talking to him his tail wags and he wiggles towards me. He also heard pheasants in the woods yesterday. He will come to me if I clap, talk in a higher pitched
voice, or pound my hands on the floor. He has a yeast and slight bacterial infection in his ears and the vet thought we may see some improvement in hearing once that is resolved.
Vision is very impaired but occasionally seems to track things that are moving. Walking well on a leash and will stop and lean into your thigh as a means to get reassured you are still there and a means of getting grounded.
My thigh seems to be the home base when we are outside. We have a appointment with an eye specialist tomorrow morning to see if any vision can be restored to either eye.
He is on the skinny side but is eating great and has a beautiful coat. He will sometimes lay down with the bowl between his paws to eat. Mozart takes treats ever so nice.
Mozart has had no accidents despite not being able to see. He must have a tree or bush to potty.
He gets along with adopted resident Golden. We have had a couple of growls from both sides but no big deal.
Mozart will now get up and move around the house on his own. When he does this, I get up and just watch for safety. He eventually finds me and that is a big deal with lots of tail wags and hugs of course!
When I am home, he has free roam and will now move to a different location to lay. He did fine in the crate when I left for 2 hours.
Mozart's strength and muscle tone are improved just from Sunday and we even had a silly spell today. The vet feels this dog will make rapid improvements with regular food exercise and or course lots of LOVE and ATTENTION which he so deserves. He is scheduled to be neutered in 2 weeks.
More news following our eye appt tomorrow. Please cross your paws for Mozart!
At a Glance #09-225
| Mixed Breed | Born: June 2004 |
| Male | 60 lbs |
Status: Adopted
Profile
Sponsored by: Ellen Sanchez
Mozart joined our family on Sunday June 7th after a long weekend ride from Tennessee. Although he is vision and hearing impaired he is just a wonderful dog and is setting in quickly.
Here are some things I know about Mozart so far:
We are CRAZY about him!
He has some hearing and he already knows my voice...when I start talking to him his tail wags and he wiggles towards me. He also heard pheasants in the woods yesterday. He will come to me if I clap, talk in a higher pitched
voice, or pound my hands on the floor. He has a yeast and slight bacterial infection in his ears and the vet thought we may see some improvement in hearing once that is resolved.
Vision is very impaired but occasionally seems to track things that are moving. Walking well on a leash and will stop and lean into your thigh as a means to get reassured you are still there and a means of getting grounded.
My thigh seems to be the home base when we are outside. We have a appointment with an eye specialist tomorrow morning to see if any vision can be restored to either eye.
He is on the skinny side but is eating great and has a beautiful coat. He will sometimes lay down with the bowl between his paws to eat. Mozart takes treats ever so nice.
Mozart has had no accidents despite not being able to see. He must have a tree or bush to potty.
He gets along with adopted resident Golden. We have had a couple of growls from both sides but no big deal.
Mozart will now get up and move around the house on his own. When he does this, I get up and just watch for safety. He eventually finds me and that is a big deal with lots of tail wags and hugs of course!
When I am home, he has free roam and will now move to a different location to lay. He did fine in the crate when I left for 2 hours.
Mozart's strength and muscle tone are improved just from Sunday and we even had a silly spell today. The vet feels this dog will make rapid improvements with regular food exercise and or course lots of LOVE and ATTENTION which he so deserves. He is scheduled to be neutered in 2 weeks.
More news following our eye appt tomorrow. Please cross your paws for Mozart!
Updates
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mozart has been staying at another foster home for the last several days while his regular foster mom has been out of town. He's been the BEST houseguest - very gentle, sensitive, and polite. He gets along fine with the resident kitty, and has been finding his way around the new household quite well.
He was pretty down at first because he missed his dog buddy. New changes are just harder when a guy can't see! As he got used to things, he became more relaxed and comfortable. Now he walks up and down the block very confidently, and he's handling all the traffic very well. At first, he would freeze and lay low every time a car went by. He just slows down now and leans against his human's leg for reassurance.
He's so cute when he goes out on walks -- the way he'll stop and turn his head to make sure his human is right there. She just touches his cheek gently, and then off he goes again. He's in his element at the park! He walks so fast when they first go to the park that his temporary foster mom can hardly keep up! It's been a delight to see him open up and be so happy when he goes outside. He loves the fresh autumn air and the sounds of geese on the little lake in the park. He greets every dog with a wag, and he's friendly to everyone.
Mozart can hear someone walking or riding a bike quite a distance away, but he can't tell exactly who or what it is. So his human just calls out "Hello" and when the other people respond, he relaxes and goes back to walking and exploring.
Mozart is a terrific dog. Everyone who meets him loves him. What a sweet guy!
"Hey! Did I just hear some geese honking?"
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Mozart is doing great and continues to be a total joy to have around. He spent some time with another foster a couple weeks ago and did well. She did take him to one of RAGOM's pet expo events and that ended up being stressful for him but without vision, in a new environment with new noises and lots of activity, it was understandable.
He loves to go on our 1-2 mile walk/jogs and it's been so fun to see the strength he's gained. He is getting less fearful of cars and trucks and has learned it is not necessary to leave a room when visitors come...unless it's that 3 year old granddaughter who gets kind of wild.
Seeking out attention is something he does often now and he has figured out that on the other side of the couch there are very often people who need their feet warmed and in turn will scratch ears and rub bellies.
Mozart is a quiet, gentle, sweet loving dog who is wonderful company on a cold rainy fall day.
Here I am walking into the house all by myself. Foster mom doesn't even need
to say "step" anymore because I just know where they are.
Here I am on the new blanket foster mom bought for me on the silent
auction at the Ragom picnic in September. I just love it!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Mozart is doing just great and I realized last week that I have to actually tell people that he is blind because he does not act blind. He moves about our house at a quicker pace and tends to follow me more now and lays wherever I end up. He often lays on my feet and would rest his head on my laptop if I let him. He loves our walks/jogs and plays more with toys and wrestles with resident Ole.
We had visitors with who brought another Golden last week and at first was intimidated by all the new voices and activity so he went and stood by the front door. Pretty soon he made his way back to the action ,tail wagging, seeking out attention and interacting with the new dog. He just continues to blossom socially everyday.
Mozart has excellent hearing and if Ole is getting some attention he quickly jumps up from a deep sleep to make his way for his share of petting and hugs.
This gentle, quiet, amazing dog is looking for a forever family who will be understanding and patient as he learns your home, family voices and surroundings. He will not need a fenced yard but as I mentioned in past updates, he could go out independently in a fenced safe area. He loves other dogs and has not been cat tested. He is great company and will make a wonderful companion.
It's a little challenging wrestling when you are blind, but I've figured it out.
My foster brother Ole and I have gotten quite fond of each other. Not sure what he is going to do when I find my forever home.
Mom always pets me when I rest my head on her lawn chair.
Foster Mom says I just get cuter everyday
Monday, July 13, 2009
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 Here I am (on the right) in listening mode when Foster Mom is talking. |
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Mozart was seen by the ophthalmologist last Wednesday. We did not get the news we had hoped for as there is nothing medically that can be done to restore any vision. It may be congenital but head trauma from a motor vehicle could also be a cause for his loss of vision. Although this is sad, I am thankful we were able to get an evaluation quickly so now we can move on with Mozart's plan for great life. The good news is that he can hear!
We go outside several times a day. I just take the top of his collar to get out the door and down the steps and then let him be without the leash. This has been a very positive move and almost seems like a self esteem boost for Mozart. We live in the country and have a large yard which makes this possible. Homebase is my outer thigh and he will walk around and even trot once in awhile. If I call or pat my leg, he will come back to me.
When he first gets up and we go out, I notice Mozart takes high steps with his front legs. His gait seems normal once we have been out for a couple of minutes and he has his bearings. There are areas with inclines in the yard
and we walk around those to improve strength in his leg muscles. When it is time to go in, we head to the sidewalk and he is able to get to the front door from there almost independently. He knows that two steps are coming and after the door opens, there is another step.
After we come in, our routine is to get a drink and then find the homebase inside - which is a fleece bed in the family room. Last but not least, he gets a treat! Mozart does this without the leash now by following my voice and leg pats. He bumps into things once in awhile, but he walks very slow and just backs up or goes a different direction.
Mozart's hearing seems to be quite good. He knows several commands, including sit, stay, and lay down. He is up like a flash and finds his way to the kitchen if he hears cereal pouring in a bowl or a chip bag rustling! I don't reward this with treats but it leads me to believe that this dog at one point did have a home. He loves his food and knows where to go when I shake the dry dog food in his dish. He eats slowly and crunches and chews every piece which is pure torture for poor resident, Ole, who inhales his food in about 12 seconds.
Mozart seems to need some time to get used to a new person (which is understandable with basically no vision) but I don't anticipate any issues with people. He is fine with people stopping and petting him. I notice if there are more people around, he gets quiet and just stays on his bed. I think it is hard for him to filter extra noise. He is definitely attached to me, so we will be working on more frequent interaction with other people.
This is a delightful, sweet, loving dog that has turned out to be a very easy foster. Look for more updates and pictures very soon!
Did I hear that cereal box?!?