Caring for a 3 Legged Dog
86I live with an awesome 3 legged dog called Shania. The name Shania is of Native American Indian origin and it means "on my way". I thought this name was especially appropriate because Shania is a very active dog, who is always on her way to doing something fun and exciting.
She is a 3 legged dog but she does not let that slow her down one whit.
One of the first things that people say when they meet Shania is, "What a happy dog!". And indeed she is. In fact, she even kept her spirits up while we were trying to straighten her leg and she had to go through multiple surgeries. The surgeon, nurses, doctors, receptionists, and even other patients in the hospital love her to bits.
Recently, Shania just turned three. She is my second dog and I have learned a lot from her. I am very glad that I get to share my life with such an awesome dog. This article summarizes some recent lessons that I didn't get to in my earlier 3 legged dog care article.
3 Legged Dog Tip 1 - No Getting on Furniture
3 legged dogs, especially young 3 legged dogs are very energetic. If not properly supervised, they will get themselves into trouble.
One common trouble spot for a 3 legged dog is jumping up on furniture. Siberian Husky Shania has no problems getting up on furniture. Getting down, however, is a totally different matter altogether.
Often, 3 legged dogs will jump or climb up onto raised surfaces and have problems getting down. You really do not want the dog to jump down on her own, especially if she is missing one of her front legs. This could cause her to injure one of her other legs which would be really bad news.
Therefore, it is best to institute a strict no getting on furniture rule.
If your 3 legged dog gets up on furniture, non-mark her (Ack Ack) and carry her down right away. Then prevent her from going up again. It is best to catch her and non-mark her before she actually jumps up. Then give her an alternate command and reward her for doing a Down on the floor.
In this way, she learns that jump on furniture = get carried down right away, but rest nicely next to the couch = nice rewards and affection.
3 Legged Dog Tip 2 - Every Dog Needs a Good Scratch
3 legged dogs have difficulty getting to certain parts of their body.
Siberian Shania has a difficult time getting to her ears and to the back regions of her body. Whenever I notice her scratching, I try to give her a helping hand and scratch the target area and surrounding regions.
Sometimes she scratches because there is some grass seed or other organic material stuck in her fur. These organic materials can be very sharp and may cause puncture wounds in her body. While helping her scratch, I can also locate and remove these nasty weeds.
In fact, it is a good idea to keep your 3 legged dog well brushed and free of organic materials that may poke at her skin and cause her to itch.
Another thing I have noticed about Shania is that she tends to scratch her ears very hard because she does not have as good balance as other dogs. In the beginning, this has led to bleeding and some infection in one of her ears.
Now, I step in and do ear scratching for her when she needs it. Regular cleaning of your 3 legged dog's ears will also help to prevent ear scratching and infection.
Three Legged Dog Tip 3 - No Kibble Balls
3 legged dogs have more trouble with certain toys. In particular, it is difficult for Shania to work on kibble balls because she has to follow the balls and move at a slow pace. This forces her to hop/stop and hop/stop which is difficult, slow, and places a lot of strain on her single front leg.
Because of their missing limb, three legged dogs have a different gait than regular dogs. They are more comfortable moving at a faster pace. For example, when Shania is running fast, there is no hopping and one does not even notice that she is missing a leg. It is only when she is walking slowly that her limp is most pronounced.
Shania does best with interactive toys that she can work on from a fixed position. She enjoys chewing on rubber Kongs, rubber tires, and bully sticks. She also likes working on the Premier Twist and Turn toy because she has figured out that the easiest way to get food out is not to roll it, but simply to bite on the rubber top and temporarily deform it. This creates a bigger hole at the side of the toy for the kibble to flow out.
Shania also likes opening cardboard boxes. She steps on one end of the box to stop it from moving and tears at the bottom where the food is.
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Three Legged Dog Tip 4 - Keep Things Dry
3 legged dogs do not have as good balance as other dogs. It is very important to keep things as non-slippery as possible.
Sometimes, Shania plays with my other dog (Shiba Inu Sephy) inside the house. There is a lot of running, turning, and bumping, so I make sure to put carpets all over my tiled or wooden floors.
During the rainy season, Shania's paws become wet and more slippery. Even if she steps partially on the tiled floor she can slip and fall. Wet paws can also make her slip on the carpet.
Now, I always dry her paws on a towel when she first comes into the house. This makes it much safer for her to run around at high speeds without slipping and losing her balance.
Three Legged Dog Tip 5 - Safety and Fun
Sometimes, it can be difficult to walk the line between safety and fun for a 3 legged dog. I try as much as I can to divert Shania's energy towards supervised activity that is fun and safe.
Some of Shania's favorite activities include -
- Hiking in the hills where she can pounce and dig for critters. I only walk her on-leash because if she sees a deer, she will be gone in the blink of an eye.
- Playing with her partner in crime Shiba Inu Sephy.
- Meeting people around the neighborhood.
- Working on food toys.
- Resting on the sidewalk and watching cars and people.
- Playing the flirt pole game.
- Hunting for squirrels and other critters in the backyard. We left a section of the backyard without grass so that she can dig whenever she wants to.
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Great site! I am the proud owner of two rescued tripods. One is a full miniature schnauzer and the other is schnauzer/chinese crested mix. Both are missing a front leg. I love my tripod boys! They are so active and energetic and can do anything my other two four legged dogs can do. Nothing slows my tripods down! They are the love of my life and there is something very special about them. thanks for putting this info out there, very informative and shows how great tripods are!
Thanks for the great info. My newest foster puppy is a 4 week old blue pit that just had one of his back legs amputated. Someone just dumped this poor pup at animal control with his leg so mangled that they had to remove it. This is my first time working with an amputee and any advice is helpfull
Thank you all for sharing your 3 legged dog stories with us. A big WOOF WOOF to all your awesome dogs!
If you have links to pictures of your 3 legged dogs, please share them with us as well.
"Someone just dumped this poor pup at animal control with his leg so mangled that they had to remove it."
Yeah, many people don't want to have a 3 legged dog. People are weird about physical disabilities. I guess they don't want to look at it, much less think about it. :(
Luckily, there are also many people like you who spend their time helping and saving animals in need.
We are considering adopting a male samoyed puppy that the breeder's vet has advised have its rear leg amputated. (He has a birth defect and doesn't use the leg. It sticks out now and, we're told, will become a bigger problem as he grows as it will bump into things and generally make life more difficult for him.) I have been looking forward to the health benefits of having to walk a dog but am concerned that, with a 3-legged dog, walking him all the time might be causing undue wear and tear on him. Should I be concerned about this?
Hello Diane,
I definitely notice that my 3 legged dog tires a lot more easily when out walking. I think because of her different gait, it takes her more energy to walk and it is more difficult for her to control direction and pace.
I take a lot more breaks with her and we take long rests in the shade. She also has that double coat, so during the summer we go for shorter walks, take lots of water, and make sure to have many pit stops along the way.
In my experience, it will be difficult to do any kind of power-walking with a 3 legged dog. I go at Shania's pace, and stop whenever she wants to. Our best walks are when we have all the time in the world and don't have to walk on a schedule.
"walking him all the time might be causing undue wear and tear on him."
Yeah, I worry about that as well.
Our surgeon told us that Shania would probably get arthritis earlier than other dogs because of the added stress put on her joints. We keep her slim and give her Glucosamine tablets.
With Shania, it is sometimes difficult to balance health concerns with happiness concerns. In general, I believe that it is better to live a shorter but fuller life. I take all the precautions that I can but try and let her do most of the things that she wants to do.
I walk Shania every day and she also does a lot of high powered running and playing in the backyard with Sephy and Lara.
Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes. :)
I really appreciated the advice about the toys. My dog has leg cancer and is about to become a three legged dog. I was really worried at first about how he will do after the surgery but after seeing that your dog seems to be perfectly happy makes the decision a lot easier. Thank you!
My dog just had a hemipelvectomy and amputation of her re
Hind leg to remove soft tissue cancer. Wondering if anyone out there has any post op advice for getting around the first couple of wkd. She's in a lot of pain and I would love some advice if anyone else has been through this
Hello Rachel,
Yeah, Shania adapted really well after the amputation. There are some things that are more difficult for her, but she is quite amazing in terms of how she handles it. :)
Big hugs and kisses to your dog. Let us know how it goes.
Hello Dina,
Definitely check out the tripawds site.
They have some nice information there on tripod dogs and canine cancer. There are also many people there who have gone through amputation and cancer with their dogs.
This was every helpful because i just got back form the vet where my dog will be gettin his left front leg cut off. He think he is just like my husband big hog dog we have and a hog got him yesterday and done to much damage to try and save the leg
I have boxer that I found the other day on the side of the road that was dropped off on the road and hit by a car. I just got off of the phone with my local vet and he is in surgery right now :) I cant wait to get him home and take care of him all of your all tips are very helpful.
We are bringing home a dog from a shelter tomorrow. He was rescued from a kill shelter. He recently has had a back leg removed due to injury. He is a border collie/mix. We lost our lab last month due to age. We like to think she would be proud of us adopting this dog into our home. We have spent time with him, he seems like such a happy dog, he is about 2. We are eager to give him a great life. Your advice has been helpful
Hello Adams81f & anne thomas,
I am so glad to see that both dogs have found homes with caring people. Please post us updates and pictures when you have the time.
Last night my mom rescued a tripawd puppy into our 5 cat 3(fairly old)dog family. And we want to keep him entertained but we have no toys any suggestions
I brought my pup home today and boy is he fiesty. He wants to walk around everywhere. I didnt think he would be walking this much since he just had the surgery yesterday. I was amazed. I love him so much hes been walking up and down the stairs with no problem when I take him outside to use the bathroom.
Hello Dakota,
My three legged dog, Shania seems to enjoy Frozen Kongs, Tire Biter, and some of the Premier Busy Buddy toys. I also put boiled chicken in the Kong Jump n'Jack and that seems to work well for her.
Kibble balls don't work as well for her, because it forces her to move with an awkward gait.
Anything that she can work on from a stationary position seems to be better.
Here are some general interactive toy descriptions - just ignore the kibble balls, rubber balls, and any toy that requires the dog to move at a slow measured pace.
"He wants to walk around everywhere. I didnt think he would be walking this much since he just had the surgery yesterday."
Haha - yeah 3 legged dogs are very awesome. Shania was the same way. She was a bit out of it on the first day, but was totally an Energizer Bunny after that. Today, she is still going and going! :D
What are you going to name your pup?
Yeah he is doing amazing he runs around the house all the time. I named him Rambo. We go Friday to get his stitches out and his cone off. He gets that thing caught on everything around the house. Lol
"He gets that thing caught on everything around the house."
Hahaha - yeah Shania was the same way. She was very happy to have the cone off and to finally be able to play with our other dog. We were very happy too, coz it was getting really difficult to keep her occupied and happy.
Big hugs to Rambo! Friday will be a very good day. :D
my dog skittles is missing a back leg, he is 6 years old, loves to play, and has so much energy. Recently though he has begun to slow down much more and has been walking funny. any advice for joints or how to handle pain?
Hello Lauren,
Some of the things I do with Shania to help manage future joint issues -
1. I keep her slim so that she does not have to support any extra weight.
2. Based on my vet's advice I am giving her a Glucosamine tablet every day. I would consult with your vet about this to determine appropriateness and dosage.
3. Going downhill is more difficult for Shania given that she is missing a front leg. I try to walk her on more flat ground, but that is not always possible.
I have read that hydro therapy and water exercise is less stressful on the joints. I did talk to Shania's surgeon about this in the beginning but he said it was not really necessary yet. I will probably revisit this later on with my vet.
Also, check out the tripawds forum. There are many 3 legged dog owners there with a lot of good information.
My dog got hit last night in our front yard and to be honest I had no clue on what to do took her to the emergency vet and then to the regular vet this am...Finally heard back from them and got the terrible news that my 8 1/2 mo boxer would have to loose her back leg this upcoming Mon.I dont know what to expect but this page and all the comments have def made me feel a little better.
I have just been told my spaniel is to have a leg removed, this was so useful to read.. Thank you as I was finding it hard to deal with and have been pretty upset.
Hello Jessica and Paula,
Yeah I was pretty upset as well when I heard the news about Shania. We thought she was just a bit bow-legged, so when we found out that it was a pretty serious condition, I felt pretty numb and overwhelmed at the same time.
Things really turned around pretty quickly after the amputation though. Shania recovered well and I was so happy when she started playing with my other dog and was really enjoying herself.
Let us know how things go with your pups. Big Hugs to them both.
Our 2 year old Golden had her rear leg removed today because of cancer. We were told she should be okay for about 4 years or so. Has anyone had a Golden diagnosed with cancer in the lining of her joint in her knee, and if so, how did the dog adjust after the surgery? Thanks for the help.
Just to let you know my dear Spaniel is coming along well. His tummy is struggling to get back to normal and the wound is healing well. His character is slowly coming back, tail wagging again and barking, grabbing his teddy when visitors come. Lets hope the next week is just as good. Thinking of you all going through this, its not easy. Love to you all. Paula
Hello Jeanne,
Try re-posting your comment on the tripawds.com forum -
There are many people there who have gone through cancer with their dogs.
Hugs to your Golden. Hope she is recovering well.
Thanks for the update Paula.
"His character is slowly coming back, tail wagging again and barking, grabbing his teddy when visitors come."
LOL! I love the teddy thing. My Shiba Inu does that sometimes. He will grab a toy and drop it at our feet in the hopes that we will play with him. :D
Glad that your Spaniel is doing well. Btw. what is his name?
Big hugs to everyone and also lots of licks!
His name is Tim, remarkable progress this morning as well. I am starting to feel better myself.
Haha awesome! Today sounds like a good day!
Please give Tim a hug and a cookie from me. :D
Hiya, what a remarkable recovery my dog has made, tail wagging, running up and down stairs, eating like a horse, stil sleeping lots, but with lots of care and attention, I know I have not lost my dog, his character and determination is a lesson to all. I was so scared when the leg broke, but he is making me smile again, as if to say to me, dont worry, its gonna be ok. Love to you all Paula. Oh and Tim sends a big tail wag.
That is wonderful to hear Paula!
"I know I have not lost my dog, his character and determination is a lesson to all."
That is so very true.
Thanks for sharing Tim's progress with us. Shania and pack sends lots of licks and love. :D
I thought I would just check in again as you were a great comfort when Tim had his leg removed. He is back to full strength and character now. Lots of love and attention has brought him back. You see his character and life and you realise you cant be sad.. Its a lesson to me.
Good to see you Paula!
It is awesome to hear that Tim is doing well.
"You see his character and life and you realise you cant be sad.."
Yeah - I feel exactly the same way about Shania. Dogs are really amazing. It is good to share our life with dog! :D
Big hugs to Tim.
hi this was kinda helpful im glad that your dog is doing well.
My Bouvier des Flandres, Chloe had 2 pups 5 days ago. The little girl had something wrapped around her front right leg (maybe part of the placenta) and it looks like she will lose it or at least the lower part of her leg. We have decided to keep this little gem and my oldest daughter and her family will eventually have her live with them full time. I was so sad yesterday when I saw the pups with Chloe for the first time. Chloe delivered them at our breeders home. But after staying there all afternoon and talking it over with our breeder and family we can't wait until Momma Chloe comes home and we get to bring little Lady Gaga home. After reading your article I will be sharing this with everyone. Thank you so much for letting us in on your amazing adventure with your pup!
Thanks for sharing Chloe and Lady Gaga's story with us. Great name for your new and brave pup! :D
Big hugs to mommy and the little ones!
My best friend just got the news and her little Penny is in surgery right now. This helped me find some words of comfort and advice for her
How is Penny doing? Hope the surgery went well. Shania sends her love and lots of licks.
we to have a tripod and yeah thats his name rescued and rehomed 3 times been with us 4 years does everything his 4 legged mate does but twice as quick!
I have a 7 y.o. tripawd Weimeraner that is having problems with his remaining back leg. Periodically he will injure (?) the leg (developing joint pain, arthritis?). I would appreciate any suggestions about getting him through these periods. I give him 2000 mg of omega fatty acids daily but sometimes he has difficulty if he overdoes the activity. I've also tried aspirin (81 mg X 3). Any other suggestions would be apprecitaed.
I would consider looking into water therapy. My surgeon suggested that this is something to consider when Shania gets older.
http://tripawds.com/2010/06/22/tripawd-max-does-sw
Some people also suggest massage therapy.
Hi there,
We are hoping to adopt a beautiful tripawd pup called Marley and I was looking for some information about what to expect and I found this site which has been of great help to me. We shall be meeting her for the first time on saturday, we cant wait!
Big Kudos to you for adopting a pup in need. Let us know how it goes on Saturday!
my poor dog sid got hit by a car this week and has lost the use of a front leg that will have to be removed at sum point we are all so upset but happy his still with us great site thanks
Hello Jeff,
Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad to hear that Sid is recovering.
hi all tripawd owners, my beautiful 10 year old lurcher had his front leg amputated 3 weeks ago due to bone cancer. i cried many tears and wondered if i had done the right thing. well it has now been 4 weeks since his operation and my beautiful boy is doing so well, he has naturally adapted to his three legs and still tries to chase squirrels in the woods, i still have my lovely dogggie alive with me, he has a great quality of life even through his disability,he is having hydrotherapy twice a week to help strengthen his other legs,it has been a soul searching time for both of us, and i am so proud of him, and i stillhave my precious boy, to any owners who are about to go through the same don,t despair your doggie will adapt i promise,
best paul
Thanks for sharing your story with us Paul. I am glad to hear that your boy is adapting so well.
Big hugs to him and Happy Holidays.
Btw. I removed your number because this is a public forum, and I do not want anybody abusing it.
Our friend has had a litter of golden retriever pups.. one little boy had the umbilical cord wrapped around his front let and he is now a tripawd. I just know she is going to ask my husband and I to adopt him. I do have a few reservations though. We have a older golden who is 13 and 1/2. and we have another golden who will be 3 in march. she is very active. I am worried she may over power this guy. and our bedroom is on the second story. how do the tripawds manage stairs if they only have one front leg?
"how do the tripawds manage stairs if they only have one front leg?"
Shania is also missing a front-leg and she does very well on stairs. Getting down stairs is usually a bit more challenging for her, but she can do it just fine.
One thing that I do make sure though - no playing on the stairs. I recently installed a dog door at the bottom of the stairs so that I can better regulate stair traffic and prevent playing.
I also do supervise them during play-time and make sure that they do not over-whelm Shania. Both my other dogs know that they have to be more careful with Shania and they never gang-up on her during play. It is always Shania and Lara vs. Sephy, or Shania and Sephy vs. Lara.
I also supervise them during meal-times to make sure there is no stealing.
I think a three-legged dog probably requires a bit more supervision, but I am really glad that I get to share my life with Shania. She is worth all of the extra effort and much, much more. :D
I think I am a bit on the over-protective side though. You can also check out the tripawds site forums and see what other owners have to say.
Thank you for your reply. I am not sure yet if we will get this little guy. My husband and I both have back problems and we go camping with an rv that has metal steps. we end up lifting our 13 year old in and out of the truck and it can be hard on us. Pluse we are both 63 and would not want to take him and get attached to him only to find we could not provide for him the way he should be. On the other hand..... we will have to wait until he gets older and see how he develops. He is only a couple weeks old now. And our friend breeds the "goldens" and has several of her own. and she shows them. She may want to place him with one of her friends who can use him as a therapy dog. But I appreciate your response. And we will have to wait and see now.
And I love the pictures of your dogs. Absolutely beautiful.
Hello Barb,
What you say makes a lot of sense. I have a hill area at the back of my yard, so I am thinking I will fence that off when Shania gets older. I don't want her to get up there and then not be able to get down.
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Big hugs to your Goldens.
Love the comments from this site, our pup 6+ years, Gizmo was diagnosed with bone cancer and we had to amputate her leg. She is doing wonderful so far. We are doing the chemo as they recommended to try and delay the cancer spreading as much as possible and for as long as possible. Any others out there who had experience with this type of cancer in their dog(s)?
Definitely check out the tripawds.com site. There are a lot of articles there on dealing with dog cancer, and there are many supportive people on the forums, who have gone through cancer with their dogs.
Big hugs to Gizmo. Glad to hear that she is doing well. If you have the time, please post us some pictures and share more of her stories and progress.
Hello All, my heart is always drawn back to this site as I got so much comfort from it when Tim had to have his front leg removed. He is doing so well, I thought the end of the world had come but no, dont despair, your dogs will do fine, Tim just this morning caught a rabbit, he managed in and out the car and up and down stairs with no problem, I do like to encourage him to do things on his own but now and again give him a lift, but if I do, I kinda give him a cuddle afterward to take the attention away from the lift, dogs thrive on praise so if he does something on his own, just tell them how wonderful they are, it builds confidence and makes them feel wonderful. I try and make sure Tim has time to just relax on his bed or lie in the car with the door open, he still loves to run, being a springer, but I do make sure he gets some rest. How wonderful and special all our dogs are and what a lovely site to get comfort from each other.
Hello Paula,
Good to see you again! Glad to hear that Tim is doing so well.
"I do like to encourage him to do things on his own but now and again give him a lift, but if I do, I kinda give him a cuddle afterward to take the attention away from the lift, "
That is very good advice. I should write something about this.
One thing that was difficult for me initially, was that every time Shania tripped and fell, my heart would skip a beat. As you say though, it is much better to stay positive, encourage positive action, and offer a little lift when necessary. That is what I try to do now.
Shania has really taught me some very good life lessons.
Big hugs to Tim! I love his stories. Would love to see some pictures too. :D
Can you put pictures up on here.
Let me know how.
Paula
Hello Paula,
Unfortunately, hubpages does not allow pictures to be posted in the comments section. There are several possibilities-
1. Do you have a facebook account? If so, we can share pictures there.
2. Send me an e-mail.
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/contact
3. Join HubPages and post an article about Tim! :D
Hello! I have an Akita tripod, also missing the front leg. He's 7yrs old and still acts like a puppy.
Before losing the leg: He was only 1 when he lost the leg, and we went through alot to try and save it. We went through 6 surgeries total, and I only kept trying because he was trying too. He was a complete angel with the doctors and therapists, and he always protected his injured leg. unfortunately he had to lose it, but I know we did everything we could to save it.
Life as a tripod: well Diesel does exceptionally well for being such a large dog. He goes up and down the stairs, jumps in out off the back of my SUV, and can still give me a one arm hug (his arm on my one shoulder and his head in my other shoulder). I found Science Diet to have the best nutrition for joints, especially the one with fish oil. I make sure he takes his viramins everyday. I also keep him lean and active. I know I can't always protect him, especially since he's always been very clumsy. So I'll encourage him to do obstacles while I'm around so he can learn what he's capable of and the best way to handle them. The first month without his leg, he was constantly pulling a muscle and losing his balance (he was never a graceful dog). Now he's all muscle and has better balnce. I think the most important thing is to make sure they stay fit and their muscles strong. Just make sure they get plenty of rest and breaks. One thing that scares me the most is arthritis. He's way to big to handle arthritis in his one front leg and too heavy to be carried. I encourage water therapy! Its really the best way to work out their muscles without overworking their bones. my dog loves water but hates swimming, but I'm sure he'll hate the pain of arthritis more.
Hope this helps someone.
And tripods difinitely give the best hugs!
One last note: I forgot to mention the pads! Since my dog diesel is so large and the bulk of his weight is on his one front foot, the pads on his feet get really worn out. His pads are worn mainly on the one side that leans on for balance. ALWAYS CHECK THEIR PADS! Keep an eye out for wear n tear and especially corns. I've found musher's foot wax to be amazing! You can even use it on wounds to promote healing and less licking. Word to the wise, only put on the wax when their in bed or else their be sliding all over the place. Shoes are also helpful for the extreme weather conditions. Avoid walking them on cement, rocks, and anything rough. My dog will alway avoid the side walk and walk on the grass because of his foot. If you see their feet get really dry, then shoes and wax will be the best combo.
I love my tripod!
Hello Diana,
Thanks for sharing Diesel's stories with us! He sounds like a very brave and awesome boy.
When did you start with his water therapy? How often does he go? I would be very interested in hearing your personal experiences on this, since it is something I will probably do with Shania sometime down the road.
I just started the water therapy two weeks ago. I started because he's already 7yrs and The older he gets the more scared I get of arthritis beginning. So I started the water therapy twice a week for now. I'm hoping he'll get used to swimming in the water and then during the summer we can swim in the lake in my backyard. The first week he would freak out with the treadmill and the water. He's now getting used to it but still hates it. We'er going slow so he doesn't keep hating the idea of swimming. I suggest bring their favorite treat and give it to them right after, even if they didn't do well. You want water to equal good treats. And if they actually cooperates, that should equal a steak dinner! :)
Hahaha, Diesel is a lucky boy!
Thanks for all the useful information. Shania doesn't really like water either, so I am going to have to bust out the really good steaks. :D
Hi,
I had contacted you about 6 weeks ago about a little male golden retreiver puppy is a tripawd. And today our friend did ask me to stop over. I did and she put this little guy in my arms and he is absolutely adorable. My husband though really does not think we can handle him. He runs pretty good and does a couple small steps but his legs are short of course. I told her our concerns and that I did not think we could manage with him because we are older now and have arthritis and she still wants my husband to meet him. Well he is sticking to his beliefs that we are not the ones to care for him. I know this little guy would be loved but then if one of us cannot continue to take care of him then I am not certain what would happen to him. I cannot think of any argument to make my point to him as I guess I still have misgivings myself after meeting him and holding him and playing with him. I have given her all our reasons why I feel we cannot do this but she wants to bring the puppy over to our house so my husband meets him and I am not sure that is a good idea. I am worried that he will feel the pull of the heart strings and then say we will take him. But then he will have misgivings afterwards. I am trying to think of other reasons I can either convince him we can do it or really I guess convince her that she needs to find him a good home. And I even made a suggestion to her of someone. the other concerns I have is that our 3 year old Golden is very active and may hurt him with how she likes to play. I am struggling to do the right thing for this little guy and us.
Hello Barb,
It is good to hear from you.
I do not know all the details of your situation, so please take whatever I say with that in mind.
From what you describe, I think that you and your husband's instincts are right. Puppies are extremely energetic and require a lot of work. A three legged puppy will require even more.
I know that Shania will probably have arthritis issues as she gets older, so I am thinking about blocking of sections of the backyard and house so that she doesn't need to get down stairs or steep hills when her joints start bothering her. Currently, we already carry her in and out of the car so that she doesn't have to make the big jump down.
Shania also has a different gait, and is more comfortable walking at a faster pace. I enjoy my walks with her very much, but I must also say that she is more of a challenge to walk than my other dogs.
"she wants to bring the puppy over to our house so my husband meets him and I am not sure that is a good idea."
Yeah, puppies are irresistible and it is very difficult to say "No" once puppy is there. Nowadays, I try to avoid puppy visits, unless I have already made the decision that I want to get one.
"the other concerns I have is that our 3 year old Golden is very active and may hurt him with how she likes to play"
Yeah, I definitely still supervise my dogs when they are doing high energy play and wrestling. My other Sibe likes jumping over Shania, so I always step in to stop that. I also make sure there are many play breaks so that nobody loses control and Shania doesn't get overwhelmed.
I think that you and your husband's instincts are right. When it comes to dogs, it is best to take a long-term view so that as you say, there are no misgivings or regrets afterwards.
Hope this helps. Big hugs to your Golden and let us know how it goes.
Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. I have told my friend we cannot take this beautiful little guy. She seems ok with it and I know she will make sure he has a good home. She is very protective of any of her pups when they are placed either as a show dog or pet dog. I know in my head it is the right decision but my heart still feels bad because he would be so easy to love. But I think he would be good with maybe being in a home where he is the only dog and can get the attention he deserves. I know one of these days soon our oldest "golden girl" Lexi will be at the Rainbow bridge with our Hunter. She will be 14 in July and we hope we have her for as long as we can. But we are going to get another golden at some point. We love the breed and they are wonderful dogs. I love seeing pictures of your beautiful dogs so I will check in and see what your "family" friends are up to.
Thanks again for your advice.
Barb
Hi Barb,
Thanks for sharing this story, and difficult decision with us. I think it will be very helpful to others who are making similar decisions.
I really love the look and temperament of Goldens as well. Maybe I will get one sometime down the road. :D
Always good to see you, and hugs to your pack!
Deborah 9 months ago
this site was more useful than the one pushing for joint supplements.....I have gotten a tripawd in March...I saw this cute little boy who lived with cats and he was for me...and the 3 cats...he is a sweetie...I have not thought about a raised bowl...will consider it now. ty.