Questions & Answers
Cyndi Cunico copyright ŠAussieLads Lethal White Aussie Rescue 2000 - 2005 www.aussielads.com All contents of this website is the property of aussielads.com.
During her time with AussieLads, Lorraine had received many emails with various questions about Lethal Whites. Listed below are some of the emails, along with Lorraine's responses.
Disclaimer:
All content is provided solely to relate information obtained from experience,
research and theories from the members of our organization and should NOT be
considered a means of diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your
Veterinarian/Ophthalmologist for all health, as well as behavioral issues (may
be due to a medical problem). For pets with serious behavioral issues,
please consult a professional for advice.
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I have 2 lethal white sisters, one
totally healthy normal, her sister got the full bag, deaf ( at least
partially) and blind- she has no eye ball in one socket and one that
is too small for the socket in the other, the vet said she might see
shadows but the third eye lid in partially covering that eye. But
she is highly intelligent, confident dog. Loves a leash, though we
rarely have use for them in our big yard.
Here's my problem. Because I saved them
from a shelter when they were 6 weeks old, they both imprinted on me
and now they are more frequently having fights Big Ones not over
food, toys but we think over me, or which will be the dominate after
me, there's no doubt when I raise me voice whose number one. I have
degenerative nerve damage and was injured trying to brake them up
and my husband has had it, either things change or you may end up
trying to find separate homes for one of my girls because of my
safety. Do you have any behavior modification techniques or ideas
that will help stop the fights before one of them ends up at the
vets or me in the hospital?
Also Corrie ( Mi Corizon- my heart)
cleans and licks herself like she is a cat and smacks her lips
allot, I have tried holding her nose to make her stop, but then she
seems to have to lick where I was making it worse. One of them is a
midnight chewer toys don't work we can't seem to catch the culprit
but they got my cell phone last night--my husband is livid. How do I
try to catch the chewer? They are too intelligent they won't chew on
anything in the day or if some one is awake, verrrry sneaky my
babies are!! But destructive and expensive two things a spouse won't
have.
I love my dogs I am handicapped and at
the time I saw the these 2 I knew, no one would take both and Corrie
needed Jezebel for security at that time, the shelter wanted them to
go together or put down for health concerns, I had been recovering
from a relapse and I saw myself in these pups. No one thought to put
me down for my own good... how was my life different from theirs?
Some how I knew that if Corrie could thrive I would too. So far so
good.
Share this with any and every one you
can I need to help my dogs and I don't know how. It is not their
fault I don't know how to teach them to stop fighting, smacking
their lips or chewing at night. Thank you for what you are doing for
these very beautiful animals. I hope you can help me find the
recourses to help mine. Kimberly Freitag Milton Fl. 32583
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Hi Kimberly,
I'm sorry to hear your girls are having dominance issues over you!
I had this problem with my Queen B, Corey (Corinne) who I raised
from 3 days old, and my BC, Josie. It started out small, and then
the fights got worse. They were always started by Corey.....most
of the problem is she didn't learn to interact with other puppies
when growing up, so really didn't learn the doggy manners she should
have. When they were in the house and we were all gone, they would
knock down the baby gate separating them, and there were never any
issues, so their problem was me. I did start doing things together
with them like walks, which took the edge off a bit, but at night, I
kenneled Jo in the bedroom while Corey slept on the bed (this
prevented 3 am in morning fights). My only solution was to keep
them separated via a baby gate, unless we were going out to do
something together. Does one seem to always start the fight, and
the other just doesn't back down?
Some things you might try are watching for the "attitude" between
them and then squirt them both. with a spray bottle of water. You
can also separate and kennel both of them for a cool-down time of 15
to 20 minutes or so if they are getting to point where you can tell
a fight may break out. You might also try taking both of them to
basic obedience school with a trainer that is willing to work with
special needs dogs.
As for Corrie licking herself, she may very well have some
allergies, and you should check with your vet about this. You may
have to try changing her food. I found that my Corey (who had
some allergies) was also allergic to the choke collar we used for
obedience.....it used to really itch her neck. First we used some
allergy shots, which only worked for about the first year. By
changing her diet to a high grade dog food (we used Precise for many
years and just changed to Canidae this year...for weight
loss). Both these dog foods are preserved with natural ingredients
also. There are also other quality dog foods you can try that may
help.
One of my partners, Deana may have some other input for you as she
has worked many years with her Maggie to resolve her allergies.
If the allergies are seasonal (spring and fall) they can be
controlled with some Benadryl once a day. This has no ill effects
and will ease the itch. I would recommend against giving
cortisone for more than a few weeks, as this is bad for the liver if
they are kept on it constantly. You might also want to try
working with a holistic vet, if you are not getting solutions from
your regular vet.
The chewing at night can be resolved by limiting their sleeping area
(like keeping them confined to your bedroom with a baby gate) and
removing anything within puppy reach. It is just a fact of life
that pups chew and will eventually outgrow it, so it is YOUR and
your HUSBAND'S responsibility to pick up stuff, like the cell phone
and put it out of their reach! BTW, the battery in the cell phone
is bad news and you don't want them chewing and swallowing that as
it could be fatal! You might also kennel them separately in open
wire kennels for the night. Make sure you add some toys and
chewies for them too. I have done this with all my foster babies,
and not until they are 5 or 6 months old do I even consider leaving
them loose at night. Many families kennel their dogs at night all
the time, and the dogs do just fine. Please do let me know how the girls are doing!
Lorraine & the Ayres Gang |
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We recently (3 days ago) adopted a 7mo old male lethal, We also have
a 20mo old Lab male - I am having difficulty getting them to stop
playing - it get pretty rough and I don't want either dog hurt. I am
looking for some advice as to how best to integrate my Aussie with
our Lab. Also the circling behavior you mentioned is excessive with
him at this time and I assume its because he has been put in a new
environment and is still not comfortable. It is very difficult to
stop him at this point and I am scared it will become obsessive - he
was in foster for 4 months prior to us taking him in. I have been
through your website and find it very informative - any additional
input you might add would be greatly appreciated. |
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Hi Eric,
Congrads on your new family member, and a special thanks for
adopting a lethal into your heart and home!
Ok, with that said you have a few things going on. You have only
had this boy 3 days, and of course he is your typical young active
Aussie. It may have been a long time since he had a friend to play
with, or perhaps he never had one! So now he is so excited and
happy, he is going to expend all that pent up energy! Also you
have, for all purposes, two teenage boys (think back when you were a
teenager....)!
What you need to do when the going gets too rough, is to stop
them! It is ok to make them both take a time-out from too much
rough-housing! Depending on the situation, you may either just
tell them both to stop and make them pay attention, or you can
separate them temporarily, either by kenneling (make sure your
Aussie is ok with this, as some of them stress out in kennels) or
separate rooms or such. Since you have only had your Aussie 3
days, he doesn't know the house rules, and the only training he
probably had was in his foster home. Your basic assessment is
right.....he is in a new home and needs to settle in. He does
need a gentle but firm hand in this.
You don't say if he is deaf, blind or both, but you will need to
teach him voice, sign or touch commands to let him know the rules.
His foster home should have shared their commands with you.
You will need to find what commands you would like to use, and then
keep them consistent between ALL family members. He will
need some time to learn, and being consistent is the best thing to
help him out. And of course always a sign for "good boy"
followed by a treat! You might also want to consider a
basic obedience course with him (with an instructor willing to work
with his special needs) after he settles into your house routine.
This is a good
bonding opportunity and also gives both of you some training!
The circling is going on for exactly the reason you said...new
environment. Now he is unsure of himself and a bit stressed out,
so he is reverting back to this habit. Find out if he did this in
his foster home, and also ask what they did to stop it. This will
give you a base behavior to work from. You need to stop the circling ASAP when you can see it going on.
Stop him and take him gently by his collar and bring him to where
you are. Then give him a toy or treat to redirect his behavior,
and just let him hang out with you for a while. The important part
about this is to STOP the behavior and REDIRECT it to something
positive, like some play time (throw a ball) or maybe take him on a
short walk with you.
When my Toes did this, I just made her hang out with me, and then
she'd find one of the other dogs to play with or something to chew
on. The more often you stop and re-direct right away, the faster
the behavior will lessen. Due to his age, it may take a bit longer
than it would with a younger pup because it has had some time to
"feed on itself" which is exactly what this behavior does. Please
remember, even after you have resolved it, in some cases, it may
happen again during a stressful time.
When my Toes gets excited and is being a "happy head", she will run
around the yard in very large circles and bark. Because the
circles are large and she changes directions, I do not consider this
the OCD circling behavior. She actually uses it to find the other
dogs, as she is at least 90% blind. However if she is going on and
on and on with this, I simply grab her collar and bring her into the
house.....in other words, enough!
You might also want to try a little Rescue Remedy for both the
boys. Rescue Remedy is a flower herbal remedy that has a calming
effect. A couple of drops on the tongue (or on a treat to be
consumed), or about 4 to 5 drops in the water bowl will help. This
will not drug the dog, but will just takes the edge off. You can
get at any health food store or you could even order on line. It
is distributed/made by Bach Flower Remedies.
Would love to hear updates from you on how this boy is doing. In
two to three weeks, you will probably see a different dog emerge.
In a year from now people will be asking you where you found that
perfect dog!
Lorraine &
the Ayres Gang
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My name is Roberta, I
have written before. I own a lethal white name Splintboot. We are
from Cortland,Oh.
My problem is, I have
been in the hospital almost all spring and summer. I and up going in
for a week at a time. Splintboot then
has to be crated most of the day, due to my room mate working. Then
when I come home from the hospital, he is very protective over me.
Because of my illness, I am home with him all day.
He is total deaf and
partial blind. He goes by hand signals and touch.
When people come to
visit he will jump up on the bed, due to me having to stay in the
down stairs livingroom. He will bark and jump to stay between me
and them.
I have tried tying him
up but he will bark and work him self up. And he has this annoying
bark. Any ideas? I still have
one more surgery to go.
Thank you! Roberta Lewis &
Splintboot Cortland, Ohio
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Hi Roberta,
It is nice to hear from you and Splintboot again. Sorry to hear
you are not feeling well and hope you have a quick recovery from
your final surgery.
Does Splintboot know a sign that means "its ok"? I have a sign for
my Hope for this because she does not really like meeting new people
and strangers. I just use the "ok" sign, you know your thumb and
first finger form a circle and your other fingers straight up.
What you need to do is make sure when you know you will have
visitors, that Splintboot is off the bed. This is an alpha
position, and it will make him more protective of you. You should
make him sit and stay by the side of your bed. Have your visitor
approach slowly and using your "it's ok" sign, allow Splintboot to
smell and acknowledge the person. Having your visitor give some
bisquits helps also. If he will not sit and stay just on your
command, you should have his leash handy. When a visitor is going
to come over, make sure he is off the bed and on a sit/stay. Have
him on a leash and have the leash in your hand. This way you can
reinforce the sit/stay. Then use the same approach, with visitor
approaching slowly while you let Splintboot know this person is
ok. Make sure to reward him for good behavior!
If you may have some physical limitations at this time, you should
have Splintboot's kennel next to your bed. Then when you know you
will have a visitor, put Splintboot in his kennel, but use the same
commands of sit/stay and then let him know this person is ok. When
he is calm, let him out to smell the person, give your "it's ok"
sign and reward approprately! DO NOT let him get up on the bed
with you when company is present.
I know only too well what you mean by an annoying bark. I have
several of those here, the worst being Marco when he wants you up in
the morning (between 5:30-6:00 of course.......it used to be
earlier, but has gotten later as he is over a year old now) he has
this terrible bark/yipe type thing he will do every minute until you
get up. Just letting him out and going back to bed does no good,
as he wants to be fed also!! I swear his yipe will wake the dead!
Hugs to Splitboot from the whole Gang and lots of get well wishes
for you!
Lorraine & the
Ayres Gang |
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Hello, My name is Gloria Lowry, and I am in
desperate need of a new home for my 6 1/2 month old Lethal White
puppy. I am currently going through a divorce
and am being forced to sell my home and move to an apartment. Poppy, the puppy, is not a candidate for such a
home.
I was unaware that having such a puppy
would be so difficult, but my family, neighbors and friends have had
enough. Poppy cannot be outside in our fenced
yard with our two other dogs because in addition to being
tremendously aggressive with our four year old Husky,
she also makes a screaming noise (constantly) that my neighbors have complained about daily. I can only
walk Poppy on a leash because of this. It's not good for her or
for our family.
Poppy also has a big problem with
jumping/scratching. We've purchased an anti-jump harness which
did not help. I have tried leaving a leash on her and stepping on
it when she jumps, as well as picking up my knee as she jumps on me,
to no avail. We can't have her out of her cage
anytime we are dressed for work or to go out. She also can't be
around if we have company because she won't stop. We even went so
far as to borrow a shock collar. Turned down all the way it still
hurt her and isn't an option. Poppy also barks
incessantly when caged even though I trained her for a crate from
the beginning, and the other dogs are right with her. There is no
way I can bring her to an apartment situation, she is way too loud.
I no longer feel that we are able to provide her with the
environment she needs. Perhaps she would be best on acreage where
her screaming/barking won't be such a factor.
We are able to keep her longer if you
think you can find a good home for her. She is up to date on all
shots, has been spayed and has even seen the ophthalmologist.
She is both totally blind and deaf. If I you had any solutions to
her problems I would keep her, but feel I am being forced to let
her go by her behavior and my situation. She is a beautiful dog who
I hoped would grow out of some of the bad habits. I intended to take
her through obedience starting in the winter. Both of my other dogs
have been through the same training and I think she could
benefit from it as well. I do have to say I am completely sick of
being hurt by Poppy. I am always covered in bruises from her
barreling into me. It is incredibly frustrating. It isn't that she
doesn't know where you are either. Once she knows where you are
standing she pounces. I am not sure it's not more of an aggression
problem. Please help. Thanks, Gloria
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Hi Gloria,
It certainly sounds like you have your hands full with Poppy. How
long have you had her? Is she allowed in and outside of the house,
through a doggy door while you are gone? Have you trained her
with touch commands, if so what does she know and understand? Does
she have any vision at all (light and dark maybe?), or is she
completely blind (no eyes)?
The jumping can certainly be an issue with Aussies, but my deaf Hope
knows the "off" sign, and Marco, who is blind and deaf knows to calm
down if I tap him on the nose a few times. I may have to do this
more than once with him, as he is just a bit over a year now, and
can get pretty exuberant, all 65# of him!. I have taught my blind
and deaf dogs that "no" and/or "stop that" is several taps on the
nose with my fingers. When Poppy jumps, you need to teach her a
touch for "no" and then get her to sit. When she sits down and
remains calm for a second (preferably a bit more), you should have a
"good dog" touch sign for her, and then give her a treat. This way
she will learn when she does something you ask her, a treat follows.
Another question for you. When Poppy is screaming in the yard, is
she circling also? If so, this is a form of OCD
(Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder), which many of these pups can
develop, either due to the genetics, OR because they have been
separated and ignored (done by many breeders) with no human or
animal interaction. If this is the case, she needs to be stopped
from the circling and re-directed to do something else. Usually,
the younger they are, the easier to break the habit. My Toes will
run around the yard with a high pitched scream when she is playing
or excited. If it continues for too long, I simply stop the play
and put Toes in the house to calm down. She did the
screaming/circling as a pup, but we intervened and re-directed, so
this is all she does now. She also has some hearing, and I think
she may do this because she can hear herself, as she does have a
regular bark.
When Poppy is crated, is it an open wire kennel or an airline
plastic crate? This can make a difference, as these babies don't
do well in a dark enclosed area. It cuts off their sense of light
and dark and vibration. Smells may not come thro as well. We
always recommend an open wire crate. You say Poppy is crate
trained, so when did she start screaming in the crate?
Is your Husky she is aggressive with a male or female? What
exactly seems to start the aggression? How long has it been going
on?
A lot of what is going on with Poppy sounds like a training issue.
That is why I asked you what she knows as far as commands are
concerned. I would venture to guess everyone has been letting her
get away with some things, and now at 6 months old, you have
basically a wild teenager. You would have been best starting her
in basic puppy obedience when she was about 3 months old with a
trainer that was willing to work with special needs. Training is
still the best thing you can do, and you can start now (why were you
waiting for winter?).
As you found out, NEVER use a shock collar on these babies. They
do make a vibrating collar that many folks with deaf dogs use. I
have never tried one myself as most of mine are in the pool too
much! But with training, I understand they can work quite well.
I would be glad to talk with you directly about Poppy if you would
like. What state are you located in? We are in AZ. Depending
on where you live, there may also be someone in your area
knowledgeable about lethals that could contact you.
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I'm not sure that you are the right person to address these
questions to, but I will ask and if you can point me in the right
direction, I would really appreciate it. Ok, I adopted a red heeler
puppy from our local Humane Society. She was about 5 months old when
we got her and we named her Sydney, "Syd" for short. We were told
and it was obvious, that she was deaf. Her eyesight is fine, but she
is completely deaf. She had a skin rash on her head when we adopted
her that one of the volunteers that worked there thought was caused
by fleas. But, with closer inspection and some research, I started
to suspect mange! Well, I took her to the vet, for her shots and a
check up and I was right! However, which we are so lucky for, it was
the genetic form of mange, which is only passed from mother to pup
and would/could be passed on from Syd to her pups if we didn't fix
her, which we did two weeks ago. She only had 4 days left at the
shelter, because no one wanted to adopt her since she was deaf. And,
if they knew it was mange, she probably would have been euthanized
sooner. I wanted her and even struck a deal with the shelter, and
the volunteers paid for her spading, because they knew her time was
limited.
So, with two weekly shots and two pills a day, for the last month,
she is looking like a completely different dog! In the mean time, we
are trying to train her hand commands, which has gone ok, but not
great. Syd had free roam of our fairly large backyard that she
shares with our 6 year old yellow lab. Princess, the lab, and Syd,
get a long great. The play, wrestle, run
together as if they were best friends for ever. But, about a month
ago, Syd destroyed one of our lawn chairs, chewing up the straps and
ripping stuffing out of the cushion. With a heavy heart, I decided
that I need to put her on a generous chain, but one that will not
allow her too close to the things that she was destroying (she was
also digging up all my potted flowers, eating tomatoes off the vines
and ripping hot peppers off and playing with them all over the
yard!)
Now, Syd is chained up and has taken up barking. She doesn't bark at
nothing, it's always something specific that she has seen. However,
if she's asleep and Princess is barking, Syd won't make a sound,
because she can't hear a thing, she'll just keep on sleeping. We
have a chain link fence, (which I don't like, but we bought the
house in June and eventually we'll put up a privacy fence) and being
on a corner lot, with an alley behind she has three ways to see
what's walking/running/scurrying around the neighborhood. Last night
she was barking at 3:00 in the morning and I went to the window and
both she and princess were by the fence, so something was out there,
but I can't tell her to stop because she can't hear me and I didn't
want to go out there, since it was so late and dark.
I just need help. Princess is a quiet dog and I don't want our new
neighbors to start complaining about our new addition. I adore
Sydney and her earnestness to please. I'm just having a hard time
training her, since she's deaf and the hardest part is being
consistent. She is strictly an outdoor dog, even though we have
allowed both of the dogs to "check things out inside" much to the
chagrin of our two male indoor cats....!
How can I get her to stop barking? I don't want to put one of those
shock collars on her, because I think that's a cruel way to train a
dog. So, ANY suggestions you might have I will GREATLY appreciate
it!
Thank you for your time! Stephanie Decker
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Hi Stephanie,
The behavior you are seeing in Syd, chewing and digging, etc, is
part of puppy behavior and the "terrible teen" years. Of course,
Syd, being a cattle dog will be pretty hard headed too, but entirely
trainable. I am concerned as to you leaving your dogs out in the
back yard constantly. Why are they not allowed in the house? I
do not believe in chaining dogs as it is dangerous, not only can the
dog on the chain become entangled, a companion dog could also become
tangled in the chain with them. And they would be unable to escape
from immediate danger, like fire, flooding or a dog abuser. I
understand there many be some temporary situation where it may be
justified, but not something I would consider.
Of course Syd is barking because she is chained. That and not
being allowed to be in the house and part of the family is very hard
for a young active working dog. Her movements and exercise are
extremely limited and this is not good for her. I would suggest
you put the lawn furniture away (when unable to supervise) and build
a fence around your garden.......as for your potted plants, you
might want to consider putting a barrier around them like
chicken wire, or if they are small, is there an area you can put
them out of her reach? You can also try spraying Bitter Apple
(can get at any pet supply store) on areas she is chewing. This is
usually a good deterrent, but it depends on the dog, some it has no
effect on. If you catch her chewing on something inappropriate,
you need to get her attention (you can use a squirt bottle with
water) and sign her to stop. Then give her something it is ok to
chew on. This is just typical teenage behavior for a dog of Syd's
breed, and it can be corrected, if she is re-directed to do
something else.
As for the barking (assuming she is off the chain and barking at
passers-by), you will have to get her attention and give her your
"no bark" sign, or "stop" or whatever you are using. The problem,
as you have noted, is that you have a chain link fence, so anything
going by is a deterrent. My advice would be to keep the dogs in
the house when you are not there to monitor and at night. Because
Syd is young, you may have to confine her to a smaller area, like
your kitchen, laundry or bathroom. If you are not gone for
extended periods of time, you might try crating her. Depending on
age, dogs shouldn't be crated more than 2 to 4 hours at a time.
You have spent much time and love on Syd by taking care of her
physical problems and working on teaching her signs. I truly hope
you will allow her and Princess to join your family IN your house,
as well as outside.
Lorraine & the Ayres Gang
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Hi Lorraine, seven weeks ago we adopted a lethal
white male aussie, Oliver James. He was neutered and adopted at 8
mos. of age, but I think he may be about a year old. He is deaf and
seems to have fairly good vision, but the vet said that may worsen
over time. My problem with him is he has always lunged on the lead
and when he comes in the house he attacks whatever animal happens to
be standing there. It is usually over in a few seconds and we do try
to correct him, but it continues. Then, just recently, he started
growling at me if I wanted to adjust his collar or just want to love
on him. This will go on for a while, then he is his same old loving
self, then he will get grumpy again. This is our second lethal
white, and I had no problems with her. We have a houseful of rescue
cats that he loves. And 2 housedogs he is with all the time. The big
dogs live mostly in a spare room with their own yard and door. From
the beginning he has had his crate in this room and does go out with
them every morning since this is the only place he will poop! We
walk him out on a leash and he is 90% housebroken if we keep an eye
on him. Tapping him on the nose when he gets in these moods does
nothing for him. He still will slink around and growl. At first I
thought it was because once in a while I will let out a big dog or
two to come in the house and one in particular is a dominant dog
that will not hurt him, but will ignore him. Other than that, he
follows me everywhere, even when he gets grumpy, and is usually a
happy, silly, playful dog. We love him to pieces, and take him out
for rides in the car and give him a lot of one on one. Oh, and he is
really wonderful with the cats that live outside, but tries to
attack and bite our horses and goat. He is a funny little fellow,
but I wouldn't trade him for the world. I do want to get to the
bottom of his "issues" and all I know about his past was he was in
foster care for 6 weeks and a county pound before that. I love your
website, and wrote before when I lost our girl. I questioned the
sense in having a dog with a weak immune system, and was devastated.
You said, I would never know what could of been. That stuck with me
for months, and when I saw Oliver, I had to have him. Thank you so
much for caring, for helping these dogs. You touch a lot more hearts
than you realize. Laurie Morris |
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Hi Laurie,
It was good to hear from you again, and I'm glad you made the
decision to provide a forever home for another lethal white pup. I
feel you give me too much credit, tho, it is these babies that touch
people's hearts.....I'm just the messenger for them!
I will tell you I am not an expert on aggression at all, but have a
few ideas for you. I will ask my partners to please give you some
of their ideas and input for Oliver also.
Some dogs, for whatever reason, are horrible on a leash when other
dogs approach. These same dogs will run and play with other dogs
when taken off the leash. I don't know what causes this or why,
but it happens. You might want to put up your other dogs when you
come in the house with Oliver. Let him off the leash immediately,
and then allow him to interact with your other pups......or, if you
have an area you can go into first (like a laundry room or enclosed
porch) to take off the leash before opening the door. I would also
suggest a basic obedience class where he has to learn to sit and
stay when you say so. This way, if he decides to act up, you put
him in a "sit-stay" until you can remove the leash. You might also
consider trying the halti lead instead of the regular collar with
Oliver.
I am more concerned about him growling at you. Does he do this
when you are alone together, or are there other dogs or family
members present? If others are present, it is a dominant issue, i.e,
he doesn't want anyone else around when you are doing something with
him.....thinking it may make him feel that you are restraining him
and that he could not "protect" himself (he can't hear, so needs to
see where they are). Does he only do this when you touch/hug him
around his neck? You say this goes on for a while and then he is
his normal happy self. How long does this go on? What do you do
when he starts growling?
You can also train him to leave your horses and goat alone, but
it will take some time. Suffice to say he is not good with
livestock, so cannot be around them unsupervised.
Has he had a thorough vet check? The first thing to look at is to
make sure he is healthy, and not hurting anywhere, which would
require a physical exam. I would suggest a basic blood test to
make sure everything inside is ok. If you don't find any problems,
then you are looking at a behavior problem. Since you have no idea
what he went thro the first 6-7 months of his life, please remember
it may take some time to work things out and you (and all family
members) will have to be consistent.
Is he ok with all the other dogs (other than the leash issues), or
have there been fights? How many dogs do you have?
I would suggest a vet check up, then obedience classes. If you
continue to have problems with his growling when you are touching
him, I would consider consulting a professional behaviorist to see
if they can help out. You might also want to consider working with
a homeopathic vet to see if some herbal remedies may help him if
there are behavior issues involved.
Please let me know how Oliver is doing!
Lorraine & the Ayres Gang |
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Hi, My name is Terri and I hope you don't
mind my e-mailing you. I recently joined the blind/deaf dogs mail
list and happened to be online tonight when I caught your email
(about Kentucky Boy) as well as your web site link. I'm thinking
now that this was a stroke of luck or fate (not sure which) by being
on tonight. My sisters and I recently rescued a litter of 4
incredibly beautiful 6 week old Aussies while visiting my Mother in
Monticello, Kentucky. The environment they were in was terrible.
When we rescued them they were half starved and filled with worms,
fleas and ticks. With time, attention, food and love the two little
boys got their clean bill of health from my vet and now have a home
together for life. The situation is different for my little girls.
Angel is what you call a lethal white (double merle). The original
owner kept her isolated from the rest of the litter and was planning
on drowning her because she was useless. Her right eye is
undeveloped and she is blind in her left. During her recent visit
to my Vet I received a confirmation that she is deaf also.
Thankfully her little heart is good and strong and no murmur
is present. She is an absolutely wonderful girl and had my heart
and lifetime loyalty the first day I saw her isolated, alone in her
dark, silent world. Incredibly she is very social, although she
does sleep more than the others, and all in all I feel we saved her
before it could totally affect her behavior. The only thing I have
noticed it that she pays alot rougher than the others. When she
does bite too hard I pull my hand away from her (to the level of her
nose, so she can still smell me there, and I stop petting her with
my other hand. After a couple seconds I resume and she calms right
down. The biting is not as hard then. She still manages to show
her herding instinct by grabbing my pant leg and tugging when we
play and she even barks. Which I honestly though she would not be
able to do since she is deaf. Is this a natural instinct or maybe
she could hear at the very start then progressively lost it? Her
sister Kira is a lovely Blue and the sweetest thing. She has taken
to being my constant companion when I am home and where ever I go
she is usually not far behind. Even if it's laying near my bed at
night. My Veterinarian tested her and says she has a vision problem
also and it will progressively worsen until one day she will no
longer see even a shadow. Her hearing is good and strong so I have
that to work with over time. I guess my biggest concern is how to
train Angel with her inability to hear and see it makes the
challenge pretty fierce. I have been unable to locate any books
that addresses the combination of deafness and blindness, but I
refuse to give up. I have started using vibration and smell with
her and it works. Unfortunately, this is a first time experience
for Angel and I both. I am currently a Veterinarian technician
student so I have no difficulty accepting the responsibility and
love for Angel and Kira to do this. In the short time I have had
them they have become such a part of me, my life that I thank god
for putting them in my life as he has. I feel special to be chosen
but not sure of the direction at the same time. I have started a
journal all about this and hope to one day look back on it and say
look girls, look how far we have come.
Any advice you can give would be so
appreciated. I love this breed and find it so difficult the accept
that they can be treated so terribly. They are such a proud,
loveable, loyal and regal animal that if I could I would have many
more.
Any help I can be to the Aussie Rescue
will be given 100%. I live in Pennsylvania (the Harrisburg Area)
and can help out when you need me to. Be it rescuing, caring or
even driving please ask.
Thanks for your time in reading this long
worded note. I look forward to meeting and getting to know people
that have the same deep awareness, love and respect for any
creatures be they societally acceptable or what many feel are
disposable because of disability. We are all in it together and it
takes lots of love from but a few, to make up for the hurt and
insensitivity of many.
Thanks for all the incredible work you
do, as trying as it can be I know you do it out of love.
Teresa, Angel & Kira
Teresa Ana Durborow
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|
Hi Terri, It's always wonderful to "meet" another
lethal white mom (or dad) and to hear their story, even tho it made
me cry! I am so glad you were able to get all the pups out of
there....what a horrible, horrible situation! Sounds like a case
for owner euthanasia!
Your story did help confirm a few of my
theories. First of all the separation of a blind and deaf pup from
his/her littermates is inexcusable! I have heard some stories and
yours just confirms again that this what they do! This
causes OCD behavior problems, which come in many forms from circling
to chasing invisible flies. Over a period of time these behaviors
become worse, and at times may be impossible to stop. If not for
YOU, things would have continued to become worse for these babies!
My second theory is about nutrition for these kids. I believe that
the poor nutrition, PLUS all the other problems they had with worms
and ticks, etc, caused an effect in the development of their eyes
(not to mention their entire systems) The boys got lucky, but your
Kira's eyes obviously suffered the effects, as did Angel's, but
worse for her because of her genetics. BTW, what exactly is Kira's
vision problem? Cataracts?
Through my vet (she does holistic and
acupuncture also), I have just started working with adding Lutein to
the diet of all our lethals. It is a vitamin that will help with
the eyes. Because this is all new ground, we are not yet sure of
how effective it can be, but our Mesa 4 lethals have ALWAYS had
supplements added since birth. ALL of them had their eyes
completely formed, and only one of them has very little sight, BUT
he can hear. I think good nutrition, plus supplements give these
kids a chance at having the best development possible with genetic
defects.
The biting hard that Angel is doing is a
result of being isolated from the other pups! She did not learn to
play and interact until you saved them. You are doing the right
thing, as my Toes bit HARD and held on when we got her! You'll
find that will phase itself out as you work with Angel. As you've
noticed, all dogs can bark, whether they can hear themselves or
not! My Toes does hear some high pitched sounds, and her bark is
very high pitched, tho she can do a "big dog" bark when she wants.
I believe she barks at this level so she can hear herself (took me a
while to figure this out!). My Hope is totally deaf, and has a
regular dog bark. How much hearing they have is determined when
they are born. The genetics of the double merle gene (MM) cause
the parts of the inner ear not to form. My vet says they actually
do not have those parts, which is why they cannot hear. I would
assume my Toes may have some malformed parts, as she can hear some
things. Anyway, they do not lose their hearing as they grow, they
only have what they were born with.
The reason you can't find any books on
deaf and blind dogs is because there aren't any (I should write one,
huh?)! You will have to use touch signals with Angel. Is there any
possibility she sees light and dark, or maybe shadows? Always have
a light on at night, especially when she has to go out to potty,
make sure porch light is on. Leave some lights on in a dark
hallway.....if there is some vision, that will help her navigate. I
am listing some that I use with Toes and Marco, but you can add more
and make up your own. What is important is that you are consistent
(as you'll have to train all members of your 2-legged family) with
the signals. You'll find she'll learn very quickly!
Touch to right or left
shoulder......means pay attention, turn this way (depending on
what shoulder you touch)
One finger rub forward under
chin............means come forward
Rub right (or left
ear)...................means good girl/boy
Touch to rear
end........................means sit
Touch between shoulder
blades.....means lie down
Hand flat on top of
head.................means get down (if jumping on you or
counter when older!)
One finger tap across top of
nose (2 times).............means quit doing that
Hand flat on
chest...........................means stay.
It is very important that
you touch her a lot. She needs to know she is cared for and
loved, and by touching you are telling her this. Of course
lots of hugs and kisses help too. Always wake her up from
sleep with a gentle touch to the body. I usually touch the
shoulder, but if I am reaching in the kennel and the hip is
closer, I touch that first........depends how far you want to
crawl in the kennel! And speaking of kennels, I recommend the
open wire ones, as not only to they allow for air flow (these
kids get hot quickly), they allow for the senses to be used.
Those plastic airline crates are not good for them, will make
them feel boxed in.
You can use your hand to
gently guide her the direction you want her to go when she is
walking. She will get the idea after a while. I use this to
help the pups to the door and get them to where it will
open....just kind of "steer" her with your hand. I also use
this to "guide" them to the food bowl, but the sense of smell
helps lots here!!
I know you'll do just fine, as you
have already started in the right direction! A few books you
might want to try are "Living with a Deaf Dog" by Susan Cope
Becker, "Hear, Hear A Guide to Training a Deaf Puppy" by Barry
Eaton, and "Living with Blind Dogs" by Caroline D. Levin, R.N.
The other thing I'd like you to do is
start both the girls on Lutein. You can buy it at any health
food store and it comes in gel caps or dry capsules. The girls
should be at least 3 months old and you should give 20 mg (one
capsule) once a day. It will take several months for you to
notice an improvement, but you will....I hope!
Thank you for your offer to help
these babies! If you would like us to add you to our Lethal
White Contacts page
http://www.aussielads.com/contact_us.htm let me know. You
can add your phone # if you like, it's optional. If you could
help with pulling a pup and temporary foster, that would be
great! Let me know if you are also available for that.
Thank you for all your
caring and support! We couldn't do this without wonderful people
like you! Give the girls a kiss from all of us! Please send
pictures soon! And if you're ever in AZ, we'd love to meet you
in person! Please stay in touch!
Lorraine & the Ayres Gang
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Hello! About a year a go I was considering
adopting a dog from you (her name was Hope) but was told at the time
that you usually don't do out of state adoptions (though it could be
possible) in the long run we decided to wait to try to adopt the
"perfect one". Well after several month of contact with
a rescue (where I had adopted my other dog from in December 2002) I
finally decided that it was time to adopt Scout a Blue Merle "Lethal
white" Australian Shepherd. He is a year and a half old; he is
blind and we believe he is deaf in one ear and has limited hearing
in the other. (the one which we think he is deaf in is solid white
with no pigment) I am planning to start Obedience training with him
soon and was wondering if there was anything "special" I need to
do? I have had experience with training deaf dogs, but never one
who was blind. Would just using voice commands be adequate? Or
should I work on teaching him touch commands to? Any help would be
greatly appreciated! Amanda Garman |
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Hi Amanda! Don't know if you checked our website
out, but I ended up adopting Hope! She was my foster and my hubby
couldn't let her go. She is doing agility training currently, and
isn't doing too bad....a little bit over enthusiastic (read no stay
command) if anything!
I am so glad you were able to give Scout
a loving home. All dogs are perfect of course, they just have to
find the right family for them! You can work with Scout using both
touch and verbal commands. Since he can hear, he will very quickly
learn the touch commands you are associating with his verbal ones.
How does he respond to you at home? Do you use voice and touch or
just voice? Sometimes the problem these pups can have is when
hearing is limited to one ear, they will be able to hear you, but
not be able to tell which direction your voice is coming from. I'm
listing some of the touch commands I use with my blind and deaf
kids, but you can create your own that work best for you and Scout.
Touch to right or left
shoulder......means pay attention, turn this way (depending on
what shoulder you touch)
One finger rub forward under
chin............means come forward
Rub right (or left
ear)...................means good girl/boy
Touch to rear
end........................means sit
Touch between shoulder
blades.....means lie down
Hand flat on top of
head.................means get down (if jumping on you or
counter when older!)
One finger tap across top of
nose (2 times).............means quit doing that
Hand flat on
chest...........................means stay.
The nice thing about obedience
training is they want the dog to stay close to you and heel.
This is good position to allow you to use touch commands, as
they are right there. Also, I bet Scout will tune right in with
your leg movements and know just where you want him to be! The
hardest command will probably be "come" but if you stay close
enough for him to determine where your voice is coming from you
should have no problem. Distance will be an issue with that
command tho, as he may come in the right direction, but may be
off to one side or the other.
Before you start class, I would work
with some basic commands at home, like sit (that's the easy one)
stay and down. You can try your come command and see how far
away you can get before he cannot determine just where your
voice is coming from. Then when you start class you'll have an
idea of what to expect, and what you can work on (as well as
what's not going to work!) Please let me know how he does in
obedience (bet he does lots better than some hearing/seeing
dogs!) Send us a pix if you have one....we'd love to see him!
Lorraine & the Ayres Gang
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Hi Lorraine
I have a 8 month lethal and I'm concerned about her eyes in the summer.
What kind of eyewear is the best? Belle (We call her "Gomee") can see
but is totally deaf. I have 2 other Aussies and they keep a close eye
on her, but she loves to hang out in the yard with the other dogs and I
would like to get something to protect her eyes. Is there something I
can put on her little pink nose also? Is there a certain kind of
sunscreen that you would recommend? Belle is my first lethal Aussie and
she is the best! Any information you could provide would be
appreciated!
Lydia Cook Spooner, WI |
|
Hi Lydia! What an ADORABLE baby picture of Gomee!
Congratulations on your "new" family member! Who/where did you
adopt her from??
Ok, as for the eyewear, you can buy
Doggles, BUT unless you are walking Gomee, where she has some
supervision, she will just run outside and rub them off, so they are
not going to work for playtime in the yard. If she would wear a
cap that would shade her eyes, that would help also, but it will
probably end up hanging around her neck! The best you can do is try
to keep her out of the sun the brightest part of the day, and if you
are doing something with her, try to keep the sun behind her so she
is not staring into it. If you take her in the car on a bright
day, do not let her sit and look out a window the sun is shining
in. Early mornings and evenings are the best time for her to spend
time outside. Also winter will be easier on her than summer, as the
sunlight is not as intense.
Be sure to check her eyes once and a
while, and if they ever turn green, get her to the eye vet
immediately, as that is a sign of Uveitis! The sooner she is
treated, the less chance she has of her eye (s) being permanently
damaged. I would also recommend a check-up by a certified
Ophthalmologist for Gomee just to make sure there are no potential
problems. This will also give your vet a baseline to work with for
any potential future problems. Here is a link to our eye clinic
site.
http://www.eyecareforanimals.com You can read about Uveitis and
other problems by clicking on the "eye conditions" bar. Uveitis can
happen to any dog, not just lethals. I am also attaching part of an
article by C.A. Sharp (Aussie geneticist) that describes some of the
problems that can occur in lethals (homozygous merles is the
"politically correct" term) and a definition of the terms used.
We recommend you give Gomee a vitamin
called Lutein. You can find it in any health food store....and
maybe your local drugstore depending. You should give one 20 mg
capsule a day for the rest of her life. It has helped my Hope and
Toes and many of our lethals with their eyes. It usually takes a
couple of months, but for pups with less perfectly formed eyes, it
has helped with the dilation of the pupil, enabling them to see
better. My Hope's eyes were quite starburst when she was young,
but now since the Lutein, I've noticed the pupil does not appear to
be spread out as much as when she was younger. My Toes, who has
very little vision out of one eye, now can see a bit more as her
pupil contracts and dilates a lot better. We could tell she was
"seeing" better when she started barking at more shadows! This was
recommended by my homeopathic vet, and is still "experimental"
because we just started putting all our lethals on it. The best
part is it is not harmful, so if it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt
either. This is also good if one of your other pups decides to eat
it....just a vitamin, no harm done!
For my Hope's pink nose, I just got baby
sunblock 50 SPF and apply often, depending on how much time she is
in the pool. Gomee will probably lick at it a bit, but it should be
heavy enough to provide some protection. I just bought the highest
SPF I could find in the smallest bottle I could find! Sorry
this was kind of long, but I hope it has helped! Hugs and kisses to all the furkids! Lorraine & the
Ayres Gang |
|
Hi Lorraine, I have just
brought Keller home to foster. He is a lethal white Aussie (I
think). He is six months old, mostly white with blue merle
patches, and tiny blue eyes that aren't visible most of the time.
He seems to be able to distinguish light and dark but not to see
anything else. He doesn't respond when I flash a flashlight near
his face, but he does go toward windows and wags his tail when the
light comes on in the morning. He asks to go out by sitting or
standing up against a door with a big window in it. He is totally
deaf. He was left tied to the door of the local humane society and
spent six weeks there with a very loving staff. When they realized
that he was both blind and deaf they looked for a foster home that
could provide the love and training he needed. Although I have
never trained a blind or deaf dog before I brought him home on New
Year's Eve. He is a delight! He is so smart and loving and
beautiful. In less than a week he is housebroken, has learned sit
on touch command, is working on down, and he runs through the house
and yard with joyous abandon. He rarely has a hard collision,
although most of the time I'd like to put bumpers on his little
head.
I have really appreciated the
information you provide on this website. I have so many questions!
I don't want to overwhelm you but I hope you can give me some
guidance as I work with Keller. He is so smart and so confident I
want to do the right things to keep him that way.
He was a very docile and cuddly
pup at the shelter, but he has just finished treatment for worms and
coccidia. He has become an extremely active and independent pup.
He still likes the occasional cuddle but doesn't seek it all the
time the way he did. Should this concern me?
His high activity level has been
fine when I was home from work this week and could walk and play
with him to tire him, but when I go back to work I don't know what
to do. He will either have to be crated for 7 hours a day or learn
to be quiet at work with me. ( I teach college) I bought a portable
pet home to bring to the office with me. He will go into it if I
put food in it, but if I confine him he barks and howls and throws a
temper tantrum. I don't let him out while he is barking and
eventually he will bark himself to sleep. He is getting better
about being confined in a wire crate. He stays there at night and
when I can't supervise him. He is just too active to be allowed
loose in the house when I can't watch him--I'm afraid he will get
hurt in the middle of one of his antics (like walking across the top
of the couch). How can I get him to tolerate being confined and
should I even try to confine him? I have tried to get a network of
friends who will "Keller sit" for a couple of hours during the day
on a rotating schedule. Is this a good idea or will he become
insecure or wildly disoriented? I have also enrolled him in a
"pre-agility class" designed for puppies. I think he can do this
and it will reinforce his confidence.
He lives in a household
with 6 other dogs. He plays very roughly with them. When they
signal their displeasure with a growl or hard look, he, of course,
can't recognize it, so he gets a correction that sends him screaming
across the room. Most of my dogs are rescues and some come with
baggage of their own, so two of them are never in the same part of
the house with him. My largest collie, Keri, runs away from Keller
and sometimes hides in his crate. Never to be daunted, Keller
follows him into the crate, still biting and jumping on him until I
remove Keller from Keri. How can I get him
to be gentler in play? Right now no one wants to be his buddy
because he's so rough. He isn't aggressive, but I would say he is a
dominant personality.
I train only with positive
methods and he responds very well to this approach. I wish he could
hear a clicker! I apologize for such a long message. Thank you so
much for all that you do to help dogs like Keller. Bille Wickre Albion, Michigan
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Hi Bille! First of all, congratulations on your new
family member! As you have already figured out, being blind and
deaf is not a problem for Keller! I'll bet he has learned even
more in a week! I am sorry I did not respond more quickly, but it
has been a little crazy here with pups getting adopted, as well as
more rescues coming in!
The difference you are seeing between
Keller at the shelter and at your home is because now he is free to
be himself and not kenneled most of the time. Of course a sick
puppy is always a bit more quiet and needing of attention. At the
shelter he took as much as he could from the limited time that could
be spent with him. Now that he can have a hug any time he wants,
he is free to be a puppy again! He knows you are there and is
comfortable with that, so now he is off to have fun. Because all
dogs have different personalities, it is hard to tell if he will be
a cuddler or not. Some are, some aren't. Sometimes they have to
learn that cuddling is wonderful because they weren't
cuddled as babies. My Toes is not really a cuddle-type. She likes
to be with you and she sleeps on the bed (taking up most of the
king-size bed at about 42#), but she doesn't usually sleep right
next to us. Hope and Marco, like to get up on the sofa and curl up
with you, which Toes doesn't usually do. On the bed they like to
sleep right up against us. All three were raised from puppies, but
they all came from different backgrounds, with Toes having had the
worst past. So the answer is it shouldn't concern you, he will find
his own place with you as he grows and realizes he is finally home.
As for confining Keller, other than the
shelter, which is not a good atmosphere for blind and deaf dogs, who
knows how much he was confined. This is very bad for any dog, but
much worse when they are blind and deaf, as it limits their senses,
and you may always have some problems with it, depending on his
past. Toes was so bad, she screamed bloody murder in the crate and
did not stop. She was housebroken by sleeping on the bed with us
(no one got much sleep for many months). She still hates the crate
and will scream, BUT, she is ok in an X-pen. That confines her
when we do events, but she still has room to walk around and I think
that is the difference. If you can, try confining Keller to an
X-pen in your office. Another option you might have, depending on
the size, is to confine him with a baby gate to a smaller area.
You can also try confining him to a "safe" area of the house when
you are gone, with a baby gate. One caution, you must
consider his safety when it comes to your other dogs! VERY
IMPORTANT when deciding how and where to confine him. Of
course you must make sure there is no trouble he can get into.....altho
they tend to find some anyway. In our old house, we confined the
pups to the kitchen with a baby gate....plenty of room to move, but
nothing to get hurt with. I think having your friends baby-sit is
great for Keller. It is giving him plenty of socialization and
getting used to other people....this is one of the best things you
can do for him. Also, you are right on about the pre-agility class,
and it is not just for him, it is for YOU too! The both of you are
learning new things together, so you will have a bond and an
understanding between each other. VERY good for his confidence
level too!
Hopefully, when he is adjusted to your
house and housebroken AND out of the chewing stage, you won't need a
crate for him, but that will take some time.
As for your other pups, you will have to
monitor their reactions around Keller. He will learn when one of
them wants to be left alone, and a little nip is no big deal. You
have to make sure your dog (s) don't aggressively go after him.
And because you have 6 other dogs, you always have to be on top of
things and NEVER let them have a chance to gang up on Keller.....you
know their personalities, so you know who to keep separate, etc.
BUT, it is not all on your other dogs either. Here is another
example of not knowing what background Keller came from. One of
our foster dogs (not in my care), Scrappy, came to us as an only dog
who did not have doggy manners, with people OR dogs. He was let to
get away with too much as a pup, because his family was not quite
sure what to do with him (tho they loved him very much). As an
only dog, he did not learn to play correctly with other dogs. He
has been steadily improving in foster care, and is learning from his
foster brother (also an Aussie) about doggy manners, as well as from
his foster family. He has made wonderful progress!
You need to set limits for Keller. If
Keller could hear and see, would you let him chase Keri into his
kennel? Ok, well you need to tell Keller "NO", that is not
ok to do that to Keri! That is Keri's crate, and only he should be
allowed in it....do not let Keller go in there, stop him from
chasing Keri in! When Keller starts getting too rough, you need to
stop him right away and tell him "NO". Usually a few taps on the
nose will do it, but you might also try a squirt bottle! A couple
of squirts should make him stop the behavior. If he continues to
play rough and ignore you (and he will try to get away with it),
then Keller needs a "time out". Usually this is a short time (5 to
10 min) in the crate, and a toy or goodie he likes in there with
him. After he has settled, let him out and see if he starts up
again. If he does, he gets another "time out". If the crate is a
problem, then he should be separated from the others in an X-pen or
baby-gated room until he settles. You have to remember your dogs
need some free time from Keller also, and they still need your love
and attention, so be sure to maintain whatever schedule you have for
them and do not devote 99% to Keller.
A lot of what Keller is doing (with the
rough play and such) is because he is becoming an adult and trying
to find his "place" in your pack. This needs to be the "right"
place for the whole pack, or you will have problems down the road.
Do NOT let Keller get away with things just because he is blind and
deaf. Remember, he has that Aussie personality, and he is going to
see just how far he can go. YOU need to be the dominant personality
in your house!
Eventually he will figure things out, and
that there are rules.....yours as well as the other pups.
Sometimes one (or more) of my bunch just gets to the "idiot" stage
and then the mom has to remind them all of the rules again! They
all get a "time-out"!
I don't know how much of the website you
were on, but there are some touch commands I listed in response to
another question. They are in the 4th response on the "Ask
Lorraine" page. Of course you can make up you own as needed, but
hopefully this gives you a place to start.
Again, let me apologize for taking so
long to answer, but I needed some uninterrupted time to answer all
your questions. I hope this was not too much for you to read
through, and that it has been of some help. Please keep in touch,
would love to know how Keller is adjusting, as these kids are just
so amazing....they will never stop surprising you........my partner
is still trying to figure out how my blind and deaf Toes gets away
with acting as if she can see and hear! We're not telling either!
Take care....hugs to all yours and some
special hugs to Keller! Lorraine & the Ayres Gang
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Follow-Up Response:
Lorraine, you are so great! I am soooo glad I wrote you.
All of your advice is wise, and also very
validating for me. I have made sure that Teek
has alone time with me every day, and more importantly, the
bed has remained his alone. Although one day Meka will be
big enough to jump up, for now it is Teeks' and Teek's
alone. I haven't even put Meka on there for brief moments.
So, like your Molly, Teek just heaves big martyred sighs and
retreats to the bedroom and the bed where no Mekas can
venture! Its pretty funny, actually. And always I take an
extra few minutes just for Teek after I crate Meka at
night. Teek sleeps with me, so that hasn't been affected at
all. I am hoping by the time Meka gets big enough to jump
on the bed, Teek will happily share it. I had another
rescue for a year....a wonderful, wonderful dog Teek's size
(big) and Teek shared the bed happily with Mr. BoBailey (now
THAT is a great story.....suffice it to say my Bo was
tragically killed on October 21, which oddly enough is the
very day four years ago that I found Teek as a starving 20
or 21 day old pup, AND the day, or at least in the week of,
when the Vet thinks Meka was born. How's THAT for
cosmic!!! I am destined to have starving, abandoned male
dogs in my life, all of whom take up more space in my heart
than I ever knew even was possible!!!!! I think Bo's spirit
is in that little body of Meka!
I like your idea of the doggie playpen alot. I do have a crate for Meka, a large one (a kennel actually) that is very comforting to him...but I can see how the playpen would offer an even different set of boundaries. Meka is very smart, I am blown away by how quickly he learns.....so I think he would respond well to his own playpen, and understand its purpose Its REALLY good to hear you say that about him peeing after playing. Honest to God, I was going to have the vet check him for a bladder infection! I have never SEEN a dog pee this much....but then, I have never seen this hyper of a puppy either! Teek was wayyyyyyyyyy calmer than Meka. I think that's why he trained fast.....he was so predictable I was always able to take him out when I knew he had to go. I think Meka is getting it (especially in the last two days) but he plays SO hard, that even if I had just taken him out, he pees again. This time on the carpet! So it helps alot to realize that play=pee. I will be able to intervene much better now....THANK YOU! I am ALWAYS happy to share
pictures. Well, sorry to make this so long. Its just so much fun to get your message and hear about Holly and Molly, and to clearly hear your love for your dogs through your words. All those lethal whites are so very lucky. Thanks again for the advice, Debra (Teek and Meka too) I'll send you an updated picture of Meka when he grows a little bit! And thanks for the advice on his eyes...I will definitely follow through with that. |
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Hi Lydia and Jim, I do remember meeting you at the
Oncologist's! I had my Josie (BC) there for lymphoma and
unfortunately it did not go well. I should have stopped the
treatments after the 2nd one. Don't think I'll be doing that type
of chemo ever again. I lost my Jo December 18, 2002.
I am so glad to hear Keller is doing so
well...except for his eye problem. You are very lucky to have him
happy and healthy for so many years.
Ok, now to the eyes of lethal whites.
I'm sure the eye doc told you that because of the genetics, they are
more delicate than a normal Aussie eye. One of the problems is
that the blood vessels are close to the surface and not as protected
as they should be. That is why there was so much bleeding into his
eye. Normally blood in the eye for these guys is caused by
Uveitis, which is treated with a steroid drop or ointment, and
depending on the severity, some oral prednisone. Since Keller has
a scratch on his cornea, they cannot use the steroids, as it will
make it worse and be very painful. The most important thing is to
get the bleeding to stop. Once it has stopped it might take quite a
while (months) for the blood to clear up. During this time, Keller
cannot see because of all the blood....the doc can't see thro it
either. A few things to worry about (along with stopping the
bleeding) are the eye pressure (sometimes the ducts between the
front and back part of eye become blocked and fluid cannot move out
of the area causing pressure to build up in the eye), and the other
problem is scarring from all the inflammation in the eye can cause
the pupil to no longer expand and contract (somehow it gets adhered
to something in the eye...I can't remember quite how), and that will
cause blindness.
If the eye doc can get the bleeding to
stop and maintain stability in the eye, and also keep the pupil
expanding and contracting, once the blood clears out of Keller's
eye, he should be able to see again. Depending on the
condition and healing of the eye, he may only lose some
sight........or he could lose all sight in that eye. I can speak from experience, as my
Sage lost all vision in her good eye due to Uveitis which became bad
so quickly, her eye was full of blood. It took several months to
clear up the blood, but now she is unable to see, as the pupil can
no longer expand and contract. However, she is pretty much her old
self and gets around very well (she can hear tho). It does not
seem to have affected her much, as she cheap-shots Zach (our
obnoxious dobie mix boy), and sometimes the others, depending.
Guess what I'm saying here is they can adjust to the blindness,
especially if they are in an environment they know well. What you
will have to do is work with touch commands for Keller......he will
learn quickly, believe me!
Something else you should do is start
Keller on an eye vitamin. My vet (who does holistic medicine along
with the regular stuff) put Sage on Premier Formula for Ocular
Nutrition, which is made by Hi Health. It is a Lutein formula
blend, and my vet said one of the few that had proven results. I
am giving Sage (40#) 2 capsules a day, and I know it helped clear up
the blood in her eye and stabilize it. I recommended to a family in
Calif. whose pup had the same problem as Sage, and his last report
to me is that the blood is starting to clear out of her eye!
We are recommending that all our lethals
take Lutein, just the regular vitamin....can be found in any health
food store, and Walgreen's is now carrying it! The dose is 20mg
once a day for pups 3 months and older. The good part about it is
that if it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt them in any way....it's a
vitamin. We have just started working with Lutein, and I and
others have seen results (takes a few months) in the vision
(improving) because the pupil appears to be dilating out more. It
has helped both my Toes (who is mostly blind) and my Hope (starburst
pupils). We are the first to try this, as it was new to my vet
too......she did the research when I asked her if there was anything
I could do to help improve on bad genetics. The Ocular Formula is
for serious eye problems, tho it can be used as a daily vitamin too.
Sorry this got kind of long, but there
was a lot of information I wanted to give you. Please let me know
what the eye doc said about Keller's eye. In the meantime, try to
incorporate some touch commands in with his daily routine. There
is no reason why Keller cannot enjoy his old age with or without his
sight! Please let me know how he's doing! Lorraine &
the Ayres Gang
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My daughter found your website and told me
about it. This site is great. My family and I have a
6 year old lethal white named Dakota that was born
deaf and her eyes were slow in opening. Her eyes are blue and
her pupils are weird shaped. She did have sight though. She remained
in our family with her mother. She is loveable, friendly, not a mean
bone in her body. Now for my question. From the time she was a year or
two old she has had eye problems--i.e.. the
right eye would become green and cloudy. We doctored
her for it with eye ointment and steroids
prescribed by our vet. It would clear up and it would eventually come
back. Sometimes in a few weeks and other
times several months would pass. There were a few
times it would turn an orangish red after the green
stage but it would clear up with the medicines prescribed. Last
year in August (2002), her right eye turned
red and would not clear up. I was able to finally
get her into Med-Vet in Columbus, OH, to an eye
specialist but by the time they were able to see her her sight was gone
and they said the pressure in her eye was great and recommended
removing the eye. We had our vet remove the eye and
she has done great. In no time at all she was her
old self--running with her mom in the fields,
swimming in our pond and generally enjoying being
able to do whatever she wanted like rolling in cow
paddies, getting along with our two cats, riding in
our old pickup, etc. All good things I guess must
come to an end cause on Saturday, Oct 4, I noticed
her eye had turned the green
color. I treated her like our vet had told me to do til I could get her
to him. On Sunday, I went outside to check on her (she is an outside
dog, she likes to come into the house but likes to go right back out)
and her eye had turned red. I called the vet on Monday morning and took
her over that morning. He gave her a shot and gave me more ointment and
steroid pills to give her. By Friday her eye had changed but not for
the better. We contacted Med-Vet again but
their eye specialist would be out til Wednesday
(l0/l5). I take her there at 4:00. Anyway, I am
afraid she has lost the sight in that eye as well. Have you heard of
this condition in any of your other puppies.
And if you have what has been their treatment. We
love our Dakota and we will do whatever we need to
do to help her live a good life. I do know she sees some light
at night but whether that will continue I
don't know. She is a great friend. She loves to be
loved and you know she loves you back. I know this
is a long message but I wanted to give you as much
info as I could. I feel our vet has done his best.
With her genetic makeup he
says it is hard to tell what is going on with her eye. If you have any
answers or suggestions for us please let us
know. I appreciate your time and this great website. Rita Weaver Laurelville, OH rjw
@ dragonbbs.comHi Rita, I am sorry to hear about Dakota's eye
problems. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in lethals. The problem is
that with the malformation of the eye, the blood vessels are very close to the
surface and more fragile than in a regular eye. This condition persists, even
tho the eyes in some lethals can look "normal". 
(Proud
mama...its obnoxious, but I can sense a kindred spirit in
you. Feel free to send pictures of YOUR brood!) Just for fun I
am attaching a picture of TEEK about a week after I found him,
and a picture of him now. Teek is a miracle story and a miracle
dog. Maybe we all feel this way about our dogs, but honestly,
everyone who meets Teek says the same thing: "He is not really a
dog....he is a boy in furry clothes." The most anyone ever
conceded was that Teek is a dog; he just doesn't KNOW he is a
dog! Might have something to do with my having carried him for
four weeks in a papoose type sarong so he had a heartbeat next
to him all the time (he went to work with me for a whole year
after I found him). Teek, by the way is short for Teekona,
which is the Athabascan word for wolf. I found him in an
Athabascan village in Alaska and even as a puppy he had HUGE
teeth and looked like a wolf when he would bare his teeth (which
as a puppy he did OFTEN. Now he is gentle as the rain).