Show us your pets!

[skhill]

Joe, in one of his favorite spots. (Sorry about the bad focus; I needed more coffee, maybe.)

[Nick]

Santa's Little Helpers, Sylphide and Amor Christmas Day 2011.

Sylphide, 8 years old, is on the left. Her eyes are a little glazed since she's on pain meds right now. She fractured her foot -- I have no idea how. She's very rambunctious and always active -- so it must have been in one of her wild races and leaps. Amor, to the right, is 5 1/2, and also very active. I adopted him from a local rescue when he was 18 months old, the victim of severe neglect. His ears were in such horrifying, irreparable condition that they had to be removed (from the inside, and sewn back up so you can't tell). This means our little guy is deaf but you wouldn't know it. He's a trooper, and is well trained to hand commands. It took me a lot of time to teach him to come when called though! He responds to hand claps, gestures and finger points. They are my babies...

[bmccasland]

Nick,
Such cute babies! So glad that Amor has a good forever home, and obviously a good vet.

I had a dog that went deaf with age, and I was so glad that I used hand signals while training her when she was younger. At night I signaled her it was time to come in by flashing the porch light. But during the day, getting her attention when her back was turned to me was difficult.

[Nick]

Thanks, Beth! Re:

At night I signaled her it was time to come in by flashing the porch light. But during the day, getting her attention when her back was turned to me was difficult.

The flashing light is a great idea! Amor has had a Total Ear Canal Ablation and Bulla Osteotomy (both ears). He doesn't hear regular sounds and voice, but seems to hear loud claps and bangs. So I use a hand clap to get his attention. He never knows where the location of a sound comes from -- he just seems to hear a faint something and starts looking around to see what it is. He's doing an amazing job compensating with vision. He's much more visually alert than most dogs, who rely on their hearing. If I'm up and about, Sylphide might be snoozing and not really paying attention unless she hears me open something or do something that interests her. Amor, on the other hand, pays very close attention to everything I do to make sure he's not "missing out".

[pll]

Nick: those are great, cool, names for your dogs! They are very cute.

[Reesha]

Today James and I adopted "Walter" and brought him home. A shy rescue dog to match our other shy rescue dog, although Walter is much more timid. He hasn't been as anxious at home as he was at the Humane Society and he is settling in nicely. He's already decided that the tempur-paedic mattress in our guest bedroom is the comfiest thing he's ever felt! Walter came from a hoarder rescue... 100 malnourished dogs with sarcoptic mange and no fur! He had been at the Humane Society since August. James fell in love with him upon sight, but we spent the weekend mulling it over.

What a handsome man!

[pll]

Walter is a beauty, Reesha! Love his eyes.