Big hugs to your boy.

I talk about many of my experiences with Shania in the article above, and some of them may apply to another dog, while some will be less so. One of the most important lessons I learned from my Shiba Inu, is to be flexible and to listen to my dogs. I make sure to modify training techniques to suit their temperament, their needs, and based on what they say to me through their body language and behavior.

Is there something in particular that you feel is very different for a dog that is missing his back leg? If so, please let me know so that I can add that into the article.

Thanks and big hugs to your new furry companion!

My boyfriend and I recently adopted a 1 year old 3 legged dog in Thailand. Your advice is extremely helpful but I’m curious if its entirely applicable because our guy is missing one of his hind legs. Thoughts?

Thanks again,
Cam

How is Scoobert doing?

One thing that helped with Shania after the amputation is that we had a potty pad area for her in the house. In this way, she only had to walk a few steps to get to it. Size is an issue though, because we don’t want the pads to slip and slide. We had a potty pad holder, but I am not sure if those will be big enough for a Great Dane.

Another possibility is to get a tarp or something similar (i.e. something that doesn’t absorb smell and that we can throw away later). My breeder does that when she has puppy litters. She secures a tarp really well onto the floor, and if the puppies go on the tarp, it is much easier to clean, and she can just throw the whole thing out after the puppies are grown.

Sometimes, though, the dog may not even want to get up. My Sibe, Shania got bitten by a rattlesnake recently, and she spent a couple of days in the emergency hospital. They told us she did not want to get up at all the first day and a half. They just let her do her stuff in-place (on towels), and then gave her a bath after she started to feel better.

In terms of recovery, that is probably very variable. Shania had a very short recovery time because she was very young and still small, when the amputation was performed. I would chat with his vet and see what he says. Also, check-out http://tripawds.com/forums/ . A lot of good information there and many people who have gone through the same thing.

Hugs to Scoobert. Let us know how he is doing when you have the time.

The trouble I had with regular harnesses is that many of them would not stay on properly. The extra material of the Ruffwear helped it to stay on more securely, whereas the lighter weight harnesses often did not stay in place (because of the missing leg).

However, Shania is a much bigger dog, and it may be different with a smaller Pomeranian. Let us know how it goes.

He absolutely loves playing fetch and would go on forever if you allowed him to. We also average at least 2 walks a day, ranging somewhere between .75 to 1.25 miles (each walk).

That is so good to hear that he has finally caught a break and found a great home and a great companion.

Shania sends many magical licks!

His leg was amputated 2 years ago, so he’s adjusted to it already and can out-run most of the other dogs we encounter in the fenced yard in my apartment complex. He absolutely loves playing fetch and would go on forever if you allowed him to. We also average at least 2 walks a day, ranging somewhere between .75 to 1.25 miles (each walk).

Thank you again. This has become my ‘go to’ location for any questions I have while still learning what I need to be sure to do to make sure he has the best home possible.