I live with an awesome 3 legged dog called Shania. The name Shania is of Native American 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 loved 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.
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. Husky Shania has no problems getting up on furniture. Getting down, however, is a totally different matter.
Often, Shania will jump or climb up onto raised surfaces and have problems getting down. We really do not want our 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.
When Shania gets up on furniture, I no-mark her (Ack Ack) and carry her down right away. Then, I prevent her from going up again. It is best to catch her and no-mark her before she actually jumps up. In this way, I can give her an alternate command and reward her for doing a Down on the floor.
From this, she learns that …
Jump on furniture = Get carried down right away, but
Rest nicely next to the couch = Nice rewards and affection.
2. Every Dog Needs a Good Scratch
3 legged dogs may have difficulty getting to certain parts of their body.
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 our 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 rigorously, 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. I also regularly clean her ears to help prevent ear scratching and infection.
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 more strain on her single front leg.
Because of their missing limb, three legged dogs have a different gait than regular dogs. For example, Shania is more comfortable moving at a faster pace. When she 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. 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.
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.
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.
This website is great,just reading and learning helps out,our Roxy!thank you
My dog broke her leg and under the cast the skin got infected, and It didn’t turn out well. She needed her leg amputated, but she’s only 8 months old. How do I make sure she’s okay the first week or two.
Our family has a 6 month old Doxie with a front leg missing from a birth defect.We adopted him a 8 weeks after the breeder had inquired about having him put to sleep.Our Kippy is absolutely delightful.He is very energetic and keeps up with our older dogs fine.He is a mini doxie and about 8# but is able to jump on our sofa.He barks to get down.I recommend a 3 legged dog to anyone.We are very pleased with our new addition.
Hi, I have a 4,1/2 month old Siberian Husky named Jenna. I came home from work yesterday and found her laying down with her front leg barely attached to her , I took her to and emergency Vet hospital and they told me they have tO amputate it I feel horrible it seems the her little paw went through the 1 inch fence oPening and our neighbors dog got a hold of it and
mangled it. I’m suppose to pick her up tomarrow and. I have no clue what to do when I bring her home is there any advice u can offer and would you know if there’s any organizations that can help me out?
Hiya, sadly I have to tell you that Tim was put to sleep on MOnday, he had ongoing problems with glands swollen, he is sleeping peacefully now. I miss him terribly.
Thank you for your kind words after his operation. YOu were a great source of comfort for me during a difficult time. My heart aches for him, but I know he is looking down and his heart will be with me forever. x
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.
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. 😀
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! 🙂
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!
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.