Meet Penny! – Oh My Canine!

Meet Penny, this beautiful lady:

If we’re linked on Instagram, you’ve already briefly met this beautiful girl. However, I’d prefer to formally introduce her and share her story with you!

However, first, a reality: I didn’t count on to be introducing a canine to you immediately. Actually, I deliberate–and nonetheless do plan–to write down two posts about pet loss and grief, one particular to children shedding a pet and one particular to a cat shedding a canine greatest pal. These posts will nonetheless come as a result of I believe they’re invaluable. And, additionally, I didn’t count on to undertake a brand new canine till the spring.

Why the spring? Effectively, I assumed housetraining within the winter can be an enormous ache. Additionally, John tore his labrum (shoulder cartilage… I believe?) and wanted to have a reasonably important surgical procedure the week between Christmas and New Yr’s. I figured on prime of our common loopy life, plus his restoration (no driving for him for a month!!!), it wasn’t the proper time for a canine.

And the universe laughed.

And delivered us Penny.

10 information about Penny:

1. She had a LONG journey to our home. Confiscated from a hoarding state of affairs in Alabama, she was bumped to an overcrowded shelter. Then, a personal rescue picked her (and one in every of her puppies) up, then she was moved to a foster who wasn’t in a position to look after her, so she was despatched to a different rescue and one other foster, after which–lastly–to our household.
2. Due to her background, she’s a timid and fearful girl. We’ve a LOT of skill-building to work on along with her!
3. Penny is bilaterally deaf (deaf in each ears) and unilaterally blind (blind in her proper eye).
4. She can not get sufficient affection. Like, when you cease patting her to take a sip of our espresso, she nuzzles you till you get again to it. She desires to climb all the best way into your lap or push in opposition to your hip or lean in your shoulder at. all. occasions.
5. Penny is terrified of Newt and Ripley and provides them a WIDE berth. Which is sweet. It is going to assist them belief her sooner, I believe.
6. At her first go to to our vet, she was the preferred lady within the place! She soaked up all the eye, and ended up with a mostly-clean invoice of well being. She has hookworms (blech) and a bit of particles in her aspect the vet thinks is a bb (grrr) however in any other case she’s in nice form.
7. Candy Penny doesn’t have the power to stroll from room to room but. Why? No concept! She’s too scared to enter the kitchen in any respect, and he or she completely won’t stroll upstairs. We had a HUGE win when she began strolling from the bed room to the lounge on her personal. Nonetheless, she presses up in opposition to the wall and skitters between these rooms. Within the meantime, I simply carry her in every single place. She’ll get it, and by chance I’ve tons of persistence (for animals)! 🙂
8. After her first week with us, Penny grew to become assured sufficient to run across the yard, and he or she is now an expert at zoomies! She has but to play with a toy, although, so we’re slowly serving to her learn to canine.
9. She’s listed as a Catahoula leopard canine–a breed I do know nothing about however am having fun with studying! That stated, I’m going to DNA take a look at her. Has anybody finished one just lately? Is there a most popular model lately? I haven’t finished one since I did the Knowledge Panel with Cooper and Lucas so would love any insights!
10. She’s principally white with a smattering of brown spots, together with one heart-shaped spot on her hip.

As chances are you’ll already know, our household is studying ASL already–our daughter, Astrid, was born hard-of-hearing and attends a sign-immersive preschool program at our state’s Deaf college, so we have already got a stable background. That stated, this can be a complete new problem for me as a lifelong clicker coach! I have to construct new abilities as I assist Penny alongside! I received an important referral for a neighborhood coach to work with, and I’m following these movies on YouTube.

I’ll have rather more to share, after all, as we get to know Penny and go on this new journey collectively. I’ve at all times written about matters associated to what I’m going by means of with my very own canines. That’s what began this weblog and the way I plan to proceed. So, whereas I lined remedy canine work with Emmett, reactive canine coaching with Lucas and Cooper, pit bull advocacy, and a lot extra particular to them, with fairly Penny, I’ve a lot extra to study and share. Some matters off the highest of my head that I’ll be protecting: the double merle gene that causes these canines to be deaf or blind, coaching a deaf canine, coaching a partially-sighted canine, her breed data, and extra.

What would YOU prefer to learn about Penny or what common canine matters would you want to talk about in 2024? I’d like to know what you’re fascinated by and what you’d like to debate!

Within the meantime, let’s join on Instagram! I’m sharing gobs and gobs of Penny pics there and can chronicle her journey extra often in that house!

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