THESE ARE THE BOOTS!

These Boots Are Made For Walking...and That's Just What They'll Do

When I was in Las Vegas this past November, I discovered this awesome dog boutique in the shops at the Mandalay Bay Resort, Lush Puppy. It really has some very different items and I found Avalanche, my handicapped Siberian Husky some really fabulous shoes. I have tried other types of dog shoes for his, most of which are the mukluk type. But these boots! They have a hard rubber sole and have a center zipper and a velcro strap around the ankle. They are very easy to put on and take off but they don't have very much padding so I have to use double infant socks that I tape on his fee under the shoes. The shoes are great in that they are letting his toenails grow out since he drags his rear legs. These shoes would also work well for dogs with hip dyplasia since they tend to also drag their rear feet. Nike please take note, Air Nikes for dogs would be awesome!

Miss Diva

Here is a photo of our Miss Diva! We really gave her an appropriate name. She is now 11 months old and continues to raise as much hell as a dobie pup can. This poor couch is really ready for the trash. She plays a game where she jumps onto it against the back pillows with such force that she literally bounces off - flies across the room to where the big dog bed is (a twin mattress on the floor with dog beds on top), then flies back again. When she lands on the dog bed, she will play with either brother that happens to be laying there, either Deon her dobie brother or Avalanche her husky brother. She really doesn't care. When her brothers get tired of her and her tricks, they head out to the garage where their "condos" are for a little peace and quiet. We call her an "equal opportunity terrorizer". When not bothering her brothers or sleeping she is lying in wait for one of our two cats to come into her domain (she is confined to a part of the house via a baby gate).

Dogs Can Be So Sensitive

Recently, my 90 year old mother-in-law was staying with us for about two month until we got her into assisted living. Having three dogs (2 dobies and one husky) plus 2 cats, can keep our house very busy. Well, my mother-in-law is not a cat person (whatever that is) and so the cats avoided her and the area she stayed in the house. Now, who isn't a dog person? Well, even house guests can be too much for the mildest of dogs. Over the past couple of weeks I have been noticing how the dogs want out into the garage for more and more time. Even my handicapped dog, Avalanche wanted out of the house. She is now gone and what a difference it makes for the animals. They could pick up on her negative energy and were cranky like the humans that also live in this house. It is like a deep dark winter has turned into a fabulous spring.

It was hard managing an older person with a puppy. Our floor is always cluttered with dog toys and chewy items. Besides, having a handicapped dog, there can always be accidents left on the floor. One morning she did manage to step right in the middle of a nice big pile. You would think a persons nose could detect something amiss. We were always worried of her falling and breaking a hip or something. Having a puppy who literally flies through the air with the greatest of ease along with a 90 year old is an interesting combination. Our puppy, Diva loves to jump over the arm of the couch and land right in the middle of the couch to start playing. Up until the last day our Mary was here, we had to remind her that it was dangerous to sit on that end of the couch. I really think it might have been easier to train my puppy versus my mother-in-law.

Our house is now back to its normal crazy dog and cat oriented self and it feels so good to have a long term house guest gone. Having pets helps minimize the stresses of life, but some stresses are too great to overcome with pets along.

Diva As A Pup Playing With Her Handicapped Big Brother

They continue to play very well together. Diva quickly learned what Avalanche could and could not do and so she takes advantage of his handicapp frequently. Avalanche remains quick on the front end and he plays ruthless! It is hard for her to hurt him with her mouth since his fur is so thick. However, if he happens to snag one of her ears or nips her for real, she cries like the biggest baby! She is now probably almost the same size and weight, but she jumps on his back and grabs onto the back of his neck and with his backend not working very well, she definitely has the advantage.

Siberian Husky: Avalanche

This is my handicapped Siberian Husky, Avalanche. He is almost 5 years old and what a sweet heart. It is amazing how well he has learned to communicate his needs since his spinal cord injury. He remains a true husky, being extremely independent and with a strong free-will. The other day I had to get to work and he knew I was running late so he walked slower than slow. Since he needs help walking, I thought that I could try to pull him along. Oh no! The more I tried to speed him up, the slower he walked.

Shoes for Handicapped Dogs

I am still searching for a soft but durable shoe that my Siberian Husky, Avalanche can wear on his two back feet while out on his daily walks. Avalanche suffered a spinal cord injury back in November 2005 which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has improved to where he can walk to some extent on his own, however, his right leg still drags and his body mechanics are poor so his left foot wears his pads down to where they get sore and bloody if not protected. I have been buying infant socks and taping them on his rear legs for our daily walks, however, like today, he wore through triple socks on each foot, that is 3 pairs of socks a day! The hard sole dog shoes don't work because his right foot doesn't get to move in them and they get twisted, fall off, etc. The soft sole dog shoes he can wear holes in them in a day or two and that gets expensive. Any ideas? If I take the time to wrap a double infant sock in duct tape across the top, it does extend the life, but it takes time to do this. Avalanche spent the first year of his rehab in a K-9 cart or dog wheelchair. He doesn't like to use his wheelchair anymore and he needs to continue to build the strength and flexibility in his rear legs. In the meantime I am getting an awesome bicep muscle on my right arm by helping to hold up his backend for our 2 mile daily walks. There is a fantastic product on the market for dogs with rear end problems such as hip dyplasia, it is called a "walkabout". It is made of a neoprene type material that you slip each rear leg into leg holes, then you pull each side up over his back end, where it attaches with velcro as well as clips. The whole contraption has two handles, one over each hip. This product literally saved our backs and provided so much help in moving our handicapped dog around especially during the first few months of his rehab. The "walkabout" is machine washable, and I have two of them, in case of poop accidents. We found these products on a website and the people behind the website were so amazing and helpful. If you need specialty dog products for handicapped pets, they have some amazing things. Our biggest problem is that our Siberian Husky is 75 pounds. Not as many products for large dogs as the smaller ones.

Dobies Can Be Personally Dangerous

As if I can't learn from past experience, another female dobie gave me another black eye. Years ago, I should have learned from my first female dobie black eye. That was received while I was trying to give her a big hug and love. Their darn heads are so hard and they are so jumpy. That girl, delila just got excited and decided to jump while I was leaning over her. Last week, while reaching over to give my handicapped Siberian Husky Avalanche a morning love, Diva, my latest and greatest baby dobie girl; could not resist ducking under my arm and fly over the end of the couch since my attention was with Avalanche. Well, her head and my eye connected and I am the one who came up short. Diva actually slowed down for about 21/2 seconds while I went running to the freezer for some ice. As I nursed a swollen and bruised eye, I realized that it is only my baby girl dobies that have been personally dangerous to my face.