Poppy - Staying With Owner

Name: Poppy
Sex: Female (altered)
Breed: Puggle
Age: 6 years
Location: Pasadena, CA

 

Vet/Medical Info: Poppy is spayed and was found heartworm negative in April of 2011. She has been on preventative at least through April 2012 according to the vet’s records. She is overdue for a HW test. She is up to date on her shots; her rabies is due in 2014, and distemper and bordatella are due again this August. Poppy had her left eye removed and the retina has detached in her right eye. She is in good health as far as the vet’s office can tell from the records, and Poppy’s owner has brought her in regularly for care.

Owner Info: Our dog Poppy is fully blind from a trauma. In late July 2010, this dog (whom I'd never seen before) jumped in between the front and rear wheels of the car driving in front of me. The car didn’t run her over, it hit the brakes. Her head was caught between the left rear tire and the pavement. She scuttled away essentially uninjured (some scratches to foot and chin that have left no impairment) but her eyes were popping out of her head. I called the Pasadena Humane Society, who quickly took her to their shelter where a veterinarian removed her left eye. The right eye is in its socket, but the veterinary ophthalmologist confirmed no vision in the right eye through electro- neurologic testing and ultrasound of the eye globe, which revealed a complete retinal detachment. Her eye pressures have always been normal. We put a steroid drip in her eye each day for about a year, then alternated daily between a steroid drop and a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drop (Diclofenac) for about 6 months, and finally we now just put Diclofenac in her eye Monday through Friday. My wife and I recently had our first baby (8 weeks ago). We are concerned our dog may accidentally jump on furniture where the baby is or when the baby starts crawling or walking and bumps into or steps on the dog or pulls its tail playfully, Poppy may nip at the baby. Our experienced and well connected dog trainer/babysitter/boarder has reached out to local persons and organizations and was unable to find someone to rehome Poppy. My wife’s aunt was interested in adopting Poppy, but her home is undergoing extensive remodeling after a flood from a burst water pipe. It is important to rehome Poppy before our son is able to crawl and accidentally bumps into the dog in some manner that startles her. Poppy in an indoor dog with the run of the house, she is housebroken and leash trained. She is mircochipped. She knows commands such as Come, Go, Stay, Stop, Easy (slow down), Up, Down, Sit and Shake. Poppy is good with adults and other dogs. Poppy barks at some people (not all, we can't figure out the pattern). She barks at other dogs, almost entirely only when meeting them one on one. Does great with male and female dogs at the dog park and the more populated doggy day care we often send her to. That is to say, when she's around many other dogs, she does very well. Twice, recently, at a less crowded doggy day care, she nipped at another dog there. This has never happened at the more populated doggy day care. Poppy has amazing senses of smell and hearing and an excellent memory. She is very smart. Within two days of adopting her from the shelter to our home, she was climbing up and down stairs, she knew where the furniture was. She navigates so well people are shocked to hear she's blind. When we move furniture around, she navigates right around it, although its a new configuration. 

When she meets a new person (e.g., many guests at a party), she often barks a few minutes but then calms down.