Ralph Lauren~Adopted

If you are new to TDL, don’t let this be a shocker, but I am NOT a puppy person!  Yet, I am fostering this little boy!  I describe puppies are little terrorists, or little aliens!  They are a lot of work.  This little boy has been taken away from his mother and his pack.  He is quite lost, like a scared little sheep.

I’m confident that once he settles in, things will get better.  Rescued by his breeder, this little man and his sister from a former litter, Juliet, were rescued together.  Regardless of who sired this litter, he is classified as a lethal white, aka double merle.  He is completely blind and he is totally deaf.

This morning, I sent Jen a text which simply said… “help”.  She called me while on her way to work.  We all know that they call these dogs lethal whites, because they are usually put down.  Breeders can’t sell them, and shelters can’t get them adopted.  Who wants a deaf or blind dog?

You can Click Here to see all of the deaf and blind dogs we have rescued and re-homed.

Jen gave me a lot of encouragement.  She shared with me her successes with her Irwin.

He is a cute little bugger!  He’s about 9 weeks old, and big for his age.  His coat is amazing, it’s like a fluffy teddy bear!

While the Leonard family came to meet Miss Priss, I had just gotten Ralph, and I picked him up and took him outside to meet them!  They marveled at his cuteness, and they just had to touch him!  He’s just a ball of fur!

Why name him Ralph Lauren?  Well, I could’ve given him a teddy bear name, he is fluffy, but he won’t be a puppy forever.  He’s stunningly handsome, and he feels good!  I think he’s going to be a very stylish and attractive little man when he grows up!

He will need a special home.  A home with another dog that would take him under his wing would be a plus.  He would probably even love to be in a cat home, cats that would surround him and love on him would be great.

He’ll need a home that will protect him and give him security.  Once he gets settled in, and transforms from puppy to adult dog, I believe he will be a best friend like no other.  Whoever adopts little Ralph will be showered with love and affection beyond what other dogs do.  Can he live a normal life?  I believe he can.  I cringe at the thought of what would happen to a dog like him if put in the wrong hands.

I want to thank his virtual foster, for giving him a chance, and giving us the means to take care of him, until we find his new home.

You can see more photos of Ralph on Facebook.

08/23/13 Update:  I’ve learned a  lot fostering Ralph.  At first, I was consumed with pity… questioning how he would learn to do things, but do things he does!  Fostering Baby Girl helped a lot.  He learned how to play and get around with her help.  Even though she was a little pest, he had a lot of fun with her!  Once Baby Girl was adopted, Ralph and China learned to play… but China moves around too fast for him.  Even Lady Di has accepted Ralph into our pack.

When Ralph meets another dog, he immediately executes a play bow.  But he’s blind… he’s never seen other dogs do that, so how did he learn it?  I guess the answer is it’s a natural response that dogs do.  So what about those hundreds of other dogs I have fostered that never gave another dog a play boy?  If this gesture is a natural response that a blind dog does, are some dogs so emotionally broken that they can’t allow themselves the freedom to express joy?

Ralph needs a dog that will play with him, without moving around a lot!  Like I mentioned, China plays but then runs off to play the “you chase me now” game.  Well… Ralph can’t see her and has no idea where she vanished to!

I have a huge water dispenser on the back porch.  I fill it full of ice when I take Ralph outside, and if he doesn’t stumble into it, I place his paw in it so he knows where he is.  Once he identifies the water bowl, he has my entire yard mapped out.  Two steps right, he is off the concrete slab and into the yard.  Seven more steps and he dodges a tree.

Just two days ago, I placed several bags of potting soil on the back porch.  At first, he stumbled over them, but after just one day, he knows exactly where they are, and he hops over them with grace.  Now THAT’s cool!

I can move chairs around without a problem, he learns.  Nothing phases him.

What I love the most about Ralph is he is not afraid, he is not broken emotionally, and he is not aggressive no matter what.    He will never fight back no matter how many times you steal his bone or bite his tail (Baby Girl).

Ralph is the most kindhearted puppy I have ever known.  I trust him with young children, cats, kittens, and other dogs.  His person, however, will have to be his protector because Ralph does not understand danger.  Other dogs could easily pick on him.

Last week, I received a phone call from a former TDL adopter that has been wanting to adopt a Lethal White for several months now.  She has watched our white Aussies enter our rescue, and watched them get adopted.  She saw Ralph pending Sponsorship, and as bad as she wanted to help Virtually Foster Ralph, she talked to her husband, and was sure she wanted to try to adopt him.

We have been talking back and forth for two weeks now, and she and her family have met Ralph.  They are in love.  But before we proceed, I believe it’s in everyone’s best interest to ask her family to foster Ralph for a while, to get to know him, and to introduce him to their pack.  Ralph is a special dog, and we need to make special accommodations for him.

Since Ralph is too young to be neutered, therefore, in a few more weeks, we will re-evaluate his new foster home and after his neuter we’ll decide if he’s a keeper!  I think he is!

Ralph met with Dr. Pinzon today, the eye specialist at Newman Veterinary Centers of Deltona.  He concurred that his eyes never developed.  He did mention that with sunlight, and proper nutrition,  he wants to see Ralph again in 12 months, to see if possibly the retina will develop on its own.  He said it was doubtful, but we can hope!

We really love Ralph.  We will continue to monitor his progress.

08/25/13 Update:  Ralph’s foster family is going to keep him!  He has been adopted by Alyse and her family.  Alyse adopted Shepherds Pie from TDL several years ago!  Ralph loves being part of their family!  You can see updates on Ralph on Facebook.