Age: 17 weeks
DOB: 12/29/23
Weight:20 lbs (estimated 35lbs full grown)
Sex: female
Neutered/UTD: no/Yes
Coat Color: white w/merle patch
Children under 4: yes
Children over 4: Yes
Separation Anxiety: no
Other dogs: Yes (needs another dog)
Cats: yes
Crate Trained: yes
House Trained: mostly
Obedience Trained: No
Leash Trained: learning
Microchipped: Yes
ADOPTION FEE: $675
(Since I am DEAF & MOSTLY BLIND I need a home with another dog, physical fenced yard & someone home more often. Ex: work at home, retired, at home parent, work opposite, etc)
4/14/24-Isla continues to amaze me everyday, and she is just adorable, sweet, happy, impish and entertaining. I do often refer to her as my “Helen Keller ” puppy to friends and family, and reality is she’s also as smart as Helen Keller was. But while they were playing she would run from 1 side of the deck to the other depending on where they were in the yard.
Today I noticed her following the dogs in the yard while she was on the deck. So she can see something, just what, is impossible to know. She is totally deaf, so it was very apparent that again she could tell exactly where they were in the yard by eye sight and not by Scent or hearing as we were up wind of them and because of having non hearing dogs myself, I know how to test for that.
Even being as young as she is, she’s very smart and loving. She loves to snuggle when she’s tired and needs a nap, but when she’s rested, she wants to run and play like any normal puppy. Having a fenced yard is an absolute MUST for this girl to give her safe boundaries, but as far as navigating my yard, she’s already realized my stone wall and where the dogs are in the yard and will run full bore to keep up with them. She is just one amazing mini aussie puppy. Are you as amazing as she is?
4/2/24-This little puppy is absolutely amazing. When I first brought her home, I thought, okay, deaf and blind? How am i going to teach her sign if she can’t see? How am I going to communicate with her? Well she is mostly blind….however she can seem to distinguish between light and dark, my 11 month old black boxer girl she follows with her head when she runs past, she sees her. She stops when she sees white lattice barrier, but ran into the gray pool, she ran up to a white gas tank, but stopped without running into it. She follows my legs and at first I didn’t really notice that she seemed to see them, because she actually followed them, like she did my boxer girl. Next day, she ran into my legs a few times, and I was wearing light gray leggings. So as I said she can see dark and very light. I’m still trying to decipher what she can and can’t see. But she is so smart, and has been limited to my kitchen, sunroom and deck, because she’s so small, she’s not confident in using the deck stairs to go down into the yard (total of 5 stairs), but she can run all over the kitchen, jumps up and down the step into my kitchen from the sun room at a full run, and bounces up and down the step out to the deck, often at a full run because she’s playing with my boxer girl. Like I said she is just amazing.
So check back in soon, to see more of what I learn from the absolutely amazing puppy. She’s ready for her new family!
3/28/24-Wow, there is so much to tell everyone about this sweet, lovable ball of fluff. She looks like a powder puff! Yes she is definitely deaf and as it turns out, she is estimated as being 75% blind. But this puppy is amazing, yes I am so impressed by her joy in life, her adaptability and her exuberance of life. Handicapped, yes, but not by watching her embrace life, surroundings, and her world. This little 13 lbs of fluff has taught me more in just a few days, than I’ve experienced in my 71 yrs of life.
She’s happy, healthy and within entering my home has just proven that handicapped is not in her vocabulary.
She plays with my 56 lbs cardiac boxer puppy without a single reservation. She loves to be picked up and cuddled, be loved and kissed and snuggles right in..but as soon as her feet hit the ground again she’s off and running like any other puppy.
To watch her run, bounce up and down my 1 step rooms, it just amazing. In her familiar environment you would never know she was deaf or mostly blind…she’s simply a happy puppy embracing the world of life. She also is great in the crate & sleeps so soundly, no separation anxiety. So check back soon, because you will need to be as special as she is to add her to your life. This is one great girl & she is ready to go home!
3/25/24-Isla arrived to her foster home yesterday. We have determined she is definitely completely deaf. We thought she may see some things as at times she responded to things in her way in the fenced yard (ex: tree & propane tank), but other times she ran full speed into them (chainlink fence & soft side of above ground pool). Today our regular vet confirmed she is fully deaf & mostly blind (may see some light or shadows). This is genetic & usually caused by breeding two merles together, getting a “double Merle”: a mostly white dog with blue eyes & pink nose like Isla. Along with that you often get deafness & blindness due to pigment issues. Regardless of her disabilities Isla is a very happy, playful, cuddly, sweet puppy who doesn’t know she has special needs. Her nose is going to be the key to training her as that sense will be extremely heightened. She will require a home with another dog, a physical fenced yard, a GPS collar for extra safety & someone home more often (ex: retired, at home parent, work from home, work opposites, take to work, etc). Isla is an extra special girl who will need an extra special home with the time & desire to love her & work with her & keep her safe & happy.
03/21/24-Isla is a beautiful 12 week old white with a merle patch mini aussie (miniature Australian shepherd). She was saved from a puppy mill as she got too old to sell & was suspected to maybe be deaf. She arrived safely into rescue tonight thanks to her transport & temporary foster home volunteers. Her initial vet checkup with our vet when coming into rescue today said she may have some hearing but probably blindness too. We will get Isla to our regular vet on Monday for a more thorough look over.
