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| SHIMA Arrival day - 20 November |
ON 20 November, we took in a small collie-cocker mix to foster -- Shima. The poor little thing had been kicked by a horse and his rear femur was snapped in two. Because it was the holidays, the local rescue (Drogheda Animal Rescue) couldn't find a quiet home for him to recuperate in. So we volunteered. He arrived with a fold down cage and wearing the cone of shame because his leg had been surgically repaired with a pin in the bones to keep them together while the leg healed. 8 weeks cage rest was ordered. Of course, once the painkillers were stopped after a couple weeks, keeping him down was like trying to contain a cyclone in a paper cup!
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| End of December 2015 |
Surprisingly, Shima was healing pretty well, so by the end of December, he was allowed out of the cage and off the lead in the house for short periods.
Now, 8 weeks later, Shima is hell on wheels. He's had his pin removed and all wounds are heeled. His hair is growing back. And he wants to run! And so he does. Like the wind.
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| Belly rub!! |
Here are some vitals...
Name: Shima (we've been calling him Shima Ding, Ding Dong, and Dingaling...he answers to it all. He'll answer to anything as long as you have food in your hand!)
Weight: about 10kg/20lbs
Age: 18 months-ish
Breed: Cocker/Collie mix
Healthy: All vaccines and recent worming, microchipped, and health certified.
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| Looks like an ice cream kissed him on the face! |
Shima knows basic commands in the house...come, sit, down/lie down, shake (he's a left pawed dog!), get in your bed, wait*, heel (on lead), find water, potty time...And he'll catch treats in the air...and toys, and balls, and basically anything.
*At feeding time, he will sit down and wait for you to tell him OK and then will eat. He will also wait at the back door while you open it. Say OK and he'll run out to do his business.
So YES. Shima is potty trained! And once he knows which door you take him out to do his business, he'll go there when he needs to go out. If you don't see him, he will come to you and spin circles in front of you, as if to say, "Take me out, cuz I gotta go!"
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| At the river on a long lead for a little runaround. |
Shima is mostly a quiet dog. He spends the afternoon and evening under my desk when he's not playing with his toys. First hint of action and he's up like a shot! He. Wants. To. Play. Or run! Maybe his name should have been Joy because he's certainly the embodiment of it. Or maybe he's just giddy!
Cons:
Really, his only fault is no recall. Keep him on a lead, or a long lead, out in public and he's a fabulous boy.
Shima wants to *run*. Not to run away, but because he loves the wind in his face. Or he wants to run to where the action is. He's fixated on fun, which can be a good thing. Keep him on a lead until he's been trained properly and this trait will disappear.
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| Shima will play for hours. He loves toys! |
When he's rehomed, he will come with his own bed and toys, treats and food, new collar and lead.
Contact DAR for more info on adopting Shima. Of course, you can message me for more details.
His time is coming to an end with us so it's urgent we actively ask around for anyone interested in taking in a wonderful little dog.
So please ask around. No one will come to you and ask if you know of anyone with a dog needing a home. Ask around and show his picture. Share this blog.
There is a perfect home in Ireland for Shima. We just have to find it.
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| Sshhh . . . Shima is sleeping! |
