A photo update on Pego, the 3-legged Anatolian
Dec 18, 2014 1:30:54 GMT -5
Jenn, milkmaid, and 2 more like this
Post by robynsa on Dec 18, 2014 1:30:54 GMT -5
Here are some pics from this morning. He is now 6 months post amputation, and 7 years old.
In terms of general behaviour, he is SO much happier. His expression has softened, he's not so guarded about other dogs walking too close to him when he is lying down, he eats well and gets around absolutely fine.
In terms of working, if anything, he's improved (and he was really excellent before, but now he's even better). He does his patrols, sees the neighbour's dogs off from the perimeter fences. He's more active at night, too. When he had 4 legs he often used to ask to come inside at night, perhaps because the leg would get sore in the cold, or I don't know, but since the seroma was sorted, he hasn't asked to come in at night. He would work just fine on a large farm, though he would get tired if he was moving across big acreage all day with something like goats who spend so little time in one place before moving on again.
He and Maluty (the shaggy LGD) had a couple of pretty innocuous scuffles in the beginning, where Maluty fancied taking Pego's crown, but it all resolved after a more active scuffle which left Maluty with a bleeding face (very small puncture) and Pego is still very much on top. At the time it made me sad but I had to leave them to it. There hasn't been a scuffle in months now and Maluty knows his place and of course I'm not-so-secretly delighted that Pego is still the Big Guy.
For a couple of months after the surgery he didn't really help me with the kennel dogs - he is my measure for knowing if a dog is off-kilter, temperament-wise, as he is very clear in his behaviour when he thinks a dog is a nut-job. He doesn't fight or anything like that but his body language is part of my tool kit and I learn so much from him. So I missed that for a while, but now he's back to meeting and greeting the van as I arrive, and he tells me very quickly when another dog is excessively dominant or aggressive, or if they are simply fearful. So my right hand man is back
In terms of general behaviour, he is SO much happier. His expression has softened, he's not so guarded about other dogs walking too close to him when he is lying down, he eats well and gets around absolutely fine.
In terms of working, if anything, he's improved (and he was really excellent before, but now he's even better). He does his patrols, sees the neighbour's dogs off from the perimeter fences. He's more active at night, too. When he had 4 legs he often used to ask to come inside at night, perhaps because the leg would get sore in the cold, or I don't know, but since the seroma was sorted, he hasn't asked to come in at night. He would work just fine on a large farm, though he would get tired if he was moving across big acreage all day with something like goats who spend so little time in one place before moving on again.
He and Maluty (the shaggy LGD) had a couple of pretty innocuous scuffles in the beginning, where Maluty fancied taking Pego's crown, but it all resolved after a more active scuffle which left Maluty with a bleeding face (very small puncture) and Pego is still very much on top. At the time it made me sad but I had to leave them to it. There hasn't been a scuffle in months now and Maluty knows his place and of course I'm not-so-secretly delighted that Pego is still the Big Guy.
For a couple of months after the surgery he didn't really help me with the kennel dogs - he is my measure for knowing if a dog is off-kilter, temperament-wise, as he is very clear in his behaviour when he thinks a dog is a nut-job. He doesn't fight or anything like that but his body language is part of my tool kit and I learn so much from him. So I missed that for a while, but now he's back to meeting and greeting the van as I arrive, and he tells me very quickly when another dog is excessively dominant or aggressive, or if they are simply fearful. So my right hand man is back