Degas

DEGAS If Degas were a contestant on the reality show, Survivor, our smallest orphan would be the million dollar winner! Degas came into the world on February 25, one of 10 puppies. Unfortunately his mother killed all but 4 pups in the litter and Degas, along with 3 littermates, were delivered to a foster home when they were only 2 days old. Sadly, the other 3 puppies did not survive. Degas was completely on his own with his foster mom who nursed this little guy round the clock. Her dedicated effort to save Degas resulted in a dog that has survived more than most dogs face in an entire lifetime. The number of issues this little Dober-dynamo has had in the first few weeks of his life are almost too numerous to mention. If you look at his picture closely, you'll probably notice that his right eye is deformed - he has no sight in the right eye due to mom's attack. Degas has limited vision in his left eye; we believe - and Dr. Kristin agrees - he sees and can track shapes and movement. He especially loves to watch his foster mom deliver his food and eats with the gusto of an adult Doberman. Don't let his shaky start scare you! This guy's torch never flickered! Degas is a Doberman that already displays the traits of his breed; he is a very quick study, he is quite alert, and he already does a mini-Dober-lean on your calf! He is an albino, which means that extra care must be taken by applying sun screen every time he is exposed to the sun. He cannot spend a very long time outdoors. We will spend a lot of time with his new family, educating them on the care necessary to live successfully with an albino Doberman. Degas (pronounced Day ga) was a French painter that went blind as an adult. Foster mom, Pam, decided this pup should be named after someone who was successful and visually impaired. The original Degas was a bit temperamental and uncompromising, but known to be a perfectionist. Our little guy is definitely temperamental with tons of personality and character which greatly contributed to his survival. We prefer to say he has "Dober-tude" which means he is confident, playful, and ultra-smart! Our smallest and cutest survivor is now 10 weeks old and looking for his forever home. Degas would appreciate a home with a fenced yard and a big shade tree so he can be outside without being in the direct sun. He would love to live with another dog that he could learn from and have as a companion. Degas has a strong desire to learn and we will require his new family begin his obedience training (a.k.a. puppy school) very quickly. His housebreaking is progressing rapidly and he loves to let out a HUGE whine as his signal that he wants to go outside! Update: Degas is now 3 1/2 months old and we are starting to learn more about what kind of home he needs. He is extremely feisty, smart and stubborn. This is what kept this little guy alive. Degas needs a home with a dog smart owner and no small kids. We started puppy obedience classes and the new owner MUST continue classes. He is good with the other dogs in the home. He is crate trained, but will let you know that he is not happy about it some of the time. We are working on housebreaking. We took him to an eye specialist and his right eye had severe Glaucoma and had to be removed. He gets around just fine, but his other eye has what they call 'spider-web' vision. This does not slow him down in anyway. If you are interested in additional information, please email foster mom Pam at [email protected]. Degas sends lots of puppy kisses to Kristin Smith for her kind donation of a collar and leash from our Dober Duds program.