Hi Senris, it's so nice of you to ask! It sounds like a GREAT story. Thank you for your willingness to share the Tripawd story with your readers, we would love love love to read your book when it's complete! Or heck, even if you want someone to review it before publication we would be honored.

Ok so there are so many variables when it comes to losing a limb. Have you checked our Required Reading List and ebook, "Three Legs & a Spare"? The material there are "best of" member experiences and may answer many of your questions.

My general thoughts about Haiko (great name!) are:

• Dogs of that size can get along just fine, but their stamina is often greatly decreased because it takes so much more effort to propel forward.
• We are not vets, but it's our personal opinion that dogs who have the scapula removed have less problems than those who don't (see this member's story about getting an amputation correction). From what we've seen here, the remaining limb can get banged around a lot if it stays. Sometimes it's just the preference of the surgeon, however. It's always wise for the pawrent to inquire first. If cancer is involved, usually the scapula is taken to ensure all of it is removed.
• Resuming activity just depends on the dog's personality AND the owner. If the owner is strong, the dog will be too. Check this CARE video for some thoughts about that.
• Overall, there is a "new normal" when it comes to life on three legs. Most dogs will never go back to the activity level they had before surgery. it's just too much effort. hiking 5 miles and that sort of thing are out of the question. And physically, it's just a bad idea even if they are capable. It's a matter of the human adapting to the dog's needs, however, because they have more of a hard time with these changes than the dog.

Hope this helps. I'm sure others will have other thoughts too. thanks again for contacting us, this is a first for the community!