Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Hey all!
My question is (hopefully) pretty straightforward: Can the four-foot tall fence around my yard contain a dog missing one of its hind legs?
For background: I am currently renting a duplex on an amazing property with lots of room to run and access to a state park with lots of trails. It is also a working horse farm. I live a pretty active lifestyle and want a dog that can keep up on hikes and trail rides, medium-sized, shepherd, lab, etc. The catch is, my landlord's only restriction is that it can't be something that can jump over the fence because she's worried about it getting out and spooking/chasing the horses. She has been pushing for me to get something "small and cute" like a chihuahua/pomeranian etc. No offense, but that is NOT my type.
I recently had the idea that if I were to look for a dog that were missing a hind leg, I might have better luck finding something that meets both my and my landlord's criteria. This is assuming, of course, that I invest time into training and exercise to make sure my dog has an outlet for his energy and doesn't feel the need to chase horses around. 😉 Also the dog would not be kept in the yard for long periods unattended. As a bonus, I'm hoping to do animal-assisted therapy and would love a dog with a backstory to use for my practice.
What do you all think? Am I barking up the wrong tree? Any and all advice is appreciated!
-Jocelyn
snarlybones said
Can the four-foot tall fence around my yard contain a dog missing one of its hind legs?
Well...that would totally depend upon the dog–breed, size, age, strength, prey drive, desire to escape...
Never underestimate the power of Tripawds! Search these forums and browse the blogs for plenty of stories about Tripawds escaping their confines...and please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and welcome.
As Admin guy said it would depend on the dog and it's drive and training. My current rear amp Tripawd is a little Pug mix (no offense taken 
) who can easily jump more than three times her height. I don't encourage that type of activity but since I work on her strength and balance her one back leg is very powerful.
Another thing to consider- long hikes and keeping up on trail rides may not be the best type of exercise for a Tripawd long term. Being on three lends itself to more potential for injuries to other limbs and early arthritis. I don't do long walks with my Tripawd Elly although she would go longer than I allow. Elly is now over 3 years old, has been on three since she was 7 months old and has her whole life ahead of her. My goal is to keep her healthy and happy.
The place you are living sounds awesome! I hope you find the right pup for your situation and lifestyle- it would be great if you found a Tripawd that fit!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
My current rear amp Tripawd is a little Pug mix (no offense taken
Wow that's crazy! Go pug!
Thanks for the info about exercise and such, that's definitely something I'll need to take into consideration. My hikes are generally not very long though, as I happen to have some physical limitations myself. But I definitely want something I can spend time with outside. I think it's really going to be about finding a specific dog that will be a good fit for my lifestyle regardless of ability/disability. Thanks!
1 Guest(s)
