Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Usually when I am out walking with the pug girls I end up in a conversation about how Maggie became a tripawd. I've heard all different questions and comments, but today I heard a new one.
Usually it goes something like this:
them: "oh, he only has three legs" (that is if they notice, sometimes they ask why she is limping and I have to point it out)
me: "yes she does"
them: "was she born like that or did she have an accident?"
me: "no, she lost her leg to a cancer tumor"
them: "aaawww" followed by looks of pity, then an awkward silence.
them: (tentatively) "she, um, seems to get around OK"
me: "yes she does fine, most dogs do well on three legs..."
But today I heard one that I didn't really know how to respond to. We walked past a couple who smiled at the pugs, they watched us go by, then the woman said:
"look how cute, she only has three legs..."
And I was thinking yea, she was cute when I got her but not cute enough so...
Karen and the pug girls (Tani, and the cute one Maggie)
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Bah hahahahahaha!!!! Now that was really cute!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
OH NO!
That requires another!
Bwahahahahahahha!!
Karen,
When I got Comet I thought people would react to me having a soft spot for handicap dogs but it backfired. Their initial reaction is "why don't you get her leg fixed?!" It's like clockwork, I walk into the vet and someone in the waiting room says, "Poor thing, what happened to her leg?" So instead of looking like a sympathic dog lover-rescuer, I look like a neglectful dog owner!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
We get all kinds of different reactions, sometimes I feel like a train wreck, because I see people rubbernecking when we walk down the street. Last week I was walking Zoe and a little boy in the neighborhood who is probably about 6 years old came up to us and said he had a joke for me. He said what has 3 legs and flys? .....Zoe on an airplane
. I thought it was cute. I have found that all the kids she has come in contact with are just fascinated by it, I thought they might be frightened. Zoe justs eats up that extra attention.
Anyway, I do get alot of the pity looks and questions, but most are shown with compassion and concern.
That's such a funny story! Usually we get the "awwwwww!!!!" comments, or the smiles. I guess I've been lucky in the fact that I have yet to hear any negative response towards Jack's amputation, although sometimes little kids are scared of Jack because he is "different". My favorite comment was from this little boy a couple months ago. Jack and I were out for a walk and I heard him say, "mommy, why is that puppy hopping?" It was just so sweet 🙂 This may have started out as a topic about a funny story, but I think its actually really good for new members to hear about the reactions they may get to their new tripawd, so thanks, Karen!!
<3 Laura and FussyJack
I had a few people say to me, "why that poor dog" and I was fortunate enough to have a tennis ball with me and was able to say, "hmmmm....does this look like a poor dog?" and I threw the tennis ball and you should have seen Zeus FLY!!! They started smiling and saying, wow - that's awesome!
Yep - very awesome...tripawd dogs rule 
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
In November, one of my work colleagues brought his young son, around 6 or 7, over to meet Tazzie. They are thinking of adopting a dog and wanted to see how the child does around dogs (it has sort of a sad background, because they had a dog that bit the child badly as a baby, but the son does not remember that). They spent about an hour visiting. As usual, Tazzie was either hopping back and forth from the kitchen or sitting and snuggling with the child, who of course was smaller than Tazzie. (Tazzie was very tall when he sat down.)
My colleague said that, after they left, he asked his son what he thought of Tazzie only having 3 legs. The child was surprised because he never noticed that Tazzie only had three legs. He just noticed his lively happy personality.
I've noticed most of the kids Trouble comes in contact with never notice she only has three legs. Just goes to show kids do not have radar for 'differences' like adults do.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
That's just too funny. We too get a lot of "Awww, look at the three-legged dog." And questions about what happened. But my favorite one recently was from a lady at the vet's office. She looks at Kiera hopping around the waiting room and says in a great southern accent, "Well bless her heart." I'm thinking, uhh ok. I said, "Thanks, she really doesn't seem to mind. She gets along just fine." Then the lady bends down to Kiera and says, "Well you are just the most beautiful little thing." It was great, and so funny.
🙂
Okay, gotta add another one, or two:
Like Kiera, Tazzie had to hop around the vet office to say hello to absolutely everyone, acting as the official greeter to anyone who came in (the vets didn't seem to mind). Once he hopped over to a man with a dachshund on a leash. The man drew back with the leash, saying "she has a sore leg". You could tell, by his surprised and perhaps slightly embarassed expression a split second later, that only after he said this did it dawn on him that Tazzie had no leg. Seemed pretty funny to me.
Another notable quote was when we were walking over some brush on a beach this fall. My neighbour had a sore knee and was having trouble walking, let along with the obstructions on the ground. After watching Tazzie hop ahead, he said "you know, a dog on three legs is still more stable than a human on two".
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