Every dog develops their own unique  gait that works best for them.  Each sog has a different body type and that  helps frame they way they walk.

Griffin is a very long legged dog and has always had more of a "fluid" gait, more of a longer stride.

Leyla, like many , has a shorter stride and needs  more speed for momentum and for balance. Griffin often  uses a faster pace too...you are just seeing one short snippet of Griffen at the two week mark when he was taking  it slower.

So no meed to compare one gait to another, okay? 

And as far as trying to figure out what someone  is thinking of they walk past Leyla, nooo way to know!!!!   Unless you are a mond reader of coirse.  Can almost guarantee  they are all wrapped up in their own world with their own worries and thoughts...or merely  thinking  what to have for dinner!  No one is deliberately "ignoring" Leyla!  They probably  don't  even realize she has three legs

And for those who suggested  death, while trying to be well meaning, they had not done the research, they had not talked to the professionals and, as Jackie said, they really wouldn't  know what they would do until they got all the facts!! 

So no more energy to what people may, or may not be thinking!!   ALL THAT MATTERS IS YOU AND LEYLA ARE TOGETHER!!  Please, please please try and wrap your head around the concept  that NOW is all that matters!  Being with your beloved Leyla is all that matters!  Being more dog is all that matters!

As far as the lump, next time you go to the Vet they can check it out.  It just popped up right?  Could just be some sort of bite, a cyst, all sorts of things that are no big deal.Oh, and maybe you could get one of those really long "training  leashes" and Leyla  can have more length to run ahead and give you a chance to catch up!  

♥️♥️♥️

Side note to TINA!!!   Okay, you know how I think I  a "Universe sort of way".  Well, I was thinking in a "Universe sort of way" that I needed to contact you to see of you could offer support to Leyla's Mom!!!   Sooooo...either this is more "proof" to you of how that kind of connection energy can work...right???   Then again, ot ,ay be that someone  else reached out to you!!!   Hmmm.......

Okay, now back to Leyla's Mom.  May I ask you a personal question ?  Hopefully you said yes!.

Before I ask, I think you know by now that no one judges anyone one in this community!  We all do the best we can and we all support each other the best we know how.  Sometimes  our suggestions may be helpful, sometimes not at all.  Yet, we ALlL come from a place of caring and good intentions.

Now, just curious if BEFORE the surgery and  as a general rule, if a challenge came up, where did your focus and attention go?  Did it go to solutions or worse case scenario?  And no right or wrong at all!!!!   Sometimes solutions seem elusive and sometimes  worse case scenarios help us better prepare for a plan.  

Did you live in fear of bad rhings happening  to Leyla  BEFORE if you went on a walk or of you had to leave her at home?

In the case of amputation  recovery,  It's just that if we focus on what cannot be done, whether  imagined or real, it prevents us from celebrating all the good that os veing done!!!   And yes, sometimes there are trade offs and a tripawd can't  so EVERY SINGLE THING they did before but the enjoyment of a longer snuggle on the couch,,or spending more time giving belly rubs are just as enjoyable. 

Going to ask you another question.  How much rest are you getting??  How much stress are you under in other areas of your life??  And no, I'm  not asking  you to share those answers with us, just helping  you recognize  that other stressful  things in your life that you feel you can't  "control" may have an impact on the filter with which you are seeing  Leyla and her ability  to enjoy life.

Anyway, just throwing  all that out in the for whatever it's worth column and  that's all!!   May not mean squat!!

HOWEVER, I see so many solutions  for some of the things you mentioned today, so humor me and read further, okay??

As far as the harness, the fur certainly  can be removed and returned!!   There are sticky lint and fur rollers that can be run over the harness.  And even of it takes extra focus using sticky duct tape, you CAN remove the fur!!

While I am TRULY sorry you are feeling so CAPTURED and hopeless....and I really am sorry, a lot of your feelings are based on scenarios  that aren't  real.  They are fear based and that's uuderstandable.  

The walk to the Post Office can certainly  happen safely!!  Sure a rest stop here and there if she gets tired while she's still recovering,  , but that's  no biggie!!.

Whether she had four legs or three, glass apparently  was still on the walk..

Whether she had four legs or three, other dogs were still around.

She can wear booties of you feel she needs the extra protection.  A lot of mem wors ise a variety of different  ki ds of vooties.  And some are made extra tough for hiking on rocks and rough terrain.

 Aybe there is a bit of a different path you could take to avoid  al, thos broken glass.  Clearly  she's avoided  it on earlier walks, so hopefully  the path you are taking is fairly safe.

It's so easy on this joirney to stay stuck in fear and worry about all the what ifs.  And rarely so the what ifs actually  happen,  but we all deal with them if they do come up.

Our dogs want to live their lives to the fullest.  They don't  understand human fears.  While we certainly  want to be cautious and careful, we cannot let the fear of things that may never happen overtake our daily liveor, most importantly,  the lives of our dogs.  

.On the outside looking in and after seeing the video of her so happy and walking  ao proudly, we only see positive things!!!    We "hear" your fears that are holding you back from enjoying the great strides she is making  AND is continuing  to make!!!   Living with those fears and all the fears you have  been living with ever since surgery  HAS to exhaust you emotionally  and physically!!  We understand!!

Is there some you can do for yourself that YOU enjoy?  Is there any way you could take off a day and maybe even a night with some friends and do something  you love??  Maybe you could have someone  who Leyla likes spend the day with her.  That would give you both a break and help you both destress.

Anyway,  hopefully there is one morsel in all these ramblings that you will fi d helpful...HOPEFULLY!!   

Hugs

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

CANNOT BELIEVE HOW WELL LEYLA IS DOING!!!  And just the bit of video you showed was proof of how well she is adusting!!!  She is holding her tail high, she's engaged, she's always looking to make sure you are behind her.  Such a sweet girl!

I love when you would say something to her and she would wag her tail.

As far as the comme t from the woman.  It was just a remark that you have noooo way of know what the story was behind the song's passing. NO WAY!!   The dog may  have passed from old age, from kidney failure, from diabetes,  or so e other form of cancer!  Point being her comment  has NOTHING to do with Leyla!! NOTHING AT ALL!!

Now, back to Leyla having such a nice walk in the beautiful  forest!  I do imagine  with everything  that she is wearing she prob does get warm.  She's walking at quite a rapid pace and that probably  tires her too.  She's developing  her own style, her own pace that works for her.  Right now though, an hour walk is not what she needs.

Suggestion....when she stops to sniff something, just let her enjoy that moment plis that give her a bit of a "rest stop".  So rather than walking on, just wait until she's ready to move on.  That way you can SLOWLY  increase your time on the walk WITH lots of rest stops.

Revisit these walks as a way the two of you can take in all the sights and sounds and enjoyment Nature.  Forget how long or how far you walk eight now.  She's teaching  you to "stop and enjoy the journey".   When she stops to sniff things (which is what dogs really like about a walk...stopping and sniffing).  When she stops, you stop.  Maybe study the bark on a tree and try and ident it.  Mayve look up and see how many birds you can identify,  or look at the clouds  and see if you can identify them. 

So what did you think of the wagon or stroller idea??

Hugs

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!