 The Adventures of Prince Harry, Heir to Your Heart
Prince Harry is an adorable cartoon character of a dog, chubby, red-haired, and about 10 years old. He came from a shelter in Reno. His owner had to surrender him due to her health issues. Prince had been neglected for some time, but now that he is a Norcal Golden, he is getting all the love, attention, and healthful food a dog deserves. He is enjoying the good life with me, his foster mom, in Marin County. But we've got some work to do!
Prince Harry has a great, goofy, playful spirit and is constantly reminding us how happy he is, but his biggest challenges are that he is blind due to hyper mature cataracts, is about 30 pounds overweight, and has not had much, if any, formal training. Prince Harry's vet believes he has been blind for some time and that we need to give him eye drops every day forever.
Prince loves to go for walks, and they will help in getting his weight down. He came into the shelter at 109 pounds. Yesterday, 3/27, he weighed in at 104.9 pounds. Yippee!!!! Progress!!!
Prince is adapting to his blindness by using his good hearing and sensitive nose. I have taught him lots of words, such as "Step Up" and "Step Down" to alert him to stairs. He is learning "Forward" and "Wait," too. He learns very quickly, and he gets very wiggly and excited when you praise him.
I bought eye goggles for him from a great website, http://www.angelvest@cox.net . They are mesh goggles that breathe and will help protect his eyes from injury. I am not a great Guide Human yet, but I am learning. The site also has a white cane product that I will order later when his weight comes down. It is made for the size of the dog's neck.
Prince Harry and I are enrolled in a six-week class called "Family Dog 1" at our local shelter to learn some basic obedience. Some leash-walking skills will make our walkies even more enjoyable.
Prince Harry LOVES tennis balls and toys. He can hold two tennis balls on top of each other at the same time. If you brush him, he gets so happy he practically bursts. (He probably wasn't brushed for years. His matted coat was preventing him from walking properly; so the shelter staff clipped some of his mats off.)
Prince is a sweet boy and so deserving of his own wonderful family. His perfect home will be one without a lot of steps and with a family or individual who is willing to work with him and his special needs. Because of his visual impairment and large, wiggly size, a home with no small children will be best.
Keep posted on Prince Harry's weight-loss and back-to-school adventures here on the Norcal site! If you are interested in adopting Prince Harry, please fill out the Adoption Application. |