Meet Youwho!

Mr. Youwho stops everyone in their path by his stunning looks and charming personality... I first saw Youwho sleeping in a kennel. I loved his big pointy ears, cute little speckled nose and I'm fond of white dogs, so I had to take him out of his kennel. Little did I know that I would end up adopting this boy... I thought he would probably end up being one of my favorite dogs at the shelter, but that's it. I took him into the play yard and he cuddled with me for a little while and then he went and explored his new surrounding. He ran into the fence, the chair, the tree. When I would call him over, he just kept walking and sniffing, not even a glance. So, by the hundredth, "Here dog, come here", I began to wave my arms and yell, "Youwhoo over here!" We stuck with the name. He doesn't know he has a silly name. So we have fun saying it and he doesn't mind one bit. We both win. So, then when I went over to pet him, he appeared to be startled and as I looked closer at his eyes, they seemed very unusal. So, I took him to the vet clinic and found out that those strange little sky blue eyes didn't work. And we figured out that he did not hear either.

So, here we have this blind and deaf dog who I had to fall in love with. I knew that since he was blind and deaf, he did not have a good chance at finding a home. So, I asked my parents if we could foster him, having every intention to find him a home. Now, you may think that isn't true, but I really thought that. Now, while I was begging my parents if we could take him home, I only was falling more and more in love with Mr. Youwho. So, finally my parents said yes! The shelter neutered him, gave him a heartworm test and gave him a vet check-up. Nothing else could be wrong this boy right? Wrong! He had hair loss on his belly, chest and sides, I thought nothing of it or at least that was what I was hoping for. But, it was Demodex, a type of mange. Most people might have given up on this boy by now. But Youwho was special and definitely worth saving. So, I read about Demodex online and found it was easy to treat, it just takes a long time to clear up. I already had my mind set on taking him home and if I left him there not only being blind and deaf, but with Demodex, he would not make it. After, the Demodex was gone, which took about 4 months and his hair was growing back, we would find him a home! Well, as you know, I'm now a failed foster mom.

When I took him home, I was a little lost on how I was going to train him. It took Youwho awhile to settle in. He may be very outgoing and sweet, however it still took him a while to trust us as he has to depend on us to keep him safe. After, I gained Youwho's trust with lots of treats and love, I began a routine for Youwho and housebroke him. I also began trying to work out how I was going to train him. I figured if he can't hear signals or see signals, what left was there? Touch. So, I began teaching him touch commands, after that tricks, games and fun. Everyday I learn new things to make his life a little easier, such as different textures for him to navigate around the house and new games. Youwho only continues to grow and I only continue to learn more about blind and deaf dogs and find ways to make his life a lot of fun, but also safe.