Yukon - Adopted

Yukon’s ideal home is, probably with a retired or stay at home family, a house with a good size yard,

• as an only dog,

• or with highly tolerant dogs (happy-go-lucky dogs who never growls or get upset at another dog, even when threatened).

• or friendly dogs who must be kept separate when resting using baby gates or behind closed doors.

No apartments or townhomes.

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About Yukon:
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He is a sweet, playful 2 yrs old big puppy. He is about 45 lb. He had gorgeous blue eyes that got infected and lost vision.

He is very friendly and affectionate with people. Being blind he can show his affection by mouthing hands. However, if you teach him to not mouth, he learns pretty quick.

He needs time to map out a new home and trust everyone in the house.
He learned fast with us. But you need to be strict and consistent with teaching him the first few days, and give him plenty of space if he looks stressed. A home change usually confuses him to learn his space again, and he will miss us, his foster family terribly. He will bark a lot looking for us. After the first 1-2 days, he learns who his new humans are and that he can count on you for his needs.
He has the stubborn husky personality, but he’s highly treat motivated (cheese, chicken). He needs a human who knows to teach him what he can and cannot do in the house, and not give in to any demand barks that he does sometimes.
He can bark a lot in the first couple of days when he’s looking for us, and it is very loud like a German shepherd. He barks at any unidentified person or pet in the house too, to meet them and feel safe. Barking reduces a lot as he gets used to his new place and routine.

He will do best as only dog in the house. He is skittish and friendly, but can bump into and annoy grumpy dogs, be overwhelmed by high energy dogs and can be intimidating for small dogs. He is received well by dogs similar or larger size, similar age puppies (2-4 yrs). If he meets a hostile dog in the house, it can stress him and get very defensive. He was very badly attacked by a dog in a foster home in Lebanon. He’s scared of getting hurt by other dogs.

He has separation anxiety and cannot be left alone until he gets very comfortable at his new home.
He takes 2-3 weeks to relax at a new place. So, having that TIME and PATIENCE to help him is extremely important for a successful adoption. Do not take him to friend’s house or crowded area until you get to learn him well. He is a smart learner if you train him.

He spends most of the day napping near us. He can get excited to run and play in the morning or evening for about 5-10 minutes (zoomie mode). Lead him to the yard, give a stuffed toy, cardboard box to shred or toss treats and tell him to “find it” to get that extra energy out.


Training needs
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He knows basic commands like sit, down, leave it, drop it and is potty trained at our home. He will come and sit in front of you if he hears the sound of plastic wrapper.

Leash walking - Leash walking manners also change based on the dog handler. Yukon doesn’t pull much. I guide him on walks by keeping a short leash, give a gentle tug when I make turns, and talk to him. He just follows. I keep him on short leash and say “leave it”, when passing runners. He does good if people stop to pet him or when meeting dogs on walks. I keep the interaction brief and pleasant because of his tendency to mouth (see #1 below).

Mouthing / nipping - 1) He can get mouthy when he shows affection or play with you. We are teaching him to stop it by saying “drop it” or “leave it”, and offer treats or toys. He listens well! 2) He can nip your hand to stop an uncomfortable interaction, when he’s still figuring out his surroundings. You must be slow with a blind dog. If he looks uncomfortable or anxious, give him space and time to relax and don’t force him. Don’t try to take away a comfort toy he may be trying to chew to comfort when he’s anxious. Sometimes it can be a dog bed or couch. Always distract and do a trade with high value treats or toys.
He listens well with cheese and chicken! He is also distracted well with a squeaky sound or cheese wrapper.

You must realize he’s blind and cannot see you or what’s coming his way. All he wants is a safe place to live like a puppy.
Talk to him as you approach him. If he’s stressed, say, “Yukon, touch” then boop his nose and grab his harness.

He also has separation anxiety (can bark non stop and scratch door) which I think will get better as he lives longer at one place. By now, he can be left alone in a floor in our house. But don’t expect that when deciding to adopt him.

His adoption includes a FREE remote training session with a trainer experienced with blind dogs (DownToEarthDogLady.com). The session is already paid for and is mandatory for his adopters to take.

There is that initial learning curve, where he adapts to your place and you understand what he means. Since his eyes don’t show the pupil well, he can look intimidating if you don’t know him.
Please message me with questions. He’s my first blind dog and happy to share what I learnt. I would totally adopt him if I didn’t have two huskies and a little boy already.

Medical updates:
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He is neutered, up to date on core vaccinations, and had post arrival veterinary checkup in Seattle.
He also had rabies booster shots after coming to US, as required by CDC.

He is blind in both eyes.
He had Discospondylitis in 2021, from the infection that made him blind, and was treated.

He was attacked by a dog at a foster home in Lebanon. We believe it happened when Yukon excessively licked the dog’s face when greeting. Which angered the dog, Yukon didn’t realize it upset the dog. Ended in the dog biting him so bad, underwent TPLO surgery. He walks just fine now. He has metal plates in his leg and can gain some more muscles.

Backstory
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He was bought by a family in Lebanon as a Christmas puppy. They didn’t know what was required to raise a dog as family. He caught parvo as puppy, then an eye infection that wasn’t treated well, spread to both eyes and ended up losing eye sight. He was left chained outside, confined to a small dog house with very little exercise and socializing, and they later put him in a room at a parking lot. He was so malnourished and had high separation anxiety when finally surrendered to a sanctuary in Lebanon.
They took him to a vet, neutered, vaccinated and later did TPLO surgery after the dog attack at a foster home.
Then we brought him to USA in Jan, and had been taking care of him since then.

Please email nwsnowdogrescue@aol.com if you would like an application or more information.