Barkley - cerebellar hypoplasia shih tzu, quad cart - Athens, GA

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FYI
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 2:16 pm

Dog Barkley - cerebellar hypoplasia shih tzu, quad cart - Athens, GA

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https://www.petfinder.com/dog/barkley-55693127/ga/athens/athens-canine-rescue-ga116/ wrote: Barkley
Shih Tzu Mix Athens, GA

Young Male Small Black, White / Cream

About

Characteristics
Funny

Coat length
Long

Health
Vaccinations up to date, spayed / neutered, special needs.

Good in a home with
Other dogs, cats.

Meet Barkley
Apply here: http://athenscaninerescue.com/adoption-procedures/

Welcome Barkley! At just over two years old and right around 10 pounds, little Barkley has already captured our hearts with his exuberant “talking,” machine-gun-style tiny kisses, and unflagging determination.

Barkley was surrendered to a vet as a puppy due to suspected cerebellar hypoplasia—in layman’s terms, the part of his brain that controls balance is underdeveloped. This is a congenital malformation, and the good news is that he is happy and otherwise perfectly healthy! The bad (or entertaining, depending on your point of view) news is that he always seems a little drunk; he spins in circles, falls over a lot, and has poor overall coordination and some tremors.

But don’t worry—for a little guy who can’t walk in a straight line, Barkley has no problems making his BIG personality known. He is loving and playful, nearly always down for a snuggle, and does a full-body wiggle (and then falls over… *sigh*) when he spots his friends coming. He is learning to appreciate toys, and would definitely like to chew on that tissue in your pocket (he’ll even pull it out for you), a sock he found on the floor, or just your hand (gently, of course, though he will make some impressive dinosaur noises while he does). Also, he would please like a bite or three of whatever you’re eating.

Foster mom reports that Barkley is very interested in his (similarly-sized) canine sister, and the two have played together well. He is a bit fearful of larger dogs, and still has some stranger-danger barking going on, but he warms up to new friends pretty quickly. Once that loooong tongue has flopped out of the side of his mouth, you know that he’s relaxed and happy!

Barkley is crate-trained and keeps it clean in there. He sleeps through the night without complaint, but if crated during the day, he will sing you the song of his people to let you know that he’s worried he’s missing out on something. Barkley is also fully house trained and adheres to a rigid elimination schedule that you can set your watch by. (But maybe don’t, because that would be weird.) He also sits on command and is quickly picking up on other training, such as making eye contact when prompted.

Barkley may have been a pterodactyl in a previous life; his dinosaur-style vocalizations are many and varied. He enjoys multiple play sessions throughout the day and is eager to explore now that he can go for walks. Give him the mental and physical stimulation he craves and he’ll be happy to curl up in your lap for a nap later on.

About those walks—we have outfitted him with a full-support, custom-built quad wheelchair for maximum comfort and maneuverability. Although it took a while to arrive, Barkley was swift in learning to navigate, and now he can walk and even run, unfettered, wherever you’d like to take him. (He especially enjoys running after cars, smug in the knowledge that they are retreating because he is so fearsome and mighty.) Inside the house, Barkley still prefers to pinball his way around, unaided, rather than get his wheelchair stuck on furniture, but he does love strapping into his wheels to burn off some energy outside!

Do you have room in your home and heart for a special guy who bears a striking resemblance to a tiny, drunk dinosaur? Contact us today!

If you’d like to be considered to adopt, the first step in the process is to submit an application through our website: http://athenscaninerescue.com/adoption-procedures/. Our adoption fee is $250 per dog over the age of 6 months and $300 per dog 6 months or younger. We accept payment by Venmo, PayPal, or card.

This includes: basic vet care (i.e. basic vaccinations, including boosters completed after adoption, spay/neuter, heartworm/flea preventatives, and treatment for any health needs while in our care), a microchip, a week’s worth of food for the trial-period, and a harness lead.

All in state applications will be considered with some preference given to more local applications. WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING OUT OF STATE APPLICATIONS FOR DOGS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER.

We do not have a facility and operate through a network of foster homes. Thus, we do not have a phone number. If you’d like to discuss potential adoptions, please email at adopt@athenscaninerescue.com.
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