Amelia

Amelia is a spunky, cuddly, adventurous 6 month old Labrador Retriever/Great Pyrenees/(possibly Great Dane?) mix. She currently weighs about 40lbs and is not expected to exceed 60lbs fully grown. You wouldn't know it upon first glance, but Amelia is blind! She was born with a congenital ocular deformity that caused her eyes to not fully develop in utero. It doesn't show from the way she skillfully navigates her world, but she is completely blind and can't see anything. She never lets that slow her down, though! Amelia was found in late April wandering the streets of Houston. Luckily, she was discovered by a kind lady who held onto her until she made her way to a foster. Tiny Amelia was infested with fleas and worms, very malnourished, and had a severe urinary tract infection when she came to us. Now a few months later, she's grown into a healthy, happy adolescent dog! Since Amelia is blind, she does have some unique challenges that other puppies her age would not have. She (understandably) feels the need to overcompensate for her lack of sight by relying heavily on her other senses. She is almost always on alert and her hearing is astute, so she will bark out a warning if she hears an unfamiliar sound. When Amelia is meeting other dogs for the first time, she can come off as abrasive or reactive which some dogs don't appreciate. This means that introductions with other dogs need to be slow and precise as she is learning that she doesn't need to be on the defense around them. Once the initial greeting is over, Amelia plays great with others! Her play style is a bit different than your average puppy, but she catches onto other dogs play style quickly and mirrors it for optimum playtime. Due to a very unfortunate situation staying with an abhorrent "trainer", Amelia developed fairly severe separation anxiety as well as intense kennel stress. We are working on desensitization training for this issue, but her training will need to be maintained in her forever home to ensure that she doesn't regress. All of the aforementioned behaviors are being worked on with steady training and consistency, and Amelia is making improvements every day! Amelia is good with other dogs, cats, and kids. She is potty trained, knows a few commands, does well on the leash, and enjoys going on walks. She is very smart and highly treat motivated, which makes training all the easier! There's no limit to what this girl can achieve with the right person to guide her! She is looking for a great, stable home with an owner who is experienced with the type of extra care that blind dogs need, and preferably with another blind or special needs pup to show her the ropes. Amelia is located in Houston TX but can be transported to most US states for adoption.