This is a bit of an odd circumstance. This waaaay overweight senior Dobergirl was found as a stray (one of five or so, recently) and thankfully has made her way to Elijah’s House. She’s a sweet and loving girl and a great companion. Her blue coat is almost non-existent, a characteristic that is not uncommon for blues due to color dilution and subsequent Alopecia. In this instance, however, we checked her thyroid and that is normal, so it is mainly a bacterial infection that is causing the hair loss, and that will be resolved before long with good nutrition, supplements, and antibiotics.
The odd part is that she was a stray. Everything about her says she was in a happy home, and the overfeeding suggests the possibility of an older person who couldn’t exercise her and compensated by feeding her way beyond her requirements.
Maybe the older person had to go to a care facility or perhaps even passed, and maybe those responsible for the human couldn’t deal with the dog for whatever reason. Maybe after the human was not in the home, the dog ran off trying to find its loving owner - who knows? All we’re certain of is that she’s here with us now, and that’s good all the way around.
Carol says “She‘s extremely overweight at 102 lbs; but her personality is just as big!” and everything we see supports that observation. She really is a happy, well-adjusted, agreeable girl and a lovely companion,
Observations from our volunteers:
“Glinda is the happiest Dobe at DRT. While Dobers are indeed a cheerful breed, Glinda is a stand out. She is always super excited to have visitors and even does a "happy dance" when you come to see her. Her personality is a 10 out of 10! She clearly hasn‘t met a meal that she didn‘t like, but we are working hard to get her back into ‘pageant shape.’ The good news is, I took her for a short jog, and she had no issues keeping up and didn‘t want to stop. She just wants to be someone‘s best buddy and will be satisfied with whatever love she can get. She will definitely give back more than she demands.”
“Glinda is a sweet, older girl with an overgrown body, the unfortunate result of excessive feeding and insufficient exercise. To rectify this, we are diligently working with her on a specialized diet and ample walks. She walks well on a leash, exhibits playful and curious behavior towards her surroundings and fellow Dobes, and gives every indication of being a wonderful companion.”
“I spent some time with Glinda away from the kennel, and what a sweetheart she is. She’s just happy to see you, and that tail never stops wiggling. For the longest time she buried her head in my lap and let me rub her ears and talk. Occasionally I’d stop, and she’d look up and give me a gentle kiss as encouragement to keep going. She likes people! She’s also well mannered, and when it was time to go back inside, she walked over to the gate with me and let me slip a lead over her neck without any reservation.”
Glinda may be in DRT “rehab” at the moment, but her coat and weight will soon be restored to their proper condition, and she’ll be the complete package. You’ll recall the good witch Glinda from the “Wizard of Oz.” This canine namesake is just as nice, the absence of ruby slippers notwithstanding.
If you think she’s the Dober companion that is suited to fill the place in you heart, follow the sequence: application, acceptance, appointment, arrive, acquaint, away. |
