My 7 Year old German Shepherd Tazer, had torn both acl's three months prior. He sat on the couch staring out the window most days, or lying on his foamy and blanket on the living room floor. Life wasn't fun anymore for him, I could see it in his eyes- he was looking very sad and depressed -which made me upset as well! I felt helpless and stupid for not coming up with a way to help him! Every invention we created had failed to help him! Well Today November 8th, 2011, we put the wheelchair together.
We were outside on the lawn (after lifting his back end down the stairs with a towel), and he seemed to watch with curiosity as he normally does as I am sure he thinks we are nuts sometimes for trying out new ways to get him around and mobile. We lifted him into the wheelchair and we had a cookie and coaxed him along. He humoured us and starting walking towards me with no effort whatsoever!!! He was able to turn around instantly and come back to where he started. I went in the house and got his leash and it was as if he knew what we were doing as he started wagging his tail and waited for us to help him down the stairs, and out of the yard and onto the pavement! We have an incline but not much of one and he just started WALKING forward downwards towards the road!!! NO fear whatsoever! It was a memorable moment! Then he started barking with excitement (as he does when we go somewhere with him) and he would not stop barking the entire time we had him walking! Normally I would've told him to be quiet but today was HIS day and I doubt I will ever tell him to shut up again!!! I was ecstatic! He was telling the entire neighbourhood that he was out and back on HIS street and that he was having a great time!!! Am sure he would've screamed WOOHOO had he been able to! Am sure in dog language he was yelling something out loud!!! He immediately went across the road and onto the leaves and towards the park as if saying "hurry up already-let’s GO!).
We stayed on the pavement and the side of the road with him and just walked for about five minutes! We had to stop however as I didn't want to overdo it on the first day out! All I can say is that I was skeptical at first but wow what a difference this has made in not only the dog’s life but ours! The sadness and gloom has lifted in our house and we now are able to get out and enjoy life again! Many thanks to handicapped pets and your doggy wheelchair-you have brought joy back into our dog’s life and ours as well!!!
