More About Morty

Thank you all for stopping by and reading and commenting on what's been happening in my corner of the world. 

To answer a question, Morty arrived at Golden Pines nearly a month ago. 

Not since Todd have we had we had a smallish dog around the house, so there has been a bit of an adjustment in having Morty around - Especially because he's totally blind. Added to any concern was the vague and few instructions I'd received from his second foster home that specifically mentioned keeping an eye on him around other dogs.

I'd been told Morty got along with other dogs - And I felt confident our crew would be fine around him, but I was now worried his terrier instincts might kick in around unfamiliar dogs. Thankfully he is totally fine, and as expected, our dogs have been fine too and they don't mind his bumping or running into them at times. --I wonder if it was the other dogs in his previous foster home that didn't like Morty bumping into them and that caused a problem?? 

Morty has mostly learned his way around the house and yard. We have used a leash and a clicker to teach him the way - giving him plenty of praise along the way, especially when he's outside. 

He’s gotten comfortable enough that he now has full freedom inside the house -- except at night when he's crated. We still use our voice or the clicker to guide him when needed, but for the most part, he confidently wanders around on his own. 

~A new helper in the kitchen~

Along with being blind and incontinent, Morty deals with struvite stones—mineral deposits in the urinary tract often brought on by UTIs. To manage this, and to try to make sure the stones don't return, he stays on a strict prescription diet (no regular treats) and drinks mostly purified water instead of our mineral-heavy well water, though I still make sure he gets plenty of his favorite treat: ice! I'll add here that unlike his last foster home, I don't ration Morty's intake of water, it's important that he stay as hydrated as possible. 

All that aside, Morty is really a nice little dog. He’s a bit of a social butterfly that responds to our talking to him, and his spirit brightens when you give him praise. 

He’s a fun shadow, that is almost always nearby, and that proverbial "little heartbeat at my feet."