Wim

Meet this cutie pie Wim.  Wim is a 3 month male Bichonpoo, a small breed and will only get likely 10 inches tall and weighing in at 9-16 pounds full grown.  Wim has a beautiful thick apricot coloured,  silky soft coat.  The Bichonpoo breed is a very high grooming maintenance dog that will require regular brushing, as well will require grooming approximately every 6 weeks.  They are a low shedding dog, so you won’t see their hair lying around all your furniture all the time as long as you keep up with their grooming. 

Wim came to his foster family home at 7 weeks old.  He was sadly born in a puppy mill, and in puppy mills, no genetic testing is done on the parents, it’s all about breeding for maximum profits, and Wim was born with eye development issues.   He was deemed unsellable and was slated to be destroyed.  Thankfully Wim made his way to rescue and now has a bright future ahead of him.  Wim has almost no sight, but he may be able to see light and dark which helps him get around with very few issues.  He is non painful and his eyes still develop tears and unless something changes, he is good to be left as is.  Wim having been born this way knows no difference and with this defect Wim still has a lot of confidence, is very playful, courageous and intelligent.  You would never know that he can’t see.   His adoptive home would need to be considerate of his vision issues and ensure any stairs down are blocked off so he can’t fall, and that the furniture arrangement is kept as is as he will memorize the layout of the home, but anyone who has had a blind dog can attest to how well they manage and it affects their lives little.   Dogs rely on their sense of smell more than sight so his blindness is not a real hindrance to him.  Wim has been vet checked, received the proper vaccines for his age and has a good bill of health otherwise.  He will require further check-ups for his eye progress throughout his life, but other than that he is a regular adorable puppy.  

Anyone interested in Wim needs to live within one hour of Cambridge, Ont as he must be returned to our vet at six months of age to be neutered. He will be adopted out on a contract that stipulates this, and it is mandatory. This is covered in the adoption fee.

Wim is a great choice if you’re looking for a playful, friendly, gentle and affectionate dog.  He loves following you around checking out everything you’re doing especially outside,  sometimes if your there for a while he even naps right there and that is saying something about his trust in his humans.  Wim can navigate most things by himself with confidence, the only thing he needs careful watch with is going down steps. He is brave and will try and navigate all areas so he has to be watched to make sure he doesn’t go somewhere he could hurt himself.  Even though he is dependent on his human company he doesn’t have to follow you around 24/7, he is able to nap well, even with noise around him.  He will literally fall asleep within 30 seconds of hitting the ground, crate or your lap/legs.     

Wim is a highly food motivated pup; he will do anything for a treat.  It is so comical when he is in his training times as his nose takes him to so many places smelling that treat.  Since he is so young still we concentrate on his confidence, and behaviours more than commands.  We expose him to as many object, noises, obstacles we can around us.  We take him on little walks around our property, getting him to navigate around things, over/under things and just to explore ‘close’ on his own.  If we feel he is getting confused we will make clicking noises to guide him.  He will then reach us and begin his exploring again.  He responds great to his name.    With being a puppy the behaviour we are constantly working on is the no nipping of the hands, toes and grabbing of the clothing.  Wim will be expected to attend obedience school like any other dog and this will be great for his further confidence building.   He is easy to train with positive reinforcement methods as he is so food motivated so he will do great in class. 

Wim being the smart confident cookie he is is catching on to house training pretty quick.  He is getting better with doing his duty outside during his potty breaks.  He gives clues that you can pick up on when he needs to go, as he will run around as if he is chasing his tail.  He is starting to go to the slider door as well, but if you’re not looking or not in the same room an accident might happen.  The thing with puppies in a new home, they have to get use to new routines, so it is not unusual for accidents to happen for the first while.  A puppy needs 100% supervision when not in their crates so any accidents in the home are going to be human error as he wasn’t being watched.  Puppies are a lot of work and anyone interested in Wim needs to have the time and schedule to accommodate puppy training. 

Wim would do fine in a house, condo or apartment.  He will not need a lot of space since he will be a small dog.  Just remember he will need a lot of outside potty breaks, so if in a high rise expect to go out on the half hour for the first bit.  He will need a home environment that is not too busy or loud outside, so no inner city living or on a main road.  Because he can’t see we don’t want him to have to be startled by scooters, bikes, joggers etc always whizzing by.   A quieter outside environment is needed for this special puppy. 

Wim will be fine in a home with children 10 years and older, due to his sharp little teeth and that he is still nippy.  He will be a good choice for first time dog owners as long as you research and know that Wim’s breed will be suitable with your lifestyle.  It will not be good if he is at home alone for longer than 4hr periods at this time.  The more time he has to be out and about exploring will be better for maintaining his confident levels.  

Wim’s foster home has another small pup as well two older dogs.  He would love to have a dog sibling that is good natured and small like him.  He does rely on his small foster sibling for some guidance and its great for him to play with an equally sized playmate.   Wim would also do fine as the only dog as long as his people were home most of the time and could give him that extra support that a blind pup needs .

Daily work is need on his physical and mental exercise.  Even with him being a small dog, he still likes his daily outings  as it helps with his confidence.  His new humans will need to dedicate time for this throughout the day as well take him to training classes.   His walks are very short now as he is a wee pup but as he matures he will need to go on multiple longer walks a day to be happy.

Wim will sleep in his crate overnight and nap in it during day.  He will need to be in his crate for day naps to monitor his potty breaks.  Wim loves to run, play tug-a-war and chew on his toys/bones.  He has no problem occupying himself with his toys.  Other than our dogs Wim has not had a chance to be social with other dogs, however he does a super job with polite introductions and manners.    He will not be a suitable dog for doggy day care or dog parks.  This would be too confusing and over stimulating for a blind dog.  His people need to have the time for him and be able to pay attention to him and exercise him rather than rely on day cares .  Wim is a good puppy, but a puppy none the less and puppies are tiring and need constant support while they grow and navigate the world.  

Overall Wim is the epitome of what you would expect of a puppy, even with sight issues.  He is curious, sweet, fun, active and loyal, a companion animal through and through.  Wim is going to make a family VERY happy and will be a great addition to anyone who has a lot of time and love to give.  We cannot wait to see Wim in his forever home so that he can continue to give his whole heart to his humans.