About TILLY

**Owner Surrender Disclaimer: These are blind and visually impaired dogs who are living in homes, but their owners can no longer keep them. These dogs are with their owners, and are not in BDRA foster homes. We do our best to screen these dogs, but make no guarantees regarding the information posted.** Name: Tilly Age: 3-4 years (born in 2019) Breed: Catahoula Leopard Dog, approx. 40#, medium/large Sex: Female, spayed Location: Travis County, Texas VET INFORMATION: Tilly is a blind, double merle Catahoula Leopard Dog. She was born without irises so has been completely blind since birth. Here is a link to further information about double merle dogs: https://deafdogsrock.com/what-is-a-double-merle Tilly is microchipped and spayed. She is not up to date on vaccines and has not had a recent heartworm test. Tilly has an old injury on her back foot from before she met her owners, so her back toe is essentially turned the wrong way, but it doesn't slow her down in any way. OWNER INFORMATION: 'Tilly was a foster fail in 2020, she is a brilliant, beautiful girl who we love very much but the heartbreaking reality is that our situation is not helping Tilly be her best self. Tilly needs to be in a single dog household but we have a Pyrenees mix in the house as well. Like a lot of Catahoulas, she is territorial of her space/food so having another dog in the house sends her into alpha dog mode. There have been a few pretty bad altercations between Tilly and our older dog, thankfully we have been vigilant we have learned that it's best to keep them separate at all times. Unfortunately, this setup is not affording Tilly the freedom she needs to be her best self. Tilly needs a home where she can live as the only dog with an owner who understands her limits and her potential, she is so loyal and responds well to firm, loving leadership. This dog is amazing, we love her, but she has to be crated so often since we both work and when we are both home it's a constant dance between locking up one dog to let the other out. We have noticed this exacerbated Tilly's tendencies. Some of Tilly's Many Highlights - She doesn't lunge at other dogs on walks - She is so smart and incredibly happy - Takes treats gently and is very very responsive to learning (especially when treats are involved) - Uses her big ears to 'see' what is going on - Incredible mapping skills, once she knows the layout of a house, a yard or even a consistent neighborhood walk, you would forget she can't see! - Doesn't chew on household items when left alone - Does fine with Wag or Rover folks coming to walk her or feed her as long as they respect her space and food - Has a great boarding place where she did training sessions Some of Tilly's Troubles: - Needs to be in a single dog household - Food aggression escalated when she started living with another dog - Is timid around strangers - We don't know how she is around kids - Loves her crate, but she does get crate aggressive, we think some of this would fade if she continued to be crated but she doesn't need to be crated. - Is a counter thief, no loaves of bread left on the counter are safe - HATES getting her toenails clipped We think that most of her food aggression will subside when she is living as the only dog in a house that she grows comfortable in. We cannot express enough how hard this is, Tilly is a loved and loving dog, we just can't continue to try and keep two large dogs separate in a small house for the rest of their lives' Tilly is an indoor dog who is crated. She is housebroken and leash trained. Tilly has been to training classes for solo sessions and sessions with her owner's other dog. She knows cues for Sit, Stay, Down, 'Gentle' for taking treats, Come, and she will wait for a 3-2-1 countdown to eat her food. Tilly can be a nervous girl, but she is generally good with men and women. Although she currently lives with another dog, she would do best as an only dog. She has shown possession with treats, toys, and food. Tilly has gone after her owner's other dog on a few occasions and doesn't allow that dog to walk near her crate when she is inside. Tilly has been snappy with her owner and does growl and snap when her female owner goes near her bowl. Her owner's partner is male, and Tilly permits him to be near her food. We are told that Tilly has gotten a lot better about her female owner generally and hasn't snapped in a long time now that they have built trust. Her owner says that Tilly is amazing at mapping out new places and does well when adapting to new situations and surroundings despite her blindness. HER OWNER WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW: 'I see glimpses of the true Tilly and I feel so much hope for her future in a better environment with more freedom. We are planning on keeping Tilly in our home until we find the perfect person for her. We don't want Tilly to experience any unnecessary stress or change.' Does anyone have room for sweet Tilly?

Mesa County
Colorado