Dobby's World

He's blind as a bat, deaf as a post, and sweet as sin. His name is Dobby, which I'm told is the house elf from the Harry Potter world.

We were told that he was partially hearing impaired but no one mentioned that he was blind. He may be able to hear some sound at some frequency, but not really enough to do him any good. Erika made that ear piercing shrill sound that she makes to get dogs' attention for photos. His ears perked up, but he couldn't locate the sound. He was facing the wrong direction and didn't even turn around. His eyes are small and underdeveloped. He bumps into things; he bumps into everything. His is a dark and silent world that he navigates by scent and by touch. His pink nose seems to work fine and his big head resembles a concrete block, which is good because it doesn't get hurt when he bumps into things.

I brought him indoors to a big crate in my office last night. The stairs were a bit of a challenge but he must have done them before because he figured them out quickly, even going downstairs the next morning. He is a very trusting dog and he show's no fear. He's been great with the nine other dogs around around here. I let him have Daneland to himself for most of the day to learn his way around. He's using a giant bed in the former Puppy Palace covered with some of the blankets that came along with him. He knows where the food and water can be found and he's learning where things are located in the outdoor space. Late this afternoon I took Maya, Hammer, and R.W. out to Daneland to meet and socialize with him. He's very friendly to everyone he meets and he's always happy to "see" me.

Meeting Della and Serena upon arrival

Della is proving to be better at meeting new fosters than
I had expected her to be.

Meeting Hammer, now cone-free!

I don't think Dobby saw R.W. here.

R.W. enjoyed some time outdoors today, but when I let
him out the gate he went directly to the back door of the house.

Maya, Hammer, and Dobby