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My basic info
Breed
Collie
Color
White - with Gray or Silver
Age
Young
Size
Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Good with kids
Good with dogs
Good with cats
Purebred
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
Has special needs
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Mika is just a puppy, between 8 to 12 months old. He is a male, rough-coated, pure bred Collie. His white color is not the usual white collie coloration. Mika is what is called a "double dilute", a result of cruel and ignorant breeding practices. Two blue merle collies were allowed to breed. When that happens, about 1/4 of the puppies have two doses of the merling (dilution) gene, making them equivalent to an "albino." Fortunately, as far as we can tell, Mika is completely healthy, based on an exam (including bloodwork) done by one of NCR's vets.
Double dilutes often have problems with hearing and vision. Mika seems to be completely deaf, but we are still testing his hearing . Although his blue eyes do not appear normal, he sees in the distance very well and sees well at night. He can chase a ball, run, and play, indistinguishably from a normal dog. His limitations seem to affect only his peripheral vision.
Mika is an incredibly sweet dog. He is very playful and loves to play with people. Mika is wonderful with older children. He is great with cats. He would love a home with a cat. We are working with him to teach him better dog manners, and he is doing very well. Apparently he was raised without the company of other dogs, like many dogs we get into NCR. He is already improving with exposure to other collies in his foster homes.
Mika has very good house manners, but he is still just a big puppy. He needs lots of things to chew on and further training. Like any puppy, he will need to have boundaries and someone who is willing to work with him.
Mika's first foster home began his formal training, by teaching him house and dog manners and hand signals for "sit" and "come." He has moved to a second foster home with a dog trainer who will be teaching him with a "remote" training collar for deaf dogs, that vibrates when it is turned on with a transmitter. This way Mika can be taught to come when he is called even when he cannot see you. He will also be taught "clicker training," only using a light instead of a clicker which he cannot hear, and American Sign Language (ASL) which offers more unambiguous hand signals than dog trainers traditionally use. He quickly learned the ASL sign for "sit."
Mika is a wonderful dog. It is very difficult to tell that he cannot hear. He is a loving, devoted, attentive dog, one of the easiest dogs to train that we have encountered. Whoever adopts Mika will be fortunate to have him. If you have any concerns about adopting a deaf dog, read more on http://www.deafdogs.org/ Updated 09/09/2007.
If you think you have a place in your heart and in your home, and the patience and love that Mika needs, please contact Cathy at: cathy@calcollierescue.org
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