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BackUPDATE
Honey is happy in her wonderful new home. She enjoys lying by the fire and is really coming out of her shell and getting along with all of her doggie sisters wonderfully as you can see with these new photographs.
UPDATE 2
I just had to write to tell you that this afternoon Honey fell asleep snuggled by one of the berber blankets by the fireplace - completely upside down! To me this was a significant symbol of her trust and security here. There was no way to get to a camera without potentially disturbing her and a flash always shocks her as apparently she can see that. I just stayed where I was and enjoyed watching her in that position for almost half an hour before she woke up. I did receive the calendars and she is a wonderful calendar girl.
UPDATE 3 (21 February, 2006)
This morning when Alice had jumped back in bed for 'snug time' and I was sitting on the bed stroking her, Honey jumped up on the ottoman that is the 'step' for the dogs to get into bed. She 'saw' that other dogs were on the adjacent bed and each of the doggies went from ottoman to bed, one after the other next to Honey. Honey then put her front paws up on the bed (I put my hand near her in case a back foot went off the ottoman) and within a minute she hopped the back legs up on the bed. Boy, is she brave! I have been teaching her how to get down from the ottoman - I figure if she is going to get up there she has to learn it's parameters and how to get down safely!
Yesterday Honey got her summer cut - she now looks like a collie puppy! No kidding, I bet if I took her out in public that is what everyone would think!
UPDATE (24 May, 2006)
Honey always seems happy, except there is one thing she does that makes me sad. After she eats, she finds her 'ducky' (french terry toy about 6" long), carries it around for quite a while and does a soft whine. It makes me think she thinks she is carrying around one of her puppies and is worried. Who knows, but I feel bad if she is reliving a worrisome time.
UPDATE (16 November, 2006)
As 13 November was Honey's one year anniversary with me, I wanted to take a minute to let you know she is still doing great. She is such a remarkable dog; she handles being blind so well. She now thinks nothing of jumping up on the ottoman next to my bed and then into bed on those mornings when the whole group go back to bed for 'snug'. She loves snugging under the covers and even lies down now and relaxes. She also has had little problem from her collapsed trachea, just some minor (meaning shortlived) wheezing once in a while. I have had house guests and she goes right over and puts her paws up on them for pets. Although she is confused when someone else sits in my recliner - hmmm that's not mom...
Anyway, she is a wonderful dog and I am so glad to provide her with all the love and care I can. I again thank Hope's Haven for all you did for her.
UPDATE (9 February, 2007)
Honey continues to be the remarkable wonderful dog. If I don't watch her she is off into the manzanita and pine trees in my side yard. The whole yard is fenced so that isn't an issue, but it is amazing how she doesn't care that she is blind!
I had at first thought it would be difficult for her to be housebroken because, how would she know the difference between inside and outside? Guess what - she rarely has an accident in the house. We have worked out some code to help get her back in the house, because sometimes she turns around and heads the other direction. But I tell her 'no' and she turns back around. It sounds weird but I say 'buh-buh' if she is about to encounter an obstacle she understands that is what I mean.
I have a dachshund who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor two years ago (who they thought would only have six months of quality of life) and within the last six months her pupils have become open and fixed so she has a lot of difficulty seeing - she relies mostly on smell to find her way. Honey uses smell and sound and is just remarkable because she gets how to deal with being blind. She will even trot through the house! No offense to my poor doxie, but there is hardly a day that goes by that I am not just amazed by each of my dogs. Alice is also just so remarkable - and they all have such neat personalities despite their pasts. They are just so special.