Meanwhile, Bill and Smoker have bonded tightly. It's as if Bill knows Smoker has a problem and wants to help and protect his son. Bill seemed to recognize it before we did. Smoker is still fairly independent, but he loves his dad and sticks close to him most of the time. For this reason, we have decided that Bill and Smoker should be adopted together. When some lucky family is approved to adopt them, it will help Smoker to have Bill with him during the adjustment period. Smoker's PRA is fairly advanced, so we hope to place them soon, while he still has some vision left to help him get his bearings in a new home. Since Bill is 7 1/2 years his son's senior, Smoker will presumably outlive him. Bill is healthy as a horse now and should have several good years left. When he does finally leave, Smoker should be completely settled and confident in his home with his family.

The home that will work for Smoker must be a very stable one. Once his vision is completely gone, he will have to rely largely on his memory to get around, so furniture and other large objects must not be moved. More importantly, things in his outdoor environment must stay as stable as possible. He still romps and runs some in our turnout pen, but he knows the pen perfectly and he can still see some. Whether or not he'll continue to be that active on his own remains to be seen. If he doesn't (which I'm anticipating), he'll need exercise in some form like regular walks even though he may have a fenced yard. Bill will do just fine on his own, but Smoker would love for him to come along on his walks.

Please bear in mind that these dogs could incur a few extra bills, though nothing major is anticipated. Smoker's eye problem should not cause any pain or other problems. But Bill is aging, and while he's still in excellent health now, senior dogs, like senior humans, tend to develop a few problems as they get older. So before you apply to adopt them, please decide if your finances will be able to handle it. Because of Bill's age and Smoker's blindness, their adopter must be totally committed to them for life. But I can guarantee that commitment will be repaid in more love than you can even imagine.