Anyway, I'm afraid if I meet him I won't be able to make a rational decision, so I'm trying to gather as much input as I can on whether it makes sense to add this dog to our family, or whether he'd be better off elsewhere. So here are my questions: As noted above, we have a BMD who has always been an only dog (though we did have two cats, now both passed away, for the first five - six years of Otto's life). We have no kids. Otto comes to work with me almost every day (and in fact, right now he's snoozing happily under my desk), and unless the rescue dog is exceptionally vocal and doesn't respond to training in that regard, he would come to work with me, too. I get the impression that Sheepies tend to be exceedingly attached to their people (which I gather is not always the case for herding dogs), and that is a lovely trait--but it is also very much the case for Berners. Otto likes nothing better than to be with his people, usually as close as possible. I know it would probably be difficult for him to adjust to another dog, but would it be hard for a Sheepie to deal with another dog who expects (and deserves) our attention? Second, do Sheepies tend to chase cats? We don't have a cat any more, but we have very close friends whose home we (including Otto) visit frequently who do. Two of their cats are elderly and we pretty much keep Otto away from them because they get kind of freaked out by him (even though he doesn't chase them, he's pretty big). The third cat, a 2-year-old rescue, seems to tolerate Otto just fine--but then Otto just comes up and sniffs him and basically leaves him alone. We would want to include our rescue dog in these visits if possible, but couldn't if he really harrassed the cat. Also, we have a small yard, fully fenced, mostly 6-foot, but 4-foot in the back. We don't leave Otto out there for long periods of time unless we're out there with him (he'd rather be wherever we are), so I can't imagine we'd leave the new dog out much, but would you recommend that we replace the short fence with a higher one, keeping in mind that this dog has only three legs? And finally (for now!), there is no way in or out of our house that does not involve stairs (it's an old house). Would that be a problem for a three-legged dog? I have been planning to get a portable ramp to have if/when Otto develops mobility issues (so far, no problem, but better to be ready). Thanks so much for putting up with this lengthy post, and for any advice you might have. I know a lot about Berners, but next to nothing about Sheepies and if we do adopt this boy, I want to know as much as I can to give him the best home possible. He sure deserves it! |
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Welcome to the forum! Wow! What a story!
1) Sheepies tend to get along with other sheepies who also strive for lots of attention so I'd have to guess that in general, yes, this would be ok. Individuals vary of course, as do mixes. 2) Some chase cats, some don't chase cats. Sheepies do have a high prey drive to chase moving animals, but each dog is different in this regard. I'm sure others who have successfully merged cats and dogs will chime in. 3) How high was the fence he jumped over when injuring himself? Can you just add some flexible fencing on the top edge? In some situations 4 feet is sufficient, but given the fact the dog has been a stray (did he jump a fence to begin with?) and hurdled a fence at the foster place, I'd think a 6 foot fence or some sort of flexible extension at the top would be best. Just my guess, though. 4) 3 legs is one more than I have with which to climb stairs! I'd think he'll do fine as a youngster, anyway. I hope others will chime in with their opinions and experiences. Again, WELCOME to the forum! |
Welcome!
Quote: I know it would probably be difficult for him to adjust to another dog, but would it be hard for a Sheepie to deal with another dog who expects (and deserves) our attention?
We have 6 dogs... 4 being sheepies. They all love our individual attention but they also share it as a group. Our alpha Schipperke is a growly brat but she also enjoys playing with the sheepies outside... my opinion is she doesn't want her space invaded by a big lumbering oaf (that would be our newest addition Panda ). Before bringing the sheepie-boy home, just ask the rescue if they will kitty-test him, test him with stairs to see if he can maneuver them okay or if he just needs a little instruction and most importantly if you can have a trial adoption. I think the main thing is to determine if your BMD would tolerate another dog receiving your attention. Being intact, I wonder if there could be some challenges BUT it probably depends upon the individual dog. We had had a spayed sheepie-mix for years as an only dog and brought in a Border-Collie mix pup from the Humane Society. Our sheepie-mix had been a "loner" too long and did not adapt well to another dog so it was a difficult 5 years. We ended up getting our Schipperke-mix because our sheepie-mix wouldn't play real nice sometimes (stitches for our BC) and our BC needed another dog to play with. After living through the above experience, I would ask the rescue if you could have a trial adoption for a week to see how the two boys get along. You may find they do wonderfully but if they don't you won't feel quite as guilty returning him. Because in the end, it has to be a good match for ALL concerned. It is not a failure to return a dog to rescue because he/she isn't a match for you and your family... it's actually smart to know the limits. Some rescues will kitty-test and temperament-test. Ask if they can do this before you make your decision to bring him home. Some dogs do great... others, well All of my dogs were good with my bunny (even my previous sheepie-mix!) except for my Schipperke-mix who wanted to chase her but that was simply part of that particular breed- they are a watch dog and vermon catcher. I guess Barley was too much like a vermon As for the fence, "your" sheepie-boy has already proven he's a fence jumper and I wouldn't hesitate to think he might still accomplish this with 3 legs given the right incentive... he may simply modify his approach to the new challenge. I guess it depends upon his abilities now. Thanks so much for considering a special dog in need. If your BMD will accept him, sheepies usually make loving and goofy companions. Please keep us posted? And of course, send pictures! |
Thanks for considering adopting a special needs rescue! It's really wise of you to do your research first. Like you, I'd never be able to say "no" once I saw those eyes!
Ron & 6Girls gave you really good advise. I'll just add that I had a three legged dog for years and she did great with short flights of stairs. She had lost her right rear leg and moved up & down steps sideways. As long as there is room for him to do that, he should be fine. You'll just need to be sure he stays lean and doesn't get fat, as that will be hard on him. They're really loving clowns and great companions. Let us know what you decide! |
Hi,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing that wonderful story with us. He sounds like a real sweetheart! It's always hard to say if an already established solo dog will readily accept a new sibling. Kinda like how you may feel if your hubby brought home another wife - cause he loved you so much and wanted you to have a friend. It's always best to introduce the dogs on neutral territory first before bringing an newly adoptive dog into your home. You probably know that dogs will have territorial issues if a strange dog they haven't met is on their home ground. It may be completely different if they were to meet that same dog at a park. Again, almost the same as if you were to come home and find some strange woman wearing your housecoat and sitting in your kitchen tomorrow morning. I'm being kinda silly and placing human thoughts to dogs behavior which isn't quite right but allows you a bit of perspective as to how your boy may not be as thrilled as you to have a new playmate in the house. However if given the chance to develope a relationship and fun away from home territory their first meeting, it's likely to be far more successful. Is there any way you can get the two dogs to meet before you bring the sheepie home? Some of the members here haven't had the opportunity to do that when getting a rescue and their dogs get along fabulously! I wasn't so fortunate and it took almost 2 years of trying to establish places in the heirachy in my household. I have three males - all neutered. Intact males are often attacked by other male dogs that may be jealous of their status according to most offleash dog park rules. I don't think that's always the case as it really depends on each of the dogs personalities and whether one is even interested in being dominant. If one is more submissive there will be no problem, however if both vie for dominance then there may be a few scrimages until one emerges as "top dog". As for chasing cats...well only if they run. I have four cats and only one of them runs and of course the herding instinct takes over with the sheepies who chase. As yours are used to dogs they may hiss and be put off a bit by the newcomer but that too seems to sort itself out. I rave about baby gates!! It gave a place to the cats that were off limits to the dogs when they first arrived at my home. One of the members on here..and wish I could remember who it was has a beautiful BMD and a sheepie. You may find a photo of them in the OES photos under "other dogs". I would love to know how it works out for you and please keep in touch. I'm only a couple hours away from you in Vancouver. Best wishes to you Marianne and the boys |
Hi Otto's Mom
I know exactly how you feel. I have a 4 year old BMD... (Dudley) he was the only dog for the first 2 years of his life and the centre of everyones attention. I rescued a OES mix back in March 04 from a bad situation and right from the get go..they were best of buds. Dudley is a very tolerant BMD as most are, so the the adjustment was very easy for him. In fact, he seems more settled because he now has company all day. Check us out on dogster Dudley: http://www.dogster.com/?21229 Murphy: http://www.dogster.com/?21331 |
Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for the replies and thoughtful advice. I would have written back sooner but I temporarily misplaced my password (doh!) and also have been busily devouring various books on managing a multiple dog household. We were going to visit Five (his temporary name because that's where he was found--on I-5) yesterday, but he had a tough week last week--bad reaction to an anitbiotic, and he sluffed a few staples and the incision opened up a bit. So now we're set to visit him on Saturday--without our BMD for this first visit. Then if that goes well, we'll arrange to introduce the two dogs in a neutral place. I've also been working more with Otto on reviewing manners, teaching him new tricks (we're having a grand time with a version of hide-and-seek I'm calling "Use Your Nose"!), making him "earn" treats, pets, the right to snuggle on the couch, etc. He's been such a good dog for such a long time, we've gotten kind of sloppy about such things, and I know if we have another dog in the mix we will need to be very clear on who's who and what's what. His foster mom sent a picture--even with the hated e-collar, he still looks like a very sweet, very thoughtful dog. I'd attach it but I'm apparently being rather dense at the moment because I can't quite figure out how to do that. Once I do, I promise, you'll see the boy. Meanwhile, I think I have managed to compress a picture of Otto enough to add it as an avatar, so next post you'll see him at least. Thanks again so much for the advice and interest. I will keep you posted! |
Aha! I found the FAQ topic and got the detailed instructions. Sorry to waste everyone's time by not making more of an effort to find that first! Anyway, I uploaded the picture of Five and will add it to my next post as soon as it's been approved. |
Hi!
Glad to see you found your way back to us!! Ohhh wow! I can see how hard it's going to be to prevent yourself from falling in love with Five...he's adorable!! I am really hoping it works out! Otto is a handsome boy too - very noble looking. Now sheepies tend to be called the clowns of the dog world and mature a little slower than most breeds. They sorta slow down at aprox age 3 but remain bouncy youthful types their entire lives. You'll never stop laughing when you have a sheepie in the house. Please keep us posted and best of luck to you this weekend. I'll be thinking about all of you! Marianne and the boys |
Hi Otto's Mama,
I have a male sheepdog mix Copper. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. A true velcro dog and he gets along perfect with Hannah who is five. He had major issues when we brought him home and had obviously had trouble with men in the past and was aggressive towards my husband but he overcame that. It sounds like you already have a special connection with this dog. I think you can't go wrong when you follow your instincts. I do know that if Otto is your only dog and is older it is a good idea to get another dog. When we had Katrina she was around 8 when we got Hannah. Two females. Anyway she loved Hannah even though Hannah would cut her off and step on her going up the stairs. She would mother Hannah. Everyone told us to get another dog because they were so concerned because of our deep attachment to Katrina. I can't imagine going through the loss of Katrina and not of having Hannah. Any way I didn't mean to get side tracked. I think you should definitely check into adopting the Sheepie Mix. Sounds like he deserves a good life and you might be the one for him. |
What a doll i hope everything works out well on the meetings please keep us posted |
What a sweet face! Please do let us know how things are going! |
This is just to freaky... Five looks exactly like my Sheepie mix Murphy.. and I own a BMD (Dudley).
What is Five mixed with do you know? He looks like a sweetie pie, how could you resist that face!!! |
I thought he looked like Murphy, too! Isn't that a funny coincidence? Or is there such a thing when it comes to dogs ... hmmm. Anyway, I don't know what else he's mixed with, but will probably get a better idea when we see him in person.
As for adopting another dog in part because of deep attachment to one's current dog, yes, I do understand that motivation. One of my best (and most blunt, but in a good way ) BMD friends who has observed my relationship with Otto over the years has told me several times that she is a lot less concerned about Otto adjusting to a new dog in the family than she is about me adjusting to losing Otto ... Of course, I don't mean to say that one should adopt a dog solely because of one's own needs--it needs to be the right thing for all beings concerned. And maybe I'm just rationalizing here (and this may sound odd, but given how close you all seem to your dogs, maybe not to this audience), but on some level, I think Otto might actually really enjoy another canine in the house, once he adjusts to the change. For all his goofy puppy spirit, he is a wise old soul, and I do believe he feels a great responsibility to take care of his people (partly that's him, and partly that's typical Berner). He works so hard to understand the human world in which he lives day to day. It must be very exhausting--like one of us being plunked down in another country with a very different culture than ours, and where we speak about 100 words of the language and the people around us talk all the time. I watch Otto at the giant off-leash park we are so lucky to have here in our area (Marymoor, in Redmond). While he is very good about "checking in" with us (and of course, we watch his and other dogs' body language very carefully, so we can head off any potential aggressive interaction), he just seems to relax in that environment and just enjoy being a DOG, and being with other dogs. Having another dog in the house to share the burden of figuring out why these peculiar two-legged creatures who take care of him do what they do might be very nice for him--kind of like me with my sister, who was (and still is!) always good for a reality check in trying to understand what our nutty parents are up to! Anyway, Five's foster mom has several dogs, including a "teenage" male Berner, so watching how he interacts with them in her home will be interesting for us. Thanks again for all the input and support--this really is a great community!! |
He's so cute Fate brought him to you so I hope all goes well, make sure you come back and let us know what happens. Good luck! |
I just saw his picture. You have to get him. He is just too cute. I couldn't resist his face. Otto is such a cutie in your avatar. They would make one attractive family.
What you said about the responsibility Otto feels for you, I'm sure it is true. It might lighten his load so to speak. Good luck with your decision. If it's meant to be it will all just work out. |
This afternoon we met Five for the first time. The entire hour and a half drive down we were imagining what he'd be like, and the entire drive home we were talking about how to integrate him into our home, and trying not to get too attached since he hasn't yet met Otto ... but we weren't too successful at the latter! First, personality: He is an absolute doll. Just a sweet, sweet love of a boy. As Marianne said, velcro dog! Within a few minutes he was leaning and snuggling up as much as the e-collar would let him. He's so patient and good-natured, too. I uploaded a couple of pictures--the first is rather blurry (sorry!) but I want you to see him. He's about 80 pounds, certainly the size of a sheepie, but he's pretty dark, and he has a very long tail. Beautiful clear brown eyes. He was not neutered when he was found (what is wrong with people!??), but of course he is now. The vet and foster mom think he's between 2 and 3 years old--though his front teeth are very worn (which could be due to any number of factors other than age), his molars are not worn at all. I had thought I might be able to guess what else was in the mix upon seeing him, but I'm still stumped. Ideas?
We spent quite a bit of time getting to know him and talking with his foster mom about his personality, how he has fit in with his foster family of seven dogs (five older female BMDs, one two-year-old male BMD, and a shy female mixed breed rescue), and about Otto. She has been involved with BMDs for over 25 yrs, and is so familiar with the "typical" (if there is such a thing) BMD temperament that even though she doesn't know Otto personally, she does understand the Mountain Dog outlook. Anyway, we can't help ouselves--we love Five already. So the next step is to introduce him and Otto. We're going to arrange for that soon, on neutral turf. Five's foster mom doesn't want to send him to a new home until he is completely healed (about another week), and I'm going to be away the last week in March, so we decided that if we go forward, we'll hold off bringing him home until the first weekend of April, when hubby and I will both be here without interruption to help both dogs adjust. We are really hoping this works--Five is such a great dog and we know we could give him a great home. Again, thanks again to you all for your encouragement and support! I'll continue to keep you posted. Think good thoughts! |
Yay Five! See you in a week! Good luck with Otto! |
Good Luck with Otto and Five.
I hope they get along wonderfully from the start. |
He's really cute. Hope it works out for you. As far as a mix, I think he looks like he could be 100% Old English Sheepdog. If anything he might have some Bearded Collie mixed in by looking at his coat. |
Definitely looks all sheepdog. Hope Otto loves him and has a new best friend. |
Hey guys--no new updates on Five (except that hubby and I can't stop thinking about him--we're hoping to arrange an intro between him and Otto this weekend or next). But I so much appreciate all your advice and support--and if we do adopt Five, I'm sure I'll be pestering the forum with all sorts of grooming questions (from what I've been able to gather, keeping a Sheepie looking and feeling good is a whole different ball game than grooming a Berner!), behavior, etc., etc.--that I really want to thank you all. So I just posted a very long and detailed post about traveling with your dog in the Pacific Northwest. We love to travel with Otto and have had some great adventures with our boy, so I wanted to share some of the great places we've found that welcome BIG HAIRY dogs, and that are pretty darned nice for their humans as well. Best to all--and your furry families.
I'll let you know how the intro goes! My fingers are crossed! |
All fingers (and paws) crossed for you! It sounds like love to me |
Well, today was the day--Otto and Five met for the first time. I've posted a few pictures I took during the afternoon. They had a great time! Five is definitely comfortable telling my sniffy intact boy to back off (but completely appropriately) and Otto was overall quite respectful of him. They actually started trying to play a little bit! We did the meet-and-greet at Five's foster mom's place, so that was a great adventure for Otto--lots of new things to sniff and explore! A good friend of ours from the Berner world (rescue coordinator for our local BMD club) joined us and after observing them interact, she felt confident that the boys would adjust to life together very well, and would likely end up being good buddies. She has had an enormous amount of experience placing rescue dogs (and is a professional dog trainer) so her assessment gives us a lot of confidence. It was also just clear to us, knowing Otto as well as we do, that these two will be just fine. So now the final preparations begin! I am going to be out of town the last week of March, so to maximize chances for a smooth adjustment, we are going to pick Five up and bring him home on April 2. We are so excited!
Thanks again for all your support--I'll let you know when Five comes home, and then ... I'm sure I'll have lots of questions to ask and stories to share with this wonderful community. Best to all and your furry friends, Marjorie |
YAY!!! How exciting! |
Hi,
Oh I'm thrilled at the latest news!!! I was really hoping the meeting with Five was going to be successful!!! Yeah!!! Does that mean he'll also be with you when you come up here for the marathon? Otto too of course. Would be great to meet them! Congrats and can't wait to see the photos. Marianne and the boys |
I was holding my breath that you would adopt that sweet boy. I'm so happy, I'm so happy, I'm so happy Five is getting a good home. |
This is so exciting!! I'm so glad to hear it went so well. The pics are very cute. I'm really excited for all of you and looking forward to the next update. . . !!!
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That's wonderful news!! Five and Otto will both be so happy to have a playmate and doggie companion!!
Congrats!! |
Yeah!!
Are you going to change his name? |
Marianne, yes! Both boys will come with us to Vancouver in May. Might as well see what kind of a traveler our Sheepie turns out to be. Fortunately, we're going up with another couple in their Volvo Cross Country, because I'm not sure both boys are going to fit comfortably in the back of our Subaru for a several hour trip ... I'll definitely get in touch as the time draws closer and see if we can meet up somewhere. That would be great fun.
Hey, here I am, asking for more advice already. What are your thoughts on changing Five's name? He's been going by that since he was first found on the freeway (last summer), and he does respond to it. But it's also kind of a sad reminder of a very dark time in his life. And now that he has only three legs, I can just see (a) having to give the whole story every time someone stops us while we're out walking and asks his name, or (b) having to smile wanly as the jokers we encounter ask why we didn't name him Three. So we're thinking about rechristening him. Otto responds to about many, many nicknames, ranging from Bubba to Waggasaurus Rex, so I'm sure Five could get used to a new name. But might that unnecessarily complicate his adjustment to his new home? |
Too funny, Nicole--
Your message querying whether we were going to change Five's name came in just as I was posting my request for advice on that very issue! |
I don't see why you can't at least try to change his name. I figure the worst that could happen is that he doesn't like the new name and you'll then be stuck with Five after having tried... |
I think it would be a good thing to do for him - give him a fresh start with a new name.
We've got several instances of renaming adoptees here on the forum. Marianne renamed her Panda. Valerie renamed Maggie. George renamed his Maggie. Elissa renamed Raggs. I renamed Genevieve. They're all doing great with their name changes! |
Beaureguard's Mom wrote: I think it would be a good thing to do for him - give him a fresh start with a new name.
We've got several instances of renaming adoptees here on the forum. Marianne renamed her Panda. Valerie renamed Maggie. George renamed his Maggie. Elissa renamed Raggs. I renamed Genevieve. They're all doing great with their name changes! We also renamed Pepsi (his name was Clyde) and Harley (he was Apollo...yuck!) Pepsi just loved his name from day one. Rags on the other hand did not listen to her new name. So for a few days I called her Kylie Rags...then dropped Kylie. Rags is our only dog that responds when Ryan calls. He doesn't always call her Rags. When we first got her he kept insisting we call her Maggie. He finally accepted that Billy was not going to use the name Maggie. Ryan likes to call her Soda. lol She listens to whatever he says |
We have renamed him Quincey (I know, not the traditional spelling), after the ornamental shrub, the flowering quince. We were trying to come up with a name that was cheerful, English-sounding (he is an Old English Sheepdog, after all), and that signified resilience, hardiness, and a forgiving nature ... because that's him. After everything he's been through, he loves people, and has such a positive outlook. Anyway, I don't need to explain the connection with the quince if you've ever had to try and move or remove one in your garden. There was one in the side yard of our house when we first moved in, and it was lovely, but by spring it became apparent that it was way too big for the space it was in, and it was threatening to overtake our side yard access to the back yard. So with some sadness (because it was so pretty, and much loved by the birds), we started to take it out. Well, after an entire afternoon, a charley-horsed elbow, and much swearing and gnashing of teeth, Tim had dug down well below the soil surface and just could not get any more of the root system out. He would come in the house between sessions with progressively more powerful garden implements (the last one was a trenching tool!) muttering about plastic explosives. Finally, he gave up--but sure enough, within a few months, the quince had sprouted up and was quickly growing back into a baby shrub--left to its own devices, it would have grown and blossomed just as beautifully as before. So, the quince is a good symbol for this dog. He's a real sweetheart, and after some initial worry and anxiety when we first got home, he seems to be settling in (and Otto is adjusting, too). Everything is new to him--this morning it was a short walk in the neighborhood, the elevator at my office, the office space itself, the sound of the espresso machine, our assistant, etc., etc. He's discovered Otto's bed under my desk and has decided this is a safe and comfortable spot for him for the time being. Otto doesn't seem to mind. I think they're both exhausted!! We have all sorts of adjusting to do, too--interesting logistical challenges to deal with two big dogs, one of whom doesn't know his name yet and whose English vocabulary is limited to a tenuous grasp on "sit" I'm sure I looked like a cartoon character this morning as I got both boys out of the car only to promptly be wrapped up in both leashes tighter than Houdini by Quincey circling around me and taking Otto's leash along with him! But all of that will get better with time, and the most important thing is that the boys are getting along and Quincey is in his forever home--a long, long way from the hungry, injured and homeless dog rescued from the side of the freeway. |
I posted some new pictures that should be viewable soon. |
Wow! He's adorable! I'm so happy he has found you! |
he is beautiful.. I love his face....things seem to be pretty comfortable with Otto as well...
Give him big hugs and kisses from me. Brenda, Dudley and Murph |
Quincey is beautiful! And Otto is just gorgeous. We were at a dog show this past week-end and I told my husband that if for some reason I couldn't have sheepdogs, I'd have a Berner - I just LOVE their markings. Maybe I'll have to finagle a way to get one of each, when the time comes.
Thank you so much for rescuing this abandoned boy! As much as velcro dogs that sheepies are, a lot of people who rescue one find that they are even moreso because of their rough start in life. They appreciate when they have found someone to love them. You'll never regret this decision! |
AWESOME!!!!!
You did a wonderful thing adopting Quincey, and he is really cute!! Otto is a gorgeous dog, I've always wanted a BMD, but living in the desert is not going to help the poor guy... bleh. We wish you the best sheepie adventures from now on, you'll never regret adopting this guy.... Give Otto and Quincey a Super Belly Rub from the 4 of us... Danita, Saul, Lennon & Sofa. |
Just a tip - I adopted a 2 yr old named Winston - it was just too dignified a name for him so we changed his name to Jack. I called him "Jack Winston" for about a month and then dropped the Winston, when I was sure he was responding to "Jack" as soon as he heard it. We had Jack for 6 years, he passed in Sept 2004 - it was one of the valuable experiences of my life - giving him a home - he was 63 lbs all ribs and one big hair mat when we got him - within a few months he was at 90lbs and throughout it all was the jolliest fellow...Anyway - I did put "Jack Winston" on his tag the first year just in case he got lost and "reverted", but we never had a problem. Thank you for rescuing Quincy - you will never regret it! |
Bear responds so well to Bear, we kept it as a call name, and adapted it to Wellington T. Bear. I guess if we had hit on something that seemed perfect, we would've changed it.
Congratulations on your new addition! He looks like such a sweetie! |
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