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New Dog

(63 Posts)
blondenana Sun 24-Nov-19 08:46:18

As some of you may have read,i lost my lovely little dog to dementia in August,
I am still very upset about it and misss her, it was suggested i find another, not to replace her of course but to help me cope with Lolas loss,and give me another reason to get up early and occupy me

I have got a poochon from another home, he needed a new home, because the lady was ill and husband works night so wasn't being taken for walk and needed more attention
He is lovely and called Luke apparently after Luke Skywalker as owner is a huge starwars fan
I would have got a rescue dog and did ring every rescue i could think of ,that i could get to fairlt easily, but there were no small dogs,and no guarantees that cats would be fine with them
I decided to see how he was being kept downstairs, for now at least, but came down to 3 puddles and some poo, luckily i have a laminate floor, but was thinking of carpeting my room again, thank goodness i didn't yet
My cats are as yet a bit spooked by him as he is quite young and bouncy, but i saw an ad with him laid with the owners cat which leapt out at me
Here are a couple of pics

CarmenGlasscock Thu 12-Dec-19 12:42:32

wow you are handsome! You are a great fellow for sheltering Luke. I think he will soon get used to you in the surroundings and in the new house. You will be easy with him. It only takes a little time

blondenana Fri 13-Dec-19 21:48:51

Luke is fine in the house,but a nightmare outside
It is my cats i am most worried about,as they have now been upstairs for 3 weeks,and are upset i know,as they are not eating like they should,
I have been advised to rehome him, but i have already got attached to him,
When he has been for a walk he goes into a frenzy charging round the room and has growled at me 3 times now and snapped at me this morning
I can't bear to think of him being somewhere strange again, but he hasn't been trained on a lead ,a husky and 2 smaller dogs were behind us today and he was turning himself round and round on his lead to try to get to them
I think i should have got an older dog,he ,like i had before,
When i take him for a walk at night he is much better and calmer
i didn't think these dogs were so active, but he's young ,so maybe it is that he is just too active for me at my age
Plus i don't think the previous owner was altogether truthful,
Almost every morning i come down to a mess,

Daisymae Sat 14-Dec-19 08:18:15

Sounds like he needs a lot of work. Can you get in touch with a behaviourist? Or a training class? I have found YouTube helpful with so tips. Clicker training got rid of my dog reacting to others when we are out. it's really easy to learn. Things will settle down as he gets older.

Hetty58 Sat 14-Dec-19 08:48:25

It takes a lot of time, work and patience but, eventually, you reach an understanding. Any growling or snapping need a firm NO, followed by walking away and a period of being ignored.

The cats should have an opportunity (if possible) to be near, yet separated from, the dog, preferably higher, too.

We had a baby gate in the hall and a cat flap in an upstairs window (temporarily, for six months) so they could sit on the stairs, observe, get out onto the extension roof and into the garden via their cat ladder.

At night, the cats had the run of the house, the dog was in my room. She always had her harness and lead on to visit the garden. During the day, it gave the cats sufficient warning to get to safety before she was 'released'!

I had treats in my pocket (some of her daily food allowance) to distract her from other dogs when out, and to curb her chasing instinct when the cats were about.

Thousands of long walks, 'What a good girl!' and NO's later, with allowance for the two years they need to mature mentally, we have a very nice little dog who's great friends with cats - all seemed impossible back then.

sodapop Sat 14-Dec-19 08:52:28

Sounds like you have some problems blondenana it's unfair to compare your latest dog with your previous one, he is completely different and needs more help to adjust.
Training classes are a good idea as Daisymae said and will help socialise him as well.
If you really feel you can't cope its better to rehome him sooner rather than later and be up front about his problems.

blondenana Sat 14-Dec-19 09:05:32

I don't compare him with Lola,except she was great with the cats from the first, Luke is obviously much younger, and he is boisterous, but what i was led to believe wasn't true,
He is very good at night though which is a good thing,he stays quiet until i get up and feed him
I am enquiring about training group near me, but a treat will not deter him when there are other dogs about,it's like he goes into a frenzy,
I will also enquire about a behaviourist .but depends what they cost, could be very expensive
I would have him neutered if i thought that would help, but the vet says it doesn't always and can make the worse
Anyway will try all these things first
He is so affectionate though in the house,and fairly well behaved, except when he gets excited and starts bouncing off the furniture

Daisymae Sat 14-Dec-19 10:32:50

Clicker training cuts through the noise and gets their attention. Very cheap to buy. All you need is the clicker and tiny pieces of his favourite food. At first I used it when we were out but very soon it became unnecessary as my dog now sees another and thinks 'ah a treat' and licks her lips. No notice of the other dog at all.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 14-Dec-19 14:12:43

When you get to the stage of leaving a door ajar so the cats can be in the same room as Luke, I am sure they will point out that they set the rules and that Luke, like most dogs, will accept that he does as the cats say. (They have some very nice sharp claws at the ends of their paws, you know and Luke will find out!)

Just don't leave them alone together until you are sure they get on, and never together if you go out.

CarmenGlasscock Sat 14-Dec-19 19:31:18

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larikon Sun 15-Dec-19 18:23:53

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nanny2507 Sun 15-Dec-19 18:50:20

what an absolute gorgeous little thing!! I had a pedigree cat stolen from me in March this year and I,m still crying i found a gorgeous little fella at my local RSPCA in august and he has bought a smile to my miserable face

nanny2507 Sun 15-Dec-19 18:58:05

blondeanna it just takes time a firm hand is needed it sounds like over excitement is causing the snapping and growling before a walk, this will settle but you must be firm with him. ( I am not a dog specialist just an animal lover who has had 3 problem dogs who now have no problems) Have you tried a cage for overnight. I was never a fan but tried it with a puppy and it was blumming great xx