Advice needed about rehoming a rescue dog

misssurferrosa

Looks like we'll be rehoming a rescue dog this week, which me and my husband are very excited about! He's a lovely friendly small rough collie cross (approx 12 months old) who hasn't had the best start in life and so has a limp due to rickets.

Now i've had dogs in the past but got them as young pups, and so quite easy to train. This fella however isn't house trained - any advice on how to go about it? He'll be an indoor dog and apparently does his toilet stuff on newspaper at the mo'.

Also can anyone recommend a good brand of highly nutritious dog food - don't want the rickets to reoccur!?

Any general advice on settling in rescue dogs would be most welcome too!

Oh and just to make things easier we have 3 cats who are used to dogs, but this little chap is quite excitable with cats (although not aggressive).

peasant

For the food, best consult a vet as to what an anti-rickets food should and shouldn't consist of.

For house training, do it exactly like you would do it with a puppy, don't introduce newspaper into the house, just bring him outside.

As for the house-rules:
The moment of transition from one environement to another is a brilliant opportunity to introduce all rules in one swift swoop. The dog will be confused and look to you as to what is and isn't expected of him in this new place. He is also quite likely to be a bit timid/scared and not entirely confident.

Best thing to do is to be slightly ruthless and exploit this.

Resist your instincts to mollycoddle him, make him "feel at home" or allow him "to settle in first".

From the very first second he enters your house you lay down the rules: cats are not for chasing, the upstairs isn't yours, neither is the couch, etc ..whatever your rules may be.

He will be so keen to fit in that recognising and obeying the rules will just be a matter of days ...on the other hand if you spoil him first and teach him later, it might never happen.

Toulouse

Agree with peasant.

I actually found training my 9mth rescue alot easier than toilet training my first pup. Yeah if she had an accident the messes were bigger but once I kept a close eye on her, brought her outside and praised lots when she went, she was good to go in a fortnight.

Again, consult your vet about the food but the rescue should be able to recommend something as the dog will have been at their vets for his vaccs and neutering.

Just let him settle in without too much fuss and start how you mean to go on, be consistent.

Good luck with it, he's a very lucky boy!

cobweb

great place for advice is pets ireland loads of people who have rehomed resuce dogs but be prepared to show loadsof photos of your new dog as we love photos:D

there is a training and behaviour sections that could prove useful

Good luck with your dog wish ye loads of happiness

misssurferrosa

Thanks so much for the advice - will defo take it all on board!

We still haven't got him yet as he won't be neutered til tomorrow, but took him for a walk yesterday and he was great!

Thanks cobweb i'll defo check out the website, i've already taken some pics of him - but he's not much of a poser (yet!)

Sigma Force

My mothers dog had rickets when she was a pup (few years ago now) she was fed on Burns (now they have her fussy so she eats other stuff which whiffs) and I think she got milk as well. Goats milk would be better some say dont give a dog dairy but didnt do the mothers dog any harm.

Even though she's an adult just start at the basics again like you would do with a pup.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I can't add anything to what the other's have said, although I've rescued my dog and cat.

So all I can say is a big THANK YOU for taking in a rescue, I think you'll find the experience far more rewarding than had you bought from a breeder.

When you get the chance please post up some photos of the chap.

Regards and weldone.

Dilly

Sorry but I don't have any good advice to add to what has already been said but I just wanted to add - Well done you guys for taking in a rescue!!

I hope that you all have a lot of fun, laughs and companionship together!

misssurferrosa

Again thanks for all your encouragement and advice guys - much appreciated!

We finally picked him up on Saturday and I must say we are extremely lucky as this little lad is as good as gold!

He DOES seem to be housetrained as there ahave been no accidents and he will go to the back door if he needs to go the toilet. Which begs the question why was he found in such a bad way? :mad:

He was very underweight and unable to walk with the rickets, and had a healed fracture that hadn't set right (obviously left untreated) in his left elbow joint. But he seems very relaxed in the house, well behaved, eager to please and learn....definitely house trained - so god knows what happened to him?????

He walks round like an old man 'cos of his rickety legs, but has a lovely cheeky puppy streak in him that is coming out more and more as he gains confidence. He is so responsive though and will stop doing anything undesirable (like eating poo out of the cats litter trays :eek:) with a slight change in your tone of voice.

He still in the following you round everywhere stage at the mo' but makes a lovely companion as he is so affectionate and expressive. He's great with the cats too, wants to play sometimes much to two of our cats' annoyance! But the youngest cat (who also has a dodgy leg due to radial nerve paralysis that occured through injury as a kitten - she appeared in our garden at about 6 weeks old) loves him and tries to get him to chase her

His only problem is that he doesn't like to get in the car, he'll lie down when he knows its time to go out so we have to pick him up and he makes himself a dead weight! Suppose we'll just have to take him out as often a poss in the car to help him get used to it. He's fine when in the car - no fretting or anything.

So he has been a very pleasant surprise and a fantastic addition to the household. I'll post a 'before' and 'after' pic too, the first when we took him for a walk at the rescue centre a week ago, and the second taken yesterday. I hope you'll agree he looks a lot more comfortable already!

Glowing

What a gorgeous dog! Beautiful colouring. I'd say he'd talk to ya!

The rescues are full of gems like Boey - if only people would give them a chance!

cobweb

he is gorgeous!!!! so dignified in the second pic and looking full of confidence well done rehoming a rescue

arybvtcw0eolkf

Glowing wrote: »

The rescues are full of gems like Boey - if only people would give them a chance!

Never a truer word posted here.

misssurferrosa weldone on the rescue.

~Thalia~

Mairt wrote: »

Never a truer word posted here.

misssurferrosa weldone on the rescue.

I'll second that.

OP well done. Boey is FAB. I have a BIG soft spot for collies. He is a real stunner and I bet will be full of his fun once he settles in! :D

misssurferrosa

~Thalia~ wrote: »

I'll second that.

OP well done. Boey is FAB. I have a BIG soft spot for collies. He is a real stunner and I bet will be full of his fun once he settles in! :D

Well its been nearly a week now and he is certainly getting cheekier! He bounces around when he wants to play and loves to chew things (like my toes ). God knows what he'd be like if he was actually a fully functioning collie!

He is a special little dog and has certainly filled a void in the house!