OT - Sigh, A New Dog | Arthritis Information

So, some of you know I'm a real animal lover and a bit over the top with it. My hubby and I currently have two dogs of our own, and each our our two sons has their own dog (and they live at home now). Our boxer, Wrinkles, died a couple of months ago. Current in-house population is 4.In March and November of 2008 we had litters of puppies - 6 in the first litter, 7 in the second. All puppies were placed in wonderful homes, and we get photos and updates on them regularly, which I love. My daughter has two dogs, which we dogsit frequently as well. So this is a pretty doggie home.

We also had a cat who lived to the ripe old age of 15 and passed earlier this year. Our only other critter (at the moment) is a ringneck dove, though this house has been home to bunnies, hamsters, goats, snakes and a variety of critters the kids brought home over the years. It doesn't feel like home unless there are furry or feathery faces around here.

So tomorrow I am adding another dog to the mix. Didn't plan on it, didn't really want it with all the other things going on in our lives right now, but this is a "rescue". A sweet little 9 month old bichon that was stupidly adopted on impulse by someone who has no business owning a pet! She owned it three months and is done with it, wants it gone because it just "doesn't fit her lifestyle". GRRRR! I saw the dog at a 4th of July party and saw how the owner (and her very spoiled, rough 6 year old) treated the dog, and when she asked I said yes, for the dogs sake. I won't go into long boring detail, but if left in that home the dog will turn mean and start biting (I know I would) and would be beyond help.

So I don't know if he will be a long-time resident, or if he is just a rehab that I will pass on to a GOOD home in the future, but I am picking him up tomorrow. Something tells me he isn't housebroken, so back to puppy messes and clean ups on Aisle 9!

The good news is my dogs are so used to other dogs coming and going, I don't have to worry about how they will handle him. He will quickly become one of the pack, I'm sure, which will be about the best thing in the world for him!

I think that's great news Karen, and bless you for putting yourself out there for this little guy/girl? I'll never understand how people can so freely give up on a dog, it just makes me so angry. Right now we have our little beagle Maggie, and my son's dog (a pound rescue mix) Spinelli. Two are plenty, but I've really been having this urge to foster beagles. I just don't know if I would ever be able to let them go to their forever homes when and if the time came.

Be sure and post some pictures when you get a chance!

Well good luck with the puppy. I do hope he has not learned to many bad habits from the previous owners. Glad you were on hand to help Karen. It makes my blood boil when people get pets without thinking it through.

We have aquired a little terrapin. Its my 15 year olds. She wanted a puppy but as we have 2 dogs , a 3 legged cat,, cockateil, and 2 gold fish I didnt think another dog would fit in( our old dog is going blind and needs lots of help )

The terrapin is small and cute at the moment but we made her research how large they do grow and the fact that they bite from time to time too. They take a lot of looking after but shes been great at doing that.

as I sit here writing.... I'm surrounded by my three dogs, (wolfhound and 2 cairn terriers) and my ragdoll cat is kneading on my arm (LOL) I completely understand your feelings... til recently when my YDD moved out..we had four dogs and four cats.. and I have three other (sibling) dogs of my children that I watch at times...... so.... the animal thing is with me too..

I think it's great that you've rescued this little one..... I'm sure he'll be happy with you and your pack!!

Awww Hillhoney..thats great you are taking a rescue in! I have always been a total sucker for animals and the house usually has 2 or 3 rescues about. Only trouble is, as Ive gotten older I dont want to part with them.

Got to add too that we have our 14 yr old 55 kg Maremma boy too! Had him since he was 2 months old.

Im sure you will get lots of laughter and joy from the new addition...and all the trouble too! Mr T ( the cat) has just pulled all hubsters underpants and t-shirts off the clothes horse then promptly curled up and went to sleep on top of them.

Lyn

ETA: Would be wonderful if everyone took a trip to the Pound before sending heaps of money on ' pedigree' animals...there are some very special pets to found for very little cost, AND you are saving a life. I phone the Pound to check what they have as I cant trust myself to look each animal in the eye and leave it there. My weakness exposed. GOod luck!!!Good for you Karen! Good for the puppy too!
We also have quite the barnyard here. Just recently my middle daughter called me from a friends house to ask if she could bring a turtle home. We already have 2 large red-eared sliders, so I said (quite reasonably, I thought) NO! She says, but Mom, this one isn't very happy here. Turns out he was being kept in a small bowl of filthy water. So now we have 3 red-eared sliders. So many of our feathered and scaled friends have been given to us by people who either found them, or couldn't care for them, I'm losing count.

We also have a new rescue dog here. I can tell you from experience that you'll get back into the swing of potty training in no time! We are really quite entertained by Jack and all his antics, so cleaning up after him is not so bad. He helps keep our minds off of losing our beloved 14yr old shepherd mix. We had to put her to sleep 2 weeks ago because she could no longer stand. One more reason to hate arthritis.

Again, good luck.Hope the pup becomes an added joy to the family!Thanks everyone, I will try to post some photos of the gang when I can!Good luck with the new dog..hope he fits right in with your family. Looking forward to seeing some photos!Well so far, so good! Picked him up at 2:30 this afternoon and brought him home. First I let my chiweagle Bandit out of his crate to meet him. Bandit is the kindest, most gentle dog in the world, and always acts like a surrogate dad to puppies, washing them and playing with them. That went well.

So next I let the other three out - Ozzie the female bichon maltes was very excited, Rosie the elderly American Eskimo was friendly and interested, and Tux our one year old puppy we kept from one of our litters was so scared! But within 2 hours, Tux and the new puppy were playing tag and doing laps from the kitchen to the livingroom and back!

Next challenge will be sleeping tonight - we'll see how he likes sleeping in his new home, and if he doesn't it could be a long night!

Hillhoney, how goes the integrations and training of your newest canine? Oh, thanks for thinking of me and asking, Shug!

The new puppy has adapted to our family beautifully! He sleeps through the night in his crate without a sound, he runs and plays with my other dogs all day long, burning off all that puppy energy, and that is good for him and the other dogs too! He and Tuxie are great buddies now, and it seems as if he was meant to be here!

I did some grooming on him the other night and he handled my using the electric clippers and scissors around his face very well. And he is doing pretty well in the housebreaking area too, a few accidents here and there, but most of the time he does his potty stuff outside with the other dogs. I think having them makes the training much easier.

We still haven't given him a new name. His former owner just called him Baby Boy, and we want a better name than that! We keep making lists and voting, but haven't come to a consensus yet. I want something that fits his personality, so I'm waiting for some great inspiration - perhaps a note falling down from heaven with a name on it would be appropriate!

Sounds like things are going great! I like to hold off on naming until I see their personality too.Thanks fo the update; sounds like the little fella is not only fitting right in but is releived to have someone to care for him. Again, salute for taking this baby on and giving him a space to be comfortable, well-cared for, and trained.

Names for animals are funny, sometimes it seems as if they name themselves.
He seems to be very happy! He will be running and playing with the other dogs and suddenly stop and jump up on my lap to shower me with kisses, as if to say "thank you" and then he goes right back to playing, LOL! Then when he winds down and wants to nap, he glues himself to my left thigh. He really has a sweet, loving personality.

Now I will tell you how smart this dog is - he makes it a point to smother my husband in love when he comes home from work. He receives a greeting that rivals what Brad Pitt would experience if he walked into a women's prison! Oh and hubby is falling for it completely, I might add!

Smart puppy indeed. Thanks for sharing that story, I have smiled every since first reading it. Bless you Hillhoney. I am also animal lover and I get so angry when people just don't treat their pets right. Makes my blood boil.
We have a Border Collie we adopted from our local humane society about 5 years ago. Best thing we ever did. I can''t imagine my life without my Bandit. We also have a Shih Tzu. An odd mix of doggies as far as that goes but they are inserable. Last month we added a Calico named Callie and also have a big fish tank full of fishes that callie just loves to sit and watch for great lengths of time. Hasn''t tried to get in there yet.
I just love my animals and just couldn't live without them at all. Update, please. How are all your furry-faced friends? Yeah, how's the new one doing? Any photos?The gang is all doing very well. We have named the new guy "Goofus Rufus", or Rufus. He is a joy, very loving and sweet, plays hard with the other dogs and then comes to cuddle when he's tired.

He's very comical, so that how he ended up with his name. He takes mad runs through the house, tail down between his legs, body low to the ground just doing laps around furniture, over the couch, up the stairs, etc. Sometimes he doesn't quite time his leap properly and misses the couch, ending up sprawled on the floor! His favorite toy is an empty yogurt cup, and he carries it around covering his entire nose.

He and my husband have bonded, and he gets very excited when my husband comes home from work. Rufus is on the couch waiting for him to sit down, so he can climb on his lap as soon as he does. I think he has found a forever home, LOL!

Hillhoney2009-08-20 09:01:21A forever home...yes, that is wonderful. awww.. honey.. he's so sweet!! Thanks everyone, and thank you Shug for inquiring about him!

I'll try to get some shots of him playing with the other dogs too. It's hard to grab a shot when they are a rolling, tumbling ball of puppy fun!

[QUOTE=Hillhoney]Thanks everyone, and thank you Shug for inquiring about him! I thought this was a new thread till I saw people asking for updates. I missed it first time around. Congrats on your new little buddy, he's a cutie. And I'll bet he "had you at hello"!

There sure are a lot of animals lovers and multiple dog owners around here. We have three, a basset, a golden retriever and a corgi. An odd trio, but they make me laugh out loud every single day. :)