This is a bit long, sorry!
We adopted our dog about 3.5 weeks ago. He's slightly older than my ideal, I had wanted about 18 months, but he was very, very engaging in the pound!
He's aged between 3 and 5, very well behaved mostly. Lab/ lurcher cross. Brilliant with the kids, already appears to have bonded very strongly (all aged over 8.)
Minor issues: he's not neutered yet, I was planning to give him time to settle, but he lifts his leg in the house from time to time. He was a stray, and it's been suggested that he will have strayed because he was out chasing girls. Is neutering him at this stage likely to help with these behaviours?
The Cat. They've gone from outright hostility to tolerating each other, but can't be unsupervised as the dog needs support not to be too interested. (he keeps looking at me and coming for reassurance while the cat is in the room.) The cat has gone from spending 16 hours a day outside murdering wildlife to insisting on sleeping on my head, guess he's feeling the need for reassurance too! Am I doing the right thing by doing supervised contact?
I'm getting a stairgate, at present the dog is confined to open-plan kitchen/living room/ diner, but this would allow him the run of downstairs. I don't want him on the beds etc as I want the cat to have a safe space away from the dog.
Recall. I'm paranoid, since he was a stray. He has learned quite quickly - day 1 he got out of the garden (I am very stupid for thinking a 4'6 wall with 6' bramble hedge would keep him in) but came back almost at once. So he's on extender lead in the garden until I can put up a fence. But on the beach, he is Very Keen on the gulls, and I have a sense he wouldn't recall well. I don't dare let him off yet. There isn't a dog Park nearby, just beach or fields, so an awful lot of scope for running off. I'm using a harness and extender lead, is there a better option? His lead behaviour is perfect, no pulling.
He's brilliant in the house, responds instantly to sit, stay, bed and leave commands and doesn't steal food. And he's gorgeous.
Thanks for any replies!
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The doghouse
Adopted an adult dog, can I pick your brains please?
17 replies
WheresMaHairyToe · 13/01/2017 11:55
OP posts:
BiggerBoatNeeded ·
13/01/2017 14:49
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