MESSAGE FOR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS.......

[whispywhisp]

Hi - just thought you'd like to know that we have decided to get another dog after losing our lovely lab x a few weeks ago - she made it to just over 12yrs old and is such a huge loss to us and we miss her terribly - so does our other little dog - so we are going to pick up our new addition tomorrow! We have adopted her from the RSPCA - she is a young female mongrel who has had a terrible start in life - found in a ditch with a pile of rubbish left behind by some travellers. She is absolutely gorgeous. We are extremely excited about bringing her home tomorrow. Having had a Jack Russell puppy for the last 10 months I'm sure I can cope with a mongrel puppy again!

Whispy, sorry to hear about your old dog. How lovely that you're giving a good home to the poor little RCPCA dog. We got our dog from Gypsies when he was a tiny pup. Bit of a gamble really as he was very sickly and heaving with fleas and worms(we actually paid for him because we felt so sorry for him) and he's an angel. Such a huge personality and was a doddle to train.

Good luck with her. Post some pics when you get her.

Hi assdoc & thanks! xx

Yes we're very much looking forward to bringing her home tomorrow. She's had clearance from the vet and has had her first lot of jabs - next lot due this coming week. She's been wormed, de-flead and all ready for a new start in life.

She was found by a woman's dog whilst out walking - cowering in the bottom of this huge ditch. Her tummy was full of dirt where she'd obviously been trying to eat something to keep alive. The vet reckoned she'd been in the ditch for about a week. She was about, he estimated, 24hrs from death. She was saved intravenously although she'd given up the fight but the vet was determined to pull her through. She's now a bouncy happy very playful little girl and we can't wait! ....

Hey that is fab news for you. It sounds like you have found a perfect friend for your other little dog and a happy companion for yourselves. I am pleased you have made a move forwards from the sad times - though I'm sure she will not be forgotten. What a sad story about how she was treated before she was found and rescued. Thank goodness there are many more careing people in the world than the terrible ones who do such horrible things to animals.

Have lots of fun with her - bet you are so excited

Hi BG & thanks for replying!

Yes we're excited but I'm also a little bit worried because she has had such an awful start in life...it's the unknown! Having spent the last 3wks in a foster home I'm sure she will be fine and used to the usual goings on but having said that I've been told she's scared of the dark so hopefully with a lamp on and the company of another dog she'll be fine.

I thought you'd be pleased to hear we were getting another dog and especially a rescue dog. I will keep you posted! x

Well...not a bad night. Pup slept from 11pm till just after 5am. Then asked to be let out for a wee and then rummaged in the dog food cupboard so was obviously hungry. She has a lot of catching up to do with her growing so I gave her some of her dried food which disappeared within seconds. She then decided she didn't want to go back to her own bed so got onto ours and slept like a baby! She hates being restricted in a crate so because she's also very calm, housetrained and so far very well behaved we've decided to let her do her own thing. Amazing for such a young dog. She's part Lurcher/Whippet so I'm guessing her make-up plays a big part in her behaviour? Having had Labx and JRTx before I know very little about this type of dog?

Sound like she has made herself well at home. No need for crate unless you have behaviours you need to control - ripping up the house and the like - though sounds like you will not have that sort of problem though. If she is happy and settled that is great. My only advice really having had Labx and jrtx in the past is to make sure with a lurcher type of dog you don't let her get overweight. They are a much sleeker build and it can be easy to overlook when they start to get overweight. Your vet should be able to check her out for you and advise when she is looking about right for her size and breed type.

Also, do beware you do not get into too much of a routine of feeding her at 5am either....start as you mean to carry on re feed times, walk routines, sleep areas etc etc. Habits are easy to form, hard to break but not so hard to prevent if you are firm about choices on offer.

Glad you are already in love

Update! Well..she slept all night last night - we got rid of the crate beside our bed and just left her to sleep by the bed on her own bed. She slept through the night until about 5am when she decided to get up on the bed and snuggle down with us - which is fine - I don't mind that - we're always up by 6 anyway.

I let her out at 6 and she did her business in the garden (both!) and then gave her her breakfast.

I had to take dd1 to school so crated her in the kitchen with her bed, chews, toys, water etc - she whined quite badly as I shut the front door (I also left the radio on) and she was howling when I got back - I was gone just 20mins - she'd also done a poo in her crate. I guess she just got so stressed out?

She's got her jabs on Thursday of this week - her second lot - I hope by next week we can get her out and walking more, tire her out and she won't be left at home hardly at all.

Oh, I thought this was for me!

She'll take a while to trust that you will come back. It is worth doing some dummy runs on going out - get yourself ready as you would - coats on that sort of thing, crate her as you would and say goodbye, go out of the front door and count to 10 then come back in again and praise her for being a good girl. She will soon start to learn as you vary times away naturally anyway that things will be just fine, and she won't start to panic the minute she sees you get ready to go out.