Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

I'm so awfully very completely excited about getting a dog, we are looking at one tomorrow and dh just isn't as excited as me, come and be excited please

103 replies

PlumWallpaper · 07/04/2009 20:45

please come and be excited and a little scared with me pleeease

OP posts:
TrillianEAstraEgg · 08/04/2009 16:41

Where's the puppy?

Did you take pictures?

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 16:47

well we are top of the tree but there is one other family that are interested
he is a pupy and has only been there since yesterday. they dont want to let him be rehomed till they see his full charachter come out to fully check that he is ok with small children

they are saying that he seems not puppyish enough iyswim and are worried that he may change in a few days so dont want to send him home with someone who then has problems with behaviours that they weren't expecting
I totally see what they mean but I have fallen in love with him

we are going to play and walk him again tomorrow

MarmadukeScarlet · 08/04/2009 16:58

Yay, how exciting!!

Flamesparrow · 08/04/2009 18:14

Awww

Geepers · 08/04/2009 18:21

Trinity my advice would be don't go for this dog under any circumstances. A collie is very, very high energy, will need loads and loads of walking, and if it has been crated for 14 hours a day, it hasn't been cared for or socialised adequately and sounds like a recipe for disaster.

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 18:27

hi geepers
what would happen then?

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 18:29

btw I am genuinely asking, not being funny

they aren't going to let anyone have him till they see his real character

we spent two hours with him today on roads, in a paddock and in a closed room

he was bouncy, cuddly, and waggy

loved fetching the ball and bringing it back

enjoyed his walk, only pulled a little

wannaBe · 08/04/2009 18:30

tbh if it's been caged for fourteen hours a day then it won't have been socialized and may have very difficult behaviors.

And Collies are extremely highly strung and very energetic and need a lot of exercise and stimulation, and that's before you add in the behavior problems that may go with him not being socialized.

I would be wary of taking on this dog tbh.

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 18:34

nothing like pissing on my parade lol

I am trusting in the experience of the rehomers

they aren't in a hurry to give him to any family till they know what he is like

they have stated possible problems and we have had to fill in an extensive questionaire and have our home checked

they seem to be very thorough and are waiting to see problems in him

he has been crated for the last two months, not his whole life, incase that makes a difference

Geepers · 08/04/2009 18:36

His true personality could take months to come out. There is a vital window in a puppy's life that it needs to be around other dogs in order to learn correct doggy ettiquette and how to behave around other animals.
In addition to other dogs, you have no idea what this dog has and has not been exposed to. Normal household noise, trains, horses, etc. Collies are famous for exhibiting bozarre paranoias even when they have been raised correctly, which yours certainly hasn't.

Geepers · 08/04/2009 18:37

How old is he?

wannaBe · 08/04/2009 18:38

the crucial time for a puppy to be socialized is between 8 and 18 weeks.

It's good that the rehomers are assessing him first to ensure that he is able to be rehomed, although seems a bit off that they're allowing people to walk him/take an interest and will then potentially say that he's not rehomeable. What is their protocol is he cannot be rehomed - will he be destroyed?

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 19:29

he is 7 months

thankyou for taking the time to talk to me about this
I am taking all the info on.
I do understand what you are saying

wannabe, I dont know what happens if he is not rehomable

Wouldn't the best thing be that he was destroyed if he was totally not rehomable

At the mo it is because I have young children (so do the other family) that they are wanting to check if this is his real character

he was living with a small child and had no problem

When he wasn't crated he was walked, played with and has spent time with other dogs.

He spends time daily with the other dogs at the centre in a safe large paddock.

stleger · 08/04/2009 20:32

My rehomed collie boy is great with kids - he was an 'unwanted Christmas present'. His only negative thing is he grabs you to get attention - dog trainer coming tomorrow! Good luck with decisions.

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 21:02

geepers, wannabe
I really interested in talking to you more about this

If a puppy is bought from a breeder then wouldn't it have been older than 18 weeks before it was bought and therefore properly socialised by the breeder/owner then?

Wouldn't very bad habits or behavioural problems be prevalent now
I fully accept that I dont know much about dogs but surely if it had huge problems they would have shown up either with the previous owner or by now

we did spend a long time with it
the kids were taking the ball from it and throwing it for him, he took treats from their hand gently, rolled over to be tickled of his own accord
snuggled onto my lap under his own volition
gecko got very excited at one point and sqealed and ran up to him and I jumped after her expecting that she may frighten him and he may snap or somehting (just as I dont know how dogs cope with a fright and obviously are on full on safty watch for my children...and just wagged and bounced closer to her and she stroked him and all was well.

the previous owner gave him up as she couldn't give him a full and proper life
she said he was fine with kids, he chewed the blanket in his crate but was totally clean

KingCanuteIAm · 08/04/2009 21:20

Trinity, they usually leave the breeder between 6 and 10 weeks old and it is usual that they are only with their mother/siblings until then. Socialisation is almost always the responsibility of the new owner. It does not sound like this has been a bad owner on the surface of it but remember that there is a lot of trust involved and an owner wanting a dog rehomed may well play down any problems they had comeacross!

At 7 months old there has been plenty of time to learn bad habits but he is also young enough to re-learn good ones. Just keep in mind that re-training a dog can be a real uphill struggle and you should be preparde to get proper help with this as you are not experienced in the area.

I would not say a collie is a novice breed, as others have said they do take a lot of work, they are also often very intelligant and find ways to entertain themselves if you don't do it for them!

One of the things I would want to ask is if the rehoming centre are happy to help you out if you come across difficulties andif they can recommend a good behaviourist who can give you a few pointers to get things off to a good start. Quite often setting rules in your house from the very start can help a dog feel secure and avoid the dog trying to take the micky out of you by getting away with things!

Don't fall into the trap of worrying so much that the dog does not feel wanted that you end up coddling it and actually causing bad behaviour unwittingly. Dogs respect boundaries and love people who are firm and fair (and feed them!). They do not respect people who constantly cuddle and kiss and let them steal the food from their plates!

It sounds like the rehomeing centre are being very sensible so I should imagine, if they think you can do this dog justice, youwill be just fine! He sounds lovely BTW!

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 21:26

thanks canute

the rehoming centre have told us that they will always be on the end of the phone to help us and give us advice
they will ring us a couple of time (in the first month) to ask us if all is ok

They have said that they can give us advise about socialisation courses and behaviourists if we need any help

I understand about the firm and fair rather than mollycoddling

I will be able to do that in reality, just in my head I'm going to worry if it feels loved lol

dh has had collies before and other dogs all his life so we aren't without any experience
even though I have none iyswim

I would never feed a dog off our plates, let it beg or lick our finished dishes
those are definite rules from the start

wannaBe · 08/04/2009 21:34

Tr most puppies leave their mothers at around eight weeks, so socialization is the responsibility of the person who takes on the puppy, taking it to training classes/for walks etc.

I do wonder, if the dog was aledgedly shut in a crate for fourteen hours a day, did this also include at night? in which case it's not as bad as it sounds.

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 21:38

oh right
I wasn't aware that they their mum so young

thanks wannabe and sorry for bending your ear so much

does the behaviour that he has shown to us 'score' any good points for him

I mean he cant 'pretend' to be so nice iykwim can he?

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 21:39

that they leave their mums...

KingCanuteIAm · 08/04/2009 21:45

Rolling over like that for the children is a good sign about his temprament, he clearly does not feel insecure with them, he also does not feel he is "too important" to be vunerable in front of you/them.

TBH, it doesn't sound half bad to me, it is great that your dh has experience with the breed and you sound like you have your head right about it all.

I am still very excited for you all

TrinityWino · 08/04/2009 21:47

thanks canute

I took the rolling over as a good sign too
not knowing anything about dogs, it just seemed to make sense that if he would roll over and be vulnerable with small children he was obviously not feeling scared or threatened which bodes well

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 09/04/2009 02:02

I have a rehomed collie - she failed sheepdog training (she's a bit deaf and couldn't hear the commands), and was "free to a good home" at three years old. She'd lived in a kennel outdoors all her life and had not been housetrained.

She's now curled up at my feet.

She housetrained very quickly, she's very intelligent and keen to work/play. She's not a barker, and she's absolutely terrific with people, including young children.

She'll "steal" food out of the bin if the lid's not properly closed, but otherwise is utterly trustworthy around food - unless she knows it's hers. I'd once left an open packet of treats on the coffee table (right at doggy-nose height) and she very gently took that, but I could leave my own dinner on the same table and she'd never touch it.

She's also happy with several short outings in the yard every day rather than long walks, though she'll cheerfully run for hours too.

I use the Jan Fennell method with her - dunno how MNers feel about her, I know she can be viewed as controversial in the doggy world - and would happily recommend it to anyone else. My friend had a bampot weimaraner who also responded well. It's basically what other have said about always going out of the door (any door) first, not acknowledging the dog (until you're ready to do so - you don't ignore it all day!) when you return home/to the room if you've left the dog, always eating first, never allowing the dog to be on the same physical level as you and so on.

Good luck and have fun.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 09/04/2009 02:06

Oh, and she's not a chewer, either, though she does dig up plant pots if they're on the floor. But it's not a big deal to move them.

She's not neurotic at all, very calm dog.

(Just wanted to add a more optimistic note)

TrinityWino · 09/04/2009 08:14

thanks oldlady
I will take a good look at that link later

bleary eyed and only just awake after a crappy night with both little ones waking up

Swipe left for the next trending thread