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Original poster

Helpful tips for settling in new foster dog tomorrow?

42 replies

DragonsCanHop · 21/02/2016 20:00

she is very friendly but nervous.

I'm having a one to one with the lady from the rescue tomorrow when she brings her here so I can ask what noises she is used to etc but just wondered if any one has any pre advice for me.

Actually, I'm just super excited and want to talk about it Smile

Please don't pre judge, I have experience of animals, safe place created and all ready, visitors postponed for a couple of days, still plan to go out on errands and let her be at home on her own for a bit.

She has spent 3 months in kennels so our home and garden are hopefully going to be a Very happy place for her.

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Bubble2bubble · 21/02/2016 20:58

I have a very scared little foster dog here at the moment. Everything is new and scary - TV, phone, iron, washing machine, anyone making a sudden movement....:(
Its amazing how quickly they get into your routine though. If she's been in kennels she will hopefully be fine at being left for short time, and will be used to sleeping on her own at night.
Very exciting - good luck!

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 21/02/2016 21:05

Thank you.

I've done all the washing, tumble drying, ironing and hoovering today so she can have a couple of days without that then thought that when I pit the washing machine on etc I could sit next to it and show her I'm not worried by it?

We have a lovely garden to walk around and then after a couple of days take her up and down our road, she is approx 5yrs and little.

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Jaimx86 · 21/02/2016 21:12

How lovely. Thank you for taking one in :) when we rescued ours, she mainly slept for the first 24hours as was so traumatised by the kennels. I put one of my nighties in her bed to build up a bond and slept with a few bears in my bed to give to her.
We took her out on LOTS of mini walks and rewarded her each time she toileted before she has time to wee in the house.
She was (and still is) petrified of carrier bags, water and foil so be prepared for unusual fears.

Bubble2bubble · 21/02/2016 21:23

Good point Jaime - all the fosters I have had have slept and slept for a few days, as if it has been the first safe place they have been able to sleep soundly.

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 21/02/2016 22:32

I wouldn't have even thought about her needing well deserved sleep and rest,

she can have my jumper I wore today when I first met her and the crate I alrady had here is huge for her size so I've put 3 pillows in the bottom and then a mattress protector thing and a couple if towels in top with a coupe of teddies DD said she could have.

I've then put an old duvet ipver the top so she can hide if she wants but it's in the kitchen so we will be in and out and only fuss her if she comes out to say hello.

I also didn't think about carrier bags, kitchen foil or the normal basics we use every day, thank you so much.

We are so looking forward to letting her rest here and slowly learn a loving touch.

Any other ideas?

I've heard of jackets, harnesses, leads that have a special colour to let other dog owners know she is very nervous, although showed no nerves around the other dogs when we walked around the grounds of the rescue, any ideas if that would be useful oris it just best to keep her in the house and in our garden or just get out and about so she gets usd to it?

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Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 22/02/2016 10:03

Any more help or tips, she will be here at lunch time Smile

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Bubble2bubble · 22/02/2016 10:39

She may well be nervous of people but love other dogs.If so, then out and about meeting friendly dogs will be great for her confidence. No need to rush into taking her anywhere, just give she time to settle in her new surroundings. Walk her round your garden on the lead so she knows where the boundaries are.
Does she know her name? You might need to teach that, same way as you do a puppy. She may not be housetrained, so again treat her like a puppy ( at her age it shouldn't take long )
Above 'act normal' ! It's tempting to tiptoe around but in fact you really need to just behave as you normally would around the house and let her observe you. If she's not keen on coming to you just leave her be for a few days. Sitting on the floor to let her check you out can be good as well.

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 22/02/2016 12:06

Thank you bubble

The rescue have sent me pictures of where they rescued her from, she wasn't being fed and just lived in a concrete room Sad

She should be here anytime soon!

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gailforce1 · 22/02/2016 18:43

How is it going Dragons? Hope she is settling and that the lady from the rescue was helpful.

GinIsIn · 22/02/2016 18:58

Hello! Just to say if the teddies belonged to your DD, just check they haven't got any plastic eyes or noses on that your pup could chew off and swallow. Hope it's going really well! Don't worry if she has a sensitive tummy or accidents the first few days - it will settle when her nerves do. Good luck!!

wavingfuriously · 22/02/2016 20:22

hi dragon, so nice to meet other dog fosterers on here Smile
defo. not trying to put you off but echo the fact that there may be a few accidents at first...try putting towels down the first time she comes it's supposed to feel a bit like grass.. and try to resist over feeding the first 24 hours...she'll probably vomit if given too much nice food after the kennel chow. good luck ! please report back Smile more peeps should do it - its so rewarding
x

wavingfuriously · 22/02/2016 20:29

hi again
the other things that dog will probably do is follow you around everywhere...YOU now represent their whole security and they aren't going to let you go !

personally got on my nerves a bit with the first foster but then got used to it Smile

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 22/02/2016 22:41

She has been here since 2.30, hasn't ventured further than the kitchen, safe crate and garden.

I have over fed her though,only way to get her to come from behind the trees in the garden and back in the house
, so vomit and poop ready. Just me and her tomorrow and a couple of hours alone in the evening and ropmmorow day whilst I dommy things.

My god she stinks, but her back story is heart breaking and I'm n the sofa tonight and she still hasn't venturd from her safe place to me so very early days.

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wavingfuriously · 22/02/2016 23:24

what is her back story ? is she from an overseas rescue ? can't imagine any uk rescue wouldn't feed her!

Bubble2bubble · 23/02/2016 09:01

Heartbreaking :(
She comes to you for food - at least that is positive!

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 23/02/2016 09:48

Back story as far as we know: Romanian street dog caught by the street catches and most likely beaten and abused. In a romainian pound for 2 years with no human contact kept with 509 other dogs some/mostly dead in her concrete area and they could only afford to feed once a week.

Someone from uk rescue paid £350 to get her here, jabs, tabbies, spayed etc all done now and now with me.

She stayed in her crate/safe place until the DC fell asleep. I slept on the sofa and she ended up on the sofa with me.

No indoor accidents and has had breakfast, when I let her in the garden it takes ages to coa her back indoors, I use cooked gammon scraps to get her back inside and she is currently sleeping in her safe place with all the doors open and the radio on.

When she comes to find me she wags her tail and licks my hand, she can get a bit excited and then gets scared so goes back into her crate/safe place.

I adore her but fuck me does she stink Grin we did a spot worm treatment yesterday so no bath for a few days yet!

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Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 23/02/2016 09:50

Tabbies = rabies test ok

She was in the UK rescue in an outside kennel for 3 months until I contacted them.

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shockthemonkey · 23/02/2016 17:49

Oh bless! She's on the sofa with you and she stinks? She must think she's gone to heaven after what she's been through.

Gingersstuff · 23/02/2016 19:53

Dragons your wee foster has the same backstory as our newest member of the pack, except that he was kept in a tiny concrete cell without any company, food or exercise. We are his forever home after 2 foster homes in the UK. We've had him 4 months and are working hard to overcome his fears but he's getting better every day. It's just amazing what a little love and attention can do for these poor animals. I don't have any additional tips for you but just to say bloody well done for taking one of these dogs in and showing them what a proper loving home looks like Smile Flowers

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 23/02/2016 21:48

She enjoys being in the garden, she has dug a couple of small holes in the flower borders that she like to sit in behind the conifer trees.

If I go in to the garden she comes straight over for a lick and a stroke but she then doesn't want to come back in the house.

I understand it's because she lived on the streets and then outside in the pound, I'm tempting her in with treats and she has let me pick her up, she then goes straight into her safe place and I just do my normal kitchen things but any tips?

It could be tricky trying to do school runs if the DC accidentally let her out in the garden.

shock yep, she stinks but I don't mind just now and plan to bath her very soon and she doesn't fart or snore like You know who so I'm happy.

We have no heating or hot water at the minute so the dog smell is masking the tramp smell any way Smile

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Bubble2bubble · 23/02/2016 22:05

Totally understandable that she doesn't t want to come in the house, poor girl.
If you left the door open would she eventually come in ? ( doesn't help if you are trying to get out on the school run I know!). Or can you put her on the lead and just walk round the garden and then casually into the house ?

Absolute sympathy, I have the same problem here and have spent a lot of time with the door open just waiting and hiding in the house.Every time I think I have cracked it some thing else spooks her and we have to start all over again...

honeyroar · 23/02/2016 22:12

Just give her time. We have a Romanian rescue. She has been here six months. She adored people from the start, but was also terrified of them, especially men. She would rush up to everyone wagging her tail, then cower and pee if anyone bent down to her. She's only just stopping that now. We have two other dogs, so she took leads and confidence from them.

I've become involved with our rescue a bit for fundraising, and therefore here a lot about the dogs that come over. It's quite common that they prefer the garden and don't want to come inside initially. All of them have eventually got confidence and happily come in. I've even heard of a few people (in summer) that left patio doors open and the dogs bed out in the garden (obviously a very secure garden) for the first week. Be careful though, one got out of a garden once, luckily came back itself.

They usually soon realise on what side their bread is buttered and relax into life as a loved and looked after pet. Some of the dogs that look to have the biggest amount to adapt sometimes adapt quicker. One thing to remember is that while you're helping them adjust you shouldn't over spoil them, remember they are dogs and need boundaries and to understand house rules. Some of the dogs that have got a bit bolshy after a few months have, in my opinion, become so because they've been allowed to rule the roost and been so spoilt because the owner was being overly sift with them out of sympathy, if you know what I mean. Good luck, it's very rewarding.

Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 24/02/2016 11:42

Opps, I left the lounge door open last night when I went to bed and she ventured out in her own and did a sloppy poo on my grey carpet.

I've scooped it all up nd used 1001 carpet cleaner plus hot water etc but is there anything I can do to get the (3) stains up completely?

We went for a little walk in the lead up the road today, she did so well but then the bin men came round and freaked her out so we turned round and went home and she sniffed her way straight back to our back gate Smile very good on the lead as well.

I've been sent this photo of where she was living before coming over to the UK kennel.

I'm trying my best not to spoil her and she is happily sleeping in her safe place now.

Helpful tips for settling in new foster dog tomorrow?
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Original poster
DragonsCanHop · 24/02/2016 11:43

Sorry for the spelling mistakes!! Bloody iPad and I'm watching Malcom In the middle whilst typing

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GinIsIn · 25/02/2016 14:54

For the stains on the carpet, try an mix of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.

How is she doing today?