Helpful tips for settling in new foster dog tomorrow?

[DragonsCanHop]

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

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.

You are a star OP. Sounds like it's going well so far. My friend is heavily involved in rehoming, and fosters many dogs herself,- some reslly damaged dogs. It's amazing how they turn out and you would,never know that they had been so brutally treated with time and effort. Good luck with her.

So glad she has a safe place now. Poor little thing. You are wonderful to be so kind to her.

She is doing amazingly well!

I've had to have some men in the house in regards to the knackered boiler, she hid behind the kitchen bin for 3 hours without coming out so I turned her safe place crate round to face the bin and wall and she crawled in there. Apparently the dog catchers were male and very cruel in their treatment towards her.

Eventually she came out later in the evening and we had cuddles in the garden (house is bloody freezing but outside is worse!) but she prefers it outside because that is what she is used to.

I put paper down in the kitchen and remembered to shut the lounge door last night and she'd had a nice solid poo on the kitchen floor when I came down to let her out at 6am.

Seeing as she likes the garden so much I have put a bit of old carpet in the garage and she likes to sit in there.

We have walked again today and I nipped her back to the rescue centre for another worming tablet and gland check because she is rubbing her bum on the ground.

I then took her to a local dog groomers who said they had no available appointments for 7 weeks but once I told them her little life story she is booked in for tomorrow for a wash and brush - I have no hot water at the minute and I also didn't want to frighten her and make her fearful of me in such early days, she hasn't even sniffed the stairs let alone try to climb them yet.

She has the most loving temperament I've ever met in a dog, we play chase in the garden where I run away from her and she chases me just helping to show her I won't chase her about.

I'm in love but will admit I'm very much looking forward to her smelling fresher and then I will try to see if she will sit on my lap for a proper cuddle.

I bought some special wipes that worked on the carpet but will keep your idea in mind Gin incase it happens again.

Oh OP, you are a wonderful person, I actually have a little tear reading your thread. No advice other than to let her take the lead, which you are doing, but you are amazing for taking her in. Good luck. x

So nice to hear that. good for the groomers too!

Thank you for the update Dragon, you are an angel for taking this dog on. It is great that she is good on the lead and could sniff her way home! Have you investigated probiotics? A dog I am looking after is on Pro-Kolin for gastrointestinal sensitivities. He used to be a street dog in England and I think his stomach has been badly irritated by the wrong food (bread, human biscuits, pizza etc) and irregular feeding patterns. These sachets do seem to be helping.
for you tonight.

I will look that up gailforce I'm feeding a mix of her normal kennel biscuit and a tiny amount of natures diet trays in the hope that the switch works to natures diet and I can start adding some fresh sardines etc but not yet.

She is very quiet again tonight but I suppose that's because I took her back to the rescue etc.

She is helping my broken heart as much as I am helping her, it just feels like fate.

I think I may have managed to Dc a picture to my profile if anyone wants to see if it has worked?

How do I look at your profile OP? I normally tap on the username but I can't make it work.

well done Dragon, reading your posts i had more sympathy for you actually because of the freezing cold and ur lack of heat & hot water!

I have no idea how to view profile pictures, sorry.

Star was groomed today and looks like a new dog and more importantly smells so much better. She was brilliant there and didn't even mind the dryers.

Day 5 now and after spending the past days in the garden, garage, kitchen and crate she is now snuggled next to me in the sofa, TV on, portable heater on and we are both cosy.

waving I can't say it's been pleasent but we have heaters and an electric shower so all I need now is a lottery win of 3k and I'm sorted to order a new boiler.

I have a long and boring thread in relationships "Soemone called the police DV" if you can't sleep, it's been a rough few weeks but helping this little lady has really helped me and my DC just as much.

oh sounds like you've done a great job Dragon if she's snuggled up on the sofa with you, agree dogs are such a therapy. Glad u've got some heat at least ...specially in this weather..brrr

Goodness dragons I just clicked on your other thread. You are amazing. Dogs are such lifesavers.
She sounds like she is doing really well in such a short time

Dragons you are an angel for helping this wee one. Sounds like you're all doing brilliantly.
I can thoroughly recommend the Natures Diet trays as we had to keep our rescue on hypoallergenic stuff due to his terrible history. 3 months later and both he and our other 3 dogs have amazing coats now due to their diet (I switched them all over for convenience; ours were on supermarket tinned previously..long story!) Interestingly our youngest, who was always a bit hyper for a retriever, has calmed right down and I honestly think it's down to the decent food.

So glad to hear she is snuggled up to you. What a stroke of luck for her to land in your home!!

update

I can't believe our little star has now been with us 7 weeks tomorrow!! She is a different dog to what I posted all those weeks ago.

She now plays ball, chase and hide n seek. Can go off lead in the local contained park (I bet she would be fine in an open space but I fear she will get scared and run in panic) her diet is all sorted and she poos in just one corner of the garden, she loves to run and roll around on the lawn.

Her confidence is growing, she barks at birds in the garden. Isn't bothered by visitors knocking on the door but will bark and growl if she hears a male voice, isn't brave enough to come out and see who it is though

She follows me around like a lamb, I can't stand and refill a glass of wine without her following me, still loves her crate, door open and has a now spot on the sofa when the DC go up to bed.

She still hasn't ventured up the stairs yet but she whines if I spend to long upstairs in the morning without going down to say hello.

She gazes deep into my eyes and gives me a sloppy kiss and we have nearly cracked paw\high five to say hello. I swear she smiles at me as well

She is still very nervous at times and we still have her crate (door open) in the kitchen.

Her bad dreams are less frequent now as well, I spent a lot of week 5 stroking her whilst she whimpered and yelped in her sleep

Bless her. You do wonder what they're dreaming 😞 She's a little love ❤ hope she continues to settle so well. We're about 2 months in with our little rescue. It's lovely to see him so happy and healthy 😊 It's like he's always been here. Hopefully he'll start to forget his past (we don't know his history but he's from uk)

The first day my heart nearly broke at how waggy his tail was when he woke up on my bed in the morning, when he realised he was here.